RiteCare’s Golden Jubilee Celebrated In Style
by Vernon B. Ingraham, 33˚, Executive Secretary, Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado.

After 18 months of planning, the Scottish Rite Foundation of Colorado’s Golden Jubilee concert by Mel Tillis has come and gone. On Saturday evening, September 27, 2003 Mel Tillis, his band, and singers performed for 2 hours in the Imperial Ballroom at El Jebel. More than 1,000 people attended.

The 50th Anniversary Planning Committee and the team at El Jebel made all the hard work a labor of love and friendship. Illustrious Sir Ron Cosens, 32°, Potentate of El Jebel, and Brother Bill Sweeney, 32° KCCH, administrator of the El Jebel Shrine, were great supporters.

The Knights of St. Andrew from Denver and Southern Colorado as well as the other Mason volunteers and ladies helped make the evenings events run smoothly. All your efforts are sincerely appreciated by the Board of Trustees, the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee, and yours truly. You made the job so much easier.

Perhaps the most gratifying experience in this entire effort was how Masons (Scottish Rite and Shrine) can work so wonderfully well together for a common cause.

Now for a synopsis of the evening. Emcee Chuck Leary of KCKK radio (1600 on the AM dial in the Denver area) did a great job of kicking the evening off. Illustrious Brother Dwight A. Hamilton, 33°, followed with special acknowledgments and presentations to Dr. Dori Biester, President of The Children’s Hospital, and to Dr. Deborah Hays, the Kelley Family/Schlessman Family Scottish Rite Masons Chair in Childhood Language Disorders. Dr. Biester accepted the Endowed Chair plaque to be placed in the hospital with similar plaques to be installed in each of the three Consistories.

Then came Mel and 2 hours of music, comedy, and promotion for one of Masonry’s great philanthropic causes, the RiteCare Childhood Language Program. Midway through the show Illustrious Brother Mel Tillis, 33°, Grand Cross, presented Illustrious Brother Ronnie Seale, 33°, the incoming Sovereign Grand Commander, with a $12,000 donation to the Scottish Rite Foundation from the sale of his “Masonic America” print.

Mel’s rendition of “How Great Thou Art” was truly wonderful and inspiring with the audience joining in with him. We appreciate Mel all the more for bringing outright recognition of the Supreme Architect of the Universe to this special anniversary celebration.

What a sublime evening it was.