Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel

Well, it's 3:00 in the morning and we are just about finished packing.  A ton of clothes are in the suitcase, most of which I probably won't wear, lol.  Spent the better part of the day getting stuff ready for session; finished my JDI Board of Trustees Website Liasion report and sent it to the other BOT members.  Got kidded (and deservedly so) by Shelly Cole for being the last one to have my report in.  She said that she is normally the last one to get her reports in.  I shot right back that since she is going off of the Board this year and this was her last report, no matter when she would have submitted it, it would have been last ;)  Regardless of when she gets her reports in, Shelly has been a wonderful Board Member, and her knowledge and expertise will be greatly missed as she moves on to other things in the Job's Daughters World.

I have my first shout outs to send to those who have sent e-mails to me regarding the Session Diary.  The first came from Colleen Vezeau who writes:

Thanks Colleen, I second your comments both about the Missouri Jobies and wishing the Registration workers a smooth Session.  It really takes a lot of hard work putting on a Supreme Session, not only for Registration, but in every area connected with the Session.  The work begins the minute that someone is elected into Supreme Line, and continues past the close of Session.  Of course the focus is on the week of Session itself, and that is simply organized chaos.  Lots and lots of people, all pulling together is what it takes to make the Session a success.  We had that last year and Colleen was a big part of that effort.  I know that the Maryland/Utah Team will have a great team this year as well.

The next shout out goes to Cindi Gott, PGG-Indiana.  Cindi writes:

Thanks Cindi, I wish you could be here as well.  Cindy is a dedicated Job's Daughter worker and a very good friend.  I will pass along your greeting to the Indiana folks.

Next comes a Facebook post from Julie Marie, PGBHQ-Illinois.  She writes

Thanks Jullie, I will do my best to keep you informed of the happenings at Session.  BTW, Julie now lives in Orland and works at DisneyWorld.  What a great job :)

Well, I guess I had better try to get some sleep.  I don't want to accidentally get on the wrong plane and wind up at DisneyWorld . . . or do I?  Well, I guess not, but I sure do love DisneyWorld.  We just spent 8 days in Orlando and had a great time.  I am ready to go back now . . . but I reckon that Session has to come first.  Besides, even DisneyWorld can't give the kind of love and support that JobieWorld has to offer :)

Okay, off to bed, the off to sleep, then up and off to Baltimore.  Whoosh!

Loading the plane	I hope they don't forget my walker
Flying over the Chain of Rocks Bridge	A Military Airbase somewhere between St. Louis and Baltimore
If a plane sees its own shadow, does that mean there will be six more weeks of flying?	Getting unpacked

Well, we got away from the house just about on time.  It was raining and I thought, "It hasn't rained here in two months and it has to pick today to start, lol."  We were shooting for 10:00 a.m. and actually got underway about 10:20.  By Jobie Standard Time that was practically early.  We got to the airport, I gave a kiss to Mom Toni and went into the terminal.  Southwest Airlines took good care of me, supplying me with a wheelchair and getting me through security and to the gate in plenty of time.  After boarding, we were sitting at the gate for a while and one of the flight attendants started humming the Jeopardy theme.  Then when the plane took off, the pilot serenaded us with his version of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, with lyrics about him thanking us for flying Southwest.  That was pretty cool.  Upon landing he sang a welcome song about Baltimore and thanking us again for flying Southwest.  Needless to say this was a very jovial flight crew.

Amanda Nowland, the Grand Bethel Honored Queen of Maryland picked me up at the airport and took me to the Session headquarters hotel.  I got checked in, got my scooter that we are renting for the week and made it up to the room.  I semi-unpacked, and then headed to the lobby to take a look around.  I ran into Marilyn Olson, PSG-Wyoming and Darrell Vierling, PAGG-Illinois and chatted for a bit.  After that I say Barb Cooper, Supreme Marshal, and her mom, Linda Cooper and talked with them for a while.  After that I  took a spin around the area to see what restaurants were close by.  I didn't really find anything, but didn't really go very far as my scooter was not fully charged and I needed to get back, so I just wound up eating in the hotel restaurant.  I had some great Baltimore crab cakes.  They were delicious.  After that it was back to the room to finish unpacking and to get ready for the start of our Board of Trustees meetings tomorrow afternoon.

That's about it for now.  I will be checking in again tomorrow with more of the Session happenings.  Talk to you later :)

Hey all, another day here at Supreme Session. Gotta get an early start as our Board Meeting starts at 8:30 this morning. Not much to say right now other than I will report back in when I get the chance.

Hello all. I know I was pretty abrupt this morning, but I was really in a hurry, plus I was worried about something. As I was finishing up last night I happened to see a brief message on Facebook that a friend had passed away (other than Larry). When I clicked on the message it was either unavailable or had been removed. I searched for some time and was unable to confirm that the person had actually passed away. When I awoke this morning I had received an e-mail with from our Lodge Secretary that he had an unsigned e-mail that this person had passed away. Finally this afternoon I was able to confirm the bad news that Frank Latragna, another good friend and Jobie Dad, had passed away after being admitted to the hospital with pnemonia and a heart attack. The Latragna family was another very active Masonic Family. Frank was a Past Master of Harmony Lodge (now Craftsmen Lodge No. 717) and his wife Ann is very active in Eastern Star. Their daughter Mary was a multiple time PHQ of Bethel #3 in St. Louis, which later merged with Bethel #12. Frank came from Italy in the 1950's to find his future in America. He did so beyond his most cherished hopes. He will be greatly missed. I wrote a poem some years ago about friends and family who have passed on. I am including it here for Worshipful Brother Latragna:

That is all for now.  I will be back later.

Hey all, I am back here for a wrap up of the day.  While the bad news about Brothers Lynch and Latragna was a shock to us all, there still was work to be done here at Session.  We had a day long Board Meeting today.  We discussed a wide variety of subjects and hopefully made some progress in making decisions that will be good for the Order.  Being a member of the Board can be hard work, and members sometimes get a bad rap.  The members of the Board that we have now are a dedicated bunch who truly have the welfare of the girls at heart.  While we sometimes have to make decisions that are not popular, if you will look at all of the facts, generally people will understand our reasoning.

