Welcome to the New York

State Ritual Workshop.

Please sign in and receive your

complimentary copy of the Ritualistic

Manual and the Shortened Opening,

Closing, and Initiatory Rituals.

Note: I apologize, but this

Workshop is for Members Only&

New York State

Ritual Workshop

Fall Conference 2013

Agenda

� Introductions

� Why Perform Ritual?

� New and Shortened Rituals (Requirements)

� New and Shortened Rituals (Video)

� Simple ways to be Impressive (Standard & New)

� Ritual Judging Certifications

� Ritual Competition Teams

� Questions & Answers

Introductions

NYS Ritual CommitteeChairman – Fred Wright Poughkeepsie #275 Email: fwwright@hotmail.com

Cell: (845)-401-6845

� Central – Roy Henry

� East – Henry Ross� East Central – Richard Allen

� Mid-Hudson – Fred Wright

� North – Joe Persutti� North Central – Mary Charleston

� North Hudson – Deb Minners� Northeast – Vicki Brown

� Ontario – Alan Ciciarelli

� South – Harvey Bayer

� South Central – Matt Intrieri

� Southeast – William Bock, Jr.� Southwest – Guy McGlynn

� Southern Tier – Milt Peters� State Capital – Frank Bauer

� West – Linda Perez� West Central – Scott Seltzer

NYS Ritual Advisory Committee

� Joseph Petriello, PSP, PGLCM

Yorktown Lodge #2324

� Charles I. Noonan, PSP, PGLCM

Herkimer Lodge #1439

� Lawrence Haase, PSP

Dunkirk Lodge #922

� Anthony Gilberti, PSP

Mid Westchester Lodge #535

Why Perform Ritual?

Reported Ritual Issues

� “I can’t memorize the parts”� Grand Lodge removed the requirement for memorization.

� “We can’t get Members at meetings because the Ritual takes up too much time”� Grand Lodge adopted an option to use Shortened Opening,

Closing, and Initiatory Rituals.

� “We can’t get Officers because of Ritual”� Grand Lodge provided an option to use Degree Teams for the

Initiatory Ritual.

� “There’s no interest in traveling to other Lodges for the Visitations”� Grand Lodge modified the Statutes so that performing Initiation

at the visitation is no longer required or reported on by the DD.

� Do you believe that our Community Service and Rituals were a major part in growing Elkdom?

� Could it have been the Intrigue, Mysticism, and Secrecy, that our Rituals had on non-members that might have caused them to join?

� Could it be Envy, Reverence, and Support, the Officer Team might receive from their fellow Members on a well performed Ritual that might cause them to become an Officer?

� Do you believe that our Rituals teach us the meanings of what our Officer positions represent?

� Can practicing Ritual help grow an individual?

� Can practicing Ritual as a Team help create good Officer Cohesiveness? Does a Lodge need this?

� Does Ritual practice require a lot of time?

� Oh, I forgot. Can a well performed Ritual cause the New Member to become Active?

� So, Can Ritual help a Lodge to prosper, grow, and increase Membership?

Ask yourself&

Membership

Fellowship

Community

VeteransENF & CP

Youth

Ritual

Training

Elkdom

If Ritual fails, so will our ability

to gain respect by our Members

to get involved, support one another

to become a cohesive Officer

Team and Lodge, and create

new Members believing in our

4 Great Principals, Charity, Justice,

Brotherly Love, and Fidelity.

Everyone of these, is a link that makes

up the great chain of Elkdom.

So, Do Not Let Ritual go by the

way of the Dinosaur!

It really does not require a lot of

time and effort to make a good and

everlasting impression.

NYS Ritual Mission Statement

� “To Promote and Practice Ritual (Standard or

New) as a Officer Team building exercise or tool,

which will grow Officer Team Support and

Harmony, Increase their knowledge about what

their position represents, continue to impress

both the New and Existing Members to become

active, and grow your Lodge and Membership.”

Help carry the Message!

New Shortened Rituals

Requirements

� According to GL Statutes 17.060, a Lodge must amend their Lodge Bylaws in order to utilize the new shortened Rituals.

� This change needs to be submitted to the Area 1 Judiciary Chair for approval.

� Once the Amendment has been approved, the Lodge has the option to utilize either of the Rituals.

� The proper wording for the Bylaws amendment should be:

“Article IV-A: Exemplification of Rituals, Sec. 1 – The Officers of this Lodge are authorized to use alternative forms of the Opening, Closing, and Initiatory Rituals as approved by the Grand Lodge. At any time, the Lodge may utilize the original Rituals. The Presiding Officer of the meeting and/or Initiation Ritual would determine which form (original or shortened) would be used during that meeting.”

