James Roy Elliott

Companion James Roy Elliott was born on December 15, 1943 in Coleman, Texas. His early education was received in Dallas, Duncanville and Fort Worth, Texas, Enid, Oklahoma and Glendale, California before graduation from Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas in 1962. He later attended Tarleton State College in Stephenville, and following three years service in the United States Navy, he was honorably discharged as an E-5 (Second Class Petty Officer, Dental Technician) and resumed his education at El Centro College in Dallas to earn his Associates Degree in Applied Science in 1972.

It was in February of 1970 that Roy and Claudia Palmer were married, and they have two daughters; Robyn Kaye and Candi Jo. They have two grandchildren, Cody and Lauren.

In 1967 Roy was employed by the Dallas Police Department where his duties included patrol, vice, intelligence and special operations investigator and as liaison to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He organized and produced the first two Dallas Police Officers Rodeos to benefit the Shrine Hospitals. In 1987, Roy retired from the Police Department and opened ClearView Printing in Midlothian.

Roy’s civic activities include service on the Board of Directors of the Midlothian Chamber of Commerce from 1989 to 1996, and served as President in 1995. In addition, he has been on the Board of Directors of the Midlothian Civic Center since 1995; serving as Vice-President in 1996-1997, and as President from 1998 to the present.

His desire for Masonic knowledge led Roy to petition East Dallas Lodge No. 1200 for the degrees of Masonry. His climb of the fraternal ladder began with his initiation as an Entered Apprentice on July 9, 1974, and his entitlement to all available Masonic Light was realized with his raising to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on March 11, 1975. It was in 1989 that Roy affiliated as a dual member of Midlothian Lodge No. 584, and he served as Worshipful Master of that Lodge in the 1992-1993 Masonic year. In 1995, he was selected to serve as District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District No. 18 under Grand Master Farris L. Benham, and in 1998 his Lodge recognized his tremendous contributions to Masonry and to his Lodge by the presentation of the Golden Trowel Award, the highest honor a Lodge can bestow upon a Brother of the Lodge. Roy is an Endowed Member of Midlothian Lodge.

In 2001, Grand Master David B. Dibrell appointed Roy to the chairmanship of the Grand Lodge Gift of Life Program, and he later served as Vice-Chairman of that committee under Grand Masters Reese L. Harrison, Jr. in 2004, Elmer Murphey, III in 2005 and under Brian R. Dodson in 2006.

When Sunshine Lodge No. 341 was reconstituted in October of 2003, Roy was installed as Senior Warden of that Lodge, and served as Worshipful Master in the 2004-2005 Masonic year.

Exalted a Royal Arch Mason in Midlothian Chapter No. 211 on August 30, 1990, Roy became an Endowed Member in 1994. He has served as Secretary of the Chapter since 1992 except in 1997 when he served as High Priest. He was appointed by Grand High Priest Orville L. O’Neill to serve as Grand Representative to the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Virginia in 1998, and in 2000 as District Deputy Grand High Priest in Capitular District No. 15 by Grand High Priest Paul D. Warren. In 1997 Roy received the Order of High Priesthood, and in 1998 was presented with the Cornerstone Award by Midlothian Chapter. In 2002 he served the Grand Royal Arch Chapter as Grand Marshal; served as Grand Scribe in 2004, Grand King in 2005, Deputy Grand High Priest in 2006 and will be elected and installed as Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Texas at the close of the 2006 Annual Convocation.

Roy was greeted in Midlothian Council No. 148 on August 30, 1990, and became an Endowed Member of the Council in 1994. He served as Thrice Illustrious Master in 1997, and with the exception of 1997 he has served as Recorder of the Council since 1992. It was in 1998 that Most Illustrious Ben A. O’Brien appointed Roy as District Deputy Grand Master of Cryptic District No. 15 of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters. He received the Order of the Silver Trowel in 1997, and Midlothian Council No. 138 presented to him the Cryptic Triangle Award in 2002.

It was on September of 1990 that Roy was Knighted in Tancred Commandery No. 92. He became an Endowed Member in 1997, and served as Commander in 2005. Received the Order of Knight Preceptor in 2005 and is a member of Texas Priory No. 23 K.Y.C.H.

Other related Masonic memberships include the Royal Order of Scotland; Allied Masonic Degrees where he has served as Sovereign Master of Robert Bruce Brannon Council No. 270 and at present is the Grand Superintendent of the Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the USA. He is a member of Rose of Sharon Council of Knight Masons No. 49 and has served as Excellent Chief and is presently the Treasurer of that Council. A member of Lyle L. Cross York Rite College No. 147, Roy is an Endowed Member and has been Governor of the College. It was in 2002 that he received the Order of the Purple Cross from the York Rite Sovereign College. Roy was initiated into the Order of St. Thomas of Acon in Washington, D.C. and is currently designated as Worthy Master of Tejas Chapel No. 47 in Dallas.

A Scottish Rite Mason since 1975, Roy is an Endowed Member of the Dallas Valley and is a member of the Sound and Music Committee in the Thirtieth Degree, the Gift of Life Committee for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, and is Chairman of the Ellis County Membership Committee. Having been invested with the Rank and Decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1999, he was a member of the K.C.C.H. Investiture team. It has been his commitment to the Scottish Rite, and his labors in the quarries that in 2005 brought about his recognition and coronation as a Thirty-Third Degree Honorary Inspector General of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction.

A member of the Permian Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine in Odessa and Hella Shrine in Dallas, Roy shares membership in Dallas Chapter No. 1 of the Order of the Eastern Star with Claudia where she has served as Worthy Matron.

An avid student of history, Roy holds membership in four Masonic research organizations: Texas Lodge of Research, Scottish Rite Research Society (Endowed Member), Quatur Coronati Lodge No. 2076 and Southern California Research Lodge.

Qualified by experience, and driven by commitment, James Roy Elliott will pass the test of the Master Overseer’s square to bring up good and true work. Accomplishing such work as is required to leave his mark upon Capitular Masonry in Texas.