Ill. Ralph C. Shelton II, 33°
As many of you know, our Sovereign Grand Inspector General Ill. Frank Loui stepped down due to health reasons as of December 31, 2024. Ill. Frank is recovering well, and is missed. Grand Commander Cole has convened the Personal Representatives regarding the future of our Orient. Most recently, he confirmed that a Deputy will be appointed in the relatively near future to preside over the Orient, and the first charge for that Deputy will be to study the question of whether the Orient of California should be divided into two Orients, one North and one South. He requested that we discuss this with our Valley members, and at our last meeting, I did so. There were few questions, and the general consensus was that such a division would not be appropriate. Indeed, every member present expressed their displeasure with the idea except one, who did not have an opinion one way or the other.
The Personal Representatives of the 20 California Valleys have also met to discuss the matter, with similar results. The consensus is that a division is not appropriate, with 18 Valleys expressing that opinion, and just two favoring a divide. As I write this, we have a further meeting with Comm. Cole scheduled for April 23, and I hope to have the opportunity to amend this report prior to the publication of the newsletter.
While we wait for decisions on these important issues, we will welcome yet more new Masters of the Royal Secret on May 8 and 10 of this year. I am proud of our Valley’s continued activity and growth, and even more pleased with the sense of fellowship that continues to grow among the membership. Engagement is up, involvement of significant others is up, and we have welcomed visitors from around the Orient who want to see just what Orange County Valley is doing. Of course, I encourage each of you to join us for meetings, so you can see what others have noted to be a remarkable Valley.
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The meeting with Grand Commander Cole has just ended, and he has confirmed that the question of division of the Orient has been settled – California will remain one Orient. He also confirmed that an announcement of the appointment of a Deputy will be made within the next few weeks. When that announcement is made, we will publish it to all of you as immediately as possible.
