Ronald A. Seale, 33°
Sovereign Grand Commander

The greater the diversity and the stronger the unity of our Order, the more gloriously we will be able to build together.

On October 3, 2003, the Active Members of the Supreme Council, 33°, elected me to the greatest office I have ever held-Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. Then on October 7, in a solemn ceremony in the Temple Room of the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C., I was installed into that high office. Words cannot express the sense of gratitude and humility I felt at that moment and will continue to feel throughout my tenure as this Order's chief executive officer. I am grateful for the vote of confidence conferred on me by the Supreme Council and, by extension, all the members of the Scottish Rite. Also, I am deeply humbled at the prospect of continuing the exemplary leadership evidenced by my good personal friend and fraternal Brother, Ill\ C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, during his history-making 18 years as Sovereign Grand Commander. Brother Fred has truly established "A Legacy of Leadership" that I have every intention of extending into the coming years.

I used to think that nothing could be as diverse as my state. Drawing as it does upon a wide variety of cultures while retaining a profound respect for individual freedom, Louisiana is more than the sum of its parts. The same is true of the Scottish Rite. Our strength as a Fraternity comes from our diversity. I hear the words of the Degrees in the soft speech of a Brother from Alabama or the clipped accents of another from Minnesota, and I am reminded of our diversity. We come from different geographical regions with differing backgrounds, communities, and environments. Everything differs from place to place, and there are a great many parts to the sum of our Rite.

But, holding all this together into one Brotherhood, one Fraternity, are those powerful things we share in common: a belief in honor and integrity, a willingness to trust a man because he is a Brother, a sense of obligation to make the world better, and a certainty that values are to be lived, not just preached. Perhaps this great "unified diversity" is the reason continuity has been so important to the leadership of the Rite. Whereas some organizations are structured to change their leadership nearly every year, our history has been one of evolution, not of razing and rebuilding. Each Scottish Rite Brother, like each Sovereign Grand Inspector General or Deputy, has built upon the work accomplished by his predecessors. Each Grand Commander has done the same. Guided by a firm vision of what we are and what we can accomplish, we have kept building an ever-better Order.

Building, however, often means finding new materials, introducing new structural elements, and accepting new designs. While taking advantage of the best ideas and programs, the Scottish Rite at all levels must remain faithful to its traditions and glorious past, coupling this fidelity with a willingness to accept change as a key element of our Order. Our past is valuable to us as it directs our progress into the future.

I will take every opportunity in the upcoming months and years to visit our Valleys, to renew established friendships, and to form new ones. I will personally meet with as many members of the Craft as possible. I will experience for myself that great diversity which is our strength. Similarly, I urge every Scottish Rite Mason to contribute his insights and his abilities.

The greater our diversity and the stronger our unity, the more gloriously we can build. Together, we will succeed.