MIJD Brianna talks with Mom Bobbie and Dad Randy

PASG Bob Clore talks with Board Member Bobbie Lampi

Having fun at the Ways and Means Tables

A Big Smile from Supreme Guide Patty

We broke for lunch about 1:00, and I had the pleasure of having lunch with members of the HIKE Board, Chuck Terrill, John & Claudia Hauser, Carolyn Block and Marlene Frakes.  The food was wonderful and the company even better.  After that it was back to work at the Board Meeting.  While sitting it these meetings, I must say that while some in the room were comfortable, I was freezing.  For those who know me, that might seem like a funny statement.  From the time I was born until a few years ago, I didn't know what being cold meant.  It just didn't happen.  Middle of winter, I might be outside in a sweatshirt and shorts.  A few years ago I had and illness and since that time, I seem to be cold all the time.  Mom Toni on the other hand, who used to be cold a lot, now is warm most of the time.  We have switched places.  Sometimes we will look at each other, her sweating and me shivering, and just shake our heads.  Funny how things work out.

Following the board meeting, I managed to get to the SAC Ways and Means room.  They have a lot of neat stuff for sale and hopefully they will all do well as they raise money to support their respective Supreme Sessions.  It takes a lot to put together a Session, and not only people power.  There are many things that have to be bought, bills to be paid, hotels to be paid for, and it is not a given that people will respond and come to your Session.  Last year we had a very successful Session, and it was all the hard work, the many fund raisers, and the SAC Sales that made it possible.  So, when you attend a Supreme Session, make sure you get by the SAC Sales and buy an item or two.  Every little bit helps.

AGG Doug with Brad Hudson at the Masonic Dinner	Jim Harlow and Ken Sewell at the Masonic Dinner
Playing around at the dinner	Mike Hoglund, PSG-Maryland gives a talk
Dad Randy talks at the Masonic Dinner . . .	. . . As does the Grand Master of Maryland
Arriving at the Grand Lodge of Maryland	Posing in the lobby . . .
. . . Of the Grand Lodge	Inside the beautiful Lodge Room

It was then time for the Masonic Dinner and Meeting.  The dinner was well attended.  I sat at a table with our AGG Doug Anderson, Brad Hudson, Jim Harlow, Ken Sewell, and John McMurchie.  We had a great time, and as usual, the food was great and the company even better.  We had pork roast that was done to perfection, perfectly seasoned and it just melted in your mouth.  After dinner, most of the men went to the Masonic Meeting, but I didn't as I had some items to do for the Board Meeting tomorrow.  Sometimes you have to miss some things in order to get all of your work done, but it worked out okay.  I finished and then went downstairs to catch the end of the Talent Showcase.  Wow, there are a lot of talented young ladies in this organization, and they really put on a show.  Our own Brianna Hall played the piano and did a fantastic job.  They announced the winners of the Performing Arts Competition, and the Missouri Results are as follows:

Participants: Brianna Hall, Brittany Hall, Lily Flanery, Kiley Whitton and Alexis Hudson.

Sign Language, Division 3: Brianna Hall, 3rd Place
Piano Division 2: Brittany Hall, 2nd Place
Piano Division 3: Brianna Hall, 1st Place
Vocal Solo, Division 2: Brianna Hall, 3rd Place
Dance, Ballet, Division 1: Brianna Hall, 1st Place
Dance, Tap, Division 2: Brittany Hall, 2nd Place

Congratulations to all who participated and to Brianna and Brittany Hall, who made a haul in awards, way to go girls :)  Thanks to Tiffany Hudson who copied the results for me to post.

The Missouri Crew and others listening. . .	. . . To Brianna playing the piano
Brianna gets an award	Adjiustments

Following the show, we took some pictures of the Missouri Girls and our Supreme Messenger Team.  Then I tooled around on my scooter, chatting with folks, and finally came upstairs to do this update and then hit the sack.

Taking pictures of . . .	. . . The Missouri Girls
The Supreme Messenger Team models . . .	. . . Their cool T-Shirts
The Performing Arts Awardees	Heading to the rooms at the end of a long day

I have some more shout outs to make.  First to Mom Sandy Flanery, PGG-MO.  Sandy writes:

Thanks Sandy.  Your good luck wishes must have made it here because they all made us proud.

The next shout out goes to Bill Walker, PASG-Washington.  Bill writes:

Thanks Bill.  Karen Willard, the Chairman of the Board has been running a very smooth meeting.  She gets to agenda items, keeps the discussion on track, and then moves on to the next item.  Needless to say she is doing a fantastic job . . . you know, actually it needs to be said.  As I stated, being on the Board is a tough job, and the Chairman is particular lightning rod for criticism.  Karen has taken everything that has come her way, and still has a smile on her face and a cheerful word every day.  Kudos to her for a job well done.

Hey Bill, speaking of how time flies, you know that there are Job's Daughters here this year who were born the year of your Supreme Session . . . just thought I would throw that in there, lol.  Hey, I know how it is.  You know you have reached a certain age when you see a young lady, wonder what Bethel she is in, and she turns out to be the mother of a Jobie.  Anyway, you are so right, time does fly when you are having fun.

Next is a group shout out to those who posted on threads on my Facebook Page.

Thanks to all who lcontributed.  I really appreciate the well wishes and humorous comments.  You are all great friends and I wish you could all be here with me :)

Well, that's it for tonight.  It's about 1:40 and I have to be in a meeting at 8:30 so I am off to bed . . . whoosh (or at least what passes for whoosh these days, lol.  Good night everybody.

Good morning everyone.  Rise and shine :)  It's time for another day here at the Charm City Session.  I am just about to set of for the Board Meeting, but I have a quick shout out.  It goes to Mom Nancy Knarr, PGG-MO.  Nancy writes:

Thanks Nancy, and congratulations on becoming a 7 time grandmother.  Sometime it sounds like introducing a wrestling champion.  You know, "Now, it this corner, the 18 time Heavyweight Champion of the World, Ric Flair!"  So it would go, "Now, in this corner, the 7 time Grandmother of the World, Nancy Knarr.  And introducing in this corner, making his debut, Thomas Johnson!"  Way to go Nancy, and welcome to the world Thomas.

There you go, it is a much nicer way to begin the morning with a birth announcement.

