Welcome to our little part of the internet!
Ubar Grotto is a constituent body operating under the Supreme Council of the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, having been constituted on July 23, 2011. The Grotto is officially located in Elizabethtown, PA, and meets on the fourth Sunday of each month, at the Spring Garden Conference Center in Middletown, PA. Meetings start at 6 pm. Questions and comments can be sent to ubargrotto@gmail.com.
Pro. Andrew “the Auctioneer” Sterling drives the bidding for the Grand Master’s Medallions at our latest meeting.
On Sunday, April 28, 2013, Ubar Grotto held its first Convivial Meeting of the year. “What’s a Convivial Meeting” you ask? Well, each member of Ubar pays in to a Convivial fund as part of his dues. Then, twice a year, the Grotto picks up the tab for the meal. Pretty sweet, right? The meal for this meeting was thick cut Prime Rib along with lots of sides and goodies. Many Prophets wondered what kind of prehistoric beast was cooked up to offer such massive slabs of meat, but everyone was very pleased with the meal.
The meeting itself was the normal, jovial affair that everyone has come to expect from an Ubar night. Close to 50 Prophets (which accounts for nearly 2/3rds of the membership) were present! The Prophets were especially generous is authorizing care packages and Enchanted Lanterns for two sick members. More information on that will be posted in coming weeks.
The members were also generous near the end of the meeting, when two PA Grand Master’s Medallions were auctioned off. Pro. Andrew Sterling acted as the quick tongued auctioneer for the evening. The bidding was intense and the numbers rose quickly. The first medallion went for $140, while the second one went for an astonishing $175. To top it off, several members purchased copies of the “Ubar Still Life” print, bringing the evening’s income to more than $350!
The Monarch wishes to extend his heartfelt thanks to the Prophets for a great evening of food and fellowship. Ubar has some big plans for the summer and fall, so make sure to check your notice and keep an eye on this website!
Ubar Grotto is getting an artist;s treatment. Well, at least one of our fezzes is anyway.
Miss Georgette Williams, girlfriend of Pro. Seth Anthony, PM, recently created an original still life painting of an Ubar fez in a manly setting. The original of this painting was given to Pro. Shaun Sponagle and hangs at his cigar shop, D & S Cigars, in Lancaster, PA. But, the officers of Ubar realized that others might also want a copy of this piece, so we will be offering prints for sale.
The prints are full color, 8.5 x 11, on high quality paper. Each print will cost $5, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the Humanitarian Foundation. Prints will be on sale at our next meeting. If you cannot make the April meeting, but would like to purchase a print, drop an email to ubarsecretary@gmail.com.
Over the weekend of April 19 – 21, Ubar Grotto was busy with some great social activities.
On Friday, April 19, the Monarch headed for the hinterlands of York County to hold a Monarch’s Mixer with the local Prophets. Members gathered for a great meal at Sam & Tony’s Restaurant before heading to the White Rose Tavern to enjoy some social time. Word on the street is that a bachorlette party was also visiting the White Rose at the time, but we’re pretty sure the two groups managed to avoid causing too much of a ruckuss.
On the following Sunday, April 21, several Prophets attended Harrisburg Area Roller Derby’s bout against the Susquehanna Valley Roller Vixens. Pro. Barry Brubaker, assisted by his son, Pro. Ben Brubaker, and helpful handy man “Chadwick” (a prospective member) served up some great tail gate eats, including pit beef, beans and bacon, fresh ground horse radish, and much more. It was quite a meal! With full tummies, the group moved inside to watch one of the most intense bouts they had ever witnessed. The whole bout was nip and tuck. Going in to the final jam, HARD had a 20 point lead. But, sadly, they couldn’t hold SVRV. The final score ended at 223 to 220, in favor of the Vixens. The loss didn’t sour the spirits of the Prophets, though! A group of members and friends met up with the girls after the bout at Al’s Pizza for some more food and to talk about the bout.
Check out all the pictures from these events over on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UbarGrotto.
On Saturday, April 13, 2013, 6 members of Ubar Grotto donned the ever flattering orange vest and trod along highway 283 for our first highway cleanup of 2013. Ubar Grotto adopted a section of route 283, between the Elizabethtown / Rheems exit and the Snyder Road over pass. This section of highway is rough a mile and half long and Ubar is responsible cleaning up the sides of both lanes of traffic.
