When I was about to embark on the adventure that is known as serving as the Associate Supreme Guardian of Job’s Daughters International, I had some concerns about my own stamina, due to the illness I went through and the after effects that I continue to deal with.  I decided to start a conditioning program in order to increase my endurance.  After a great deal of research, consultations with doctors, and discussions with my family, I selected the Carb-O-Gain method devised by Doctor Hill William, or should I say Hill Billy.  As it turns out, the program was relatively easy to follow, so I thought I'd pass it on to all of my Job’s Daughters friends.

1. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.
2. With a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides, and hold them there as long as you can, then relax.
3. Repeat this 3 times a week.  Each time you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.
4. Eventually build your stamina up to the point where you can hold your arms out for a full minute.
5. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sack.
6. Follow the same procedure as you did with the 5-lb potato sack.
7. Build your stamina up to the point where you can hold your arms out for a full minute with the 10-lb. potato sack.
8. Later you will move up to 50-lb. potato sacks and follow the same procedure as before.
9. Eventually you will get to the point where you can lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
10. For the final step, after you feel confident at the 100 pound level, put a potato in each of the sacks; but be careful.

I will not try to recap everything that happened during the past year because I feel that a report should not be longer than the events it is trying to recapitulate.  Rather I will attempt to give an essence of what the year was like by touching on some of the high points as well as a few low spots.  If I fail to mention your Jurisdiction, please know that I mean no slight.  We were treated very well everywhere we went.

In August we journeyed down under to the Land of OZ; Australia.  We were met by an enthusiastic greeting committee and were welcomed with open arms.  During the course of our visit, we met girls from several different Bethels, as well as their adult co-workers in both formal and informal settings.  One of the most informal settings was when our Supreme Bethel Honored Queen Renea and our Miss International Job’s Daughter Megan went swimming with sharks at Underwater World in Mooloolaba.  Mooloolaba . . . What a word.  Mooloolaba.  They don’t have words like that here.  Mooloolaba.  Everybody say it with me, Mooloolaba.  Makes you feel good, doesn’t it.  Anyway, I kid you not.  Renea and Megan went swimming in a tank filled with sharks.  Now in theory, these were not man-eaters, but you know, what if this particular time one of the sharks would say to the other, “Come on, let’s try one.  I heard from the Great White Shark that they are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.”  So, even though they both received parental permission I was still a little hesitant about this until they reminded me that they had both been to DeMolay dances so fending off a hungry shark would be no problem.  This impressed me so much that I inquired about swimming with the sharks myself.  I was told that diabetics were not allowed to go into the tank with the sharks.  Outwardly I expressed disappointment but inside I thought that this might be the only time I was thankful to have diabetes.

Our travels continued and we found ourselves in Idaho, where we enjoyed a wonderful picnic on a beautiful sunny day.  One of the afternoon’s activities was to be a tug-of-war between the daughters and the adults.  We all assembled, took our respective places along the rope, and proceeded to pull with all of our might.  Each of the participants exhibited a tremendous amount of strength during the time they tugged.  Unfortunately the rope itself did not exhibit the same amount of strength and snapped, sending all participants tumbling to the ground.  I tried to remain upright, but I have enough problems with balance under the best of circumstances, so in this case there was no way I was going to stay on my feet.  I began to fall, and much to my horror I discovered that I was about to fall on the Grand Guardian of Idaho, Jennifer Bryson, who just happened to be the daughter of our Board President Valerie Cooper.  Man, I almost lost my slip.  Now you know I am kidding.  For all of my joking around for the last few years, I really don’t wear slips.  Really, I don’t.  Anyway, at this point, my old wrestling training came to the fore.  We were taught to always protect your opponent.  I managed to extend my arms and legs and actually landed around her rather than on her.  Jennifer was saved and Valerie could still talk to me. Unfortunately I couldn’t say the same thing about my shoulders as I walked around like Lurch from the Addam’s Family for the next couple of months.

