We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States…
Read it all at: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

Pictured from left to right is: Joseph Stabb, Ph.D., 32° - ROTC Faculty Advisor at SUNY Oswego; Ill. Garry Visconti, 33° MSA, Past Commander-In-Chief, Central City Bodies, A.A.S.R., Valley of Syracuse, NY: Cadet Joseph Farr, Class of 2021, SUNY Oswego; Cadet Zoe Garrison, Class of 2021, SUNY Oswego: D.B. Lawrence W. Egnaczyk, 32° MSA, Commander-In-Chief, Central City Bodies, A.A.S.R., Valley of Syracuse, NY

Calendar
June 2020
The Central City Bodies, A.A.S.R. Valley of Syracuse is closed. We must abide by the Grand Master’s Proclamation issued May 5, 2020 cancelling all Masonic gatherings in NY State thru June 7, 2020. We will reopen when those who govern our actions approve.

Summer 2020
The Family Life Picnic scheduled for August 1, 2020 at the Cicero American Legion Post is cancelled. 
No comments to make regarding the Syracuse Mets Baseball event in August. Very doubtful this event will happen. 
The next meetings and events planned for the Valley of Syracuse will be in September 2020.
Formal notices for all future events will be forthcoming from the Valley office in the future.
Watch for the September 2020 WORD

Consistory
Greetings, 
I hope this article finds you and your families in good health.
This will be our last Word article before we take our summer break. I am hopeful that we will be able to resume some form of Masonic events in the fall. As most of you have anticipated most of the Scottish Rite events scheduled for the summer have been cancelled or pushed back to next summer. New dates for these events will be forth coming.
Many thanks to Jim and Sharon Swan and Sharon Fox for doing what they can to help keep some of the crucial work of the office operating while maintaining social distancing and required safety precautions.
The Executive Meeting was held on May 4 th via a Zoom meeting. I thank all who were able to participate. It was great to see the Body heads and Trustees and have the ability to take care of the business at hand thank you Jim Swan for setting this up for us. Our next Zoom Executive meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2020.
Technology can be a great tool when it works properly. We held a teleconference via phone with D.B. Carl Klossner, 32*MSA, C.I.C. of the Valley of Utica, Jim Swan and myself. We discussed the possibility of resuming our joint degree work if we can meet again to confer degrees in the fall. More information will be sent out as restrictions ease up. 
I have been looking forward to the Thursday Night at the Rite degree programs. To keep the degree secure, you must log into the Supreme Council Member Center (https://scottishritenmj.org/login) to view the presentation on Thursday evening. If you do not have an account, you can easily create one. You need your date of birth and your member number. Once logged on you will be able to see these wonderful video degrees and they will instruct you on how you can get credit for your passport. T.P.M. Terry Byard has the link in his article. 
New Scottish Rite Brothers going through your degrees can log on also, but you must have seen the 4th Degree and get your membership number from our Valley secretary. If any of our Brothers or their families is in need of assistance do not hesitate to contact me at the numbers listed below or e-mail me.
May the Great Architect of the Universe Bless and protect you.

Fraternally,
D.B.  Lawrence W. Egnaczyk, 32° MSA
Commander in Chief

Chapter
No News Received
Henry R. Havener, 32° DSA
Most Wise Master


Council
Greetings Sovereign Princes. 
Hope you all are doing OK and keeping safe along with your families. While there are no meetings going on, the Executive Committee, Trustees and body heads are all working very hard on trying to get events either cancelled or rescheduled for later dates. 
The office staff continues to ensure that bills are paid and that all appropriate reports to Supreme Council are being sent. One interesting thing that I am enjoying is “Thursday Nite at The Rite”. This is a Supreme Council program where you can watch a selected videotaped degree presentation on the website and then have your information sent electronically to the Valley for credit on your passport.  Go to https://scottishritenmj.org/ and sign up for access to the member center so you can view the degrees. They are very well done and a pleasure to watch. 
You are all in my prayers every day. God bless you all, Freemasons, our military and this great country. 
James McNeal, 32º DSA
Sovereign Prince