The next shout out goes to Mom Toni Underwood, PSG-MO.  She writes

Thanks Toni . . . wait a minute, did she say 12:15 today!  Uh-Oh!  I gotta clean this room up . . . Darn, there's no time now.  Oh well, I guess I can always same someone broke into our room and left it an absolute mess.  Yeah, that's it, someone broke it and messed it up . . . didn't steal anything, just messed it up.  It was the world famous Messy Room Bandit.  Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Okay, gotta run (or actually ride).  See ya' soon, and keep to the story - the Messy Bandit ;)

Okay, I caught a break.  Mom Toni's plane was delayed in St. Louis, and by the time they got in the air, they missed the connecting flight in Chicago, so she was about 2 1/2 hours late.  So I got to clean up the room . . . Bwahahahahaaaaaa!  Yeah, right.  To tell the truth, the room wasn't messy because I haven't been in it all that much to make it messy.  Anyway, we had a very productive Board Meeting today, and wrapped up all of our Pre-Session business.  As usual we had a morning and an afternoon session.  Since there were some other activities scheduled in the early afternoon, we had a fairly long lunch break.  Long enough so you didn't have to wolf down you food, which made for a very pleasant meal.  I had lunch with Bobbie Lampi and Karen Willard and we had a fun time.

After lunch I went to the Formal Opening rehearsal.  It was interesting to see all of the formations they will be using for the various ceremonies tomorrow night.  After the rehearsals it was back to the Board Meeting.  Mom Toni got to the hotel around 3:30.  Thanks to Brad Hudson for picking her up at the airport.  She came to the meeting and got her room key while we finished things up.

Missouri's Supreme Messenger Team ready to go

The Miss International Contestants

While all of this was going on, the girls had their Ritual Competition.  Everyone did at least one competition, and some did several.  The Supreme Messenger Team said they felt they did a good job and were happy with their performance.  Way to go team.

After all of the afternoon's activities, several of us got together to go to dinner, including Mom Toni, Brad & Sher Hudson, GBHQ Tifanny and Alexis Hudson, Shirley, Andrew and GBSP Amy Bush, VGG Julia Wallace and Kiley Whitton, Nancy Knarr and AGG Doug Anderson.  While waiting, Dad Rick Holloway and his wife Jackie arrived.  We greeting them with hugs and handshakes.  Mom Toni and he will be the host and hostess for Wednesday afternoon's Business Session.  After they talked for a while, the Missouri crew went to Mo's Seafood Restaurant.  They have a shuttle to take people from the hotels to the restaurant.  It was a hoot watching me try to get in and out of the very high van.  I managed to do it, but let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

Hi everybody	In the van on the way to the restaurant
Mom Frakes pounds that crab	Dad Doug chows down
Mmmm, crabcakes	The girls are . . .
. . . loving their food	I pity the fool who touches my food
Everyone had a lot of food	Dad Doug invades the cheesecake

When we got inside the restaurant, the first thing I hear is Bam!  Bam!  Bam!  No, Chef Emeril Lagase wasn't there and neither was Bam Bam from the Flintstones.  Mom Marlene Frakes was there and was beating a steamed crab into submission.  I guess I would be pretty steamed if someone was whacking me with a hammer, lol.  Remind me never to make her mad at me.  She was there with Mom Carolyn Block and several others.  Hey, I never finished the story about how Mom Block go the name Park Bench, did I?  Yep, that's right, I never did finish it . . .

So anyway, we had two tables, so the young folks and the old timers split up.  We ordered our food, and chatted for a while.  Then the waiter brought out these huge portions dinners.  Wow, did it look and smell good.  As good as it looked and smelled, the taste was even better.  It was fantastic.  Brad looked at all of my food (I had a large filet mignon, huge crabcake, a ton of shrimp, a baked potato and broccoli) an said he would be impressed if I ate all of it.  I said, "Prepare to be impressed" and proceeded to be a good boy and cleaned my plate.  I was stuffed, and Brad was suitably impressed.  In fact, everyone was full, except maybe the girls.  I'm not exactly sure what they did at their table, but the waitress was quite entertained and would up giving them free desserts.  I knew I should have gone to that table.

After dinner it was back to the shuttle.  If you thought I had trouble getting in before, well now I had several pounds of food in my stomach, to it sure didn't get any easier.  I finally managed to get in, and we headed back to the hotel.

When we got back, the girls headed inside for the HIKE Dance while Mom Toni and I stayed outside a bit and talked to Denise Noonan, PSG-Indiana.  It was while I was outside the front door of the hotel that I started to think about Fred Windbiel.  Fred, the husband of Louise Winbiel, PSG British Columbia, was a fixture at Supreme Session.  He would set up shop just outside the front door and would talk to everyone at session.  He knew all the attendees and they knew him.  Well, Fred passed away this past year, and Supreme Sessions just won't be the same without him meeting and greeting everyone.  He was a dear friend and will be missed for a long time.

Mom Toni talkes with Denise Noonan, PSG-Indiana	Rocking at the HIKE Dance
Ashlee does the YMCA	Heading to the sidelines after a tiring dance

After chatting with Denise for a while, we went into the dance where everyone was having a great time.  They were dancing, and singing, and movin' to the groovin', and just when it hit me, somebody turned around and shouted, "Hey, how can you dance in that scooter!"  What?  You thought I was gonna say Play the funky music?  Heh heh heh, I never even thought about that song, lol.  Anyway, the dance was a big success, and then it was time to come up and finish up my diary for the day.

I have some shout-outs before I shut it down for the night.  First, to Nelda Kaeser, PGG-MO.  Nelda writes:

Thanks Nelda.  It doesn't seem the same without you guys here.  Hopefully with Session a week earlier next year, you will be able to attend.

The next shout out goes to Mom Linda Sinley, PGG-MO.  Linda writes:

Thanks Linda.  She was the Supreme Bethel Guardian last year, and did a great job.  She and Courtney were very close.  We saw Courtney today, and did just what you asked.

The last shout out of the evening goes to Kjersten Berzelius, PHQ #1 and Guardian Director of Epochs #1-MN.  Kjersten writes: 

Thanks Kjersten, I will try to get them together, but it's tough.  The Miss International Candidates are all pretty quick and they dash from one end of the hotel to the other.  I will have to put the scooter into high gear.