Our next misadventure came on the day we were to return home from Montana.  I had reserved a rental car to drive Heather Jones and myself from Billings, Montana to Salt Lake City, Utah, where I was to catch my flight home to St. Louis.  My flight was actually the next morning and the drive was going to be about 10 hours so everything would have dovetailed together nicely.  Unfortunately, the rental car place did not cooperate.  I had reserved the car, but I only had a debit card with me and they did not accept them for one-way drop-offs.  They would take it for a local rental, but not for drop-offs.  So we check into buying tickets for a one-way flight.  Now the one thing I forgot to mention was that the date was 9-11-2003, so security was as high as it could get.  Now here comes this couple, one from a different country, on 9-11, looking to buy a last minute ticket, a one-way, last minute ticket.  Needless to say it took us a while to get through security.  They opened all of our bags and carry-on’s.  Remember, this was at the end of a month and a half long swing, so, not only did we have a lot of luggage, a lot of the clothes in the bags were not, shall we say, daisy-fresh.  In addition, by the time they finished checking me out personally, I was dressed to be the star of the latest Tarzan movie.  Well, we finally got on the plane and made the trip to Salt Lake City, and everything worked out well.  Since we were basically a day early, I stayed at the Grand Guardian, Becky Cairns house, and that evening I was able to attend a Bethel rehearsal and had a wonderful time interacting with the daughters and adult co-workers.

The beginning of October featured the Supreme Leadership Retreats.  These workshops were very well attended and we had a fantastic group of presenters.  Thanks to all who worked so hard to put together the workshops.

In November, I took the bus through the Rocky Mountains to attend our Miss International Megan Cook’s Reception.  I tell you what folks, I caught a lot of laughs for taking a two day trip on a Greyhound Bus, but the scenery going though the snowy Rocky Mountains was more than worth it.  It was fantastic, as was the Reception.

Later in November, Shirley and I split up.  She went to Florida while I attended California’s Grand Session.  We figured we could cover more ground that way, although let’s face it; I cover a lot of ground anyway.  I was treated like royalty in California and had a wonderful time.  There was a bit of a scare when then Vice-Associate Grand Guardian Richard Tucker fell off of his chair.  I still don’t know whether he slipped or simply fell asleep, but he was okay and shook off any ill effects.  Later, when I was asked to address the assembly, I stated in very somber tones, “Sometimes you hurt, but no one notices.  Sometimes you cry, but no one hears you.  Sometime you are in pain, but no one cares.  But fall off of just one chair and the whole darn Jurisdiction knows about it.  Little Richard took it well and we all shared a good laugh.

In December, we traveled to Arizona and New Mexico.  It was in Arizona that I made some new friends and got reacquainted with some long time friends from the Missouri-Arizona team of 1992-1993.  In New Mexico I ran into a couple of ladies who, as Job’s Daughters attending the 1976 Supreme Session in St. Louis, had actually attended my Installation as Master Councilor of Carondelet Chapter, Order of DeMolay.  I’m not saying how they managed to get from the hotel to our Chapter, but I am sure that they were well-chaperoned.

After the first of the year, we went on a swing that took us from Texas, to Oklahoma, to Kentucky, to Illinois and then to Michigan.  During this trip we drove through all four seasons:  From Summer-like heat in Texas, to Autumn like weather in Oklahoma, to spring like rains in Kentucky, then through freezing rain driving to Illinois, and finally to winter snow in Michigan.  Packing for trips like that has qualified us to be executives at Federal Express.

Towards the end of February we had the Institution of a brand new Bethel in Memphis, Tennessee.  This was a fantastic occasion, but unfortunately I had a bit of bad luck and . . . and . . . and, I just can’t talk about it right now.  Maybe later.

I had to skip the Colorado Visit because my youngest daughter, Katie, received her Majority Ceremony at Bethel #12 in St. Louis.  While I had dearly wanted to visit all of my friends in Colorado, well, let’s face it.  Family comes first, especially a daughter who would make my life a living infernal region of heat had I missed that ceremony.

March took us to the Board of Trustees meeting in Henderson, Nevada.  Let me tell you folks.  So many times the Board takes a great amount of heat, but I know from working with them over the last four years that all involved have the best interests of the Order and the Daughter at heart.  They give up a lot of their time and spend a great deal of money to serve and they deserve a round of applause for all of their efforts.

Next was Viva Las Vegas baby.  We had a wonderful visit and also got to see some of the many sights in town.  We stayed at Barbara and David Holmes house while there, and during the trip took the time to visit Susie Holmes gravesite.  This was a very moving experience.  Susie was a wonderful young lady, and I was honored to be the Associate Supreme Bethel Guardian during her term as Supreme Bethel Senior Princess as well as when she was chosen as Supreme Bethel Honored Queen.  Unfortunately her health took her from us before the end of her term, but I know that she is in heaven above as God’s own Supreme Bethel Honored Queen, where she will always be young and strong and vibrant.

