VOLUME LXVII
March 2021
NUMBER 3
PANT BLOWOUT
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VOLUME LXVII MARCH 2021 NUMBER 3
Published monthly as an official publication of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America.
Jeffrey N. Nelson Grand Master
Contents
Jeffrey A. Bolstad Grand Captain General and Publisher 325 Trestle Lane Lewistown, MT 59457
Grand Master’s Message Grand Master Jeffrey N. Nelson ...................... 4 Address changes or corrections and all membership activity including deaths should be reported to the recorder of the Was the Treasure of the Cathars Part of the local Commandery. Please do Templar Treasure? not report them to the editor. Sir Knight George L. Marshall, Jr., PGC.............. 7 Nature, a Living Holy Book Sir Knight P.D. Newman................................. 14 Grand Commandery Annual Communications............................... 24 Grand Master’s Tour...................................... 26
Features In Memoriam.................................................. 5 Prelate’s Chapel .............................................. 6 The Knights Templar Eye Foundation... 17,20-22 Grand Commandery Supplement................... 18 Leadership Notes - Servant Leadership......... 28 Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage........... 30 Beauceant News............................................ 32 Knights at the Bookshelf................................ 34
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Lawrence E. Tucker Grand Recorder Grand Encampment Office 5909 West Loop South, Suite 495 Bellaire, TX 77401-2402 Phone: (713) 349-8700 Fax: (713) 349-8710 E-mail: larry@gektusa.org Magazine materials and correspondence to the editor should be sent in electronic form to the managing editor whose contact information is shown below. Materials and correspondence concerning the Grand Commandery state supplements should be sent to the respective supplement editor.
John L. Palmer Managing Editor
Post Office Box 566 Nolensville, TN 37135-0566 Phone: (615) 283-8477 Fax: (615) 283-8476 E-mail: ktmagazine@comcast.net
Benjamin Williams Associate Editor
E-mail: ben.kt.1@comcast.net
The cover photo is of the Grand Encampment’s olive tree planted in Israel. Photo by the editor.
Grand Encampment web site: www.knightstemplar.org www.knightstemplar.org/KnightTemplar/archive
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Grand Master’s Message
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reetings Sir Knights. As I write this message on New Year’s Day 2021, there is still a great deal of uncertainty over what the next several months will bring. We anticipate that a number of annual conclaves scheduled for the first half of 2021 will be held virtually. It is truly fortunate that we have been able to employ available technology to make this possible. As announced previously, the East Central Department Conference, scheduled for later this month, will be held virtually. Also, we have opted to combine the three Easter Observances into one virtual national observance under the direction of our grand prelate and assisted by our two associate grand prelates. We hope you will be able to participate in these events. Other upcoming events include the Grand Master’s tour of England and Scotland which has been moved to this fall. The tour will begin in London on October 12 and conclude in Glasgow on October 21. We are scheduled to visit many Masonic and Templar sites and do hope you will be able to join us on this adventure. Also, the Holy Land Pilgrimage Committee has confirmed the dates for the next “In the Footsteps of Jesus” tour of the Holy Land. This tour was created for Sir Knights, ladies, friends, and guests and is designed to enable you to experience the same pilgrimage you are providing the Christian ministers you send to the Holy Land. Another exciting development is that we have reopened the online Templar Education and Development Course. If testing your knowledge of the Templar ritual appeals to you, we encourage you to access the Grand Encampment’s website to register. We are working on the next modules and hope to begin adding them to the curriculum soon. Finally, based on feedback received at department conferences concerning the Educational Foundation, the committee has revised the applicable management fee. The fee is now a sliding fee based on assets under management. The committee has also authorized and will be making scholarship funds available to our youth groups. Courteously, Jeffrey N. Nelson, GCT grand master 4
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Knight Templar Magazine Available on Your Smart Phone The Knight Templar magazine is now available on your smart phone. Just download the application from either the Apple App Store at https://itunes. apple.com/us/app/knight-templar-magazine/id1422046085?ls=1&mt=8 if you have an I-Phone or the Google Play Store at https://play.google.com/ store/apps/details?id=com.axiosdigital.KnightTemplar if you have an Android based phone. Then each month, you will be automatically notified when the new issue of the magazine is available. One tap and you are reading the magazine! If at some point in the future, you want to discontinue the delivery of your paper copy and save the Grand Encampment some printing and postage expense, the recorder of your local Commandery can have it stopped by updating the membership database. Of course, the current issue of the magazine and all previous issues are still available on-line at http://www.knightstemplar.org/KnightTemplar/. Subscriptions to the Knight Templar magazine are available from the Grand Encampment office at a rate of $15.00 per year. Individual issues in quantities of less than ten can be obtained for $1.50 each from the office of the managing editor if available. Inquire via e-mail to the managing editor for quantities in excess of ten. Some past issues are archived on our web site. http://www.knightstemplar.org.
