What a weekend!  The first-ever one day joint Reunion / Ceremonial was a great success!  The Classes were large enough to impress everyone present.  It has been many years since classes anywhere close to this size have happened in Alaska.  There were more petitions, 45, for the Al Aska Shrine than any Ceremonial on record, but three of the Brethren were unable to attend for various reasons. 
33 New 32° Scottish Rite Masons
Thirty three new Scottish Rite Masons!  Hmmm, that number (33) has a familiar ring to it.  23 members were added to the Anchorage Bodies.  9 members were added to the Fairbanks Bodies.  One Member was added to the Juneau Bodies.  The Orient of Alaska can be very proud of their efforts to bring this day about.
The members of the Anchorage Valley did a wonderful job coordinating the proceedings.  These hard working Brethren prepared a breakfast for all who attended, scheduled a lunch, and performed all the degrees.  The new shortened degrees were masterfully performed by the Anchorage Valley.  The beauty and symbolism of the lessons were performed for the candidates with dignity and decorum.  There were no lessons omitted from the degrees, even in their abbreviated form.  Congratulations to Ill. Bro. Howard Hobbs, 33°, Personal Representative, and Bro. Gerald Fairley, 32°, K.C.C.H., Secretary, for a job well done.

At the conclusion of the 32^nd Degree, the new Brethren were introduced to the degree team, and their support staff.  This group of Illuminaries included: 4 Past Grand Masters; our current Grand Master; several Past Potentates; and our current Potentate.  Our Deputy for the State of Alaska, Ill. Brother Mitchell R. Miller, 33°, welcomed the new members, spoke of our duties as Scottish Rite Masons, and of the magnificent charities we support.  It was noted that our members remain active, regardless of their honors and positions, and the new members should become as active as they can.  Masonry is truly a labor of love, and more pleasurable to those who work in the quarries as Brothers.
42 New Al Aska Shriners
What do you get when you have 42 new Shriners at a ceremonial?  A VERY happy Potentate.  Ill. Sir Walt Bonner had a grin from ear to ear on Saturday the 25^th.  The entire Divan were justifiably proud of the efforts they, and the Al Aska Clubs and Units, exerted to put this Ceremonial together.  Expectations were greatly surpassed by the shear number of candidates who appeared for the First Section.  It had been hoped to have as many as twenty applications, and thirty was dismissed as a pipe dream.  When the registrations, along with the walk-ins, were totaled, everyone was ecstatic!
The Divan did a masterful performance on the First Degree. They

proved that being an elected officer means you should be prepared to do your part for the Temple.  The Oriental Band even sounded like they had practiced, or was a lack of practice what made them sound better?  Either way, ear plugs were not needed at this Ceremonial.
A very special event happened at the Ceremonial.  Our first Shriner from Southeast Alaska went through the First Section at the Ceremonial.  Noble Robin Taylor, a State Senator from Wrangell, went through both the Reunion and Ceremonial, the first since Southeast joined with the rest of Alaska in the Al Aska Shrine.  He will be the first of many from Southeast to go through the degrees.  Many of the S.E. Nobles have membership in Al Aska Shrine, but this was the first to go through our Ceremonial.
Congratulations to all who helped in this effort.  A heartfelt Thank You to our beloved Grand Master, Stanley R. Foulke, for his support of the Unity Day proceedings. Special Kudos to Ill. Bro. Mitchell. R. Miller, 33°, Deputy to the Supreme Council for Alaska, and Ill. Sir Walt Bonner, Potentate for their cooperation and allowing Unity Day to come to fruition.  The Alaska Orient of Scottish Rite and Al Aska Shrine are both enriched with the positive results of this Unity Day.  Here's looking to more one day classes in the future.
Steve Cox, Editor