On September 11, 2001 I was consulting to a furniture company (turn around) when my friend Gavriel Sanders in New York called me to let me know what was going on. Like many of you, I was glued to the television. For the most part, all but the most necessary functions within our company stopped. The horror, the service, the sacrifices that were made should have been and I sincerely hope are lessons for us all.
At the request of clients I drove across America (you couldn’t fly) to New York in 53 hours and 20 mins. When I arrived, my first view (from the Jersey shore) of the downtown skyline (in the daytime) was overwhelming and even now, it’s hard for me to write this.
For the past 17 years I’ve been a fan of General Motors. I’m an even bigger fan of keeping jobs here in America and that’s why we buy American made automobiles. Yes, we know they have some foreign parts. Supporting America is also important.
While I lead a global company, my heart, my family and my home is here in America where I was privileged to grow up.
Thank you General Motors for commissioning this work. Well done.
God Bless America and the men and women that sacrificed for us all, each day. Thank you!
How much time do any of us really have? Most of us believe, when we are children in school that the time we have is infinite. Life will go on forever. It’s not until someone you know or respect dies that you realize, there may be a limit as to how much time we have.
My Father died at age 42 and my Mother died at age 44. When I was a boy, my Grandmother always called me EJ (my Father’s name) because we were so alike. We were, the same in appearance and many other ways. Like many young boys and men, it’s an extreme compliment to be referred to as being “Just like your Dad.” However, when you come to believe what they’re saying and then your Father dies at age 42, it may even be logical to think that you’ll also die at the same young age. I did.
So, there was a time up to and including age 42. I thought I would die at that age. I lived.
At age 61 I suffered a heart attack. Because of the paramedics and then the surgeon, I lived.
Now, at age 64 I underwent heart surgery [again]. I lived. (more…)
The most prominent feature on Mr. DR Rawson’s personal crest is its shield. The castle design is from the Rawson Family original family crest that was given to the family in the 12th century by the King of England for saving his life. The castle represents safety.
The next design element is the two-piece laurel wreath. One side represents his wife Margaret and the other half represents DR and the branching of their mutual desire to provide positive leadership for the purpose of overcoming adversity.
The six stars at the top are for his six children (Steven, McKay, Taylor, Morgan, Cameron and Katy). The Masonic Logo represents Mr. Rawson’s commitment to the Principles and Values originally taught to him by his grandfather (HH Rawson, 320) and then his father-in-Law (Illustrious Preston M. Jones, 330, Past Potentate) and that Mr. Rawson is a 320 Knight Commander Court of Honor (K.C.C.H.) Mason.
The double-headed eagle is central to the Scottish Rite. It generally evokes the admonishment to “know thyself” and is viewed with its outstretched wings to remind a Mason to provide protection and of his responsibility to justly lead others. The white head of the Eagles represents commitments made to be strong, have courage and to use his foresight for the benefit of others first and then oneself.
The Masonic Square and Compass represent the foundation of Masonry. The Square reminds a Mason to always square his actions by the square of virtue with all mankind. The Compass reminds a Mason to always have the strength to circumscribe his desire and keep his passions within due bounds. In other words, he must guard himself to prevent his falling into the grip of greed and excess.
The exact placement of the Master Mason’s symbol with a G in the center represents the fact that G-D is to be at the center of a Mason’s life. As such, his faith must be in G-D first and then the principles and values of Masonry second. It sits between the Stars and the Eagle representing the Mason’s place in his family and their future.
The design was created as a result of a discussion between Mr. Rawson and his daughter Katy. She then created the finished crest. The colorization came from Chris Edwards who served as the Director of Image and Design for C4 WorldWide, Inc. at the time the design was created in 2008.
Husband, Father, Grandfather, Son, Brother, Uncle, 32 Degree, K.C.C.H. Mason, Serial Entrepreneur, Possibilist, Chairman & CEO, Leader, Speaker, Philanthropist, Veteran, and Friend.
A successful entrepreneur with 23 companies to his credit, Mr. Rawson is focused on solutions that provide sustainable answers to domestic and global issues. 
