Dear Brethren,
On behalf of the AMSRB-NATO Club leadership, I would like to congratulate all our recent 32° Masters of the Royal Secret. You now begin a journey that will reap great rewards should you choose to look deeper into the light which you have now received. I encourage each of you to take advantage of the wealth of additional opportunities Scottish Rite provides, to learn and participate further into the teachings of Freemasonry. Start by reading Ill Rex R. Hutchens, 33° GC book titled, “A Bridge to Light” and take your first steps on the path that is certain to aid you by expanding upon, and elaborating, the teachings and lessons of the first 3 Degrees. I also invite you to visit the Members Resources page (https://amsrb-nato.com/home/resources/) on the club website to find a wealth of books, papers, and even the videos from the reunion class.
As you move forward, take a moment to reflect on all that you experienced this past weekend and remember the Scottish Rite Creed of Freemasonry as our Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Ill. Leonard Proden, 33° highlighted at the end of the 32nd Degree – “Human Progress is our cause. Our Supreme Wish is Liberty of Thought. Our Mission is Freedom of Conscience. Our ultimate Goal is the Guarantee of Equal Rights to All People.”
We would also like to take a moment to thank all the Brethren and Club Leadership who dedicated their time and energy to attend, plan, organize, and execute the 2023 Reunion in Genova, Italy. It is no easy task to plan an event that meets every need, but our Degree Teams, Class Leaders, Planners, and Support Staff, faced every challenge head on and developed creative solutions to ensure our task was accomplished to standard. No “one” individual or individuals can take credit for the camaraderie enjoyed by the AMSRB. It is because of your hard work that we can continue to initiate new Masters of the Royal Secret so please accept our deep gratitude for all that you do.
Truth be told, it was a tough weekend but as the 1700 century French Poet, Pierre Corneille said “The Greater the Effort, the Sweeter the Reward”. I personally find great reward in our efforts. Without the effort of all the Members of the AMSRB-NATO Club, Scottish Rite Masonry would be dormant in Europe and how sad would it be if we were not able to promote a way of life that binds men together in the worldwide brotherhood of Scottish Rite Masonry. I am proud to be a member of our great Club (and DCSR) which allows me to contribute in several ways that help us successfully accomplish the Scottish Rite Mission. That said, success is great – excellence is better. We make the world better one Brother at a time. Our Members and Candidates deserve our diligent efforts as Leaders, to always strive to provide the best Reunions possible, and to always keep their best interest at heart. This is best expressed by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in a 1774 letter to his son, where he stated, “Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” So again, yes – it was a tough weekend, but we learn and grow form hardship and I believe we should always strive to improve and to do it well!
Lastly, we would like to thank our Washington D.C. Leadership, Ill Leonard Proden, 33°, Ill Marshall Willner, 33°, and Ill. William G. Sizemore II, 33°, GC. Without your support, none of this would be possible. Thank you for attending, and all that you do for DCSR and the AMSRB-NATO Club.
Brethren, once again, thank you and mark your calendars now – we look forward to seeing you all next year for the 2024 Reunion in Sicily, Italy scheduled for 11-13 October 2024.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Cameron J. Davis, 32° KCCH
AMSRB-NATO Club
Vice President
cameron.davis@amsrb-nato.com
