Commander's Comments | Mar 2011

Order of the Red Cross

As the first step in a Commandery of Knights Templar, The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross continues the story of the Royal Arch and deals with a period in Jewish history at the time of the reurn of the Jews from capitivity and the efforts to rebuild the Temple of their God in Jerusalem. The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross, peculiar to America, teaches the lessons of the triumph of TRUTH.

Order of Knight of Malta

The second Order in the Commandery is the Knight of Malta with its pass degree of Knight of St. Paul or the Mediterranean Pass. This Order is the first Christian Order encountered by the candidate. The ritual is based historically upon one of the old Order of the Crusades. In this order you are taught to be zealous and vigilant for the Order of Knighthood.

Order of the Temple

This is the third and most impressive Order of the Commandery and is wholly Christian. The Templar tradition derives from the Society of the same name which played so important a part in the Crusades of the Middle Ages. Beautiful lessons of the death and ascension of our Saviour are inculcated and the candidate is received into full fellowship, in the most solemn manner. This order will strengthen you in your quest for your growth in the Christian Religion and in your work and support for furthering the tenets of Brotherly Love and Friendship.

K.Y.C.H.

The K.Y.C.H., Knight York Cross of Honour is an honor that can be bestowed upon a York Rite Mason for service in and to the Fraternity. He must have served as the leader of his Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery and been nominated by his peers and elected to receive this distinction.

Mark Master Mason Degree | Feb 2011

Greetings Friends & Companions,

Join Washtenaw Chapter No. 6, Excelsior Chapter No. 25 and York Chapter No. 150 for the Mark Master Mason degree being performed at the Belleville Masonic Temple in cooperation with our host, Myrtle Lodge No. 89.

If you have ever considered joining Royal Arch Masonry, part of the York Rite this is a great opportunity to begin this spectacular journey in a city where this work hasn’t been performed for nearly a half century.

Chapter will open at 7:00pm followed by a small meal. Hope to see you there!

High Priest's Address | Feb 2011

Greetings Friends & Companions,

“The stone which the builders refused

is become the head stone of the corner

This is the LORD’s doing;

it is marvellous in our eyes.

This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

- Psalm 118:22-24 KJV

As many of you may know we will be starting several brothers on the journey though Capitular Masonry in Belleville this month and of course that starts with the Mark Master Mason Degree. In our jurisdiction this ritual makes up first degree of Royal Arch Masonry, and in turn the York Rite but I always find it important to note that in other jurisdictions the Order of Mark Masters is its own appendant organization holding a special distinction within the body of Masonic work. The lessons of the Mark Master Mason degree like many other degrees are varied an open to interpretation but if I think I can share a few take aways that I would hope all can find. The degree teaches us to resist elitism showing the candidate that even the most experienced can be wrong and that even the weakest among us have the capacity for greatness. And as it follows the path of the stone it follows the path of a well lived life, being found, being recognized, and brought into perfection. Indeed the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

I hope all who can make it join us at the Belleville Masonic Temple, on February 14th for the Mark Master Mason Degree, and of course the degrees to follow which will continue on the second Monday of each month. I would also like to remind everyone that we will continue having our business meeting on the third Monday of every month at our home in Ann Arbor. Last but not least I would like to thank the companions of Excelsior Chapter No. 25, York Chapter No. 150 and my own companions for making these degrees possible, and of course Myrtle Lodge No. 89 for welcoming us into their home.

The address for the temple is:  515 Main Street, Belleville, MI, 48111, and it’s on the corner of the first right past the bridge, you can’t miss it. I hope to see you there!

Dominus Vobiscum,

Brandon Mullins, HP

From the Crypt | Feb 2011

Greetings Companions and Friends,

Hope that the weather is doing better for you, your health and your families health than it is doing for those at the home of the Lucero family. Our Stated Assembly in January was rather poorly attended. Not only was George unable to be in attendance due to ill health, but also so were Rod Deyo, Walter Howarth, and Art Stoll. Corey Curtiss had to be out of town on business with the Scouts and several others were missing for various reasons, some to be just in warmer climates for a few months, some for going out of business sales and others because they had been too busy at work.

