Illus. Peter J. Samiec Elected As New Commander of Scottish Rite NMJ: Glattly Retires

by Christopher Hodapp

IIllus. Peter J. Samiec 33° (photo above) has been elected and installed today as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. 

The Supreme Council is meeting this week in Cleveland, Ohio for its Annual Session, and the announcement of now-Past Commander David A. Glattly's retirement came as a surprise to the Rite's rank and file members. 

Glattly was elected to the position five years ago, in August 2016. 

Illus. David A. Glattly has retired as Commander for the NMJ

From the Supreme Council's announcement issued today:

The Active Membership of the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (NMJ) proudly announces the installation of Ill. Peter J. Samiec, 33°, as Sovereign Grand Commander on August 30, 2021 at the Annual Session in Cleveland.

The change in leadership comes as Ill. David A. Glattly, 33°, announces his retirement from the position.

Commander Samiec has served as Grand Lieutenant Commander under both Commander John William McNaughton and Commander Glattly. He has served as the Grand Almoner since 2015. He was Deputy for New York from 2008-13. Ill. Brother Samiec accepts the honor and responsibility to lead the Scottish Rite at an exciting time of reinvigoration and growth for the fraternity. He extends his sincere thanks to Past Sovereign Grand Commander Glattly for his leadership and dedication to the Scottish Rite during his term.

Said Commander Samiec, “Serving the past number of years as Grand Lieutenant Commander and as the Grand Almoner has been an honor for me. As I take on the role of overall leadership of the organization, I want to assure our members that we will continue our trajectory of growth and revitalization. First and foremost, we will continue to listen to our members and respond to their needs. We will be there for our Brothers in distress.

“We are living through one of the most invigorating and innovative times in the history of Scottish Rite. My passion for our fraternity, coupled with the energy and vision of our staff, will not settle for status quo. We will continue to aspire and build. We will continue to both lead and serve.

“I also sincerely thank former Commander Glattly for helping set a successful leadership transition,” concludes Samiec. “I wish him and wife Monica all the best in the next chapter of their lives.”

Commander Samiec was raised as Master Mason at St. Patrick’s Lodge #0004 in Johnstown, New York in 1982, and served as the Master of the Lodge in 1988. He served on a number of boards for the Grand Lodge of New York including the Benevolence Committee, the Grand Lodge Educational Assistance, and as a director of the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory.

He has been a Scottish Rite Mason for 38 years. He became an honorary member of the Supreme Council and Sovereign Grand Inspector General, 33°, in 1998. He is member of the Valley of Schenectady and the Valley of the Hudson.

Past Commander Glattly leaves the Scottish Rite with a legacy of major accomplishments under his leadership:

• The Rite researched, designed and funded the very effective "Not Just A Man: A Mason" advertising campaign promoting Masonic membership that has been embraced by lodges and grand lodges around the world. These materials continue to be provided to the Masonic community at no cost.
• The Hauts Grades Academy is the first major educational program offered by the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction for the continued study of the Rite's degrees and its lessons. 
• The Rite's in-house video production team has created an extensive video library of programming. Glattly and the Rite openly embraced live and recorded internet events to communicate with members and to provide engaging programming online — several years before the COVID pandemic forced other Masonic organizations to play catch-up in this technology. 
• And the Grand Almoner's Fund has grown dramatically and provided assistance to brethren and their families throughout the jurisdiction.