Well, that's about it for tonight.  Time to hit the hay.  The Business Sessions start tomorrow (well, technically later this morning) so I have another early day.  Talk to you later.

Hey folks, I hope that everybody is doing fine.  It has been a long day here, but one that was filled with fun and friendship.  We started out early with the first Business Session.  I was sitting with the Board of Trustees, so this was a new view for this Session old timer.  There were a lot of introduction.  We all cheered when our AGG Doug Anderson was introduced.  Our Grand Guardian, Mom Linda Meunier, wasn't there yet as she had to work this morning.  She and Dad Ralph Schmidt flew in later and got here in time for the Formal Banquet.

Dad Randy at the Men of Job Luncheon . . .	. . . Makes a speech
Some of the attendees at the luncheon	My new fishing basket

Following the morning Business Session, I went to the Men of Job Luncheon.  It was in the same place at the Masonic Dinner, which means I had to park my scooter and climb the steps up to the room level and then work my way into the room and find a seat.  A bit of a pain with my creaky back, knees and ankle, but the company at the Luncheon was worth the pain.  I was sitting with our ASG Randy Hansen, and my good friend from Iowa, John Hauser.  We had ball park food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, pretzels, etc.  It wasn't Busch Stadium, but it was pretty darn good.  The centerpieces were fishing baskets filled with lots of goodies.  The person at each table selected to win the centerpieces was the one with the most time in service to Job's Daughters.  I was that person at our table.  Hmm, I wonder is that was just a nicer way of saying the basket goes to the oldest person at each table? Oh well, it doesn't matter because I have the basket :)

Afterwards it was back to the afternoon Business Session.  Mom Toni and Dad Rick were the hostess and host for this session, and they introduced SG Bobbi and ASG Randy.  Then we got down to business with voting on the many proposed amendments to the bylaws.  I won't get into which were passed and which failed, but later I will do a full listing.

The Formal Banquet gets underway	Ashlee at the Formal Banqet
Dad Doug at the Formal Banquet	Our Illinois friends at the Formal Banquet

Following the afternoon Business Session we quickly changed clothes and went to the Formal Banquet.  Mom Toni, Ashlee Brannin, her mom Sue, AGG Doug Anderson and I sat with a group from Illinois that included Miss Illinois Job's Daughtger Sydney Rohmann.  They are really looking forward to Supreme Session in Illinois in 2015. Wow, when you type 2015 it just doesn't seem possible.  Didn't we just celebrate the Millennium a year ago.  Oh wait, we were at the Millennium Hotel for Supreme Session just a year ago.  Well, I knew that something to do with the Millennium was just a year ago, lol.

We all enjoyed our food and the conversation was fine.  Afterwards folks started to get ready for the Formal Opening.  The Past Supremes were herded into the VIP Room to await introduction at the opening.  My Supreme Partner, Mom Shirley made it in time to line up with us and we went in together.  We were all introduced and then went to our seats to enjoy the opening,  A couple of Missouri girls, Lilly Flanery and Brittany Hall.  Lilly represented the Missouri Flag and Brittany carried one of the Brazilian state flags.

Past Supremes lined up for Introduction	Mom Toni and Dad Rick are introduced at the Formal Opoening
Part of the Flag Ceremony	Yay Brittany
The Flash Mob . . .	. . . Takes over the floor
The Formal Opening comes to a close	Chatting with Brian and Margaret Thompson from Queensland

When they announced the Supreme Scholarships, we all cheered when Caitlyn Washington of Bethel #43's name was announced as one of the recipients.  Then when they announced the HIKE 1000 Club winners, Missouri was honored with three, Caitlyn Washington, Breonna Shirley of Bethel #29 and Brooklyn Childs of Bethel #12.  Then when they announce the HIKE Essay Contest entrants and winners, Missouri's own Brooklyn Childs was announced as the First Place Winner.  Way to go Brooklyn.  Missouri loves HIKE and our Daughters really get out there and work to support it.

There was a flash mob dance during the opening and all the girls and some of the adults got up to dance.  Mom Toni danced right out of her shoes - literally.  She was dancing and her shoes flew off.

The opening ended around 10:30, so it wasn't as quick as the sub-2 hour opening last year, but it still beat some of the 4 and 5 hour extravenganza's I have had to sit through in the past.  Plus they kept things moving pretty well, so it never got boring.

Chowing down at the Missouri Pizza Party	Oh no!  You're not taking my picture again
Ashlee received gifts from Mom Linda . . .	. . . and Tiffany
Presenting the Supreme Messenger Team with gifts	Mom Linda presents Mom Nancy Knarr with a gift
Mom Toni presents Ashlee with a gift on behalf of Miss Kim	Molly: Missing us or Queen of the Bed

Following the opening, the Missouri Crew had our traditional Pizza Party where we wished our Miss Missouri Job's Daughter Ashlee Brannin good luck in the Miss International Job's Daughter Pageant tomorrow evening.  We chowed down on some great pizza, and then Mom Linda presented Ashlee with gifts, as did GBHQ Tiffany.  The Supreme Team recieved gifts and Mom Toni presented Ashlee with a gift from Miss Kim, who is unable to be at Session this year.

Following the party, I came upstairs to watch the Olympics and make today's update  We also got a picture sent to us of our dog Molly laying in our empty bed.  Not sure if she is missing us, or just happy to be the Queen of the Bed, lol.

I have a shout out to send to Judy Gordon, Grand Marshal of Illinois.  Judy writes:

Thanks Judy.  I appreciate the kind words.  As I said earlier, we had dinner tonight with Sydney and I was very impressed with her.  I think she will do a great job in the Pageant.

Well, that's about it for now.  Tomorrow morning brings the Supreme Bethel Meeting.  They start at 7:30 a.m. so it looks like another long day.  That's okay, we can rest up when we get home.  I will talk to you later :)

Good Morning. Just a quick blast. Congratulations to Genesis Jones of Indiana who was selected to be the 2012-2013 Supreme Bethel Honored Queen.  Congratulations also to Missouri's own Briana Hall who was chosen as the Supreme Bethel Chaplain, Alexis Hudson, Supreme Bethel Representative to Maryland, Kiley Whitton, Supreme Bethel Representative to Saskatchewan and Amy Bush, Installing Junior Custodian.  A big round of applause for all of the new Supreme Bethel girls :)  Back later.