George sent out the following poem which is meant for all.

I said a prayer for you today

And know that God must have heard,

I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke not a word.

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame

(I knew you wouldn’t mind)

I asked Him to send treasures

Of a far more lasting kind.

I prayed that He’d be near you

At the start of each new day,

To grant you health and blessings

And friends to share your way.

I asked for happiness for you

In all things great and small

But it was for his loving care

I prayed the most of all.

The leaders of Ann Arbor’s three York Rite Masonic Groups are working and planning for the upcoming several months, actually for the next year and a half.

Each of them has agreed to serve their respective bodies for a two year term so that they can get programs planned and implemented. It now requires that each of us step forward and offer our assistance to them for serving us.

Paul C. Howell, PTIM

Commander's Comments | Feb 2011

I trust that Blue Lodge and Council Installation season went well (and your Holidays and family time too). I look forward to your attendance at our upcoming Ann Arbor Joint York Rite (AAJYR) meeting on Monday, February 21. We are going to start practicing our 10 man opening and closing and thinking about Inspection season which is just around the corner. We will also have a discussion about our calendar for the next 12-15 months and I welcome suggestions for activities that our membership might enjoy or that could bring service to the community and visibility to our Valiant Order. If you perchance, cannot attend and would like to contribute an idea please email me at cfcurtiss@yahoo.com or call me at 734-660-0241.

I encourage you in the interim between AAJYR meetings to regularly attend communications of the Blue Lodge(s) in your area and through the means of common social intercourse strike up a conversation about the York Rite of Masonry and particularly our Knights Templar. Make your brothers aware of the high regard you hold for the Order and your zeal for our institution. Perhaps they might be interested in joining with us in our noble works. Always have ready petitions to join the York Rite Bodies for those who are interested. Avoid badgering those that might not be receptive right now but let yourself be an example of the good work and superior fellowship we enjoy in the York Rite and more especially the Knights Templar. Thank you for your efforts on behalf of our Order. Please pray for our sick, dearly departed, those who are traveling, and men and women in uniform locally and overseas, both civil servants and those in the armed forces. If you’re on your way or already in a warmer place for the next few weeks I hope you enjoy the weather and your rest and recuperation; we look forward to welcoming you home in the Spring.

Corey Curtiss, EC

High Priest's Address | Jan 2011

Greetings Friends & Companions,

The New Year is a time traditionally thought of as an opportunity for new beginnings, new resolutions, and a fresh start. Such opportunities should never be taken lightly, and I hope you all take advantage of the season allowing it to fill you with invigoration anew.  But when thinking about new beginnings my mind cannot help but be drawn to thoughts of our fraternity’s own beginnings. This is of course a subject of heated debate within circles of members and nonmembers alike. With theories that range from the cathedral builders of the Middle Ages, to the Knights Templar to the builders of King Solomon’s Temple as our ritual would suggest, there are many theories with merit and I would not be surprised if all contained a bit of truth. But I in no way expect to learn the complete truth of our origins while still contained within my mortal shell, so until that fateful day comes I choose to look upon the subject of Masonic origins with a different perspective. How old are the ideas that our fraternity holds so dear? Where do our teachings come from? Equally debated questions, and equally lost in the pages of history, but I find that such research leads us to places we may not have previously considered, and gives us knowledge otherwise unseen. Take a look at the following…

“To accomplish anything whatsoever one must have standards. None have yet accomplished anything without them. The gentlemen fulfilling their duties as generals and councilors have their standards. Even the artisans performing their tasks also have their standards. The artisans make square objects according to the square, circular objects according to the compasses; they draw straight lines with the carpenter’s line and find the perpendicular by a pendulum. All artisans, whether skilled or unskilled, employ these five standards. Only the skilled workers are accurate. Though the unskilled laborers have not attained accuracy, yet they do better by following these standards than otherwise. Thus all artisans follow the standards in their work.” 
 

 Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Well you may be surprised by the source. This teaching is attributed to a man called Mozi. Not a medieval stonemason, not a Knight Templar, nor Jewish architect, but a Chinese philosopher, born in 470 BC. He was raised as working class artisan but worked his way up bringing his world view, of labor and ingenuity with him. He is also famously known for speaking on the symbolic value of white cloth, another philosophy we as Masons are certainly familiar with. Am I here to claim that Masonic teachings have their roots in the Mohist schools of ancient China? Hardly. But I feel it is important to note that Freemasonry has a shared heritage with the philosophy of the ancient world and while we may never know our true, historic origins I am certain we can consider ourselves in good company.  

Speaking of company I hope to see you all in Chapter this month, and in fact I request it most seriously. We are most certainly meeting for January, and during this meeting we will be talking at length about our degrees in Belleville. Between now and then, also expect me to be contacting many of your trying to nail down your role for the Mark Master Mason degree in February, and this does not just include members of my own Chapter but other Chapters as well. Capitular Masonry has not graced the lodge room of the Belleville Masonic Temple in several decades and I hope to make this event exceptional, so I’m going to need all the help I can get. So think about your possible role and contact me as soon as you can. I thank you all for reading and wish you a happy New Year. 

Dominus Vobiscum,

Brandon Mullins, HP

From the Crypt | Jan 2011

Greetings Companions and Friends,

Wishing all a very Happy New Year. The very best of everything in the coming year of 2011. It is easy for each of you to insure that your year will be even better than you had thought or hoped for.

Step forward … Ask for a petition and join the York Rite. It will be a step that you will never regret.

The Council is waiting for those Chapter members whom have not yet expanded their horizons. Although you could go to an All Degree Day for the Council and receive the 3 Degrees of the Cryptic Rite, we would prefer to do them locally. That’s one of the great things about the York Rite, besides the fact that you will be taking an active part in the degrees being put on by your Companions from your own Lodge and the surrounding Lodges.

 It’s a great experience and the lessons will only strengthen you and all of your future endeavors.

I am writing this letter for Thrice Illustrious Master George Lucero as his lovely lady Amanda’s Grandmother passed away and he has been spending time out of town.

This is a very difficult time for anyone to lose a member of their family and we are sad to report that Fred & Janet Schneider of Ypsilanti just lost their daughter Karen after a 3 year valiant battle with cancer.

Asking that you keep these families and any others that you may know of in distress in your continued thoughts and prayers. It is a difficult enough without it being at this supposed holiday and festive time of the year.

May all of the new officers of the Lodges have very prosperous, rewarding and enjoyable years. May your hard work pay off for the benefit of your Lodge, the Community and Masonry.

God Bless and keep each of you in the palm of his hand.

Keep a smile on your face, a chuckle in your voice and love in your heart.

Paul C. Howell, PTIM

Commander's Comments | Jan 2011

Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc.

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. is a charitable foundation dedicated to helping those who face loss of sight due top the need for surgical treatment and to provide funds for research in during diseases of the eye. (Just this past spring the foundation gave a research grant of $35,000 to a doctor at the Kellogg Eye Center.)

Since its founding in 1956, the Foundation has handled over 82,000 cases, representing more than $102 million. Research grants totaling over $9.6 million have been made to researchers working in the field of pediatric ophthalmology or development biology.

Who We Help!

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. provides assistance to U.S. citizens who face loss of sight due to the need for surgical treatment without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex or national origin provided they are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources. This includes the correction of strabismus (cross-eyes) in children up to the age of 16 years.

How We Help!

Qualified persons are provided with the cost of treatment, surgery, and hospitalization in a place of their own choosing and by physicians of their own< choice.

The Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. is also a co-sponsor of the EyeCare American Seniors EyeCare Program, a public service of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc.

1000 East State Parkway, Suite 1

Schaumburg, IL 60173

www.knightstemplar.org/ktef

Contributions are tax deductible under Section 501© 3 of the Internal Revenue Code.