Saturday’s cleanup was spearheaded by Pro. Abe Shaffner, known locally as the Kraut King of Lebanon County. Assisting him were 5 other Prophets – George Hindson, Monarch Pro – Tem; Russ Baker, Trustee; Dave Chittister; Mark Mattern, Captain of the Guard; and Seth Anthony, PM, Secretary. The group started working at 9 AM and finished around 12:15 in the afernoon, providing a good work out for all involved.
In total, the Prophets collected 55 bags of trash. They also observed several varmints that met their end on the highway, including a skunk, a racoon, two birds, two cats, a groundhog, and two other unidentified critters. Thankfully, the men didn’t have to clean those up!
All in all, it was a great day for the activity and Ubarians can take pride in a well cleaned section of highway!
On Sunday, April 7, 2013, several members of Ubar Grotto attended the home opener bout of Harrisburg Area Roller Derby (abbreviated as HARD.) 2013 marks the second year that Ubar has sponsored the girls and everyone was excited to get the season under way.
This bout was an “exhibition” game between the skaters of HARD. The women were divided up into two teams – Unicorns vs. Narwhals, and they skated their hearts out! The game was nip and tuck until half through the second period when the Narwhals took a commanding lead which was made possible by a 35 point jam by skater “Neve Cannibal.” It was a great bout to watch and it was even better to hear the announcer plug Ubar Grotto to the crowd.
This bout was also exciting because a member of Ubar was part of the team refereeing the bout. Our very own Pro. Bryan Gembusia, HARD Coordinator, was on staff for this showdown. Before and during the match, several Ubarians discussed what his “Derby Name” should be. Suggestions included “Gem in the Ruff”, “Bad Call Bryan,” or simply “iSuck.” However, the winning name for the evening came from our very own Monarch, Pro. George Hindson, who suggested “Lt. Dangle.” Congratulations to the HARD girls and Pro. Gembusia on his first match!
You can get all the information on HARD by clicking on their logo on the right. We hope to see you at the next bout on April 21, 2013!
Bingham Medallion and Veteran’s Medallion
We are pleased to announce that Ubar Grotto will be auctioning off two Grand Master’s Medallions at our April Stated Meeting, to be held on April 28, 2013. These medallions are highly collectible and are made of solid metal. These items were donated by a friend of the Grotto and are estimated to be worth $75 to $100.
The first medallion features Bro. Henry Bingham, hero of the battle of Gettysburg. It is only appropriate that this medallion be offered up for auction during the 150th Anniversary year of the battle.
The second medallion features a tribute to the armed forces of our country and would make a great addition to the collection of any veteran.
All proceeds from the auctions will go towards the purchasing of Enchanted Lanterns (so Ubar can beat Azim!)
Ubar hopes to do an auction at each of its meetings for the rest of the year. If you have a piece of Masonic memorabilia, or some other interesting item that you’d be willing to donate, drop us a message at ubargrotto@gmail.com.
On Sunday, March 24, 2013, Ubar Grotto held its March Stated Meeting and a Ceremonial of the Order to welcome 13 new members into the loving embrace of the Enchanted Realm. Ubar was also pleased to welcome 5 visitors, hailing from Azim Grotto and the former Kara Grotto.
The evening started with a fine Ubar-B-Q meal, catered by Pro. Clarence Reilly at his Spring Garden banquet facilities, in Middletown, PA. Following the meal, Pro. George Hindson, Monarch Pro – Tem, took the helm and tried to wrangle the crowed through the business of the Grotto. Much heckling abounded, with several chants of “Tim, Tim, Tim” heard throughout the evening. Many also pondered on the location of George’s fez – a sore subject with the Monarch.
With business concluded, the Ceremonial of the Order was performed for the candidates. This class included some real doosies – an owner of a local cigar lounge, a district justice, several Masonic dignitaries, and more. Even with all their high stations, the class was excited to become a part of the Enchanted Realm. Special kudos also go out to those who helped with the Ceremonial. Many remarked it was the best Ceremonial yet at Ubar.
As with any Masonic body, introductions also had to be made, but Ubar was well pleased to be visited by Pro. Victor Mann, Monarch of Azim Grotto; Pro. John Roberts, Chief Justice of Azim Grotto; Pros. Vic Mann and Matthew Amsterdam, both of Azim Grotto; and Pro. Mark Wright, member-at-large (not to be confused with a large member!)
It was a great night at Ubar and we look forward to our next Ceremonial in June. Pictures are available below.