Harold Montague Chase, Jr. New Hampshire Grand Commander 2011 Born: December 28, 1937 Died: December 19, 2020
William B. Van Sant Maryland Grand Commander 1979 Born: February 22, 1924 Died: September 30, 2020
Archived issues of the Knight Templar magazine can be accessed on the web at http://www.knightstemplar.org/. Then click on the button “Knight Templar” at the top of the page and select “Archives.” The archives include an index. knight templar
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Prelate’s Apartment by
Reverend Arthur F. Hebbeler, III, right eminent grand prelate of the Grand Encampment Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. (Joel 2:13 English Standard Version)
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e are now in the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is behind us, and Easter is still weeks away. Many speak of Lent as a time to give things up—lose weight, stop smoking, disconnect from social media, but Lent is a time for more than that. It is a time for reflection and preparation. It is a time for us to evaluate ourselves and our relationships, especially our relationship with God. The text from Joel is used in many Lutheran churches as a replacement for the Alleluia verse during Lent, keeping with the tradition of not using the word “Alleluia” from Ash Wednesday until the Vigil of Easter. It is one of the first parts of the liturgy that really stuck with me as a kid. I think it was a combination of the text and the tune, with its minor key striking me as “different.” It really is a wonderful text for Lent. First, it calls us to return and reconnect with God, even if we have been separated from Him for whatever reason. God is good! He is merciful and, unlike many of the human beings out there these days, slow to get angry. Oh sure, God was angry with His chosen people at times, but He also demonstrated grace and mercy. Exiles happened but so did returns. Punishments were made but so were methods of reconciliation. God wants to be in a relationship with us, so He makes it possible for us to be a part of that relationship by being accessible. In the Hebrew text, there is a wonderful word, chesed. It appears frequently in the Hebrew Scriptures and means “steadfast love.” It is that kind of love that endures all things, a love that is constant and ever-present. It is, in short, the kind of love we all want to have, yet find difficult to share. For God, however, it is always present and present in abundance. It is there for each of us without risk of a shortage. So as we continue our Lenten journey, take time to seek out the chesed of God. At the same time, work to share it with those around you, and encourage others to return to the Lord. He is ready and waiting.
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Was the Treasure of the Cathars Part of the Templar Treasure?
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By Sir Knight George L. Marshall, Jr., KCT, PGC
t has been postulated by some the soldiers of King Philip the Fair, the authors that the fabulous trea- headquarters of the Templar order in sure of the Templars could have Paris had been tipped off to the arincluded that of the heretical sect of rests and seizures which were about to Christians known as the Cathars. Al- happen. The treasures were loaded on though highly speculative as well as un- wagons and carts and carried overland proven, it does make an interesting and to the port of La Rochelle. There the wealth of the order was placed aboard intriguing story. Let’s begin by looking at the account Templar ships. The Templar fleet then surrounding the Templar treasure. Prior simply disappeared. Since then, the fate of the Templars to the arrest of the Knights Templar in France on Friday, October 13, 1307, by and the treasure aboard the ships has Photos of Montségur, the last refuge of the Cathars, were taken by the editor.
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been the subject of much hypothesis and guesswork. The Templars might have found refuge in Portugal where their organization survived as the Knights of Christ. They might have found refuge in England under King Edward, who would later somewhat reluctantly agree to seek out and prosecute Templars. The rugged coasts and vales of Scotland could provide a very likely refuge. The Templars and the king of Scotland had much in common. Both were under the ban of excommunication, and both would soon be attacked by King Edward of England. Supposedly, the Templars were active participants in the Battle of Bannockburn. One of the most persistent theories involves the connection of the Templars with the Sinclair family of Scotland and Rosslyn Chapel. According to legend, in the 1400s the Templar Treasure, long
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concealed by the Sinclairs, was brought to the New World by Henry Sinclair and buried in a cleverly devised antitheft “money pit” on Oak Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia. (Note: Theories about artifacts present on the island range anywhere from pirate treasure, to Shakespearean manuscripts, to even possibly the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, with the Grail and the Ark being part of the treasure buried there by the Knights Templar.) Now to the question posed by the title of this article. Without going into a lot of detail, let’s start with a brief summary of who the Cathars were. They were a Christian group who were strong adherents of radical dualism, stressing the belief in two opposing principles (or gods) of good and evil, locked together in eternal combat. The world was intrinsically evil, and the Catholic Church had
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become corrupted and was the “Church of Satan,” therefore the Cathars rejected all its rites and sacraments. The true God existed in a world of eternal light beyond the dark curtain of human existence. Cathars referred to themselves as the “Good Christians.” Salvation could only be achieved by becoming a “perfect,” otherwise in their next reincarnation they would be condemned to remain in the world of matter. Perfection was achieved through a baptismal rite known as the consolamentum. The Caknight templar
thars had some unusual beliefs. Sex was evil, and marriage and procreation were discouraged; they would not eat meat or eggs or drink milk; they denied baptism and the resurrection of the body. The Cathars were first heard of in the mid-1100s, although they doubtless had existed for some time before that. They were especially strong in the Languedoc region of southern France where strife between them and the Catholic Church led to their persecution and ultimate extermination through the Albigensian 9
Crusade and the Inquisition aided by tin, listed in the Sources, is an excellent the secular arm. The last holdout of the brief but wide-ranging treatment of the Cathars was a fortress in the Pyrenees Cathars and their persecution in the called Montségur, which after a siege Languedoc.) When captured, Cathars of nearly a year, fell to French troops in were usually burned at the stake. March of 1244. (The book by Sean MarSince the extinction of the Cathars,
