Well, PA DeMolay Convention 2010 is in the books, and what a Convention it was! From Paintball, to go karts, to roller coasters (both real and emotional) it was a fantastic weekend of brotherhood and fun!

This year marked the first time in recent memory that Convention was only three days long, lasting from Friday, July 23 to Sunday July 25, 2010. The event was held at the Four Points Sheraton Pittsburgh North in Mars, PA.

The event started on Friday afternoon with an air powered bang at Three Rivers Paintball. With close to 50 participants from PA DeMolay, there wasn't a clean shirt to be seen. As players came off the field it was evident that paintball is a main stay of Convention for a reason!

Following paintball, participants headed back to the hotel to register and clean up for dinner - a make your own taco bar! With bellies full, the guys then headed over to Fun-Fore-All, a family entertainment center with go-karts, two mini golf course, batting cages, and more arcade games than you can shake a stick at! What a way to end the first day!

Saturday started early with a heaping helping of French Toast, followed by an excellent workshop on improv and public speaking by "Dad" Brett Bean, a stand up comedian and Past State Master Councilor of Maryland. Then it was time for PA DeMolay to welcome four new brothers during a full induction ceremony. Having worked up an appetite, it was time for the awards luncheon, where several scholarships were given, and the HODEGOS Award for distinguished adult leadership was presented to "Dad" J. Michael Larkin, of Pilgrim Chapter, and "Mom" Deb Vanek, of Elizabethtown Chapter, by "Dad" Ray K. Dietz, Right Worshipful Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Now it was time for the real work, as the business session saw two contested elections; one for Deputy State Master Councilor and one for State Scribe. Thanks to the electronic balloting system designed by "Dad" Greg Schaeffer, the results came in without a hitch, and when the dust cleared Bro. Matt Blaisdell was elected DSMC and Bro. Anthony Kallhoff was elected SScr. As all the other elections were uncontested, a Scribe's ballot was cast to elect the other officers. You can see the full 2010-2011 State Officer Corps over on the State Officer page. A new State Sweetheart was also crowned, Miss Lauren Nace, of Lorraine Chapter. Following the elections, "Dad" Thomas R. Labagh, EO of PA DeMolay, presented the Distinguished Service Award to Bro. W. Thomas Moyer, then DSMC, for his outstanding service to the Order and his community. With the work of the day done, it was time to have some fun!

After a brief break to hit the hospitality suite, which was provided thanks to the hard work of "Mom" Joyce Rauschenberger and other advisors from Lorraine Chapter, the group headed to Kennywood Amusement park for a night of thrills! Thankfully the rain held off until 10 minutes before it was time to go back to the hotel, ensuring that everyone had a fantastic time!

Sunday morning began with breakfast and an excellent chapel service by Bro. Denny Lennox, State Chaplain, which followed right into the final round of presentations. "Dad" Labagh kept the crowd on its toes as he presented the Advisor of the Year award to "Mom" Mary Ann Wagner of Lorraine Chapter for her dedication to her sons, her Chapter, and the Commonwealth. It was truly a "Wagner" day as the presentation was followed by the retiring remarks of Howard Wagner, PSMC 2009-2010, which garnered a standing ovation.

The time having come, the Past State Master Councilors took their places, and performed the ceremony of installing the state officers, being led by "Dad" John Cossin, PSMC 1964-1965. This ceremony was extra special, as there were no less than 13 Past State Master Councilors on hand to collar W. Thomas Moyer, of Pilgrim Chapter, the 76th State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania DeMolay, which brought a close to Convention 2010.

We at PA DeMolay hope you had a fantastic time, and if you weren't able to attend, you certainly missed a great event!

If you did attend, we ask that you take a minute and complete this survey to let us know about your experience. See you next year!