Conclave 2010 is going on right now! Are you in attendance? Well why not? What’s wrong with you? Do you hate fun? Maybe you’re allergic! Well, don’t worry. Michigan DeMolay has got you and your fun allergy covered. If you aren’t at Conclave 2010, you can at least up with all the happenings right here at the Conclave 2010 Liveblog! Be sure to check back here on a regular basis to keep up to date on what’s going on here in Big Rapids!

Saturday
• Had a great breakfast honoring our several honorees in the Order of Chevalier, Legion and Cross of Honor!
• We’re in the Councilor Caucus interviewing the potential leaders of the state for the following several years. We’ll liveblog the Q&A for you here!
– For Danny Hicks:
“The main difference I feel I have with my leadership style is that I am a very personal person. I don’t like to say I’m in charge i like to work with individual people… The main thing that makes my leadership style different is that whenever anyone needs help I’m there to do it personally.”
– For Danny Hicks: Pending election to DSMC, will you be able to place DeMolay first in your life, even though you may be accepted to the Air Force Academy.
“DeMolay at this point is foremost in my life. However I need people to understand that if I receive an appointment to the Air Force Academy, it’s too good an opportunity to pass up… However it’s very selective and most likely I will receive an ROTC scholarship to go to college in state, at which point I will absolutely be able to continue on to State Master Councilor. Otherwise, I would intend to enlist, which I can put off for a year and again, continue on to SMC.”
– For Aaron Proudfoot: What will you do in Michigan DeMolay over the next year to increase membership?
“As the 2010-2011 state committee chairman, this is what I’ll be spending most of my plan on. I know Zach has a great plan… and I’ve talked to all the ambassadors about this. The Top 10 focuses on key prospects and helps get information out to prospective members… and helps them to join. I’ll also be spending a lot of time on the DeMolay Extravaganza next summer which will help get a lot of new members.
– For Bryan Yap: What are your personal plans for the future regarding work and education?
“for right now my plan is to finishb my degree and keep working because money’s tight… that will also include demolay, so also with school that will take a lot of time… But it’s very important for me to include DeMolay into my education and work.”
– For Bryan Yap: If you are elected, what is the number one thing you want to see happen?
“When I was in the Philippines, we had about 100 members in each chapter. I want to see that in Michigan… My main priority is to come up with a way to bring more members into DeMolay.”
– For anyone: We hear things like “Bring it back to the chapter” and “Be the change.” How do you plan on inspiring the chapters to “be the change” and “bring it back to the chapter?”
Zach Krawczyk – “I would say that the most important important thing about saying things like “bringing it back to the chapter” and “be the change” is that we have to live it. So I will strive to attend all the chapters and be seen at your chapter – obviously I will be busy between school and my duties as SMC, but I will do my best to attend your events and be there for your chapter as my schedule admits it.”
Matt Wilson-Mardlin – “I would do my best to attend all these things (chapter events) and help communication with the chapters to make these events run smoothly. I’ll use all my resources to make sure this happens, and send up smoke signals if I have to. Ensuring good communication between the chapters is at the top of my list.”
For Bryan Yap: If you are not elected to DSMC, what are your future plans with DeMolay?
– “If I am not elected, I will still do the same for DeMolay because I am part of it. Even if I do not have a title, I am still a DeMolay.”
– For Danny Hicks: (same question)
“If I am not elected to the office of DSMC, my plans will remain the same. I’ll be attending the same events, as Bryan said we are already assigned our committees. I am in charge of the ritual committee… and I am on the communications committee which I have been in charge of for the last year, so I know a little something about helping out there.”
– For both DSMC candidates: Why do you deserve our votes over the opposing candidate?
Bryan Yap: “Me and Danny are both different – as you can see.” *laughter* “I am oceanic and he is white. But you should vote for me because I can do my best to bring everything I can to DeMolay. I know that I will be responsible in everything I do, I will bring new ideas, I will be more-
Chris Eggert, SMC: “Articulate?”
Bryan Yap: “That.”