Lodge
Greetings Princes. 
As of this writing we are all still in the fight against COID19! It is with our deepest prayers that
you and your families all are faring well and learning new ways to cope with the virus and social isolation. We just received a new Edict from the Grand Master extending the postponement of all Masonic Activities until 7 June 2020. However, we have also received State and Federal guidance that the impact of the virus is on the downward curve. Hopefully, we will begin the actions to return to normalcy soon. Perhaps by the time this article is published we will be a little freer to enjoy the summer and our favorite activities.
On the Masonic front, many new lectures, meetings, and presentations have been happening virtually to spread the brotherly love and keep our fraternity relevant during these trying times. Of particular interest is the “Thursday Night at the Rite” series hosted by the Supreme Council. Every Thursday night at 7 and 9 PM there is a virtual Degree Watch Party, by video, on the Member Center of the AASR NMJ website AND members receive credit for the degrees!!! See https://scottishritenmj.org/member-center for more details.
In addition to the above, the Valleys Executive Committee has met VIA Zoom (A digital video conferencing application) to discuss business, valley activities, and the way ahead when social restrictions are lifted. Unfortunately, with the recommendation of the Body Heads, we have decided to cancel the Family Life Outing ahead of time for the health and safety of our members. However, are working out a plan for continuing the Degree Work for our newest candidates in conjunction with the Valley of Utica.
In closing this month’s article, I wanted to give special recognition to Ill. Jim Swan and his wife. Thru it all they have worked tirelessly from home to ensure the day to day business of the Valley, Dyslexia Center, Memorial Center, and the COD stay on track and working like a fine oiled machine. I can think of no finer example of a Masonic Family for us to aspire to. The next time you see them Please let them know how much they are appreciated for ALL they do for us!!!
My fellow Princes, May the Great Architect continue to be with us all during these trying times. Stay well and Stay Healthy until we meet again.

Terry A. Byard, 32° DSA
Thrice Potent Master


Welcome to My World
Notes from the Children’s Dyslexia Center CNY
Greetings to all from more than 6’ away. We are all surviving and, believe it or not, some of us are working more hours than normal. Who would have believed that I could become proficient in on-line interaction and tutoring??? 
There are several other tutors who chose to continue with the on-line process and after many hours of training and practice we have been tutoring the children (almost half) who chose to complete their year with the on-line process. It has not always been easy or totally successful (some children, like mine, are working on a phone) but we have persevered and the children seem happy to ‘see us” from afar.
Gineal and I work two days a week at the Center (we do a lot of ‘yelling’ down the hall) getting all the things that need to be done and have to be done at the Center. WE are working on all of the end-of-year reports and when they are done we will schedule end-of-year meetings (via Zoom) with the second year families whose children will not be returning in the fall. We are also recruiting scholars for next year’s training program. We have one applicant accepted, another sending in their application and four or five people more who will be attending an information session (via Zoom) the beginning of June. We are a bit like the mailman- things go on at the Center no matter.
We send our best to you and yours! Continued Thanks for your support! 
Stay Safe, Stay Well, Stay Sane.

Linda L. Martin, Director
Email- lmartin@cdcinc.org
Phone- (315) 736-0574
Mail- Children’s Dyslexia Center- CNY
          PO Box 638
          Oriskany, NY 13424


Knights of St. Andrew’s Bannockburn Banquet
Unfortunately, along with many other events, due to COVID-19, we have cancelled our Bannockburn Banquet scheduled for June 6th at the Brae Loch Inn in Cazenovia.
The Bannockburn Banquet commemorates the Battle of Bannockburn of June 1314. It was a Scottish victory by King of Scots, Robert the Bruce, against the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. Legend has it that a band of Knights Templar assisted the Bruce in achieving this victory.
Like Robert the Bruce, we will be victorious over the Corona Virus and we WILL meet again. If things open up, we will try to set up an alternative event in the fall at the Brae Loch, perhaps for St. Andrew’s Day. We will return there next June to hold the Bannockburn Banquet. 
In the meantime, you have plenty of time to get yourself a kilt, perhaps in the Universal Freemasons tartan, now available at usakilts.com.