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traditional stories have flourished de Blanchefort, was supposed to have about the existence of a Cathar Trea- come from a Cathar family near Rennessure and their alleged relationship with le-Chateau in the Languedoc. (From the the Knights Templar. One myth in par- 1960s onwards, it has erroneously been ticular that has been put forth is that asserted that Bertrand de Blanchefort the Cathars possessed the Holy Grail, was related to a family of the same the cup used by Christ at the Last Sup- name located near Rennes-le-Château. per, which also was used to catch drops This erroneous assertion was discredof his blood at the Crucifixion. Others ited in France in 1984.) It may be reasonmaintain that the treasure was money ably assumed that the Templars were and precious stones or possibly secret opposed to taking up arms against their texts or sacred writings and documents neighbors. Further, the Templars’ reputhat contained holy wisdom and sacred tation as a safe and secure banking ortruths. At any rate, during the siege of ganization was well-known, and it would Montségur, four Cathar perfects are have been natural, given their familiarity said to have scaled down the steep cliffs with the Templars, for the Cathars to deof the mountain late at night, carrying posit their treasure with them. the treasure with them (presumably So did the alleged Cathar treasure in sacks of some kind). This treasure somehow become a part of the equally was then either hidden in nearby caves, fabled Templar treasure? We simply given to surviving Cathar groups, or en- don’t know and likely never will, but trusted to the Knights Templar. It is this the thought is an intriguing one and last possibility we will discuss next. has been a topic of speculation that has The Templars had a very strong pres- persisted ever since the massacre of the ence as landowners in the Languedoc remaining Cathar believers and perfects during the thirteenth century, as did at Montségur. the Hospitallers. Both orders were mindful that their true calling as warSir Knight George Marshall, PGC, KGT, riors was in the Holy Land, and those is a past grand commander of the in the Languedoc principally served in Grand Commandery of Alabama. He a recruiting and logistics capacity. As it is a member of the Editorial Board was, neither order participated in the of the Knight Templar magazine and Albigensian Crusade, and some of their serves as chairman of the Grand Encommanderies are said to have shelcampment Knights Templar History tered fugitive Cathars or even welcomed Committee. He is a frequent contribthem into their ranks. In some Templar utor to the Knight Templar and Royal preceptories in the Languedoc, Cathars Arch Mason magazines and can be were said to outnumber Catholics. One reached at geomarsh@yahoo.com. of the Templar grand masters, Bertrand We publish articles from a variety of sources and points of view. The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the Grand Encampment, the Knight Templar magazine, or the Editorial Review Board. knight templar
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SOURCES • “HUNT FOR THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR’S WEALTH IN THE NEW WORLD”, http:// www.newsweek.com/lost-treasure-322370; April 19, 2015. Accessed 4 April 2019. • “The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar,” http://istina.rin.ru/eng/ufo/ text/180.html. Accessed 7 April 2019. • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Montsegur. Accessed 7 April 2019. • Gaye Mack, “THE MYTH OF THE CATHAR TREASURE,” http://gayemack.com/ the-myth-of-the-cathar-treasure/. Accessed 8 April 2019. • Zoe Oldenburg, Massacre at Montsegur: A History of the Albigensian Crusade, Phoenix Books, 1998. • Sean Martin, The Cathars: The Rise and Fall of the Great Heresy, Oldcastle Books, 2015. • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island_mystery. Accessed 7 April 2019. • J.C.L. Simonde de Sismondi, History of the Crusades Against the Albigenses, (English Translation), B.B. Mussey, Boston, 1833. • Malcolm Barber, The Cathars: Dualist Heretics in Languedoc in the High Middle Ages, Pearson Education Ltd., 2000. • Dominic Selwood, Knights of the Cloister: Templars and Hospitallers in CentralSouthern Occitania 1100-1300, Boydell Press, 2001.
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Nature, a Living Holy Book By Sir Knight P.D. Newman
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” — John 15:1 “Jesus said: ‘Split wood, I am there. Lift up a rock, you will find me there.’” — Gospel of Thomas, saying 77b
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he Christian mystic, Hildegard von Bingen, liked to use a term, Viriditas, meaning “the greening force,” that referred to the vivifying vigor that vitalizes nature. For Von Bingen, and indeed for many other Christian mystics, nature is not simply an object to be conquered or subjugated. Nor is she mute. Rather, nature is one form of God’s revelation of Himself to man, and through its study, he may potentially learn something of its Divine Author. Such a sentiment is in stark contrast to the beliefs of some dualistic Gnostic sects for whom nature could be nothing other than a corporeal prison, a product of the demiurge, divorced and detached from the eternal rays of the Divine. The Swiss physician, Paracelsus, once indicated that were all knowledge of Divinity lost, it could be fully recovered from the “book of nature,” if we but possess the light to read it. Similarly, Johannes Kepler believed that “God ... wants to be recognized from the book of nature.” In this short article, we will examine two remarkable specimens from the “book of nature” which speak in rich symbols to those of us with ears to hear of the selfless act of sacrifice made by the Christian Savior, Jesus Christ. Catholic missionaries from Spain first encountered the stunning and hypnotic 14
passion flower (Passiflora edulis), referred to by them as espina de Cristo or “thorn of Christ,” in South America during the Late Middle Ages. Perceiving in the flowers and other parts of the plant elements of the Lord’s Passion, Spanish missionaries began using this espina de Cristo as a mnemonic to teach Catholic converts the various elements comprising Christ’s crucifixion — hence the name passion flower. The ten petal-like sepals are said to signify the ten faithful apostles, excluding St. Peter who was guilty of denying Christ and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him. The radial filaments that surround the flower, immediately above the sepals, are suggestive of the crown of thorns which pierced the brow of Him that hung on the cross. The ovary, chalice-like in its concavity, has been likened to the holy grail, used both by our Lord and Savior during His last supper and by Joseph of Arimathea to collect the sacred blood that ran from His side during the crucifixion. The three stigmas of the flower allude to the three nails which fixed Christ to the cross, while the five antlers are said to represent His five wounds. The pointed tips of the leaves are implicative of the Holy Lance, used by the soldier, Longinus, to pierce Christ’s side, whereas the winding tendrils of the vine are likmarch 2021
