Saturday the 26th. The Valley of Detroit AASR reunion. A spectacular day! This is the event, held twice a year where the Valley makes more members. In order to accomplish that the initiates (class) must view or experience at least five of the Scottish Rite Degrees. The day starts early with the buzz of the office staff preparing to make the day happen. The stage crew readies the room for the first degree of the day. The makeup room awaits the first customer. AND the caterer shows up and prepares the fest. The director of the work paces as he wonders what the actors will do today. Soon the time arrives time for the first degree. What we call degrees is actually what most of the world would call a play. These are real productions, lighting,sound, staging, props, makeup and nerves, yup loads of nerves.
First degree begins, perfect. The day begins!
Another ancillary benefit of the day is reunion. Seeing men one hasn't seen since the last time.
Lunch and back at it. It nears the time I must take the stage. Our cast prepares to go on. We are in costume relaxing and watching the degree on before us. We have a closed circuit broadcast into a staging room. A strange custom is happening, some of the player sit quietly and others pace while repeating their lines, over and over.
Showtime! I watch as my cast mates leave and go onto the stage. Four weeks of rehearsal behind us. We will see who "got it". On this day I will be introduced as Grand Master before I can join my cast and do what they do.
The class introduces the class honoree, a dear friend of mine. I quietly make a minor costume adjustment. No longer Grand Master now on the stage. Perfect!
One more degree and the day is over, well except for the afterglow. The fellowship is phenomenal!
The director sighs "another one in the can". All the members of the day will sleep well tonight, what with all the adrenaline gone.
4-26-2014
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