Valley Officers
The Valley office announces the 2020-2021 Valley of Syracuse Officers were appointed by the Illustrious Deputy. The Valley’s Annual Meeting, Election of Officers and formal installation will take place in September.

Due to the unusual circumstances we are dealing with at this time the new officers, at the direction of the Illustrious Deputy, assumed their new positions effective May 18, 2020. On behalf of the Valley’s membership I extend my utmost appreciation to the retiring officers for all of their efforts this past year. Our event attendance was excellent and several very nice events were held. The Valley was having a very good year at the direction of the four Body heads. Terry Byard, Thrice Potent Master, Jim McNeal, Sovereign Prince and Larry Egnaczyk Commander-In-Chief are continuing to serve in their current positions as Heads of Bodies for 2020-2021. Henry Havener, Most Wise Master has retired and is replaced by Gary Hamburg as Most Wise Master in Chapter of Rose Croix.

Our future Valley events and meetings schedule is uncertain as we move forward. The leadership team has a potential calendar and schedule of vents prepared for this coming September. Details will be shared as we move forward and how and when we can meet is finalized. The 32° “Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret” is scheduled to be conferred September 12, 2020 on the current class of new Scottish Riters at the Masonic Center in North Syracuse. Final plans for this event are dependent upon any meeting restrictions remaining in place at that time.

Additional administration changes in managing a member’s records at Supreme Council are taking place. Most important of these changes is the direct impact it will have on the Membership of Scottish Rite. A proposal to change the schedule of collecting Member’s Annual Dues has been approved and adopted to implement in August 2020. Annual dues invoices will be issued in August each year. Members will have the ability to manage their information in the new MDS 2020 System. Your Valley office staff has been introduced to this new system.

Detailed Training and learning how to use the new system is coming when it goes online in a few weeks.

Ill∴ James D. Swan, Jr., 33°
Valley Secretary
 
Scottish Rite Education
Scottish Rite Education and knowledge growth continues for the members of the Valleys of Syracuse and Norwood during COVID-19 Pandemic.

During these unusual times the Supreme Council is providing Thursday evening at the Scottish Rite Degrees. It is particularly gratifying to learn of the ever growing number of our Scottish Rite Members taking advantage of the Thursday evening at the Degrees program.

I received a report today (May 8, 2020) from Supreme Council confirming some very interesting statistics about the interest in the Degrees for Scottish Rite. As the old saying goes, “if you formulate a solid program” your members will attend and enjoy each event.
For the month of April 2020 fifty-eight (58) Scottish Riters from the Valleys of Syracuse and Norwood registered their attendance on Thursday evening at the Degrees. There were one hundred and twenty-eight (128) recorded sign ins for the eight (8) events. Total degrees observed for the eight (8) presentations was one hundred and fifty-five (155). We do not know how many watched the degrees presentations without registering their attendance.

If you watched the 4° “The Builder” presentation Thursday April 2, 2020 please send me an e-mail message confirming your attendance at that event. codnysecjs@twcny.rr.com
The membership team at Supreme Council and your Valley office are making every effort to make certain that every degree attended is properly recorded in your Scottish Rite membership records.

Supreme Council issued notice this program is planned to continue thru the month of June 2020. Continue to watch each week and please continue to register your attendance. If you have any questions please e-mail codnysecjs@twcny.rr.com or contact me by phone (315) 458-1539. The Valley office will now be shuttered thru June 7, 2020 by the Grand Master’s latest Edict.
​

Ill∴ James D. Swan, Jr., 33°
Valley Secretary