ened to whips used to flagellate the body of Christ. Finally, the colors of the flower, blue, purple, and white, are said to allude to heaven, royalty, and purity, respectively, while the flower itself, which remains open only three days, symbolizes both the three years of Jesus’ ministry and the three days which He spent in the tomb prior to his resurrection. Called akakia (thorned tree) by the Greek physician, Pedanius Dioscorides, on account of its numerous akis or “thorns,” acacia has also been read as akakios or “not evil,” i.e., “good” or “innocent.” Slow growing and thus very dense, acacia wood is ideal for construction and carpentry. For example, in the book of Exodus, we find that acacia was used not only for the construction of the ark of the covenant but indeed for all of the
structural features of the tabernacle in the wilderness. It is no wonder then that the acacia has also been the subject of much religious speculation. The wood of the acacia tree is said to signify the very cross on which Christ hung, some even going so far as to say that the cross was actually constructed using acacia wood. Its thorns, which may grow several inches long, are clearly representative of the thorny crown that was thrust upon His theos head. The leaves of the acacia, being bipinnate and compound, resemble nothing so much as the cat o’ nine tails which ripped and tore at the body of our Lord. The seed pods, dark and sealed off from the light, are reminiscent of the virgin tomb, shut tight with a stone, wherein the broken body of Christ was laid. The flowers, on the other
A passion flower with an acacia branch, taken by the author. knight templar
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hand, globular and golden in appearance, point to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who, like the sun following its diurnal demise, rose again for the illumination of the world. Finally, the crimson-red coloration of the root’s inner bark speaks to us directly of His precious blood that was spilt for the salvation of that world. Truly, the book of nature may be read as an open scripture, wherein something of its Divine Author may be revealed to those with eyes to see. In her work, Causae et Curae, Hildegard von Bingen hymned Viriditas thusly, with which we’ll wrap up the present article.
“O most honored Greening Force, You who roots in the Sun; You who lights up, in shining serenity, Within a wheel That earthly excellence fails to Comprehend. You are enfolded In the weaving of divine mysteries. You redden like the dawn And you burn: flame of the Sun.”
Sir Knight P. D. Newman is a member of New Albany Commandery 29 of New Albany, Mississippi. He can be contacted at: pdnewman@tupelomason.org. Sources Healthy Hildegard Team. What is Hildegard’s Viriditas? Healthy Hildegard. https:// www.healthyhildegard.com/hildegards-viriditas/. Accessed Sept. 2, 2020. Mackey, Albert G. The Symbolism of Freemasonry. Sacred Texts. https://www. sacred-texts.com/mas/sof/sof30.htm. Accessed Sept. 2, 2020. Passion Flower Power. Sacred Symbolism of Passion Flower. Healing with Purple Passion. https://passionflowerpower.com/sacred-symbolism.php. Accessed Sept. 2, 2020. Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma. USA the Republic. http://usa-the-republic.com/ illuminati/Albert_Pike/Albert_Pike--Morals_and_Dogma.pdf. Accessed Sept. 2, 2020. Todayinsci. “Johannes Kepler Quotes on God.” Today in Science History. https:// todayinsci.com/K/Kepler_Johannes/KeplerJohannes-God-Quotations.htm. Accessed Sept. 2, 2020. We publish articles from a variety of sources and points of view. The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the Grand Encampment, the Knight Templar magazine, or the Editorial Review Board. 16
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NEW CONTRIBUTORS TO THE KTEF CLUBS Grand Master’s Club Lawrence E. Fouse...............................AL Hugo H. Rogers, Jr................................AL Darren Klinefelter............................... CO John D. Pickford................................... FL Larry M. Bitow..................................... ID Mark H. Welch...................................... IL Joe T. Carpenter, Sr..............................LA Alan D. Johnston................................ ME Keith C. Alderman......................... MA/RI Jean P. Haberichter............................MO Richard W. Westergaard......................NJ William R. Wright, Jr........................... NY Trasen S. Akers.................................... OK James M. Gautsch...............................PA Dickie W. Johnson............................... TN Joseph M. Matthews.......................... VA Matthew S. Broughton, Sr.................. WV
John C. Meyers................................... AL Lee O. Seagondollar............................ AK James H. Bussey................................... FL William A. Sorbie................................. FL James E. Essig.......................................IL Dennis Meyer...................................... IN William J. Surls.................................... LA ickey A. Searles.................................. ME Gary E. Stambaugh............................. MI William E. Cook...................................NV Christie Morse................................... NH Tony E. Telken.................................... ND Gerald K. Hornung..............................OK Stanley W. Elder.................................. TN Albert E. Piatt...................................... TN John H. Vivian....................................WA
Grand Commander’s Club Lee O. Seagondollar.......................... AK James B. Rolle, III.............................. AZ Ohannes Antabian............................ CA Michael R. Sosebee...........................GA Mark H. Welch....................................IL Anil C.S. Rao.....................................MD Harold B. Johnson..............................NJ Leonard E. Roughgarden................. NM Edward H. Hawk................................ PA Garland R. Harman........................... SC Allen W. Sharp................................... TX
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George E. Weil.................................. AZ Eduardo L. Buted.............................. CA Gerald W. Kissel................................ DE James E. Essig.....................................IL Peter L. Quimby............................... ME Melvin L. Easterday........................... MI Richard W. Westergaard.....................NJ Mark E. Howard............................... OH Tommy J. Collins . ..............................SC Cecil M. Gregg, Jr.............................. TX
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General Supplement
The space on these two pages is provided by the Knight Templar magazine to be used by the Grand Commanderies to communicate with the individual Sir Knights in their jurisdictions on a monthly basis. From time to time and for various reasons, we fail to receive any material from the editor of the state supplement for a given month. When this happens, we take the opportunity to offer you the information below. – The Ed.
