April - Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, USA

VOLUME LVII April 2011 NUMBER 4

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ContentsGrand Master’s MessageGrand Master William H. Koon, II.................... 5Grand Encampment AdoptsAncient Order of Templary............................ 10Some Symbolic Interpretations of theCommandery Jewels of OfficeSir Knight George L. Marshall, Jr.................... 21Hope Springs EternalSir Knight Donald Craig Kerr.......................... 26The Templars and the ShroudSir Knight John L. Palmer............................... 27Another Antique Fob..................................... 32VOLUME LVII April 2011 NUMBER 4Published monthly as an official publication of theGrand Encampment of Knights Templarof the United States of America.William H. Koon, IIGrand MasterAddress changes or correctionsand all membership activityincluding deaths should be reportedto the Recorder of thelocal Commandery. Please donot report them to the editor.John L. PalmerManaging EditorPost Office Box 566Nolensville, TN 37135-0566Phone: (615) 283-8477Fax: (615) 283-8476E-mail: ktmagazine@comcast.netFeaturesPrelate’s Chapel .............................................. 6In Memoriam.................................................. 7A Chat With The Managing Editor................... 8Letters to the Editor........................................ 9Recipients of the Membership Jewel............. 14The Knights Templar Eye Foundation............. 15Crossword Puzzle Solution from March Issue.... 17Grand Commandery Supplement.................. 18Crossword Puzzle.......................................... 20Beauceant News........................................... 33Knights at the Bookshelf............................... 34Magazine materials and correspondenceto the editor should be sent in electronicform to the managing editor whosecontact information is shown above.Materials and correspondence concerningthe Grand Commandery state supplementsshould be sent to the respectivesupplement editor.Lawrence E. TuckerGrand RecorderGrand Encampment Office5909 West Loop South, Suite 495Bellaire, TX 77401-2402Phone: (713) 349-8700Fax: (713) 349-8710E-mail: larry@gektusa.orgCover photo is a statue ornamentingthe Cathedral of Milano, Italy takenby the editor.Grand Encampment Web Site: http://www.knightstemplar.org4 april 2011

Grand Master’s MessageThisEaster will be a landmark forKnights Templar. For the first time,the resurrection of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ will be celebrated by the GrandEncampment of Knights Templar in two placesa few hours apart. The 81 st Easter Sunrise Servicewill be held, as it has been in the past, atthe George Washington Masonic Memorial inAlexandria, Virginia. Three hours later, it willbe celebrated again at the Shrine Temple in LosAngeles, California. Our Chapeaus are off to theGrand Commandery of Knights Templar of Californiafor planning this celebration.As we celebrate Easter with our families thisyear, I would ask that you consider what theworld might have been if Jesus Christ had neverlived. Certainly we live in challenging times, butperhaps we always have. Consider the good menand women we meet every day of our lives whoare living by the example left by Jesus. We see those people and marvel at the kindnessand wholesome qualities they exhibit, and in our hearts we know that therewill be a special place for them at the end of life’s toilsome journey. As we witnesstheir example, many times we find ourselves being just a bit kinder and gentler in ourdealings with our fellow-man.Chivalry – Christianity – Templary, a way of life, should be the by words of this season.Perhaps our good example may animate someone watching us to be just a littlebetter, and he another until kindness and goodness prevail.As we approach Easter, perhaps we should remember that among all the reasons wecelebrate the resurrection of our Savior, he lived by example the tenets of the veryreligion he founded, Christianity.On behalf of the officers of Grand Encampment, I wish you a most happy Easterwherever you’ll be spending it.William H. Koon, II, GCTGrand Masterknight templar5

Prelate’sChapelbyRev. William D. HartmanRight Eminent Grand Prelateof theGrand EncampmentNo one can read the story of Jesus in the Gospels without being forcedto conclude that he believed that by dying he was doing somethingwhich could not have been achieved by living longer. There seemed topress upon him some inner compulsion which kept him steadily on theway to Jerusalem. We see this conviction expressed many times such as in Mark 9:12where Jesus says, “It is written of the Son of man that he must suffer many things.”Similarly in Matthew 20:28, “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but tominister and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Dr. Leslie Weatherhead clearly expresses an inescapable conclusion, “The wordsof Jesus about his suffering and death reveal that he willingly submitted himself tosome mighty task, costly to him beyond our imagining but effecting for all a deliverancebeyond our own power to achieve, and that in doing so, he knew himself to beutterly and completely one with God.”Our Lord, the “Great Captain of our salvation,” knew that we could not redeemourselves, that we could not pay the price for our sins, and that we could not escapethe hand of death. Only he could but only at the sacrifice of his own life. Andso he begins that final journey to Jerusalem, in the month of Nisan, to offer himselfup once and for all, “so that whoever believes in him should not perish but haveeverlasting life.”Let us take that journey with Him. Let us follow the procession into Jerusalemon Palm Sunday, watch as He cleanses the temple, share that Last Supper with himThursday night, stand at the foot of the cross on Friday, and with Charles Wesley, wecan lament, “O Love divine, what hast thou done! The immortal God hath died forme! The Father’s co-eternal Son bore all my sins upon the tree, th’immortal God forme hath died: My Lord, my Love, is crucified ... Pardon for all flows from his side ...Come, feel with me his blood applied, my Lord, my Love is crucified.” Yes, He was“crucified, dead, and buried.”“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they [the women] went to thetomb ... and they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they wentin, they did not find the body.” (Luke 24:1-3)6 april 2011