Most of the Missouri Girls at the Supreme Bethel Meeting

Hey there, things are rolling right along here at Supreme Session.  The Supreme Bethel held their meeting this morning.  Some of the results are above.  In addition, Courtney Painter, who was Supreme Bethel Honored Queen last year, received the Majority Ceremony today.  Mom Toni was proud as she watch her SBHQ turn another page in the book of her Job's Daughters life.

Dad Doug, Mom Linda and Dad Ralph at the Past Grands Luncheon	Our friends from Kansas and Arizona
Mom Toni at the luncheon	Mom Nancy chatters away ;)

The Grands and Past Grands Luncheon was held today.  Mom  Linda Meunier, Dad Ralph Schmidt, Dad Doug Anderson, Mom Nancy Knarr, Mom Toni and I all attended.  We sat with some friends from Kansas and Arizona.  As per usual, the food was good and the company even better.  The Session photographer was there taking pictures.  Now as some of you might know, Mom Knarr loves to talk.  Nothing wrong with that, she has a lot of interesting things to say, but sometimes she gets on a roll and it is hard to stop her.  The photographer was trying to take our picture and Nancy was on one of her rolls and we couldn't get the picture taken.  Finally I said, "Nancy, stop talking for a minute and smile."  Dad Ralph looked at me and said, "Great minds think alike." Everybody laughed, including Nancy, and we managed to get the picture taken.  Then she continued on with her story.  I don't know if she ever finished it because she was still talking when we got off the elevator at our floor, lol.

The California and Michigan delegations perform their skit

VSG RoseMarie Short & VASG Ron Johnson talk about Supreme 2013

After lunch it was back to the business meeting room where the California/Michigan delegations made a presentation about the 2013 Supreme Session in Oakland, California.  It was very informative and looks like it will be another fantastic gathering.

Then it was time for today's Business Session.  We finished action on the proposed amendments.  Here is a link to the amendments.  The following actions occurred.

Amendment #1: This was deemed a housekeeping change by the Jurisprudence Committee.  No action necessary.
Amendment #2: This was deemed a housekeeping change by the Jurisprudence Committee.  No action necessary.
Amendment  #3: Failed due to the absence of the maker or a representative.
Amendment  #4: Failed due to the absence of the maker or a representative.
Amendment  #5: Failed due to the absence of the maker or a representative.
Amendment  # 6: Failed.
Amendment  #7: Passed.
Amendment  #8: Passed.
Amendment  #9: Passed.
Amendment  #10: Failed.
Amendment  #11: Failed due to the absence of the maker or a representative.
Amendment  #12: Passed
Amendment  #13: Failed.
Amendment  #14: Withdrawn by the maker.
Amendment  #15: Passed.
Amendment  #16: Withdrawn by the maker.
Amendment  #17: Passed.

Some of the Line Officers read their reports, and then the meeting adjourned for the day.  Right now I am in the room.  Mom Toni is taking a nap, and I am doing some updating. I am about to wake her up so we can go to dinner and then head to the Miss International Job's Daughter Pageant.  Go Ashlee!  Back later tonight.

Just got in the the MIJD Pageant.  It was a very lovely event.  Mary Strehle, PGG-Virginia, was the Pageant Chairperson and did a wonderful job of putting everything together.  The Mistress of Ceremonies was Laura Freeman Deisz, MIJD 1978-1979, and did an excellent job.  She is a professional broadcaster, and it definitely showed in how talked and how she worked the microphone.  All of the candidates did a wonderful job, and I am sure that the judges had a tough time with the grading.

Dad Doug escorts Ashlee into the Pageant Room	The Missouri Girls wishing Ashlee good luck
Ashlee onstage	The former MIJD's in attendance

Ann Mary Michelle (Mikee) Balasa-Rualo from the Philippines won the Oral Recitation contest while Belissa Seselja from British Columbia won the Written Ritual contest. Mikee was also named as Miss Congeniality.

The 10 Semi-Finalists were announced and they were: Courtney E. Crockett from Maryland, Jenny Rife from Wyoming, Belissa Seselja from British Columbia, Julia E. Cordell from Delaware, Olivia DeVleming from Washington, Mikee Balasa-Rualo from the Philippines, Emily Dyer from Wisconsin, Catherine Meyer from Colorado, Kristern Mariko Ozaki from Idaho and our own Ashlee Brannin from Missouri.  We were all excited and screaming for her.

When Ashlee came out for the Final Question, the Missouri Girls all had duck quackers (Ashlee's mascot is a duck) and made duck noises.  Laura Deisz said she loved the ducks :)  Ashlee did a fantastic job of answering the question and took her place with the other finalists.

Ashlee answers the Final Question	Retiring MIJD Brianna makes here final remarks
Brianna's parents make a presentation	Ashlee is announced as the Fourth Runner-Up

Retiring MIJD Brianna Richards of Alberta then made her final remarks.  She did a wonderful job, both tonight and throughout the year.  Her mom and dad presented her with her Past MIJD Pin, and then it was time for the announcement of the new MIJD and the 4 Runners-Up..  Ashlee was announced as the Fourth Runner-Up.  Once again we all yelled, screamed and quacked for her.  The Third Runner-Up was Jenny Rife from Wyoming.  The Second Runner-Up was Mikee Balasa-Rualo from the Philippines.  The First Runner-Up was Belissa Seselja from British Columbia.  Then the announcement that everybody was waiting for was made . . .  Oh, you want to know, too?  Well then, okay, the new Miss International Job's Daughter is Emily Dyer from Wisconsin.  The place went nuts when here name was announced.  The former MIJD's in the audience each passed down the crown, and then Emily was officially crowned as MIJD.