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These photos are of the Ancient city of Caesarea Maritima in Israel and were taken by the editor.
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Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. How to join the Grand Commander’s or the Grand Master’s Clubs
Any individual may send a check in the amount of $100 or more specified for the purpose of beginning a Grand Commander’s Club membership and made payable to the Knights Templar Eye Foundation. This initial contribution will begin your Grand Commander’s Club membership. In addition, members of the Grand Commander’s Club pledge to make annual contributions of $100 or more. Once contributions total $1,000, the individual is enrolled in the Grand Master’s Club. Membership is open to individuals only, and Commandery Credit is given for participation.
Qualified Charitable Distributions Can Yield Big Tax Savings
Congress has now made the qualified charitable distribution (QCD) option permanent for those who wish to make direct contributions from their IRA to charity. The tax law allows individuals required to make minimum distributions due to age to transfer up to $100,000 a year from their IRA to a qualified charity. This distribution counts toward their required minimum distribution but isn’t added to their adjusted gross income the way a normal IRA distribution is. This can provide a tax savings of up to 40% depending upon an individual’s tax situation. Please discuss with your tax professional whether this option could benefit you in your charitable and retirement planning.
Planned Giving – Create a Charitable Legacy
Your Foundation now has a full web site dedicated to Planned Giving which you can access from our web site, shown at the bottom of this page. So if you’re thinking of ways to make a lasting legacy for yourself please check out the tab on the home page that says “Planned Giving”. Leaving your mark on the future is so simple with a gift in your will. To leave a gift in your Will or Trust it is as easy as asking your attorney to include a sentence that says: I bequeath (lump sum) or ( % ) of my estate to: Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. (address shown below) Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. 1033 Long Prairie Road, Suite 5 Flower Mound, TX 75022
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Telephone: 214-888-0220 Fax: 214-888-0230 Email: manager@ktef.us
www.ktef.org www.knightstemplar.org/ktef/
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The Life Sponsor Challenge UPDATE
As reported earlier — During the 2018 annual conclave of the Grand Commandery of Ohio, the Grand Commanderies of Ohio and Texas engaged in a friendly competition. The challenge was which Grand Commandery would be the first to attain 100% Life sponsorship participation in the Knights Templar Eye Foundation. On October 15, 2019, one year after the competition was announced, the Grand Commandery of Ohio achieved 100% life sponsorship with 6,685 members. Thus, technically, Ohio “won” the competition. However, this did not stop the Grand Commandery of Texas. On March 31, 2020, Texas became the first Grand Commandery to reach 200% Life sponsorship participation with 5,772 members. On October 10, 2020 at the 178th Annual Conclave in Ohio thanks to the generosity of the Sir Knights of Forest City Commandery 40 made a major contribution to make the Grand Commandery of Ohio now 200% life sponsorships. On behalf of the officers and trustees, the Foundation would like to thank the Grand Commandery of Ohio and Forest City Commandery for continuing the challenge to ensure both Ohio and Texas Grand Commanderies not only reach the 100% status but now 200%.
