Participating in the opening of the Lakeland, Florida, All Children Specialty Care Clinic are (l. to r.): Bro. Clayton Hollis, 32°, K.C.C.H. (with badge); Lloyd T. Horton, Vice President of All Children's Hospital Foundation; Ralph Fletcher, 32°, K.C.C.H., Mayor of Lakeland; S.G.C. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°;  Adam Putnam, State Representative; and Ill. Robert L. Goldsmith, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Florida.

The Scottish Rite was also able to honor Illustrious William Mercer Hollis, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Florida, and the person responsible for the Scottish Rite Foundation of Florida becoming a unified effort of the 11 Valleys of the Orient. The Scottish Rite Clinic in the Lakeland All Children's Specialty Care Clinic is dedicated in Ill. Brother Hollis' memory.
 

Mr. Dennis Sexton, President of All Children's Hospital, and Bro. Clayton Hollis, 32°, K.C.C.H., grandson of Ill. Bro. Hollis, unveil the plaque dedicating the Lakeland, Florida, Scottish Rite Clinic in honor of Ill. William M. Hollis, 33°.

Also, on January 27, 1999, All Children's Hospital formally dedicated another All Children's Specialty Care Clinic, which houses a Scottish Rite Language Disorders Clinic, in Ft. Myers. Members of the local Bodies turned out in strength to show support of this most important program. With the dedication of this clinic, with few exceptions, no child in Florida is more than 100 miles from a Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinic. The proximity to the clinic makes a great deal of difference to a young parent who must transport the entire family each time a child is to have treatment.

Six of the 10 clinics in Florida are located in the same city as one of our Masonic Centers, providing an opportunity for the Scottish Rite members and their families to see firsthand the impact the gift of intelligible speech has on a child. The Valley of Tampa is fortunate in having the four other Language Disorders Clinics located within its jurisdiction.
 
 

Ill. Vernon C. Ellis, 33°, Personal Representative in the Valley of Ft. Myers, and Ill. Robert L. Goldsmith, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Florida, present Ms. JoAnne Banks, All Children's Specialty Care Clinic Director, with one of the "Scottish Rite Masons Love Children" critters to be given to children visiting the clinic.

I am the parent of a four-year-old, Kristen, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. She is a bright, smart, beautiful child and a joy to our family. Kristen has many needs, as does any child, but she also has one very special need, speech and language therapy. Initially, Kristen received help through county services. These were excellent, but were only available until Kristen turned three. Our school system could provide therapy, but only twice a week and in a group setting. Our physician said Kristen needed one-on-one treatment. Compounding the problem, our insurance company would not pay for speech therapy for an autistic child.
 

Speech Language Therapist Marilyn Tonkin–Shickler works with Kristin at the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, Inc. at Richmond, Virginia.

In closing, I want to thank the Scottish Rite Masons for everything they have done for my family and daughter. There is no greater joy than hearing our daughter begin to talk and express herself. There is no greater debt we owe than to the Childhood Language Center.

Ryan was wild, uncontrollable, destructive, unfocused, impulsive, and inattentive. He needed constant supervision and lots of "time outs." Our friends and relatives told us he was simply "being a boy," but we noticed we were not being invited over to their homes anymore.

Sick over this situation, we consulted a pediatrician and then a pediatric neurologist. The diagnosis was Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She said Ryan would have learning disabilities and would need speech and behavior therapy in conjunction with his prescribed medicine. The doctor gave us the name of a Scottish Rite Clinic for Ryan's speech therapy, but I still left in tears. When we found out the clinic was funded by donations and the good hearts of the Scottish Rite Masons, we were overwhelmed with relief and gratitude.

At that point Ryan, age six, couldn't pronounce words correctly, didn't speak in sentences, could not communicate, and was deeply frustrated. My furniture had started to fall apart from his jumping on it; the walls were scribbled on; he was on a constant search and destroy mission in his attempts to interact.

Within months, Dr. Philip Levinson at the Portland, Oregon, Scottish Rite Clinic made progress with Ryan's communication skills. He seemed to reach into Ryan, grab his attention span, and stretch it. Ryan started to use three-word sentences, then four, and so on. He not only learned how to talk but to communicate. Conversely, Dr. Phil taught us how to communicate to Ryan in a manner Ryan could process.