Robert E. BillingsWisconsinGrand Commander 1965Born: September 14, 1917Died: January 20, 2011Warren Stanley SimpsonMaineGrand Commander 1982Born: October 10, 1916Died: January 6, 2011knight templarDr. Alton G. BillmeierMarylandGrand Commander 1968Born:August 16, 1913Died: January 9, 2011Past Department Commander ofthe Northeastern DepartmentMarshall Dilling, Jr.North CarolinaGrand Commander 1978Born: March 29, 1917Died: April 12, 2010Peter S. HichukNorth DakotaGrand Commander 1982Born: July 31, 1912Died: January 22, 2011Wiley Frank Wood, Sr.North CarolinaGrand Commander 1994Born: September 24, 1929Died: September 2, 20107

A Chat With The Managing EditorLife is good! I count myself among the blessed few who can honestly say thatthey love what they are doing for a living. Because of my job and my passionfor Freemasonry, I read a lot of material about our fraternity. Hardly a daygoes by that I don’t read something negative about us. Not something written bythose outside the order trying to tear us down but by those within, often among ourown Masonic leaders. That’s a heck of a way to inspire your followers. Most oftenthey are being critical, because we are not “changing with the times.” They proclaimloudly that we are doomed to extinction within the next generation.Maybe I am missing something, but I have been in the fraternity for over forty years,and from where I sit, I see a quite different picture. I see bright young men petitioningthe fraternity by the thousands based on an informed, positive impression ofFreemasonry. These fellows know what they are getting into because they have researchedus on the internet. Most of us in my generation thought it was a good ideato petition just because our fathers were Masons. These guys are generally brighterthan we were, and they are willing to take up the responsibilities and go to work.They are also jealously guarding our fundamental principles.As far as changing with the times, look at the changes we are going through justwithin the Grand Encampment. We are targeting young men with the potential forleadership and offering them assistance to develop their leadership skills. The directionof the Eye Foundation has radically changed in order to maximize our contributionto society in a changing world. Even our structure is changing as the degreesof the Rectified Rite are being added to those already being conferred under thejurisdiction of the Grand Encampment. Masonic education is not just being talkedabout; it is being widely implemented in most Masonic bodies. Traditional Observancetype lodges are springing up everywhere, because our members are seriousabout their commitment to Freemasonry. You may not agree with all these changes,but you certainly cannot say with a straight face that we are dying because we refuseto change anything.Perhaps the thing that is not changing is the negative mindset of some of ourleaders. I am thankful that our Grand Encampment leaders are bringing us an optimisticmessage! Maybe some of the others are so comfortable with being negativethat they can’t see that we are right in the middle of a great Masonic revolutionor restoration or reawakening or renaissance. I know that when you aretrying to lead you often see the worst side of the fraternity. I’ve been there anddone that, but you can rise above all that gloom and doom and get objective ifyou try. Hey guys! Why don’t you look around, catch someone doing somethinggood and pat them on the back! I’ll bet if we all started doing that, we wouldn’thave time to wring our hands about our “imminent demise”..... Just a thought.8 april 2011

