How DeMolay has effected my life

Of all the weird Google Search terms that have brung me readers ( Like Christine Chubbock) this one wasn't weird... ( and was downright sensible to).

Let me tell you about my life before DeMolay. I wasn't very outgowing in my life before I entered the order. Friends I didn't have many. The idea of brotherhood and fraternity which I hold in my heart towards many folks all over this country (especially in the state of Florida) would never have happened.

How did I become the outgoing opinionated person that I am today? Well their were certain niches of things in how one advanced and gained respect in the order. We'll divide them into leadership, sports, ritual, and "fun"

people from the other three niches would make their segway into the leadership category but by and large their was a perminent political class in the order.

I gravitated towards that. Largely because I liked the folks in the leadership class very well.

To do that I learned to speak (butressed with Speech and Debate in high school) which augmented my already strong verbal skills. I learned to try to take iniative and ask to get into positions to lead in my chapter and in the state. And through rivalries with adult and youth leaders I really grew more into the bastich who is stubborn and willing to go to the wall against some one who is wrong more then I was before.

DeMolay took some of my strong traits and made them stronger. But what really changed my life was the Brotherhood.

I joined Sarasota Lodge #147 with a fellow Senior DeMolay. I actually helped put Tom through his degrees in his chapter in Bradenton, Florida. their was a pull between Tom and I. I ended up advocating for Tom behind closed doors on a few occassions and occassionally droping some requests because they weren't really relevant to tom or the lodge as a whole.

My best friend in the world Mark has done for me things few other friends would. Mark and I were political warriors in the order, and I know much of what he had to do to get ahead because I was there with him. So long as i was physically able to if mark called me I'd come from wherever I was in Florida if he needed me. And I know he'd do the same for me... and just like me he wouldn't put it to a second thought.

But where the Brotherhood came down is the fact I was often an outsider in my chapter, that was the paragon of brotherhood. I was the token nerd with the "cool kids". But in the end of my DeMolay run they saw the respect of others I brought to the chapter, and they knew I'd go to the wall for them just as they would for each other.

Taking obligations at an alter changes you. This "stream of conciousness" rant I really talked about those I feel the most in my heart right now. If whomever did that search comes back to look at this post a comment in the comment line, I'd be glad to go into more detail.

heck, even if you want more detail I'd be glad to share it