Western Consistory #28 AASR NJ PHA. Valley of Chicago - Orient of Illinois

09/29/2026

09/27/2026

Western Consistory #28 attending the Marquette Joliet #104 Black and White Ball.

09/27/2026

Attending Marquette Joliet #104 Black and White Ball

09/24/2026

Yesterday at Hiram #28 Rose Croix meeting, the Western Consistory #28 Eagles Club concluded the recognition of our Man Amongst Men Honoree GIG Jerald Prince by presenting him with the Man Amongst Men ring. Congratulations GIG Prince and well deserved!

09/24/2026

You can almost set your watch by some people’s commitment.

Right after the election, they’re energized. They’re at the meetings, answering the phone, shaking hands, making promises, and talking about everything they’re going to accomplish.

Then the months start passing.

Suddenly, they’re harder to find. Meetings get missed. Assignments remain unfinished. Calls go unanswered. Messages are ignored. Meanwhile, somebody else quietly carries the responsibilities attached to the office they were so excited to receive.

But then election season starts getting close…

And would you look at that?

A miraculous recovery.

They’re back at meetings. The phone works again. They’re checking on Brothers. They’re smiling, shaking hands, talking about brotherhood—and somehow remembering every accomplishment they want you to remember.

Let’s stop calling that leadership.

That’s campaigning.

An office is not supposed to be a twelve-month audition for another twelve-month term. It’s twelve months of responsibility.

And here’s the part that may sting:

Never give another title to someone who has already shown you what they will do with the one they have.

Leadership doesn’t go into hibernation.

Commitment doesn’t disappear after installation and suddenly wake up when nominations begin.

And if we only see your best version when you need our vote, perhaps service wasn’t what brought you back.

This week’s Words of Leadership asks organizations to pay attention—not to the campaign speech, but to the calendar.

Because when the applause stops and the election is months away, that’s when you discover who actually came to serve.

Leadership Is Not Seasonal.

By Virtue and Honor, We Lead.

09/22/2026

Some people want the chair after spending years avoiding the work.

They were absent when help was needed.
Silent when support was requested.
Missing when others were sacrificing.
Invisible when there was nothing to gain.

But suddenly, when an appointment, election, title, or position becomes available…

they appear.

And one of the quickest ways leadership can destroy morale is to bypass the people who consistently carried the organization and reward those who only arrived when there was something to receive.

This week’s Words of Leadership asks a question every organization eventually has to answer:

Are we promoting proven service—or rewarding convenient ambition?

Fairness does not mean everybody gets the position.

Fairness means everybody is measured by the same standard.

Competence over convenience.
Contribution over connections.
Character over politics.
Service over self.
Results over rhetoric.

A title should confirm the work—not introduce us to the worker.

Before you seek to lead the work, there ought to be evidence that you were willing to DO THE WORK.

By Virtue and Honor, We Lead.

09/19/2026

09/19/2026

In memory of our own SGIG Lafayette Gatling Sr. 33°

In the 1980s, the bustling South Side of Chicago became home to one of the most unbelievable and highly controversial innovations in the history of the funeral industry.

If you drove past the massive brick exterior of Gatling's Chapel on South Halsted Street, you would assume it was just a traditional, elegant place for grieving families to hold standard wakes and memorial services.

But local founder Lafayette Gatling had completely revolutionized the mourning process by installing something the world had never seen before: a fully functional, literal drive-thru viewing window for the deceased.

The concept sounded like an absurd punchline to a morbid joke, but it was actually born out of genuine compassion.

Gatling, a former construction worker, remembered how difficult it was for everyday working-class people to attend traditional funerals.

Many people worked long, grueling shifts, lacked the expensive formal clothing expected at a wake, or suffered from physical disabilities that made navigating a crowded funeral home incredibly difficult.

His radical solution was to allow people to pay their final respects from the comfort, privacy, and convenience of their own vehicles.

The ex*****on of the drive-thru window was an absolute marvel of 1980s ingenuity.

Mourners would pull their cars up to a specialized lane on the side of the building, much like a bank teller or fast-food drive-thru.

They would sign a customized outdoor guest registry, then press a button on an intercom system.

A heavy velvet curtain behind a massive pane of bulletproof glass would slowly part, revealing the deceased resting peacefully in their casket under soft, dignified lighting.

The driver was granted three private minutes to pray and pay their respects before the curtain automatically closed and the next car pulled forward.

While traditional morticians and national news outlets furiously criticized the concept as incredibly tacky and disrespectful, everyday Chicagoans absolutely loved it.

The drive-thru window became a massive, highly utilized success in the community.

It provided a completely unique, judgment-free way for thousands of locals to say their final goodbyes on their own terms, cementing Gatling's Chapel as an unforgettable piece of modern Chicago history.

09/16/2026

💙 September is Prostate Awareness Month

The United Supreme Council encourages all men to take charge of their health. Don’t wait until there’s a problem. Get checked out.

Early detection matters. Take the time to learn about prostate health and talk with your healthcare provider.

👉 Learn more: PCF.ORG