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ONE© NETWORK – A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR TREATING PEDIATRIC BLINDNESS
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or those of us who work in industries where communication and collaboration are critical to professional success and achievement, the value of the ONE Network is greatly appreciated. The ONE Network is a collection of resources that is part of the Pediatric Ophthalmology Education Center established by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in partnership with the Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF). Its purpose, according to the information page on the KTEF.org website, is to “ensure a strong educational foundation for current and future generations of ophthalmologists and… eliminate a lack of ophthalmologic education as a contributor to global blindness.” The network is particularly valuable to physicians and treatment providers in parts of the world without direct access to resources that we may take for granted in our country. Among the teaching points available: • Basic science principles • Specific disease content • Diagnosis • Medical, surgical, and complications management • Patient instructions • Outcomes assessment An introductory video on the KTEF website demonstrates the use of a strabismus (crossed eyes) simulator for doctors to perfect techniques in treating patients along with examples of instructional videos that physicians may access to ensure they are using the leading and latest treatment protocols. “There are few organizations in the world that can change the course of generations and undertake the mission of addressing childhood blindness and give selflessly to prevent that from happening,” says Dr. Faruk H. Orge, editor-in-chief of the KTEF’s Pediatric Ophthalmology Education Center. “The Knights Templar Eye Foundation is one of them.” Dr. Faruk calls the Center the “ultimate teaching tool that has revolutionized the way we learn and treat pediatric eye disease,” and it is just one that we as supporters of the KTEF provide to help prevent blindness in children around the globe. We should all be incredibly proud of that. Note: The source information for this article can be found at www.ktef.org/one-network. In His Service, R. Thomas Starr, KCT chairman, 53rd Annual Voluntary Campaign 22
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Grand Commandery Annual Communications 2021 Including the location, date, and official visitor from the Grand Encampment
Alabama, Birmingham, February 26 – 28, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.C.G. Alaska, Anchorage, March 04 – 05, 2021, R.E.D.C. Arizona, Phoenix, August 19 - 21, 2021, R.E.D.C. Arkansas, Little Rock, March 11-13, 2021 , Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.C.G. Austria, tbd. R.E.D.C. Brasil, Victoria, tbd. R.E.D.C. California, Visalia, May 18-20, 2021, Sir Knight David J. Kussman, R.E.G.G. Colorado, Denver, September 10 – 11, 2021, Sir Knight Michael Burke Johnson, M.E.G.M. Connecticut, tbd., April 10, 2021, R.E.D.C. Croatia, tbd., R.E.D.C. Delaware, Wilmington, March 12 – 13, 2021, R.E.D.C. District of Columbia, Washington, March 19 – 20, 2021, R.E.D.C. Florida, Lake Mary, May 16 – 18, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey N. Nelson, M.E.G.M. Georgia, Macon, May 02 – 04, 2021, Sir Knight Bobby Blackman Simmons, R.E.G.T. * Hawaii, Honolulu, February 27 – 28, 2021, Sir Knight David J. Kussman, R.E.G.G. Idaho, Lewistown, April 15 – 17, 2021, R.E.D.C. Illinois, Normal, July 30 – 31, 2021, R.E.D.C. Indiana, Muncie, April 23 – 24, 2021, Sir Knight Bobby Blackman Simmons, R.E.G.T. Iowa, Ames, June 03 – 05, 2021, Sir Knight William Howard Koon, II, M.E.P.G.M. Italy, Rome, tbd., R.E.D.C. Kansas, Topeka, May 07 – 08, 2021, Sir Knight Bobby Blackman Simmons, R.E.G.T. Kentucky, Lexington, September 19 – 20, 2021, Sir Knight David J. Kussman, R.E.D.G.M. Louisiana, Alexandria, February 25 – 28, 2021, R.E.D.C. Maine, Bangor, April 24, 2021, Sir Knight Lawrence Eugene Tucker, R.E.G.R. Maryland, Ocean City, October 22 – 24, 2021, Sir Knight David J. Kussman, R.E.D.G.M. Massachusetts & Rhode Island, Westborough, MA, October 23. 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.G. Mexico, Tlaxcla, November 12 - 14, 2021, R.E.D.C. Michigan, Bay City, August 21, 2021, R.E.D.C. Minnesota, Alexandria, June 26, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey N. Nelson, M.E.G.M. Mississippi, Meridian, May 20 – 22, 2021, R.E.D.C. Missouri, Jefferson City, June 11 – 13, 2021, R.E.D.C. Montana, Hamilton, June 03 – 05, 2021, R.E.D.C. Nebraska, Kearney, April 17, 2021, R.E.D.C. 24
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Nevada, Las Vegas, June 14, 2021, R.E.D.C. New Hampshire, Concord, May 08, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.C.G. * New Jersey, Moorestown, March 06, 2021, Sir Knight Michael Burke Johnson, R.E.D.G.M. New Mexico, Albuquerque, April 16, 2021, R.E.D.C. New York, Albany, September 17 - 19, 2021, Sir Knight Bobby Blackman Simmons, R.E.G.T. North Carolina, Clemmons, March 21 – 23, 2021, R.E.D.C. North Dakota, Bismarck, July 10, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey N. Nelson, M.E.G.M. Ohio, Columbus, October 08, 2021, Sir Knight Michael Burke Johnson, M.E.G.M. Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, April 22 – 24, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.C.G. Oregon, North Bend, April 08 – 10, 2021, Sir Knight Jeffrey A. Bolstad, R.E.G.C.G. Panama, Panama City, tbd. R.E.D.C. Pennsylvania, Greentree, May 20 – 23, 2021, R.E.D.C. Philippines, Manila, October 16, 2021, Sir Knight Lawrence Eugene Tucker, R.E.G.R. Portugal, tbd. R.E.D.C. Romania, tbd. R.E.D.C. South Carolina, Columbia, June 26, 2021, Sir Knight Bobby Blackman Simmons, R.E.G.T. South Dakota, Mitchell, September 18, 2021, tbd. Tennessee, Nashville, March 21 – 23, 2021, Sir Knight Lawrence Eugene Tucker, R.E.G.R. Texas, Amarillo, April 15 – 18, 2021, Sir Knight Michael Burke Johnson, R.E.D.G.M. Togo, Lomé, March 07, 2021, R.E.D.C. Utah, Salt Lake City, May 06, 2021, Sir Knight Lawrence Eugene Tucker, R.E.G.R.. Vermont, Killington, June 07, 2021, R.E.D.C. Virginia, Williamsburg, April 30 – May 02, 2021, Sir Knight David J. Kussman, R.E.G.G. Washington, Tacoma, May 14 – 15, 2021, R.E.D.C. West Virginia, Huntington, April 08 – 10, 2021, Sir Knight Lawrence Eugene Tucker, R.E.G.R. Wisconsin, Milwaukee, June 19, 2021, R.E.D.C. Wyoming, Cheyenne, September 16 – 19, 2021, Sir Knight Michael Burke Johnson, M.E.G.M. M.E.G.M. - Most Eminent Grand Master R.E.D.G.M. - Right Eminent Deputy Grand Master R.E.G.G - Right Eminent Grand Generalissimo R.E.G.C.G. - Right Eminent Grand Captain General M.E.P.G.M. - Most Eminent Past Grand Master R.E.G.T. - Right Eminent Grand Treasurer R.E.G.R. - Right Eminent Grand Recorder R.E.D.C. - Right Eminent Department Commander * Virtual tbd. - To be determined knight templar
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Leadership Notes Servant Leadership This article by Sir Knight Adam Hathaway kicks off our 2021 theme about how Freemasonry takes each member on a leadership journey. When someone asks you, “How does Freemasonry make good men better?” tell them, “Freemasonry makes them leaders.”