Danny Hicks: “So me and Bryan, we are both qualified candidates, we have both great DeMolay experience, so nothing against him but this is how I am. I am a very hard worker, I have been obscenely active with my chapter, I’m always on new committees… I generally love putting time into DeMolay. To me there is nothing more useful to spend my time on. That is why I feel I should be Deputy State Master Councilor.”
– For Danny Hicks: What are your plans to improve Michigan DeMolay?
“One of the main things I want to do is improve our community image. We don’t have a bad one, per se, we just don’t HAVE one is the issue. Some chapters are all over the place. Everyone in Clio and Davison knows DeMolay, but in Royal Oak and Madison Heights, nobody knows… So I want to come up with a plan to change this. Maybe join the Chamber of Commerce, talk to local businesses… I want to go from chapter to chapter and talk with them and work on ways to improve their visibility in the community.”
– For Zach Krawczyk: same question
“One of the things we really need to strive for is not just the quantity of membership, but the quality of membership… I’m going to try to encourage the chapters to educate the new members as much as they can and ensure that they are quality members.”
– For Bryan Yap: same question
“During my year under Zach – this year – I will see what I can do better to improve on. But I will try to encourage everyone to talk about DeMolay to their friends. To include them in every activity they do in their chapters. It’s the same thing as “bringing it back to the chapter” because you guys will represent DeMolay in every way. So it is important to be responsible in everything you do.”
– For both DSMC candidates: What inspires you to strive for excellence in Michigan DeMolay?
Danny Hicks: “The simplest answer I can say is: You. Leading by example is the best thing you can do. DeMolay was the first thing I ever did… before DeMolay my life had nothing in it. When I joined DeMolay I saw people winning awards, accomplishing things. And I wanted to be those people. And now I want to be that person for everyone else.”
Bryan Yap: “What it means to be a DeMolay, like, when I moved here to Michigan I asked the Bodines where the chapter was in Northville and they made me join Walt Disney. We helped bring members in, and when I became Master Councilor I had their full support, and it made it easier to do more and better things. If I have your support… it will help me to do more and to be better.”
– For DSMC candidates: I know you guys know how to succeed, but I want to hear about a time when you failed, and what you learned from it.
Danny Hicks: “One of my biggest failures, — we lost about 200 which to our chapter is huge. We learned that communication is key – this was when I’d only been in about six months so things were still new. Our first Gamefest was easily a failure in my eyes at least, but from that I learned a lot about how to plan an event, and about communication itself, because communication was the key issue there. Thank you.”
Bryan Yap: “One of my biggest failures was when I served as a State Councilor this past year for Chris (Eggert) as SMC… The main thing was that I procrastinated a lot, which you guys shouldn’t do… When a project is given to you, you have to have a deadline for yourself and steps so you can finish it at the end. That is one of the things I am working on right now is time management, so I can divide work, school and DeMolay.”
– For both DSMC candidates: You can promise many things that you WILL do, but what have you ALREADY done for Michigan DeMolay?
Bryan Yap: “What I have done for my chapter is my continuous support. I try to come to every event… and continue to show my support for the state chapter. I know that I did not do my job for the state chapter this past year, but I am trying to change that… and I will continue to show my support because I love DeMolay.”
Danny Hicks: “One of the things I like to think I’ve done at least at my home chapter, I like to think I motivated them. I’m not saying I’m an awesome guy who everyone likes to follow, but I think I got them excited about DeMolay. I became Master Councilor eight years after joining. I’m not saying *I* did everything. But we started getting more members. We started having new ideas. We started having more members coming to state events, which was unheard of for our chapter… I’ve worked with new members to become proficient, I’ve worked with new members on ritual…” *out of time*

• Elections happened, and they were close! Ultimately, Zach Krawczyk was elected by unanimous ballot to the office of State Master Councilor. Danny Hicks defeated Bryan Yap for the office of Deputy State Master Councilor. From the floor, Bryan Yap was nominated for the office of State Senior Councilor, and defeated Matt Wilson-Mardlin. From the floor, Matt Wilson-Mardlin was nominated for the office of State Junior Councilor but was defeated by Aaron Proudfoot. Michigan DeMolay has elected new State Councilors!
• Before the DeMolay Degree work was conferred, ‘Dad’ Lyester Billhymer, Deputy Executive Officer, issued a notice to the body at large. He apologized for the manner in which floor nominations were allowed to occur without notifying the candidates it was possible for it to occur. It was announced that Matt Wilson-Mardlin was offered the position as an additional State Senior Councilor, which will exist for the current term only. History’s been made here today!
• Several new brothers completed their initiation into the organization by the conferral of their second degree. Congratulations, brothers! We hope you get at least as much out of DeMolay as you put into it and then some!
• At the honors banquet, several thousands of dollars in scholarships were awarded by the DeMolay Foundation and several other bodies, including the Order of the Eastern Star and the Grand Lodge of Michigan. Thank you, one and all!
• State Master Councilor Eggert’s final remarks – “Never give up, never give in. We have already won, now we just have to go out there and do it.”
• At the State Installation. Past Grand Master Walt Wheeler elevated to deputy member of DeMolay International, and the State Team for 2010-2011 duly and regularly installed. Now begins the term of State Master Councilor Zach Krawczyk!
• Now we’re taking a break for fun events, movies, pool and pizza parties! Wish you were here!

Friday
• Conclave 2010 opened in strong form, with the Executive Officer Sherman Parker in attendance, along with the Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Larry Inscho and the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons Ted Praria!
• Conclave advisor ‘Dad’ Eddie Taylor outlined Conclave Sweepstakes! What is the Conclave Sweepstakes, you ask? It’s simple – attend events, win prizes! At any given event, we’ll draw a name from an envelope full of names from people who turned their registration forms in on time. What can you win? Well so far:
– Sang Nguyen won $25 at the opening ceremony!
– Aaron Proudfoot won $25 at the honors banquet!
– Jimmy Oliver won $50 at the honors banquet!
– ‘Dad’ Ryan Binkley won $25 at the Initiatory Degree!
Now do you wish you weren’t allergic to fun?
• Speaking of the Initiatory Degree, we conducted a great one. You now have four new brothers in the order from around the state!
• After the degree work, we held nominations for the State Councilor line. Check it out:
– Josh Blackburn nominated Aaron Proudfoot for State Junior Councilor,
– Jeff Ferrante nominated Matt Wilson-Mardlin for State Senior Councilor,
– Joey Otte nominated Bryan Yap for State Deputy Master Councilor, while Robert Turner nominated Danny Hicks for State Deputy Master Councilor,
– “Rabbit” nominated Zack Krawczyk for State Master Councilor!
Elections are tomorrow: If you’re here – who are you voting for? If you’re not here – well why not?!?
• Right this second, educational selectives are going on.