Welcome, brethren, friends, and visitors!

My name is Val W. Finnell, MD, MPH. The Ninth Arch is my personal blog where I share reflections about how Freemasonry has influenced my life from the early teen years in DeMolay onward.

The name of this blog comes from the 13th Degree in Scottish Rite Freemasonry (S.J.) known as the Royal Arch of Solomon or sometimes referred to as Knights of the Ninth Arch. In the 13th and 14th degrees, we discover what was lost in the Symbolic Lodge. Thus, the Lodge of Perfection is the completion of the story that began when we became Master Masons. The Ninth Arch also represents a deeper seeking to arrive at an intimate knowledge of God within ourselves. It is this reflective and contemplative mindset that I hope to portray here.

A little bit about my Masonic history is in order:

DeMolay

• Past Master Councilor (Meritorious Service Award) of Fidelity Chapter in Crafton, PA
• Auvergne Priory (Chivalric Knights of the Holy Order of the Fellow Soldiers of Jacques DeMolay)
• Past State appointed officer in Pennsylvania
• State ritual champion for degree work in the Initiatory and DeMolay degrees. State Flower Talk champion.
• Chevalier
• Active Legion of Honor
• Distinguished Service Award (DeMolay of the Year)

Freemasonry

• Raised to the sublime Degree of a Master Mason on December 27, 1989 (St. John the Evangelist Day), Chartiers Valley Lodge #725 (PA)
• Dual Member at Wheaton Lodge #228 in Wheaton, MD
• Member of District of Columbia Scottish Rite (32°)
  • Americanism Committee
  • College of Philosophy
• Walter Reed Chapter #303 National Sojourners and Heroes of ‘76
• Founding Member, The Masonic Society
• Member, Scottish Rite Research Society

Welcome again. Be sure to subscribe to the Ninth Arch and feel free to comment on the blog posts.

Val

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