Succeeding Illustrious C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Ill. Ronald Armbrust Seale, 33°, having been elected Sovereign Grand Commander by the Supreme Council, 33°, on October 3, 2003, was officially in-stalled as Sovereign Grand Commander on October 7, 2003, during an Executive Session of the Supreme Council, 33°, in the House of the Temple, Washington, D.C. Ill. Kleinknecht officially retired as Sovereign Grand Commander during the same Executive Session of the Supreme Council, 33°.

Ill. Seale’s service on the Supreme Council began with his appointment as Deputy in Louisiana effective January 1, 1995. He succeeded Ill. D. Walter Jessen, 33°, who retired as S.G.I.G. in Louisiana on December 31, 1994. Then on October 8, 1995, Ill. Seale was elected S.G.I.G. in Louisiana and crowned an Active Member of the Supreme Council, 33°.

Sovereign Grand Commander Seale was born on June 24, 1948, and attended the public schools in Baton Rouge before graduating with a B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1970 and with a Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, in 1973. He entered law practice (general and civil litigation) in Baton Rouge in 1974 and is a member of the American Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association, and International Association of Defense Council.

A member of the First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, Ill. Seale has been active for over 30 years as a teacher of adults and youth in Sunday School. He has previously served as Youth Coordinator in his church and as a delegate to the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

His past civic involvements include service on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society in Baton Rouge and the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Sheltered Workshops. Active in amateur radio, Ill. Seale currently holds an FCC Extra Class License (KE5YX). He also holds a private pilot’s license.

Ill. Seale began his Masonic career in 1962 as a member and then Master Councilor of Pelican Chapter, Order of DeMolay, in Baton Rouge. He is a Past Chapter Dad of Pelican Chapter, and an Active Member of International Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay. Raised a Master Mason in 1969 in East Gate Lodge No. 452, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ill. Seale served his Lodge as Master in 1988 and serves the Grand Lodge of Louisiana as a member of the Law & Jurisprudence Committee.

In the Baton Rouge Scottish Rite Bodies, Ill. Seale remains active in several of the Degrees, including the 5th, 27th, and 31st Degrees. For his many services to our Order, he was invested with the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honour in 1977 and coroneted a 33° Inspector General Honorary in 1993.

Grand Commander Seale and his wife, Saundra, take great pride in their children, Michael and Stephanie. Michael is a junior at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and Stephanie is employed in the music industry in New York City. Saundra, whose nickname is “Sunny,” taught elementary physical education in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for 30 years. Much of her energy during that time was devoted to the organization and coaching of a competition and performing rope-skipping team that fosters heart-healthy activities and skills. Under her direction, the team has performed throughout the United States and in many foreign venues including, most recently, Peru, Japan, and the Czech Republic. For her many efforts, she was named Louisiana Physical Education Teacher of the Year in Louisiana. An avid bridge player and night owl, Mrs. Seale currently serves on the Board of the Baton Rouge area chapter of the American Heart Association.

The outstanding performance of Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°, in DeMolay, Freemasonry, and the Scottish Rite predicts he will meet the challenges of the office of Sovereign Grand Commander with ability and success.