Ryan's behavior improved, and today he is nearly at grade level for reading. Plus, he interacts on an appropriate level of socialization with his peers. He has boys he can call friends and gets invited to their birthday parties. This year he went out for baseball.

I don't know where we would be without communication assistance and support from Dr. Phil and the Portland Scottish Rite Clinic. But I do know it would have been a much more difficult road. Nowadays, if you ask Ryan what he wants to be when he grows up, he will probably say "a broadcast weatherman who cooks gourmet food and does magic tricks on the television." Quite a mouthful, I'd say. Wouldn't you?

A marvelous teaching tool has been designed by the Scientific Learning Corp. for helping children with speech disabilities, and the Hilgenberg Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders, located in the Baltimore Scottish Rite Temple, has certified providers able to furnish this service. Encouraged by Dr. Bernard E. Rothman, 33°, Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Olga Polites, M.S., CCC, SLP, Coordinator of the Center, and Suzanne Kowalewski, M.S., CCC, SLP, introduced this method, after intensive training, to the Hilgenberg Center this past year.

Up to 10% of children have a language difficulty, primarily neurologically based, causing academic and/or emotional and discipline problems. "Fast-For-Word" is a program which trains the brain to process sounds faster, thereby making it possible for the child to communicate more easily. With the help of computers, the child can better distinguish sounds. It is necessary that a certified provider work with the client so that individual accomplishments can be recognized and properly evaluated.
 

Timmy and his therapist, Suzanne Kowalewski, enjoy working with the new "Fast-For-Word" computer instruction program at the Hilgenberg Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders in Baltimore, Maryland.

Members of the Scottish Rite Women's Club, organized just five years ago to help the Scottish Rite Masons promote and provide much needed help in this area, never dreamed that the start-up funds donated to the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation for this program would have such dramatic results. They are grateful and happy to be able to participate in this new concept for teaching the speech-impaired child, and they are looking forward to new challenges the millennium may offer.

In the spring of 1998, the Scottish Rite Woman's Club of the Valley of Baltimore, Maryland, was invited to help welcome the new Spring Reunion candidates and their escorts. The Woman's Club members involved were Beatrice Z. Smith, President; Jeanne Shiptisky, Secretary; Patricia Shreffler, Vice-President; and Club members Jane Pollitt and Julie Glushakow.

Prior to the 14° Ring Ceremony, a social hour was arranged, the candidates and their escorts were told about the purpose of the Woman's Club, and a cordial invitation to join was extended. A significant purpose of the club is support of the Scottish Rite's philanthropic services provided at the Hilgenberg Center for Childhood Language Disorders located in the Baltimore Scottish Rite Temple. A guided mini-tour of the center was offered, and it was possible to meet with some of the center's staff, client children, and their parents.

On April 16 of last year, the Woman's Club sponsored a Spring Fling party for the children enrolled in the clinic. Silhouettes of the children were done by Bonnie Klotzman (photo below), a teacher in the public school system. Boumi Shrine Temple clowns entertained the children who were also intrigued with magic tricks, their hand prints imprinted on a tablecloth, cookie decorating (and eating), and the planting of flowers at the entrance of the clinic. The Woman's Club enjoyed making the event a fun time for all, including the Club's own members. 

On Saturday, October 31, 1998, at the Scottish Rite Temple in Charleston, West Virginia, the West Virginians (photo left), a nationally recognized show choir from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philipii, West Virginia, performed in concert. The wonderful concert was a fund-raising effort to benefit the Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders in Charleston.

The West Virginians have been designated "Official Ambassadors for the State of West Virginia" by Governors John D. Rockefeller IV, Arch Moore, Gaston Caperton, and present Governor Cecil Underwood. The members are selected each year by auditions on the basis of their multi-talented musical abilities and character. The group presented a wide variety of sacred and secular music with a combination of dance, colorful costumes, various instrumentation, and humor that resulted in a great evening of entertainment for the large crowd in attendance.

Following the concert, the two speech therapists from the center, Jami E. Green, MA, CCC–SLP, and Melissa C. Duffy, MS, SLP, were introduced and gave a brief history of the center. They also introduced two children, Makayla Clark and Brandon Hayes, who literally stole the hearts of the crowd by demonstrating the progress made possible for them by their treatment at the Charleston Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders.