Emily Dyer of Wisconsin is announced as the new MIJD	Emily is crowned as MIJD . . .
. . . And take her first walk as such	The Missouri crew poses with their sign and their duck beaks
Ashlee with the Silver Tray she received as the Fourth Runner-Up	Making a presentation to Ashlee

Following the pageant, everybody gathered around Ashlee and congratulated her.  We all stood around (or in my case, sat around on my scooter, lol) and talked for a long time.  I got a chance to talk to my old partner, Mom Shirley Bryngelson, Dolly Maxwell, PGG-Wyoming, Janine Coley, PGG-Wisconsin and current BOT Member and Carolyn Block, also affectionately known as Park Bench.  Okay, okay, I have teased you long enough, why is she know as Park Bench.  Well, it was back in 1991.  We were at the Mid-America HIKE in Kansas City.  A group of people sat on a . . . oh, excuse me, Mom Toni needs to use the computer to check her e-mail.  I will be right back . . .  (Jeopardy them plays yet again)

Okay, I'm back.  Now what was I talking about . . . I can't remember.  Oh well, on with the diary.  Mom Toni and I ordered some food for us and for Ashlee and her mom Sue.  While waiting I saw Nancy Cole Farace, MIJD & Miss Congeniality 1980-1981.  Nancy and her husband were kind enough to let me stay at their house when Mom Shirley and I made our Supreme Visit to Pennsylvania back in 2003.  Nancy's Daughter is now active in Job's Daughters.  We talked for a long time while numerous girls came and went and talked to us.  It was a fun time.  We also talked to Denise Noonan again as well as Sandy Miller, PGG-Virginia, who was the MIJD Pageant Chairperson last year. It was wonderful getting to spend some time with all of our friends that we don't get to see very often.  That is one of the great things about Supreme Session.  You get to see folks every year who otherwise you would not get a chance to meet.  I am lucky enough to have friends from all over the Job's Daughter world, and each year at Session we renew our friendships, as well as making new friends.  It is fantastic.

Mom Toni with Nancy Farace

Dad Ashley with Mom Shirley

Our food was delivered, and we gave Ashlee and her mom their order, then Mom Toni and I came upstairs, got into some more casual clothes (no way was she gonna let me eat Buffalo Wings in my white shirt) and chowed down.  The food was really good.  Now I am updating the Diary and soon will be heading to bed.

I have a shout out to send to John Vezeau, PGG-MO.  John writes:

Thanks John.  It is my pleasure to do these updates.  What could be more fun.  Getting to hang out with all of your friends, and the reliving the experience by writing about it.

Okay, that's about it for tonight.  I am gonna review the pictures I took tonight, get some posted and then hit the sack.  Good night everybody.

Another bright and early day here at Supreme Session. Maybe not the 7:30 a.m. that the Supreme Bethel Meeting started yesterday, but the 8:30 a.m. is plenty early enought. The SGC Elections will take place today. The body will elect the 8 members of the line as well as one member of the Board. I will report back as soon as I can, but I don' have access in the meeting room. There is wi-fi in there but no one seems to know the access code, and no, I don't have a smart phone. I barely have a dumb phone, lol.

I have one shout out to send this morning, and it goes to Carmen Wilson Jenkinson, PHQ, MIJD 2000-2001.  Carmen writes:

Thanks Carmen, I will do all that you ask . . . within reason, lol.  Carmen was a great MIJD with a very supportive family who are all involved in the Masonic Family.  She is now a wife and mother living in Tasmania so we don't get to see here nearly as much as we would like.

Well, gotta get going.  The meeting starts in a few minutes so whoosh, I'm off like a bad toupée on a windy day :)

Reporting in for a bit here following the Business Session today.  The following are the results of the SGC Elections

Supreme Line Officers
Supreme Guardian	RoseMarie Short, California
Associate Supreme Guardian	Ron Johnson, Michigan
Vice Supreme Guardian	Patty Reardon, Washington
Vice Associate Supreme Guardian	Gary Semaniuk, Alberta
Supreme Guide	Barbara Cooper, Illinois
Supreme Inner Guard	Mike Allen, Wisconsin
Supreme Marshal	Jeannie Link-Johnson, Michigan
Supreme Outer Guard	John Coulter, Oregon
Board of Trustees
Member of the Board	Jan Harms, Pennsylvania

Congratulations to all of the newly elected Officers and Board Member.  Being a Supreme Line Officer or Board Member can mean a lot of long hours and hard work.  Thanks to those who have stepped forward to offer their services to our Order.

I have time for another shout out.  This one goes to Sandy Flanery again, who writes:

Hey Dad Ashley: I hope you’ve enjoyed your first tour on the BOT. Right! I know meetings are a drag. =)  Thanks so much for the updates and photos daily. I’ve missed not being there and missed Miss Lilly terribly but between you, GBHQ Tiffany and Barb (Hall) I have been able to follow what’s going on. Some shout-outs from me … Kudos to the MoJobies chosen for Supreme Bethel Officer & Reps. Best wishes as you are installed tonight. Have a blast!! Kudos to Miss Ashilee for her 4th Runner Up Place. I hope you had the best time in Baltimore and made new friends and lots of memories. Kudos to our GBHQ Tiffany… you’ve done a great job keeping the MO delegation updated on all the activities. Awards Luncheon today!!! Whoo Hoo!! Bring home some GOLD!!! … Okay, first places. Two more days… Be safe and hurry home!! Hugs from MO, Mom Sandy

Thanks Sandy.  Actually the Board Meetings are not that bad.  Karen has been a great Chairperson and really keeps things on track so we don't spend too much time going off on tangents.  The Awards Luncheon is going on right now.  I have had some other business to attend to, but hopefully I will be able to get an update on the results and be able to post them here later on.  That's it for now.  Gotta get back to the meeting.

Here are the results for the Missouri girls at the Awards Luncheon:

Arts & Crafts

Amy Bush: 2nd Place Bowl, 1st Place Flower Arrangement
Alexis Hudson: 3rd Place Paper Art, 2nd Place Pottery, 3rd Place Miscellaneous
Brittany Hall: 2nd Place Drawing

Ritual

Tiffany Hudson: 2nd Place Story of Job
Amy Bush: 2nd Place Third Messenger
Alexis Hudson: 3rd Place Chaplain
Lilly Flannery, 2nd Place First Messenger
Brittany Hall, 2nd Place Story of Job

Way to go Missouri girls.  That is a wonderful showing.