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am sure that we have all participated in conversations circling around the question: What does it mean to be a Mason? York Rite Leadership training posits that Masonry is not only about leadership and service but, more specifically, that leadership is service, and that, in order to lead, one must first learn to serve. The concept of a leader being, above all things, a servant is known as servant leadership. The servant leader focuses on the needs and development of others. He sees his role as not to promote himself but rather to sacrifice that others may grow and thrive. To assist us in our quest to serve, Freemasonry strongly promotes the governance of our lives by the practice of virtues. Though not mentioned specifically in Masonic ritual, one of my favorite medieval virtues is noblesse oblige. I once heard it mentioned that noblesse oblige is the obligation to the nobility, by an individual who, based on his rank and station, demanded that others serve him. To the stark contrary, noblesse oblige, is defined as the obligation of the nobility to the people within his sphere of influence. In other words, rank and privilege morally bind us to use our resources to seek new ways to serve, not rule. In York Rite Leadership 101, we explore five reasons as to why some might choose a leadership position within Masonry, or perhaps other organizations. • The first is personal material gain. In New Mexico, the candidate is admonished that he should not seek to join the institution for mercenary motives. Yet, some members seek to leverage the fraternity for their own worldly pleasures or advancement, therefore not seeking to serve others, only themselves. • The second motivation for some is for recognition and prestige. Freemasonry, on the whole, values it leaders and heaps upon them many accolades and honors, but these should never be sought after. The servant leader focuses on sharing recognition and glory with his teammates and cares not for the acquisition of titles and attention.
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• Third, some desire power as a means to promote their own way, to advance their own agenda, and to secure the last word. A servant leader does not desire power for its own sake but rather to increase his influence among others through service, respect, and loyalty. • The desire to leave behind a legacy has two very different approaches. The first approach to developing a legacy is to hold leadership positions to ensure one’s name is remembered in perpetuity, a rather egocentric proposition. A servant leader sees his legacy in terms of those he has served and in the continued success and growth of those he has taught, mentored, and inspired. • All of the above discourse culminates in the best and most noble reason to lead, and that is: the desire to serve. The concept of servant leadership has existed for thousands of years, even if not described using that specific terminology. Among Christians, the greatest servant leader of all time is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave the greatest sacrifice possible, that the world might be saved. As Christians, what higher calling could there be than emulating the greatest servant leader who ever lived. If you want to learn more about leadership principles, join the York Rite Leadership Training Program. Visit the website at YorkRiteLeadership.org for more information and to register for the program. Sir Knight Adam Hathaway York Rite Leadership Faculty
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“In the Footsteps of Jesus”
a Pilgrim’s Journey for Sir Knights, Ladies, Friends, and Guests November 8 – 18, 2021
This pilgrim’s journey is promoted by the Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage Committee of the Grand Encampment Knights Templar U.S.A. IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE for Sir Knights, their Ladies, friends, and guests is open to anyone. Each person is responsible for his own fees and expenses related to the pilgrimage. Each person is responsible for being able to manage his own luggage and follow the itinerary. This pilgrimage is an eleven day program that covers as much ground as possible in the touring days (we average five to seven miles of walking many days, often uphill or up steps and on uneven surfaces). PACKAGE INCLUDES: • • • • • • • • • • •
Round Trip Flights NYC-TLV (Delta) Airline fuel surcharges 9 nights accommodations at the following hotels or similar ◦ 1 night Tal by the Beach, Tel Aviv, Israel ◦ 2 nights Nof Ginosar, Tiberias, Israel ◦ 6 nights Dan Panorama Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel 24 meals, 8 Breakfast, 7 Lunch, 9 Dinner Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach Services of English-speaking tour escort and manager from arrival to return Local guides as required Entrance fees per itinerary Porterage of one piece of luggage per person on arrival and departure at each hotel Tips to guide, driver, and Hotel staff Travel Insurance included. See specifics at https://www.gate1travel.com/insurance
Estimated Cost*: $4200 per person estimated based on double occupancy SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $1070 in addition PER ROOM for one person in a room 45 maximum participants, 30 minimum participants $500 deposit to reserve your place based on receipt of deposit $2000 – 2nd payment due Spring 2021. Balance payment due* by August 1, 2021 If you do not have a valid passport, you need to apply as soon as possible. We will not be able to complete some parts of the registration process without current passport information. US citizens require a passport valid for six months beyond travel dates. (Passport must be valid through May 18, 2022).
