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ILLUSTRIOUS WILLIAM J. RAY, SR., 33°,
NAMED CLASS HONOREE
The presiding officers of the Valley of Allentown have chosen Illustrious William J. Ray, Sr., 33°, as the Class Honoree for the Fall 2005 ReunionClass. In announcing this selection, Ill. HarryBeers, 33°, Commander-in-Chief, cited the numerous hours Illustrious Bill has devoted to the Scottish Rite and to many other organizations in Masonry.
Illustrious William J. Ray, Sr., 33°, was made a Master Mason in Hazle Lodge No. 327, Hazleton, Pa. in 1968 and became its Worshipful Master in 1972. He served as a trustee of the Lodge from 1979 through 1985. He was appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, D istrict 45 in 1993.
He became a member of the Scottish Rite, Valley of Allentown and its co-ordinate bodies in the Spring Reunion of 1969, and after serving in the line of Lehigh Consistory, he was appointed to the line of Lafayette Council, Princes of Jerusalem in 1987. After serving in each of the elected offices of the Council, he was elected Sovereign Prince in 1991. After completing his term as the presiding officer, Ill. Bill continued to serve the Valley on various committees and in the cast of several degrees. In 2001, he was elected Commander-in-Chief of Lehigh Consistory. As Commander-in-Chief of Lehigh Consistory, Brother Bill, recognizing his responsibility as the fiscal head of our organization, took steps which were not necessarily popular with all of the brethren, to assure the financial stability of the Valley for many years into the future. For his resolve and fortitude in undertaking this responsibility, we must all be grateful.
In the York Rite, he is a member of Hazleton Chapter No. 277, Holy Royal Arch Masons, an Illustrious Companion of Anthracite Council No. 62 Royal and Select Master Masons, and a Knight Templar of Mt. Vernon Commandery No. 73, Hazleton, Pa.
A Shriner, he is a member of Irem Temple, Wilkes Barre, Pa.; a past President of Irem’s Transportation Unit; and a Past President of the Greater Hazleton Shrine Club; a member of the Masonic Temple Association of Hazleton, he also served as its president. He is also a member of William Allen York Rite College No. 176, Mary Conclave Red Cross of Constantine, and Northeast Council No. 74, Knight Masons. He is a Past Sovereign of Valley Council, Allied Masonic Degrees.Married to the former Janet C. Kahler, the couple have two children; a daughter, Susan J. Mowrey, and a son, William J. Ray, Jr., a Mason and a member of the Valley of Allentown. Serving in the Armed Forces, he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Army of the United States. He is a retired Distribution Manager with the Fabri-Kal Corporation, and a Past President of the Penna. Transportation & Logistics Society. A member of Delta Nu Alpha Transportation Fraternity, he served as President of Chapter No. 209 of that professional group. The Valley of Allentown can be proud of its achievements and its successes, and it is because of the leadership of brethren like Illustrious Bill Ray, 33°, that we can boast of these accomplishments. Congratulations, Bill, on an honor richly deserved!
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