The Blues Brothers are in the house	The Illinois Girls perform the skit
PSG Marilyn Olson and PASG Bob Clore open the afternoon session	Funny gifts for Bobbie and Randy
Randy and Bobbi retire to a standing ovatipon	Ken Sewell, PAGG-BC, tries to figure out the puzzle in the hallway
At the MIJD Table	Packing up the SBHQ Table

Following the Awards Luncheon, it was back to the Meeting Room for the Illinois/Wisconsin presentation for Supreme Session 2015.  It was a fun presentation featuring the Blues Brothers.  The Session will be in Lombard, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.  It looks like it is going to be a great session.

Following the presentation, we held our last Business Session.  Most of the work was already completed, so this was just to tie up some loose odds and ends, give a few reports, and bid SG Bobbie and ASG Randy a fond farewell.  There was much laughter, a few tears, and the good feeling that follows a job well done.  Congratulations to Bobbie and Randy on a fantastic year.

Jeanine Coley, PSG-WI. opens the Past Supremes Meeting

The Past Supremes at the dinner

Having fun

Rick and Toni are Initiated into the Past Supremes Club

This afternoon we had the Past Supreme's Dinner.  It was another chance to catch up those who have the shared experience of serving as either Supreme Guardian or Associate Supreme Guardian.  Also, Mom Toni and Dad Rick were officially Initiated into the Past Supreme's Club.  It was a fun time.

Posing at the Supreme Bethel Installation	Missouri's Supreme Bethel Girls
Brianna is Installed as the SB Chaplain	Kristi Obligates Genesis as SBHQ . . .
. . . And is welcomed to the East	Amy's duties at Supreme Bethel Installing Jr. Custodian are completed
VAG RoseMarie and VASG Ron Install the new SBG and ASBG	Not everybody was in the Installation.  Andrew catches up on his reading

Genesis' Bethel makes a Presentation

Brianna recites the Closing Prayer

Forming the Closing Cross

Genesis exits to a standing ovation

Mom Toni and Sheik Louise chat

Rebecca from Queensland

After dinner we headed over to the Supreme Bethel Installation.  It was a very beautiful ceremony.  Genesis Jones was Installed as SBHQ, and those that I mentioned yesterday (Briana Hall, Supreme Bethel Chaplain, Alexis Hudson, Supreme Bethel Representative to Maryland and Kiley Whitton, Supreme Bethel Representative to Saskatchewan.  Amy Bush served as the Installing Junior Custodian.  Retiring SBHQ Kristi Frazier did a very good job as the Installing Officer.  In addition, Charlotte Keel, PGG-California, was Installed as the new Supreme Bethel Guardian and Peter Scholz, PAGG-Michigan, was Installed as the new Associate Supreme Bethel Guardian.  They will have a great time.  I served as the Associate Supreme Bethel Guardian back in 1998-1999, and it was a wonderful experience.  I especially loved working at the Supreme Bethel Table at Supreme Session during my time on the Supreme Bethel Committee.

Doing the Train

A very tired Ashlee tries to do the Duck Dance

Following the Installation, we move on over to the Coronation Ball.  The music was hot and the girls were dancing, dancing, dancing.  They also had refreshments, including taco chips and guacamole.  I love guacamole and it sure tasted good tonight.  By the way, Supreme Session became official today.  Now wait a minute you may say . . . go ahead, say it, I will wait . . . okay, cool.  Wasn't the Formal Opening on Wednesday you might ask . . . go ahead, ask . . . great.  Yes it was, but Supreme Session isn't official until I have ice cream, and I did just that tonight.  This tradition goes back to Bill Dinkmeyer, PSG-MO.  Bill would want ice cream every night at Supreme Session.  We started going out to whatever ice cream place might be close to the various Session Hotels.  One time when we were in Portland, Oregon back in 1991, there just were not any ice cream parlors to be found.  Well, that wasn't gonna stop Bill from getting his ice cream fix.  We would up going to an all night grocery store where we bought half gallons of ice cream as well as some bon bons.  After Bill passed away in 2004, I felt that it would be a good thing to carry on the tradition of ice cream at Supreme Session.  While I don't have it every night, at least once during the Session I will have ice cream in Bill's memory.  Here's to you Dad Dink, you are missed to this day.

I have a shout out to send to Jennifer King Selock, PGBHQ-Illinois.  Jennifer writes:

I just wanted to thank you for your Supreme Session Diary. Every year you update all of us, when you should be sleeping!! I love the diary, I am hoping to get out to Oakland and I WILL be in Spokane to see one of my besties installed as SG (my husband has strict instructions that we are not going to any Masonic conventions during these times LOL). We are SO excited in IL to host Supreme Session in 2015, the hotel is amazing, the mall is amazing, and Chicago, yes it's amazing, but it's close by as well! Take Care and thank you SO much for your updates!!!

Thanks Jennifer.  I am looking forward to all of those Session, the Good Lord willing.  I have been to the Oakland/San Francisco area and it is really cool.  I have never been to Spokane, but I know the the Washington/Alberta team will do a wonderful job putting on the Session.  Chicago . . . well, I love Chicago.  It is one of my favorite cities.  The Session is actually in Lombard, which is far enough out of Chicago to bring down the cost of things, but still close enough to make going into Chicago proper very easy to do.  As the old Rhythm & Blues song goes, Sweet Home Chicago.

Well, another day has come to a close.  Just one more Session day and then a travel day.  I have a Board Meeting in the morning and then the SGC Installation tomorrow evening.  That's it for now.  I will talk to you tomorrow :)

Good morning everybody. I went to our Board meeting today. We assigned the new duties of the Board members and elected the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. The following will be the make up of the Board this year.

After that I came back to the room, and after making this quick post, will begin updating the Supreme Website (For those who don't know, I am the Webmaster of the Supreme Website as well as the Missouri Website). Later on Mom Toni and I are going to dinner and then to the SGC Installation. Well, gotta get to work. I will talk to you later.

Mom Toni poses in front of the hotel

Old St. Paul's Church

Hey there again, it has been a fun day.  After updating the Supreme Wehsite, Mom Toni and I stopped by the SGC Installation Rehearsal.  We said hi to a few folks, and then we headed out of the hotel.  It was nice to get a chance to walk around Baltimore a bit.  Okay, Toni walked, I rolled, lol.  We looked as some of the cool architecture of some of the old buildings.  We were getting hungry so we went to a Korean-Chinese Fusion restaurant.  It was basically Chinese food cooked in the Korean manner.  Whatever it was, it was very good.  We chowed down and the came back to the hotel to get ready for the SGC Installation.