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For more information contact: Rev. & Sir Knight Duane Kemerley D. Kemerley@gmail.com 567.376.9741 Mobile & Text See our web site: www.kthlp.com *Final cost will be determined by number of participants, airline and airport charges. To reserve your seat, complete a registration form and return it with a $500 deposit per person. Make checks payable to: Holy Land Pilgrimage, Inc. Mail to: Emmett Mills, Jr., 1713 Betrillo Ct.,The Villiages FL 32162 knight templar
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As part of celebrating the outstanding history of our order, the following article will hopefully bring to mind the stories of our success and pay tribute to our fourth supreme worthy president. It is once more written by Laura Lee Novack.
Mrs. Adah B. Duff
Fourth Supreme Worthy President Adah B. Duff 1923-1924 “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word!” On October the 9th and 10th, 1924, at Kansas City, Missouri, the “Gateway of the West,” Adah B. Duff met and led the Supreme Assembly at its fourth great meeting. Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Santa Monica, California; Hollywood, California; and Long Beach, California, joined the ranks of the Beauceant Supreme to increase the membership by 540, and the assets by $945.84. The general tone of the Supreme Assembly for this fourth year is summed up in the conclusion of Mrs. Duff’s Supreme Worthy President’s Annual Report: 32
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“For the longer I live, and the more I see of the struggle of souls to the heights above, the stronger this truth comes home to me that the universe rests on the shoulder of love; a love so limitless, deep, and broad that men have renamed it and called it God.” This energetic leader made each day count for good this great fourth year. Her creed for every day’s duty was given in her report: “We live in the present. The future is unknown. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is all that we can claim our own.” It is interesting to note that Mrs. Duff’s advisory answers to questions and recommendations were all approved. An influence, far-reaching from this Supreme Assembly and the whole year in general - still showing its effect – is for cooperation between commanderies and Beauceant assemblies. Just what the Beauceant means to “Adah B” is summed up in these words of hers: “The emblem of our order; unfading thru the years, Reminds us of our fleeting life, with all its hopes and fears. Then when kneeling at the altar, the solemn vows I took, One hand upon my heart – the other on the holy book; How can we take these vows and lightly cast aside The memory of those moments, just as a straw cast on the tide? It means the broadening of our life through sacrifices made; So, when we hear those vows again, let’s write them in our heart, And never, in our darkest hours, from their holy in part.” And her ambition for the future: “These coming years I’d like to be a friend to everyone. I’d like to feel each day well spent at setting sun. I’d like to be the kind of person everyone will love.” “Beyond estimation has been the ennobling influence of the order during the years gone by; only our Heavenly Father knows how far and how wide its future power and helpfulness may become, if all are faithful, for it is founded upon faith, loyalty, and love in all of life’s relations.” So closed the Supreme Assembly of this strong Adah B. Duff, active in the organization of many assemblies throughout the country. With love her banner, Loyalty her creed, Like the Master before her, She is a friend indeed. knight templar
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Knights at the Bookshelf By Sir Knight George L. Marshall, Jr., KCT, PGC John Dickie, The Craft: How the Freemasons Made the Modern World, Public Affairs Publishers, 2020, 496 pages, hardcover, ISBN: 978-1-61039-867-1.
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he author is professor of Italian Studies at University College, London, and is not a Freemason. Given his academic status, it is not surprising that he devotes a reasonable portion of the book to the history of Italian Freemasonry and the trials and tribulations of the Craft in that country, including its reputed association with the Mafia and the scandals of the Propaganda 2 (P2) Lodge during the 1970s, but he presents the lion’s share to an intriguing history of Freemasonry from its operative origins in medieval England; its speculative beginnings and development in 17th and 18th centuries in Scotland and England; and its subsequent history in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United States from the 18th century to the present day. Based on my interpretation of his writing, I would say that the author is ambivalent toward Freemasonry, but in a way, this is a good thing, because it permits him to candidly present and then question some of the practices of Freemasonry which have bedeviled the Institution even up to the present day, such as the admission of women as Masons, the prejudices regarding the recognition of Prince Hall lodges and men of color, and the relevancy of the ritual to modern society, to name a few. The author does come across, at least to me, as a bit of a liberal, but I do not think this impairs the interest nor the veracity generated by the topics he presents and comments upon. The book is obviously well-researched and is quite readable. Although intended, perhaps, for the non-Mason, there is much of interest for members of the Craft to be found therein. Did the Freemasons “make the modern world?” Just how much influence did they have in shaping Western European and American history? That is something each reader must decide for himself. Reading this book may furnish him with an assist in that decision. The book consists of seventeen chapters, beginning with John Coustos and ending with
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“Legacies” (essentially the author’s commentaries on the state of Freemasonry in various settings in the 21st Century). The book certainly is thought-provoking, and while some may find it a bit critical in places, it is a book that should be read with an open
mind by all who want to broaden their horizons regarding the social and political influences of Freemasonry, both in the past and in the modern world, as seen through the eyes of an erudite non-member of our fraternity.
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The mission of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, U.S.A. is to provide every Christian Freemason the opportunity to extend his Masonic journey through the chivalric experience. NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Knightstown, IN Permit No. 8
Templary continues to be the most prestigious Masonic organization. We are a group of men proud to wear the uniform of the cross who share a common faith, mind, and spirit. Through the practice of Christian virtues, we testify to the world that we are leaders in our community and fraternity. This demonstrates our commitment to uphold a standard of excellence within Freemasonry.
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