Written By: Ill. Steven C. Stefanakos, 33°
Leadership Roles: First Responder's Campaign Chairman, Active for New York
Valley: Rockville Centre, NY
Brethren, as you are in the leadership of your Valleys, you hold some of the most important parts in the entire Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. It is due to your diligence and drive for success that your members have trusted you with the guidance and direction to lead your Valleys. Leadership is always challenging; if it were easy, there would be no reward. Reward comes in many shapes and forms. I’m not talking about titles or honors, I mean the very essence of what we are: Scottish Rite Freemasons.
This is where you make a difference. Each year your Supreme Council leadership comes up with various programs that we feel would benefit our members. These plans start much earlier than you might think. Early in 2020 as the various committees at Supreme Council were starting to plan for our 2021 campaign, it was a “no brainer” where we thought we should be. With the 20th Anniversary of the cowardly attacks on our country of September 11, 2001, it would be most appropriate to honor those in the “First Responders” community.
Police, Fire, and EMS are those essential workers that are there for us every day, making sure our families are safe. We can sleep better at night, knowing that the First Responders will answer any call for service, no matter what the emergency is. Sadly, life became a little more complicated for our country on and after 9/11/01. First Responders, as always, answered the call, for many, it would be their last call.
There is a reality that lives with each member of the First Responder community, that every time they answer the radio, they may not return to their families. Yet… our father’s, mother’s, sister’s, brother’s etc., don’t do it for fame, glory & certainly not money. They do it for their communities, to make their little part of our country safer.
Moving forward to March of 2020, enter a major pandemic that covered the globe. Every country, every part of our world was attacked by the Corona-19 virus. This caused and put to the very test our healthcare workers. Doctors, Nurses, Physicians Assistants, Aides, Attendants -- if you worked in any part of this profession, you know first-hand the destruction that was amongst us. The world was battling a major virus that we have not truly seen in many of our lifetimes. As always, those “Local Heroes” were there for each of us. Sadly, we all know someone that was affected by the pandemic. We lost family members; we lost many that we call “Brother.” Yet, each day the Local Hero exhaustingly went to work to make sure those suffering would compassionately be cared for, until we could start to find relief. We’re not out of this yet.
So, with the tragic events of 9/11/01 and the global pandemic upon us, we at Supreme Council knew what to do. The “First Responders/Local Heroes” campaign was born. Myself and co-chair, Ill:. Robert Bateman, Deputy for Pennsylvania, brainstormed along with Bro. George Taylor 32°, & Bro. Brennan Parken 32°, with how we thought the campaign should go. We were able to put together a committee of members from across the jurisdiction, from each of the Police, Fire, EMS & Medical Professions, where we put together the agenda, program and challenge coins to honor those brave First Responders/Local Heroes.
The fall of 2021, into the winter and spring of 2022, we want to have each Valley put together a meeting/event to honor those that protect us and our families, every day. Each of your Valleys are charged to hold these events as you please. As we have many members that are in this community, we ask that you recognize each of them and their families. We also charge you to look outside of your membership and reach out to those that are not members of the Craft and invite them to be honored as well. Your local Police, Fire, EMS & Medical staffs should be sent invitations.
One area that we saw immediate response was when we were putting together the First Responders/Local Heroes Speaker’s Bureau - a directory that lives within our Leadership Resource Center comprised of members from each Valley who have volunteered to share their stories and explain where their professions are going in the future. If your Valley does not have any “keynote speaker,” please refer to the Speaker’s Bureau; there is no doubt that someone will be available to assist you in each event.
It takes remarkable people to do a remarkable job in remarkable times. As a member of the NYPD for the past 30 years, I work alongside some of the most courageous, brave, and compassionate people I have ever known. As someone directly affected by the attacks of September 11, 2001, I know the sacrifices that each member of this community makes, I have watched many family members support us in what we do. They make it possible for every First Responder/Local Hero to be there when we need them. If it were not for them, I wouldn’t be here today.
I wish each of you success in promoting this campaign. We at Supreme Council are excited to watch you put it into action. Always remember, we are always here to serve you!