A reception concluded a great evening of entertainment, support for the center, good food, and warm fellowship.
 

Photographed at intermission during the "The West Virginians" concert to benefit the Charleston, West Virginia, Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders are (l. to r.): Bro. Sam G. Kapourales, 33°, Center President; Melissa Duffy, Speech Therapist; Brandon Hayes, clinic client (front); Jami Green, Speech Therapist; and Ill. C. B. Hall, S.G.I.G. in West Virginia, holding Makayla Clark.

Rowen Brennecke was not quite four years old when her father got a new job and planned to move his family from Pennsylvania to Wyoming. The move would be traumatic enough in itself for Rowen and her older sister, Tierney. They would be leaving behind all their relatives, all their friends, and the house they'd lived in all their lives. But fate had another adjustment to add. While his wife completed the packing and sale of their home, Rowen's father left Pennsylvania to drive to Wyoming alone. He was completely out of touch when Rowen's trouble began. It started with what appeared to be “pink eye,” but it didn't go away. A few days of doctor's visits and tests revealed that Rowen was completely blind in her right eye due to a tumor. The surgical procedure intended to shrink the tumor was unsuccessful. Rowen's eye had to be removed. She would have to have a prosthetic eye, and it would have to be replaced often as she grows.

At first, Rowen faced it all bravely. Fortunately, she was still in Pennsylvania among friends and relatives who showered her with gifts. Her favorite of these was a Minnie Mouse doll. That present started the family's interest in Disney movies and characters. Once Rowen had moved to Casper, Wyoming, and been accepted as a “Wish” child, there wasn't much question about her wish. Get ready, Disney World, here comes the Brennecke family! All the planning and antici-pation helped to ease the questions Rowen was beginning to raise about why the eye trouble had to happen to her.

The trip to Disney World was a delight to the whole family. The staff of the Give Kids the World Village, where the Brennecke family stayed, seemed to have thought of everything to make the visit memorable. They even had the Village Mayor (who just happens to be a big rabbit) come and tuck the girls in every night. Of course, this involved a lot of giggling and bouncing on the bed! But there was more to the trip than fun. Rowen saw a lot of the other children in the village, and many of them had physical problems a lot worse than hers. Her mother believes meeting those children helped Rowen realize just how fortunate she is. She is not the only suffering child in the world, and unlike some of the other children she met, she has not had to give up her favorite thing in all the world—dancing!
 

Ill. Carroll Rahm, 33°, Valley of Cheyenne, presents members of the Make-A-Wish Foundation a check from the Scottish Rite Foundation of Wyoming. Ill. Rahm is a board member of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Wyoming and also a board member of the Make-A Wish Foundation.

Hook up a microphone to a computer program and a child with speech problems becomes eager to practice speaking clearly. Haul out a plastic model of the larynx, and a singer with an overworked voice understands how she developed growths on her vocal cords. Slip on an elephant hand puppet, and a shy kid opens up in unfamiliar surroundings.

All these techniques are put into play in the new Scottish Rite Communicative Disorders Center at Armstrong Atlantic State University. The center (pictured left) opened in May 1998 after receiving start-up funding from the Supreme Council, and Savannah's Scottish Rite Brethren are also supporting the cause.

"We're committed to continuing to support the clinic financially," says Ill. Jimmy P. Smith, Jr., 33°, General Secretary of Savannah Scottish Rite. The Armstrong clinic is the first one outside the Atlanta area in Georgia.

The center's four examining rooms include areas for testing children and adults, a room for technology, and one designated for hearing screenings. The new facility, in University Hall on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University, will help train speech and language pathology students at Armstrong—currently 63 undergraduates and 25 graduate students.

Conni Wambold, Assistant Professor of speech-language pathology says "We'll market ourselves to the rural areas because Savannah is taken care of by the hospitals." Some of the grant money from the Scottish Rite will help pay the fees for patients who otherwise couldn't afford the service.

On opening day at the center, senior Glynis Broy showed off a program called Video Voice. As a child speaks into a microphone attached to a computer, his or her voice controls the motion of an animated track star on the screen.

