first Illustrious Secretary and Keeper of the Seals and Archives. Crossing the burning sands (no pun intended) of the Desert, Illustrious Sands was Created a Noble of Nemesis Temple No. 75, Oasis of Nassau, Desert of the Bahamas, Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America and its Jurisdictions, Inc. (AEAONMS), in the early 1960s. He was Exalted as an Honorary Past Potentate in August 2005 during the 112th Annual Session of the AEAONMS held in the Oasis of New Orleans. Illustrious Sands was Elevated to Grand Inspector General with 24 others at the 87th Annual Session (29th Triennium) held in Philadelphia as part of the A. Clarence Monroe Class of 1968. He was the last man standing of that group. Unequivocally, he enjoyed a stellar Scottish Rite career. Appointed as the Overseer of the Orient of the Bahamas in 1978 due to the debilitation of the previous Deputy for the Orient, S.G.I.G. James E. Morley 33°, he was Crowned an Active member during the 98th Annual Session in the Valley of Toronto in May 1979. He was subsequently appointed as the Deputy for the Orient. Under his leadership, the Orient of the Bahamas hosted the 101st Annual Session in May 1982, held in the Valley of Freeport. In May 1990, after nearly 30 years of exemplary efforts, Illustrious Sands became a Gold Medal of Achievement awardee at the 109th Annual Session held in the Valley of Denver. He was also awarded the Double Headed Eagle Award in 1990. In May 1992, again under the leadership of Deputy Sands, a second Annual
Session—the 111th Annual Session (37th Triennium)—was held in the Orient of the Bahamas, Valley of Nassau. Illustrious Sands
duly installed as the Sovereign Grand Commander of the USC NJ—our great and glorious organization. The first Class of Grand Inspectors General Commander Sands had the opportunity to name—the Solomon Wallace Class of 2016 —chose to honor the namesake of their Class and Commander Sands by producing a class coin with images of both leaders thereupon.
served his station of Deputy with distinction until May 2004 when he was elected as Illustrious Grand Minister of State at
the 123rd Annual Session (41st Triennium) held in the Valley of Philadelphia in the wake of the passing of Sovereign Grand Commander Samuel Brogdon Jr. 33°. At this point in time, he was the senior Deputy with 25 years of service in the position. Illustrious Sands was appointed as Acting Lieutenant Grand Commander in the summer of 2006 upon the resignation of Sovereign Grand Commander Algie S. Oldham Jr. 33°. In May 2007, Illustrious Sands was duly elected and installed to a full term as Lieutenant Grand Commander. Once again Illustrious Sands offered his assistance to the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Prince Hall Affiliation, U.S.A., Inc (USC NJ) by offering his Orient as a location to hold the Mid-Winter Conference (Deputy ’ s Meeting) in January 2012. In March 2016, this spry octogenarian advanced to be the 19th Sovereign Grand Commander upon the passing of his predecessor, Sovereign Grand Commander Solomon Wallace 33°. In May 2016, at the 135th Annual Session (45th Triennium) Illustrious Sands ’ 54 years of dedication to Scottish Rite freemasonry was acknowledged and rewarded when he was elected to a full term and
He did not hesitate to put his stamp on his office. Shortly after the 136th Annual Session closed Commander Sands issued two directives which tied directly into two of his four main points illustrating his vision for his term— increasing the membership and ensuring financial stability In October 2016, Illustrious Sands was a recipient of the R. E. Cooper Meritorious Service Award. This honor is bestowed upon Bahamian individuals who have achieved success in their profession and have made extraordinary contributions to the development of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. During the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend of January 2017, Illustrious Sands was feted with a testimonial banquet in Nassau, Bahamas. The affair was held at the Meliá Nassau Beach. The Master of Ceremonies kept everyone thoroughly entertained and the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band was splendid. More than 400 people attended to include Scottish Rite Fraters from the United Supreme Councils of both Northern and Southern Prince Hall Jurisdictions;
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