Run of Show – 2nd Annual Read & Ride Sneaker Ball

Date:  April 12, 2025
Location: Hutton Hotel – Lyric Ballroom
Time: 6:30 PM – 12:00 AM
Theme: A Party with a Purpose — Black Tie & Sneakers

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Aspirants in Place.  Prepare for the guest's Arrival.

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
VIP Cocktail Hour
(Invite-only lounge with hors d'oeuvres and drinks; smooth jazz or chill DJ set)

7:00 PM – 7:20 PM
General Guest Arrival
(Red carpet photos, step & repeat, welcome drink, check-in)

Band Starts to Play

7:20 PM – 7:25 PM
Opening Welcome - Ronell More & DeVonie Cunning
(MC sets the tone, introduces theme, acknowledges sponsors and special guests)

7:25 PM – 7:30 PM
Invocation + Dinner Begins – Rev. Dr. Omar’an Lee
(Short prayer or moment of gratitude, followed by hors d'oeuvres buffet)

7:30 PM – 7:35 PM
Speaker #1 – The Mission Moment Carla Burgess, Kim Flowers.
(Overview of Read & Ride’s History, impact, student stats, milestones and introduce the educators.

7:40 PM – 8:25 PM
Dinner + Live Band Set/Food
(Band plays while guests eat and mingle) Soul music up-tempo.

8:25 – 8:30 PM –  Speaker 2: Tiesha Williams

8:30 PM – 8:35PM
 Acknowledgment of Community Partners  - Xavier Lewis

8:35  PM – 8:45 PM
 Speaker #3 Ashford Hughes

(Video or photo montage plays in the background or on screen)

8:45 PM – 8:55 PM

Final Speaker, Dr. Adrian Battle Kennedy & Dr. Darren Kennedy
Donation & Appeal – DeVonie Cunning

Giveaway Announcements
(Winners of raffles, thank sponsors)

8:55 PM – 11:45 PM
Live Band/DJ set
(Group pics on dance floor, music eases into DJ transition)

To the Future Worshipful Master:

“Set the Craft to work and give them proper instruction for working.”
— Duncan’s Ritual of Freemasonry

This is not just a line from ritual—it is your charge. Your compass. Your reminder that the gavel in your hand is not for labor, but for leadership. Your job is not to do the work. It is to ensure that the work is done—by setting the Craft to labor and giving clear, wise, and proper instruction.

You are to govern, not to control.
To guide, not to dictate.
To preserve harmony, not to perpetuate confusion.
To unite, not to divide.

Leadership in the East is not a crown—it is a yoke. A sacred weight that requires strength, humility, and discipline. The true Worshipful Master does not preach every personal interpretation of Freemasonry—he teaches Masonry itself. He ensures a lecture is given, that the working tools are understood, and that the Light continues to pass from hand to hand.

You are not a “super Mason” because of your seat. You are a man. Just like the Brothers before you—and the Brothers beside you. You will be questioned. You will be challenged. Some will say, “I don’t like his tone.” But ask them: “Did you hear your own tone when you spoke to me?” Respect is not a one-way street.

The Master should speak with clarity—so that no one can claim misunderstanding. He should lead with decisiveness—so that the Craft does not wander. And he should listen—not to respond, but to understand. Every voice deserves to be heard. But not every voice deserves to guide.

You must also remember: the loudest voice in the room is often the last to help when the labor begins. Seek instead the quiet craftsmen. The steady hands. The Brothers who build, not just speak.

You are charged to keep the Lodge on track—not by force, but by focus. Not by favoritism, but by fairness. You are not to endorse unMasonic conduct or reward bigotry cloaked in tradition. You are to correct it. Quietly, firmly, and with love.

Yes, you are human. You will make mistakes. But let them be honest ones—not mistakes of ego, silence, or neglect.

So when your time in the East comes, promise yourself this:

Lead like the square—true and upright.
Speak like the plumb—measured and just.
Work like the level—meeting every Brother as an equal.

And when you lay down the gavel, may it be said:
“He led with Light. He served with strength. And the Lodge was better for his time.”

With fraternal love and eternal Light,

Ronell D. Moore

The Outgoing Master Of Mt. Nebo Lodge #67

Without Metallic Substance

Reflecting on Equality, Duty, and the Masonic Journey

By Ronell D. Moore, 33º

Brethren and Fellows,

When we were initiated as Entered Apprentices, the Worshipful Master asked us for a metallic substance—not for its value, but as a token of our Masonic journey. And each of us, without exception, responded, “I have nothing.”

Nothing. This wasn’t just about material possessions; it was a lesson that we all entered Masonry as equals—on the level. Regardless of our backgrounds, we started with empty hands, united in brotherhood. This is a reminder that we should always meet one another on that level, as equals, without regard to titles or status.

This equality also teaches us the duty we have toward one another. When we encounter a Brother in need, it is our obligation to provide relief as much as we are able. But beyond that, it is a call to treat one another with respect and care, living up to the ideals of brotherhood and charity that Masonry instills in us.

We were all symbolically handed a common gavel—the tool that teaches us to divest ourselves of vices and shape our character for that spiritual building, eternal in the heavens. So I ask: Do we live up to these teachings? Do we meet each other on the level, stay within due bounds, and part on the square? Or have we forsaken these values, allowing situational ethics to justify our actions—or inactions?

Brethren, every day is a new opportunity to honor our obligations. We have no days off as Masons. We are meant to be examples of integrity, at home, at work, and in the world, as reflections of the Grand Architect of the Universe.