F. Keith Dreier
Most Worshipful Grand Master
2007-2008

Right Worshipful Grand Lodge Officers, Most Worshipful Past Grand Masters, Worshipful Appointed Grand Lodge Officers, Worshipful District Deputies Present and Past, Worshipful Grand Lodge Committeeman, Other Distinguished Guests and Brethren all.

To stand before you today as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky is truly a humbling experience.  To represent the craft of Kentucky for the next 12 months, I assure you that I will do the absolute best that I can to represent each and every one of you!

The coming year is going to be a year that our Grand Lodge has never seen before.  As we approach 2008, it is going to be the year that Kentucky will host the world and be able to show what masons of Kentucky are all about.  We will host in February 2008 the North American Grand Masters Conference here in Louisville.  This conference convenes once each year.  There will be Grand Masters from all over the world here in our Commonwealth.  It is our responsibility to show them what masons in Kentucky are and what they represent.  Also, in August 2008, we will host the Southeastern Grand Masters Conference in Covington, Kentucky.  This conference represents the 10 Southeastern States of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and of course Kentucky.  I am counting on each one of you to not only help but represent the craft of Kentucky!

As I started this journey some 4 short years ago, I had a goal that I wanted to reach.  That goal was to show the brothers of our fraternity here in Kentucky that it is no longer an Us versus Them situation among our craft.  Let us not forget, “as from the craft we came so to it we must all return”.  If I do nothing else when this year is over, I want each of you to know that I am always available to you to ask any question that you may have. 

Let us this next year, join hand in hand to Reach Out to a Brother and really bring this craft together to show ourselves and our communities what masonry is in Kentucky.

During the coming year your Grand Lodge Officers are committed to help our lodges return to the work at hand which is our ritual.  Kentucky has always been noted for our ritual style.  But somewhere along the way we have let that which binds us all together fall by the wayside.  Let us all dedicate ourselves to challenge each and every lodge and lodge member to get back to the work at hand, the ritual of our great fraternity.  This is the bond that each of us has with each other.  We must place it above ourselves and put forth the effort to return our lodges to the great work that was once Kentucky Freemasonry.  We must strive to work together as lodges and as brothers.  Let’s get out and work in our communities with each other.

If you look at the standards that I have chosen to receive the Grand Masters Award of Excellence for the next year, they are not easy.  It is my belief that to earn a Grand Master Award of Excellence it is an honored award and it should have to be worked for not just given a rubber stamp.

Our charity, as you all know, is the Masonic Homes of Kentucky.  During the next year my wife Debbie and I will be telling you about “Fruits of Our Labor” with the Masonic Homes.  Our pin for the Homes will have different levels and for each person that contributes $100.00 dollars or more their name will be placed on a permanent plaque to be displayed at the Homes which will enshrine them as a “Fruits of Our Labor” contributor to be forever displayed at the Homes.  Each pin can be purchased for the minimum of $20.00.  All the money raised from this pin through your contributions will go 100% to the Masonic Care Patients at the Homes.  We have approximately 44 brothers and sisters who are on Masonic Care at our Homes.  Among those 44 are 10 that we take care of 100%. They have no other means to provide for them.  That is why Debbie and I have chosen to have 100% of the Donations from this pin go only to those under Masonic Care.  As most of you know I have been in the banana business for over 31 years.  So when you see the pin, I think you will recognize the label.

I also would like to take just a moment to talk about the Calendar that each of you received around the end of September.  I want to thank each of the lodges that took the time to submit a photo of their lodge.  It was a great experience for me and I hope it was for each of you.  To those lodges that were chosen to be placed in the calendar, congratulations!  To those who were not, I thank you for taking the time to submit your selection.  Now, I hope that each of you that did not make it on the calendar and along with those who did not submit a picture this year, along with more lodges, will participate next year.  I also hope that each of you will make some contribution to the Preservation Fund that would reflect that we in Kentucky have some really beautiful lodges around our great commonwealth.

At this time I would like to introduce my family, first my children, my oldest Brad Dreier who is a member of Henry Barnes #607 and who most of you heard me talk about over the last couple of years.  Brad is serving our country in the United States Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.  He served in Iraq and we are glad that he has returned safely.  Second, my son Chris Dreier who is also a member of Henry Barnes #607.  Chris and I also share another brotherly fraternity together.  We are brothers in our college fraternity of Lambda Chi Alpha at Murray State University.   My daughter, Traci Dreier is a member of Rosebud Chapter #39.  As a matter of fact all three of our children are members of Rosebud Chapter #39 where Debbie and I were please to initiate them into a few years ago.  I don’t think this next person needs much of an introduction.  She is not only my wife but my best friend.  My wife Debbie, Debbie served as Worthy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Kentucky Order of the Eastern Star in 2003-2004 and is currently Secretary of our Chapter Rosebud #39 and also, which some of you brethren know is the real brains at the Covington Scottish Rite where she works as the Office Manager.  She has helped to keep me grounded over these last few years as I serve this Grand Lodge.  She has supported me and given me some great counsel when I had times of great stress with some of the things going on not only in this fraternity but throughout life.  She means the world to me.  Debbie, I love you and thank you for sharing your life with me.

Brothers, thank you again for allowing me to serve you this coming year as your Grand Master.

Fraternally thine,
F. Keith Dreier ‚ Grand Master, 2007-2008