The new Supreme Team, or as Ron likes to call it, the Short Team :)	The Ceremony of Lights starts the SGC Installation
Mom Bobbie & Dad Randy introduced as SG and ASG for the final time	Mom Linda and Dad Doug play catch up with the other GG's and AGG's
The Installing Officers	GBHQ Tiffany escorts Mom Nancy
Ron Johnson takes the Obligation as the new ASG . . .	. . . And is introduced in the East
RoseMarie Short takes the Obligation as the new SG . . .	. . . And is introduced in the East
Supreme Marshal, Jeannie Link-Johnson proclaims the end of the Session	The beautiful Closing Ceremony
Another view of the Closing Ceremony	The new Supreme Officers exit to a standing ovation
Miss Missouri Ashlee after the Installation	Tiffany eats an ice cream cookie sandwich (I'm so jealous)
Mom Nancy in her awesome dress	All over but the shouting (and the taking down of the room :)

The Installation got underway around 7:30.  It was a beautiful ceremony which began with the Lighting of the Lights, and continued on with the Installation Ceremony proper.  Mrs. RoseMarie Short was Installed as Supreme Guardian and Mr. Ron Johnson was Installed as the Associate Supreme Guardian.  Missouri's own Nancy Knarr was Installed as the Supreme Secretary.  She was escorted by GBHQ Tifany Hudson.  RoseMarie and Ron gave their opening addresses, introduced their families and did a really great job.  The Installation closed with the retiring of the Capes and Crowns Ceremony.  There was a reception afterwards, but when I went to it, it was a bit to crowded for me to maneuver my scooter, so I scooted back upstairs to our room.  I ventured out one more time to print our Boarding Passes for our trip back home.

I have a couple of shout outs to send.  The first goes to Tawnya Lawson Schultz, PGBHQ-Oregon.  Tawnya writes:

Thanks Tawnya, I appreciate the nice comments.  Congratulations on receiving the Degree of Royal Purple.  That is fantastic.  Tawnya is a good friend, who also happens to be a fan of my favorite band, Chicago.  Great minds think alike ;)

The next shout out goes to Felicia Rodemacher Hopke, PGBHQ-Missouri.  Felicia writes:

Thanks Felicia.  Ah yes, our trip to Utah.  I wrote about that wild trip on one of my other Supreme Diaries.  Not sure which one, but will check after I get back home.  Felicia just got married a couple of weeks ago.  Congratulations you her and Mike and many years of love and happiness to you both.

Nothing left to do but pack . . .

. . . And update the website :)

Well, I gotta get to bed. We are heading home in just a few hours and I should get at least s few hours of sleep, lol. Good night everybody.

Hey folks, just time enough to say hi and bye. We are heading to the airport. Thanks to Sue and Ashlee Brannin for taking us. I will do a wrap up when I get back home. I have to work this evening so it will probably be either late tonight or sometime on Monday.  That's it for now.  I will talk to y'all later :)

Well, we made it to the airport in plenty of time to have a chance to sit and relax before boarding.  While there we ran into Supreme Inner Guard Mike Allen, and his wife, Supreme 1st Messenger Ronal Allen-Koller.  They were at the same gate we were, but on the flight that left just before ours.  Mom Linda and Dad Ralph were on the same flight as ours, as were some friends from California.  A funny thing happened while we were waiting.  Mom Toni got a text message from Southwest Airlines that our gate had been changed to A6 . . . which is exactly where we were.  Then about every 5 minutes or so,a different person in our group got the same message either by phone or text.  Not sure where out original gate was, but for once we were in the right place at the  right time.  Actually, after I got home, I had the same message on my e-mail.  Whew, am I glad I got that.

Wake up Ashlee, I'm gonna take a picture . . .	. . . That's better
Driving through Baltimore	Sue points out Edgar Allen Poe's gravesite
Dad Ralph and Mom Linda wait to check in	Mom Toni gives a wave at the airport
Mike and Ronal board their flight	Waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting
On the airplane . . .	. . . And in the air

Finally we boarded the plane, got to our seats and settled in for the flight.  I managed to sleep a little on the plane as I had to work that evening.  It was raining when we landed just as it had been when I left.  I joked about it raining for the first time in months on the days I travel, but we really did need the rain.  Our daughter Katie, BG #12, picked us up at the airport along with our dog Molly.  Both of them were glad to see us but only Molly licked our faces - and that is probably a good thing, lol.  We made it home, unloaded the suitcases and then went to Applebee's for an early dinner before I headed off to work that evening.

Where are you guys?	A hug for Molly
Back home in the rain . . . Did it ever stop during the week?	Unloading the car. Hey, this suitcase is heavy . . .
. . . Katie, you take it in	Yeah, I'm glad you guys are home, but this is my chair now ;)

I have a couple of shout outs to send before I sign off.  The first goes to Eva Pelak, PBG #12.  Eva writes:

Thanks Eva.  I am genuinely touched by your nice words.  I'm not sure how accurate they may be.  I just do what I do and hope that some folks might get some pleasure from it.  The line your wrote about the hours that all of us serve in this Order says it all and leads me to my last shout out.

My final shout out of the Session goes to all of the volunteers who work for Job's Daughters.  I am not unique nor special in any way.  There are thousands who do the same thing every day.  They go about their business without any special recognition as they strive to make Job's Daughters a safe haven where the girls can learn, have fun and become the outstanding women they were meant to be.  Bloom, Lead, Soar . . . that is exactly right.  I have often said it is amazing to watch a young girl join Job's Daughters.  Sometimes they are so shy that they can barely put one word in front of another.  Over time they Bloom into the kind of Leaders anyone would be proud to work with.  Eventually they Soar into the future and take their place at the forefront as leaders of the world of tomorrow.  I am going to close with an updated version of a poem I wrote some time ago as a way to express how I felt about working in this Order.  It goes something like . . . no, actually it goes exactly like this:

Thanks for taking the time to read this diary.  It has been a fun Supreme Session.  The Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, we'll do it again next year in Oakland, California.  Bye for now :)