The rest of March took us to our good friends in Kansas as well as our trek across Nebraska.

I was unable to make the next few visits due to some lingering problems from the incident that occurred in Memphis . . . in Memphis . . .  in Mem . . . I’m sorry; I still can’t talk about it.

It was with great joy then when the world came to my doorstep at the Supreme Reception in St. Louis at the end of April.  I was overwhelmed by the attendance of so many friends from all over the Job’s Daughter world, from 8 Past Supreme and Associate Supreme Guardians, to over 100 Job’s Daughters.  I had wanted a fun time for everyone from the most senior adult to the youngest Jobie-To-Bee, and the Committee consisting of Mom Marlene Frakes, Diane Kitsmiller and Karen Jordan, as well as many others who worked behind the scenes, really pulled it off.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

May saw me attend the Mid-America HIKE in Iowa, as well as our Supreme Bethel Honored Queen Renea’s Reception in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  It was there that we turned Renea into a St. Louis Cardinal Fan, Margie George taught us how to run from Home Plate to first base while crawling on your hands and knees, and Shirley demonstrated her talents on blow up guitar.  You will see more of that in a minute.

It was then on the Pennsylvania and the wonderful Patton Campus facility at the Masonic Home of Pennsylvania.  I hope the young ladies off Pennsylvania know what a great deal they have going.  It was also there where I learned the tikki tikki tee or sikki sikki see song or something like that.  In addition we also played a late night game of Trivial Pursuit.  By the way guys, when I said I was pretty good and Trivial Pursuit, what I really meant is that I am REAL GOOD.  Ouch, I just hurt my arm patting myself on the back.

We then attended the Tall Cedars of Lebanon Convention in West Virginia, as well as having a fantastic visit to the supposedly dry land of Wyoming.  They keep telling me how dry it is here, but every time I have been here it has either rained or snowed.  Not only isn’t it a dry heat, it’s not even a dry cold.

Finally we wound up the year at my home jurisdiction of Missouri.  I was so proud to see my wife, Toni, preside in fine form as Grand Guardian, and my daughter Katie advance to the position of Grand Bethel Senior Princess on her way up the Grand Bethel Line.  I was also proud, but also felt a bit old, when my oldest daughter, Kim, a PGBHQ of Missouri, was appointed as the new Bethel Guardian of my home Bethel #12 in St. Louis.  Hey Kim, didn’t you just get Initiated?  I guess not.

Anyway, there are so many people I need to thank that we would be here for several days.  Still, I must mention a few.  Of course my family, Toni, Kim and Katie.  You have always supported me in all of my endeavors and I love you all so much.  To Marlene Frakes, thank you for your support over the years and for being my other Mom.  You are the best.  To all of the Job’s Daughter family of Missouri, without you I would be nothing.  You have picked me up when I felt down, you have supported all of my wacky ideas, and though your ideas and feedback, you have helped make our Missouri Job’s Daughters Website among the premier Masonic Youth Websites in the world.  A special thank you to all of the Supreme Council, especially all of our officers, the Board of Trustees, our Committee people, those who served on the HIKE Board, the World Youth Foundation, The Supreme Bethel, the Miss International Committee, and finally Shirley, Renea and Megan.  Our Miss International Megan and our Supreme Bethel Honored Queen Renea are two of the most outstanding young ladies I know.  We could not have asked for a better pair to help represent Job’s Daughters.  I think that everyone who has had a chance to meet them shares that opinion.  As for our Supreme Guardian, Shirley, I could not have asked for a better partner or a more wonderful human being.  I hope you know how I feel about you, and that this week will not be the end of our relationship.  We are both too crazy to give up on each other now.  Now, please sit back, relax, and enjoy this short presentation on the places I visited during the year.

At this point a slide show was presented featuring the places Dad Ashley has visited and some of the people he has met over the past year.

Following the presentation, Ashley resumed his remarks, picking up with the accident in Memphis he pretended not to be able to talk about during the main body of the report.  He stated that the only thing he really regretted during the term is that the HIKE License Plate on his van that was totaled in the accident was lost.  At this point, Elvis Presley entered (actually Charles Boehme, ABG #12-Missouri).  Elvis returned Ashley’s License Plate, as well as a slip (thus continuing the running joke about slips and Dad Ashley).  Elvis then left to a standing ovation, distributing paper scarves as he left.  Dad Ashley then brought the report to a close.