Greetings Sir Knights,
December already. Hard to believe we are only five months away from the Grand Conclave. Our Very Eminent Deputy Grand Commander, Sir Knight Chance Chapman, is hard at work preparing for his eventual election to the position of Right Eminent Grand Commander. His organizational and leadership skills will soon make my time as your Grand Commander a distant memory. I am very excited to see him in this role and excited to return to being simply a Sir Knight. Leadership roles in Freemasonry are temporary ones. While we may be, for a short time, elevated to a position of leadership and responsibility, all should conduct themselves with the knowledge that soon we will return to the ranks of the members. As we enter the season of installations for our Commanderies, always keep this in mind as you assume the position of Eminent Commander. The things you do as leader will have a lasting impact on the future of your Commandery, but they are for the benefit of the membership, our Lord, and our society. They are not for our own purposes, for our own adulation. I am currently reading the writings and history of George Washington. Patrick Henry, upon returning home from the Continental Congress, was asked “whom he thought the greatest man in Congress?” He replied “If you speak of eloquence, Mr. Rutledge of South Carolina is by far the greatest orator; but, if you speak of solid information and sound judgement, Colonel Washington is unquestionably the greatest man on that floor. His knowledge on the subjects to which he gave his attention, was most thorough and exact; and all the world has agreed, that no other man has given such proofs of the soundness of his judgement.” Washington said little but listened to everyone. When he spoke, his judgement and knowledge of the facts of a situation proved him to be the great leader he was. I encourage all of us to follow his example. Listen to those you disagree with, consider their arguments, study the issues, and render your opinions with quiet frankness and the power of knowledge on your side.
I hope you have seen the wonderful Christmas Message our Eminent Grand Prelate, Sir Knight Steve Wolfe provided us. Christmas is a time of love. It is not about Santa Clause, it is not about giving and receiving presents. It is about the greatest gift we have ever received, the love of our Lord and the opportunity for eternal life in Heaven.
We have discovered an issue with new member processing. Article 287 and 305 from our Statutes and Regulations state:
Art. 287 Fee for Affiliation. An affiliation fee shall be collected for a member, should he be elected, which is strictly for the purpose of becoming a Life Sponsor of the Knight Templar Eye Foundation. Only members of the Commandery petitioned shall vote on a petition of affiliation.
Art. 305 Fees. Each petition for the Orders of the Red Cross, Malta, and Temple shall be accompanied by a minimum fee of not less than Forty ($40.00) Dollars for the Orders, with the exception of petitions received from approved beneficiaries of the Home for Aged Masons, which shall be accompanied by a fee equal to the minimum fee required by the Grand Encampment. Each petitioner for the Orders, affiliation, and/or reinstatement shall, if elected, also pay all fees to become a Life Sponsor of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF), as shall be established and adopted by the KTEF Trustees, for each Commandery he petitions.
These two articles were passed/modified to ensure that Texas remains 100% life sponsors with the Knights Templar Eye Foundation. They collectively mean, any new member (by Knighting or Affiliation) is required to pay the fees necessary to become a Life Sponsor, even if they are a Life Sponsor in another Commandery. To maintain 100% status each Sir Knight must be a Life Sponsor in all Texas Commanderies he belongs to. If you need a list of the Knights in your Commandery that are not currently Life Sponsors, please contact our Very Eminent Deputy Grand Commander, Sir Knight Chance Chapman and he will provide you with the list.
Here are the updated standings as of November 28, 2022, for the Knighting’s Contest. Since April 1 we have Knighted 134 new Sir Knights.
- 20 – McKinney No. 34
- 11 – Alexander C. Garrett No. 103
- 8 – Ascension No. 25
- Tied at 7 – Beaumont No. 38 and Lubbock No. 60
- Tied at 6 – El Paso No. 18, Temple No. 41, Denton No. 45, and Tancred No. 82
God bless each of you and God bless the Grand Commandery of Texas
Richard R. Jernigan
Grand Commander 2022 – 2023