In one exercise, a drawn-out sound makes the runner soar over hurdles. Another helps children modulate their volume—speak too softly and the runner slows to a crawl. "All these interactive programs are important," Broy said. "Children relate to technology." 

Watching 15-year-old Tiffany Meek (pictured below) nimbly twirl, spin, toss, and catch batons, you'd be shocked to learn that her entire left side was paralyzed as a baby. Seeing the mass of twirling trophies and ribbons in her home, you'd be amazed to hear that she was once told she'd never be able to master even the simplest twirling moves. But Tiffany is full of surprises. And determination.

Tiffany was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis (TS) as a small baby after she started having approximately 20 seizures a day. She was found to have multiple lesions surrounding her brain and as, a result, was paralyzed on her left side. But Tiffany seems to have been born to overcome such challenges.

When she was only six months old, Tiffany was adopted as the unofficial mascot of her big brother's football team at Ennis Junior High in Dallas, Texas. The players would take turns therapeutically manipulating Tiffany's left leg and arm on the sidelines during games and practice. With the team's help, Tiffany conquered her paralysis, but was still left with a variety of mental and physical obstacles. Her ongoing therapy and treatment requirements brought her to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas  when she was nine years old. Tiffany still receives therapy and care at the hospital today. Currently, Tiffany is a special education student at Venus High School, Dallas, where she makes good grades and has many friends. She's a typical ’90s teenager who just happens to be the four-time Texas state twirling champion. Like any other 15-year-old, she has chores, homework, and dreams for the future.

Tiffany hopes to have a career as both a special education teacher and a twirling instructor. If she puts her characteristic determination to work, it's a safe bet that's exactly what she'll have. 

In October 1987, the first Speech and Hearing Clinic in Louisiana was opened in the Scottish Rite Temple at 619 Carondelet Street in New Orleans. The clinic was renamed the D. Walter Jessen Clinic in December 1992 in honor of Illustrious D. Walter Jessen, 33°, S.G.I.G., Orient of Louisiana from 1977 to 1994. It operates in conjunction with Louisiana State University (LSU) Medical Center and is administered by Ill. Peter Kastl, M.D., PhD., 33°, with Ms. Patricia Doody as the clinic co-ordinator. Ill. Ernest C. Belmont, Jr., 33°, is the co-administrator of the facility which has therapy rooms and areas where staff and parents can view the therapy sessions through one-way glass.

The clinic offers two scholarships to students who are in the Master's program in Speech Pathology at LSU Medical Center. Current scholarship recipients are Ms. Erica Scales (photo left) and Ms. Rachel Elizabeth Pickett. Ms. Scales hopes to focus on treatment of neurological communications impairments after completing her graduate degree in Communications from LSU Medical Center. Ms. Pickett,  a special education teacher in the Jefferson Parish School system, is enrolled in the Master's program in Communications Disorders at LSU Medical Center. She is a student representative to the Communication Disorders Faculty at LSU and Vice-President of the local chapter of National Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The New Orleans Scottish Rite Temple was the setting for the National Student Speech-Hearing-Language Association lunch meeting on October 19, 1998. Approximately 50 students, representing universities in New Orleans, Shreveport, Hammond, Lafayette, Ruston, Monroe and Thibodaux, attended the meeting. There is so much work to be done, but so little time. To help, please contact the D. Walter Jessen Speech and Hearing Clinic at 504–522–3789 or the Louisiana Scottish Rite Foundation, P. O. Box 64, Shreveport, LA 71161–0064. 

For the second year straight, the Masons of Sheridan, Wyoming, have provided generous financial support to the Micro Society program at Tongue River Elementary School in Ranchester, Wyoming. Micro Society is an innovative and educational program that recreates the micro society within the school walls. By creating a society in miniature, teachers work to help future citizens acquire the real-life skills to be contributing citizens when they leave school.

In Micro Society, every student has the opportunity to earn money, called Micros, by performing a service to the society. Citizens earn salaries by working for one of several student-operated businesses. Students can also work as bankers, attorneys, or legislators in their own government. In addition to that, students can earn extra Micros by working as a technology assistant, peer mediator, singer, postal carrier, member of the arts council, or creating, producing, and broadcasting news programs. Every Monday, these junior citizens use a portion of their weekly paychecks to pay for utilities, school tuition, rent for their desks and chairs, and taxes to support their own government.

