James C. McGee, 32°, K.C.C.H.
Grand Master for DeMolay International
PO Box 1641, Florence, Alabama 35631–1641

DeMolay today is presenting new and innovative programs worthy of support by every member of the Masonic family.

The Scottish Rite has played an important role in the development of DeMolay ever since DeMolay's beginning in 1919. This tradition continues. DeMolay today, for instance, has the strong personal backing of the Sovereign Grand Commander, Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, the support by the Supreme Council, Scottish Rite sponsorship of the annual Paul R. Kach essay contest, and the publication of the contest's two top winning essays in the Scottish Rite Journal each year. Support like this allows DeMolay International to provide the new and innovative programs the youth of today expect.

"Tomorrow's Leaders Today" is DeMolay International's slogan. Since the beginning, DeMolay has inherited its traditions of brotherhood, family, and charity from the oldest, largest, and proudest fraternity in the world, Freemasonry. For nearly a century, DeMolay has made a significant difference in the lives of over one million young men. Today, DeMolay remains a constant, positive force providing special opportunities for young men to grow, learn, and lead with tradition and pride, just as when we grew up. It's tough being a teen, and today's teens are faced with so many decisions—cigarettes, gangs, clothes, dropouts, teen pregnancy, tattoos, drugs, alcohol, sex, cliques, violence, divorce, abuse, and piercing.

They need to hear our message of brotherhood, charity, commitment, devotion, fellowship, leadership, service, patriotism, and maturity. For the lives they live now, we offer fun, friends, and experiences. For their future, we offer training, teamwork, and citizenship. DeMolay takes the Masonic ideals, values, and traditions into places were Masonry could not go on its own—into the hearts and minds of young men. A boy is still the only thing God can use to make a man.

Some people would say DeMolay is not a viable organization for the young men of today. We did some test marketing in cities that had no DeMolay Chapters. We purchased a mailing list of young men ages 12 to 16. We then invited these young men and their parents to an open house prospect party. As we introduced DeMolay to these young men, about 2% to 4% were interested and about 1% actually joined.

There are approximately 250,000,000 people in the United States, 10% of which (25,000,000) are between the ages of 12 and 21. One half of these (12,500,000) are male and 1% of this (1,250,000 young men, statically speaking) would want to join DeMolay. Our founder Dad Frank S. Land's dream continues; DeMolay is a very viable organization for the young men of today.

In order to be able to adapt our programs quickly and keep DeMolay interesting to our members, we have formed a Board of Directors to make decisions when DeMolay International is not in session. DeMolay has been designated 501(c)(3) by the IRS. This allows our contributors and workers to obtain a tax deduction for their support of DeMolay.

To keep DeMolay a viable organization, we must continually improve and expand our programs as well as create Advisory Councils and find sponsoring Masonic Bodies to operate DeMolay Chapters. As the commercial says, build it and they will come. We have never lost a Chapter from a lack of young men; it is always from a lack of Advisors. Our Chapter expansion and development programs include:

	A new video, narrated by Ill. David Goodnow, 33°, formerly of CNN Headline News, reaches a variety of audiences. One version is tailored for Masonic Bodies, another for civic groups, and a third for general audiences.
	A new, modern logo creates a first, positive image for DeMolay.
	An innovative DeMolay Internet website sets a new standard of excellence in presentation and information.
	"The March to 3000," the most ambitious membership program in DeMolay's history, was introduced by DeMolay Congress Officers. It endeavors to initiate 3000 new members. The results are still coming in, but initiates now total between 1800 and 2000. By focusing on this year's special "March to 3000" membership program, we have 16 jurisdictions ahead of last year's pace and seven are showing a net growth in membership.
	The Service and Leadership Center in Kansas City has established a jurisdictional services program to train and recruit new Advisors and start new DeMolay Chapters.
	Thanks to our partnership with the Masonic Renewal Committee, DeMolay is working on a multi-media answer to the question "What is DeMolay?" The program is CD-based so that a DeMolay can give it to friends who can play it on their home computer. This CD can be kept close to each DeMolay's membership card since it is approximately the same size as a credit card, about 3 inches by 3 inches.

A young man can count between 200 and 300 close acquaintances. His sphere of influence allows DeMolay to reach parts of communities never before exposed to Masonry.

When you take away DeMolay's sports activities, installations and dances, the organization, at its most basic level, exposes young men to a higher sense of values. When a young man at age 12, 13, or 14 places his hands on the Holy Bible and promises to God in front of his friends to honor all women, to love and respect his parents, and to serve his county—at that moment and through the reinforcement of their active years in DeMolay, we make Masons at heart.

We have shown these young men Masonic values, and, even if their future paths in life may not bring them to Freemasonry, every Mason can feel much better knowing that he has exposed these young men to Masonic traditions through the Order of DeMolay.

James C. McGee is a member of Florence, Alabama, Lodge No. 14 and the York Rite Bodies in Florence as well as a member of the Scottish Rite and Cabaha Shrine in Huntsville, Alabama. He serves on the finance committees of the Grand Lodge of Alabama and the Scottish Rite Foundation of Alabama. Brother McGee received his K.C.C.H. in 1996 and currently serves as the Grand Master of DeMolay International.