Notes:

� Grand Lodge and State Ritual Competitions will ONLY use the Original or Standard Initiatory Ritual as outlined within the “white” Ritualistic Manual.

� With a Bylaws change, under GLS 12.130 Degree Teams are allowed to perform only the Initiatory Ritual from memory with the approval of the Exalted Ruler and the Lodge.

� On your handout of the Shortened Ritual, Page 2, 1st paragraph under Initiation, beginning with, “Any Lodge desiring..” is governed by GLS 12.130 & 15.010. Please make a note..

New Shortened Rituals

Video

Simple ways to Increase

Impressiveness

� Make sure you have “Read” your part so you can inflect the meaning of your Chair.� Esquire – Instructional� Lecturing – Brotherly Love, Care, Fellowship, and from the Heart.� Loyal – Justice, Truth, Constitutionality, Evenness, Honesty, and

Impartiality.� Leading – Charity, Giving, Kind, Big Hearted, Sympathetic, and

Philanthropic.� Exalted Ruler – Fidelity, Faithfulness, Allegiance, Devotion, Reliability,

and Integrity.� Pay Attention to the performing Officer at all times.� “Know the Flow” What happens next.� Maintain good posture� Smile� Perform a practice once per month (45min-1hr) and another close to

the Initiation.� Support one another.� Ask a PER with experience to be your Coach.

Does anyone have any others?

Ritual Judging

Certifications

Overview

� Only the Standard Ritual of Initiation Applies.� Certified Judges for District, State, and Grand

Lodge Competitions Only.� Clinics performed by the Area 1 Grand Lodge

Ritual Committeeman (Steve Ondrick, Mass.) assisted by the State Chairman.

� To hold a Clinic, the District/Lodge needs to cover the mileage, lodging, and meals, for both the Area 1 Committeeman and the State Chairman (no mileage).

PS& I heard the State Chairman is cheap&

(3) Three Types of Grand Lodge Judges

� Impressiveness Judge (Floor)� Written & Live Team Tests� Requirements:

� ER/PER Only (ER can take 1st Approval Only)� (2) Two passing grades at (2) two Clinics within a 2 year time frame.� Recertification requires (1) one passing grade at a Clinic within 2 yrs

of Expiration. (Change to the previous of 1 yr)

� Word Accuracy Judge (Checks Words)� Written & Live Test� Requirements

� Any Member in good standing and achieve Certification.� (1) one passing grade only� Recertification within 2 yrs of Expiration.

� Computer Judge (Enters & Tallies Scores)� Live Workshop/Class� Requirements are the same as Word Accuracy Judge

Impressiveness Judge - Overview

� Normally (5) five during a Contest.� Throw out the High and Low Scores.� Judge the following:

� Deportment – Movements (10% of Score)� Pronunciation – (7% of Score)� Impressiveness – (50% of Score)� Team Appearance – (3% of Score)

Note: Did anyone notice that the Total didn’t add up to 100%?

Word Accuracy is 30% of the Score.

NYS Certified Judges

� (79) Seventy-Nine Members hold the

following Certifications:

�(36) Thirty-Six Impressiveness Judges

�(67) Sixty-Seven Word Accuracy Judges

�(33) Thirty-Three Computer Judges

Note: NYS is in need of more Judges. If

interested, attend one of the Clinics.

Upcoming Clinics

� September 29th @ 9am

�Auburn/Webster Mass. Lodge #2118� Impressiveness, Words, & Computer

� November 2nd @ 9am

�Lyons Lodge #869 (NY West Central District)� Impressiveness, Words & Computer

Ritual Competition Teams

Overview

� Lodge Members Only (Officers/PERs/etc.)

� (1) One Lodge Team Only

� Standard Ritual Only

� Cannot Read, Memorization Only

� (1) Candidate Only, Lodge Supplied, all wording is singular and gender related, and should be a PER.

� Utilize the “White” Ritualistic Manual.

� Progression – District, State, and Nationals.

� Coach is highly recommended.

Why Compete?

� An Experience like no other.

� Challenge

� Competition with your fellow Elks.

� Officer Teaming at its Max.

� Pride

� Awards (and they are big ones)

� And, Because I need more Teams/Lodges

to Compete at the State Convention.

An if you are Good and a little

Lucky&&&.

� You can represent NY State at the next

Grand Lodge Session, Like&

Lyons Lodge #869 in Reno, NV

And win like!!

Ed Gnau – National All Star Candidate

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Q&A

Thank You for attending, and

Thank You for Supporting Ritual

within New York State!!!