Is school relevant to students involved with Micro Society at Tongue River Elementary School? "Yes!" states Steve Stadick, a fifth-grade teacher and the Micro Society coordinator at the school: "Micro Society experiences help students and teachers see the connections between the basic skills taught during the traditional academic part of the day, and how those basic kills are applied in real-life, career-oriented ways. Students are motivated to learn, because they can really see how the basics are used."

This motivation has become evident on national test scores and student behavior. Parents are also excited about what their children are learning in Micro Society. At Tongue River Elementary School in Ranchester, Wyoming, the Micro Society program is preparing future citizens for the game of life by using the best teacher of all—experience! The Scottish Rite of Sheridan shares the vision of the Micro Society program and contributes financially to the school's efforts to prepare young people for success inside of school and, more importantly, for success outside of school. 

Genesis Montanez, age three, and other patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas had the life-size thrill of a visit and cuddle from Bert and Ernie, fuzzy characters from "Sesame Street Live," a touring company featuring the characters originally seen on educational children's programming on PBS.

In 1998, there were over 5,000 clinic visits to the five Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinics in the Orient of Oregon. Over $370,000 worth of speech-language therapy was provided at a cost of $342,000. What do these numbers mean in human terms? They reflect the efforts of seven dedicated and talented clinicians who have improved the quality of life for children and their families. They reflect stories of children like Christopher, Jessica, and Alex. Christopher (above) was 2 1/2 when he began coming to the Scottish Rite Clinics. His primary means of communicating was grunting and gesturing. Mom understood much of what he wanted. Dad and others understood very little. In six months, Chris has progressed from zero words to three- and four-word statements.

When Jessica began, she had lots of words, none of which were understandable. In the year and a half she's attended Scottish Rite clinic sessions, she has progressed from not having anything she said understood to having 75 percent understood.
Alex was two when he started. He didn't talk and usually cried when he didn't get what he wanted. His first eight sessions were mainly spent crying and screaming in the corner while his mother and the clinician talked. A year later, he says "Hi!" to the staff when he arrives, never fusses, and uses sentences which are usually four to six words in length.

These are a small sample of the success stories made possible by Scottish Rite Brethren in the Orient of Oregon. 

Several local sports heroes dropped by during the holidays to visit with young fans at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. The Texas Rangers Baseball Club brought along batting helmets, baseballs, pennants, balloons, and Texas Rangers teddy bears. Then Dallas Cowboys Larry Allen, Nate Newton, Clay Shiver, and Wade Wilson scored with patients by spreading holiday cheer and passing out Cowboy athletic socks and other souvenirs. Later, several Dallas Mavericks visited, including Shawn Bradley, pictured left with TSRHC patient Maria Villacres, age 9. Last, but far from least, was another sports hero visitor, Dallas Stars forward Greg Adams, pictured right with TSRHC patient Tim Prevou, age 8.

Eight-year-old Sam   Allen smiles proudly   on his graduation day.

"There are times when someone does something for us that has such a profound impact on our lives it leaves us speechless. Our experience at your Seattle, Washington, Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders is one of those times, but we cannot be speechless. We must find words to express our gratitude.  "Thanks to all of you who make these clinics possible. We are getting to know our son like never before. We now have wonderful conversations about everything under the sun. So many parts of his personality, kept silent for too long, are blossoming. Thank you so much for this beautiful gift of speech. I would have to write a book to tell you everything you have given this family."  The Allens

A very active Scottish Rite Freemason from the Orient of New Mexico organized a new charitable endeavor to help the Masons of Chihuahua, Mexico, aid those in their state who are physically disabled and not able to provide for themselves. Bro. Victor J. Perez, 32°, with the help of KRZY radio, appealed to its Albuquerque, New Mexico, audience and business community to donate durable medical equipment for free distribution by the Grand Lodge "Cosmos" of the state of Chihuahua to clinics, hospitals, and people in dire need. The Albuquerque community responded with generous contributions of wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, a centrifuge, and an operating table for the first of many trips south of our border to our Brethren in Mexico.