Fall Reunion

Valley presents 32° Mason degrees
on class of 32 brethren
Class honors Ill.·. Steven J. Krekus, 33°,
Grand Master of Masons in Ohio
32° Masons Fall 2003 Class Photo   |   Behind The Scenes of Fall 2003 Reunion

The Valley of Cleveland 32° Masons held the Fall 2003 Two-day reunion November 21 & 22 in the Cleveland Masonic Center honoring Ill.·. Steven J. Krekus, 33°.

A class of 32 received the perfectly staged degrees presented by the dedicated officers and members.

The degrees were complemented by the Scottish Rite Chorus under the direction of Chester Willey accompanied on the organ by Dr. Gary Streiff.

Degree presentations included: the Eliadah Lodge of Perfection 5th Degree (Perfect Master) and the 14th degree (Grand Elect Mason) with Edwin A. Strauss, Jr. presiding; the Bahurim Council 15th degree, (Knight of the East or Sword) and 16th Degree (Prince of Jerusalem) with Robert R. Childers presiding; the Ariel Chapter Rose Croix 17th Degree (Knight of the East and West) and the 18th degree (Knight of the Rose Croix) with David W. Leifer, presiding; and the Lake Erie Consistory 22nd Degree (Prince of Libanus also called the Chorus degree) and the 32nd degree (Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret) with Ill... Ronald R. Ebert, 33°, Presiding.

Past Presiding Officers in attendance included:

Eliadah Lodge of Perfection: Illustrious Brethren Richard B. Ingham, Thomas H. Galyen, Charles J. McCarty, John H. Youngblood, David W. McClenahan, Glenn L. Beaver, and Arthur G. Quade.

Bahurim Council, Princes of Jerusalem: Illustrious Brethren James C. Matilo, Robert J. Hibjan, Richard E. Vogler, and John A. Hall.

Ariel Chapter, Rose Croix: Illustrious Brethren Merlyn E. Meredith, James R. Hastings, Steven J. Krekus, William M. Tompkins, Wilbur B. Smith, Robert W. Thomas., and Alan W. Jones.

Lake Erie Consistory: Illustrious Brethren Merlyn E. Meredith, Charles N. Berry, John W. Young, Robert W. Cubbison. Terry J. MacDonald, Jeffrey J. Black, and Bradford A. Goebel.

The Fall Valley of Cleveland luncheon featured music by the Al Koran Shrine Band. Other business of the luncheon included: introductions by Ill... Glenn L. Beaver, 33°, Chairman of the Valley of Cleveland Board of Trustees, of brethren seated on the dais; Deputy’s Representative Robert J. Hibjan; the officers of the Four Coordinate Bodies; Degree Directors; and other special dignitaries. and Ill.·. and M.W.B. Steven J.Krekus, 33°, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and for whom the Fall 2003 Class of candidates was named.

M.W.B. Krekus said that he is glad to live in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Classes Honorees in the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction must be dead in order to have a Class named in their honor.

In his remarks, he said that the job of Grand Master of Ohio is awesome. There are more than 130,000 Masons within 550 lodges in Ohio. The Northeastern Ohio area alone has more lodges than most states.

His motto for 2003-2004 is Freemasonry...a Blueprint for Life.

He congratulated the Fall 2003 Candidates for continuing their quest for more knowledge in Masonry.

Following lunch, the 32nd degree was presented. It is during this degree that special dignitaries are presented. Among those presented to Commander-in-Chief Ronald Ebert were: District Deputies of the 22nd Masonic District: John H. Whitehouse, Neal Hubbard, Roger Lynch, Richard Rodeheaver, Robert “Bud” Cygan and 25th District Deputy Grand Master Robert J. Homoly; also presented were Ill.·. Curtis A. Miller, 33°, Past Sovereign Prince of the Valley of Youngstown and Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Ohio; and Ill.·. Brad Goebel, recently appointed Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Ohio; Illustrious Brethren James R. Filiez, Deputy’s Representative from the Valley of Canton, and Randy A. Williams, Deputy’s Representative from the Valley of Cambridge, both of whom made brief remarks; Ill.·. Glenn L. Beaver, 33°, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Valley of Cleveland; and Ill.·. & M.W.B. Steven J. Krekus, 33°, Grand Master of Masons in Ohio and for whom the Fall Class of 2003 was named.

A total of 227 members, and visitors attended the Fall 2003 Reunion. If you weren’t in that number...we missed you.

See you April 24 at the One-Day Reunion. Petitions are now available from your lodge representative or the valley office.

Valley of Cleveland Member

Roy C. Ritter Installed Grand Commander

Roy C. Ritter of Ashtabula was recently installed Grand Commander of The Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of Ohio. He joins M.W.B. Steven J. Krekus, Grand Master of Masons in Ohio, who reside in the northeastern Ohio area.

Sir Knight Ritter was Raised a Master Mason in Tuscan Lodge no. 342 in Jefferson, Ohio and served as Master in 1985, 1986, and 1987. He is a Past High Priest of American Union Chapter No. 1 in Marietta, a Past Illustrious Master of Marietta Council no. 78, and Past Commander of Cashe Commandery No. 27 in Conneaut. where he is presently serving as Recorder. He was appointed to the line of officers of the Grand Commandery of Ohio by then Grand Commander Richard H. Palm. He holds several Honorary Royal Arch Mason and Commandery memberships. He is the recipient of the Honorary Legion of Honor from DeMolay International.

He is also a 32° Mason of the Valley of Cleveland where he had several parts in the degree work of the Fall 2003 Reunion; Ohio Priory, Knights Templar of Ohio; Sovereign Master of LeRoy Shanower Council No. 149, AMD, Royal Order of Scotland; El Kadir Grotto; and Al Koran Shrine.

Ritter is a graduate of Jefferson High School, and earned his B. S. degree in Metallurgical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1954. He was a 35 year employee of Union Carbide where he was plant manager in Ashtabula, retiring in 1991.

He married his wife Alice Jean in 1956. The couple have three grown children, Denise, Roy C., and Lee Ann, and four grandchildren.

The Ritters attend Bethany Lutheran Church in Ashtabula where Roy is active in the stewardship and finance committees, a lay assistant, and member of the choir.

Congratulations Roy.

Fall 2003 Reunion Visiting Brethren

Thank You Brethren for coming!