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Brother
Stewart was born in 1960 in
Columbia
,
Missouri
.
He received a BA degree from
the University of Missouri—Columbia
in 1983 and graduated from the UMC
School of Law in 1987, later that fall
going to work as an attorney and
eventually becoming the Staff Director
of the Missouri Public Service
Commission until starting his own
private law practice in 1993.
He married his wife Kris in
1981 at the
Newman
Center
.
Kris works as a Medical
Technologist for
Columbia
Regional
Hospital
and is active in the Columbia
Community Band and Columbia Civic
Orchestra.
They have no children, other
than their two adopted rescued racing
greyhounds.
They recently remodeled their
home which formerly was an historic
German restaurant, where he and Kris
both worked while in junior high
school, high school and in college.
Coming from a
Masonic family, he began his Masonic
career during his first year of law
school in
Kansas City
.
With his proficiency coaching
provided as courtesy through Swope
Park Lodge, he was initiated an
Entered Apprentice on November 27,
1984, passed to the degree of Fellow
Craft on February 26, 1985, and raised
to the sublime degree of Master Mason
on April 9, 1985 in Twilight Lodge
#114, where he served as Master in
1999.
He served on the Lodge Building
Association, was involved in the
construction of the new Columbia lodge
building, and remains active as a
member of the 3rd degree
team as one of the three “lawyer
ruffians”.
He holds dual membership in
Acacia Lodge No. 602, has served on
the
Grand Lodge Ways
and Means Committee since 2004, and on
the Grand Lodge Building Committee in
1999.
He received his
32o degree at the Columbia
Valley Scottish Rite in September
1985, was honored with the rank and
decoration of Knight Commander of the
Court of Honor in October 1997, and
was coroneted an Inspector General
Honorary 33o in November
2003.
He served as the Venerable
Master of the Lodge of Perfection from
1996-1997 during the construction of
the
Columbia
Valley
Scottish
Rite
Masonic
Center
and was the Columbia Valley Personal
Representative to the SGIG from
2004-2007.
He is a past board member of
RiteCare Valley of Columbia and of the
Scottish Rite Foundation of Missouri.
He currently serves as Chairman
of Columbia Valley Scottish Rite
Temple Association and remains active
in the degree work.
He joined the York Rite in
Kirksville
,
Missouri
in October 1988.
He currently serves as High
Priest in Columbia Chapter #17 R.A.M.,
as Captain of the Guard in Centralia
Council #34 Royal and Select Masters,
and is a past Commander of St. Graal
Commandery #12 Knights Templar.
He was the Charter Secretary of
the Heart of Missouri York Rite
College and currently serves as the
Deputy Governor.
He also currently serves on the
Grand Chapter and Grand Council
Jurisprudence Committees.
His other Masonic memberships
include Marquis de La Fayette Council
#392 A.M.D., Tipperary Council #62
Knight Masons, Royal Order of
Scotland, S.R.C.I.F., St. Thomas of
Acon, Order of High Priesthood, Past
Commanders Association, Scottish Rite
Research Society, Missouri Lodge of
Research, Moolah Shrine, Allepo
Grotto, Tiger Shrine Club, Tall Cedars
of Lebanon and the Sword of Bunker
Hill.
His A.M.D. presentation, Recovering
the Lost Master’s Word, was
published by the Grand Council of the
Allied Masonic Degrees in the 2006
edition of its annual publication, Miscellanea.
Brother Stewart’s other community
activities include being a charter
member of the Southside Optimist Club,
a Past Exalted Ruler and Past Lodge
Trustee of the Columbia Elks Lodge,
and a past board member of the
Columbia Benevolent Organization, Inc.
He still serves on the board of
directors of the
Missouri
10-33 Benevolent Fund, Inc., which he
co-founded with Brother and former
Governor Roger B. Wilson.
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