This new addition to our web site is designed for our adult leaders and will feature tips for Advisors, issues, suggestions, and other general thoughts that are designed to assist our adult leaders perform their duties in the most effective and efficient manner. We plan to update the "The Good of the Order" on a frequent basis so keep watching this space for the latest in Advisor News.
We've had several requests for Honors recommendation forms for 2002. These forms will be sent to every Advisory Council Chairman and Chapter "Dad" Advisor in a mailing in January. The deadline to submit the forms will be March 1st.
Thanks to all of our Advisory Councils for their cooperation as we move through the process of holding Annual Meetings in order to register the Advisors for the 2002 year. Even though the process takes a little longer, it is certainly well worth the effort in insuring that the Council is organized for the new year, plus provides us with another step in our efforts to provide the safest possible environment for the members, and the Advisors. Thank you again for the great cooperation as we complete this process!
Here are a few guidelines that will assist you in your plans:
The actual Cross of Honor regalia is presented by the Executive Officer or his representative so when finalizing the date, you should coordinate the date with the Jurisdictional office to be sure the E. O. or his representative can be present that evening. The regalia is normally sent to the Advisory Council Chairman prior to the scheduled date of the presentation and includes the COH jewel and a Patent.
The Chevalier Degree is normally presented at the chapter level and the Investiture Team is usually made up of friends (who are Chevaliers) that have worked with the designate. The key factor is that all ritual work must be done from memory so the Advisory Council should be certain that the investiture will be done in an impressive manner. Since the Chevalier Investiture takes about 30 minutes, it is normally NOT done at an Installation of Officers but is done on a separate occasion where proper tribute can be paid to the designate.
If your Chapter has problems in arranging for an appropriate Investiture Team, the Northern California DeMolay Alumni Association has several teams that can be assistance and the designate can always ask his friends (who are Chevaliers) to serve as a member of that team. Contact the office for more information, or you can make these arrangements via our website.
The Chevalier regalia is provided to the Advisory Council Chairman prior to the degree and includes the Cordon, Medallion and Patent. A ring may be purchased by (or for) the designate but the ring is NOT a required part of the regalia. The expenses of the event such as building rent and the cost of a reception should be taken care of by the chapter if at all possible. However, the family of the designate may also assist if they so choose.
If you have, or if you're planning on moving, please let us know by filling out and submitting our online address correction form. You can also submit this form for any of your chapter members that you know have moved. We will also inform DeMolay International for you to save you the time. As you can see, we live to serve!
If you'll look at our homepage, you'll see "L.C.C." listed. Check it out and you'll see that you can now sign up for the L.C.C. on-line, but better yet, you'll be able to download a lesson, complete that lesson and send it in for grading. Even better yet, you can now actually take the lesson and submit it on-line! Once again, Nor-Cal DeMolay is on the cutting edge of DeMolay technology!
After the DMV announced its new driving rules for drivers under age 18 in 1998, we published them in several of our publications. We have been asked to publish them again to be certain that all of our Advisors and DeMolays are fully aware of these restrictions. Here are the current provisions:
The following new restrictions are for minors who apply after July 1, 1998, pass their driving test at DMV and are issued a provisional driver license:
*** During the first 6 months you are licensed to drive, you must be accompanied by a driver 25 years of age or older if you drive between the hours of 12:00 am and 5:00 am, or if you have passengers under the age of 20 in the car at any time.
*** During the second 6 months, you must still be accompanied by a driver 25 years of age or older if you drive between the hours of 12:00 am and 5:00 am; however, now you may have passengers under the age of 20 in the car without supervision between the hours of 5:00 am and midnight.
*** Persons under 18 may not be employed to drive a motor vehicle. When you become 18, the provisional part of your license ends. You may continue to drive as an adult using your photo license, which will expire on your 4th birthday after the date you applied.
If you have further questions, you should contact the nearest DMV office.
In our discussions with our Advisory Councils, we keep encouraging the Advisory Council Chairmen to insure that all members of the Council have a specific duty or title such as Membership, Ritual, Athletics, etc. Unless an Advisor has a duty, he or she may feel as though they are not needed and will tend to become inactive. We still have about 15% of our Advisors without a title and these are probably the Advisors who will drop off the Council at the end of the year. We'll be writing each Advisory Council Chairman in the next few weeks with the names of those Advisors without titles and asking that titles be assigned to each Advisor.
All DeMolay Chapter checks are required to have two signatures. Normally, the check is signed by the Master Councilor or Scribe/Treasurer, and then counter-signed by an Advisor. If the checks are signed only by Advisors, we are limiting the experiences for the young men of the chapter. Please remember that DeMolay should be a learning experience!
All Advisory Councils should be meeting on a regular basis, the same as we expect from a DeMolay chapter. It is strongly encouraged that the three Councilors be invited to attend the meeting, along with the Chapter Sweetheart, Parents Club President, and other interested individuals. It is important to create a attitude of "teamwork" and that cannot be done if the Advisors meet privately and do not include other points of view and opinions. It is always helpful to send out written notices of the meeting and include an agenda for the meeting. Also, please remember to keep minutes of all Advisory Council meetings for your records.