Letters to the EditorDear Editor,I wanted you to know I was blessedby your “Laus Deo” article. I was gladto be informed about the aluminumcap and that it has been there for manyyears, facing skyward.“Laus Deo”- “Praise be to God.” All theinformation was very exciting to me. Weneed more information about our forefathers’Christian values.Thank You,Shirley HugheyPS: A friend of yours, Richard Gable ofEl Dorado, Kansas gave me a copy of it.God Bless you and yours.John L. Palmer, EditorKnight TemplarMuch appreciated your initial paragraphin the August issue that spoke ofMethodists and Baptists. Many of usMethodists here in Indiana have foundour way into Freemasonry in both theScottish Rite and York Rite. While pastoringa Methodist Church here in Indiana in1967, I became a Master Mason. Duringthat pastorate I baptized a Baptist minister’sson by immersion in the local SouthernBaptist Church. In fact, occasionally Ihave needed to seek out churches witha baptistery for such a purpose.Isn’t it wonderful that we can all bebrothers in Christ, our Savior and Lord!God bless.Fraternally,The Rev. Donald Charles Lacy, Min.knight templarSir Knight,I most enjoyed the last few articleson Knight Templary outside of our UnitedStates jurisdiction, and I do hope thatthey will continue. The articles on Masonryand other appendant bodies werealso a pleasure. My recent favorite wasthe article on Knight Templar daggers. Imust agree with the author that our uniformsin those days were certainly muchnicer, and I envy our preceding generationsof Knights when it comes to theiruniforms and regalia. The black uniformwith the baldric, S.& B. apron, and blackcape was the best! Keep up the historicalarticles of the early Templars, ourformer conclaves, jewels, regalia, uniforms,and other historic Knight Templarevents. The changes you’ve brought tothe magazine have greatly improved it. Ilook forward to each issue.Yours in Templary,Sir Knight E. RobinsonI enjoy the Knight Templar magazine.Since some segments of our society,including Washington, D. C., have badwords coming from them on national TVresulting in nothing sacred and nothingprofane, it is pleasing to have a publicationthat encourages good morals andgood conduct.Lyman CoxGeorgetown Commandery No. 4Georgetown, CO9

Knightly NewsGrand Encampment Adopts an AncientOrder of TemplaryAn historical event occurred onSaturday, January 22 nd , 2011,near Marseilles, France whena charter was granted to the Grand Encampmentof Knights Templar of theUnited States of America establishingthe eleventh province of the Rite EcossaisRectifie (Scottish Rectified Rite orR.E.R) in the United States of America.Seven Knights Templar from the GrandEncampment, including two who hadpreviously been members of the GrandPriory of America, were received intothe Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la CitéSainte, or Knights Beneficent of theHoly City, and the Grand Master of theGrand Encampment was installed as theMaster of the eleventh Provence of saidorder whose jurisdiction will includethe United States.This was a very important and historicalmeeting to all concerned. On Saturday,the brethren retired to a villa or restaurantin a rural location outside the cityfor lunch which in France can go on forhours. After lunch, they were escortedto the rear of the structure and admittedto what can best be described as anunderground vault appearing to haveonce been a wine cellar where it was obviousthat a number of Masonic bodiesmet on a regular basis. After due preparationand much ado, the ceremonial ofinitiation began and was followed by the10 april 2011

formal reading (in French, of course) ofthe charter for the American body. SirKnight William H. Koon, II was then dulyinstalled by the group of internationalKnights as the Master of the Grand Prioryof the Scottish Reformed and RectifiedRite of the United States of America.The Knights then adjourned to a nearbydining facility for yet another celebratorybanquet. At the banquet, Sir Knight Koonconferred the honor of Knight Commanderof the Temple on some of the participatingEuropean Knights who had been instrumentalin facilitating this historical event.knight templarThere had been previously establishedin the United States the Grand Priory ofAmerica Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la CitéSainte (C.B.C.S.) in 1934 under a chartergranted by Grand Prieuré Indépendantd’Helvetie (Great Priory of Switzerland),but it was subsequently determined bythe Jurisprudence Committee of theGrand Encampment and previous GrandMasters that membership in the C.B.C.S.,in the United States, of Knight Templarsunder the jurisdiction of the Grand Encampmentwas forbidden by the GrandEncampment Constitution, because theC.B.C.S. is a Templar Order. Templar membershipin the Grand Priory of America(G.P.A.) was determined to be in conflictwith Section 3 of the Constitution of theGrand Encampment of Knights Templar ofthe United States of America. This createda problem which was resolved when theGrand Priory of the Scottish Reformedand Rectified Rite of Occitania (in thesouth of France) issued a new charter tothe Grand Encampment of Knights Templarof the United States of America toform a new “GrandPriory of the ScottishReformed andRectified Rite ofthe United Statesof America.” Thisenabled AmericanTemplars to becomea member ofthe Rectified Riteunder the jurisdictionof the GrandEncampment andnot be in conflictwith the GrandEncampment Constitution.I wouldrefer you to ChrisHodapp’s web site http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2010/12/grand-priory-of-scottish-reformed.htmlfor a more detailed explanation of thehistory of how this unfortunate circumstanceevolved.This web site explains that by widespreadagreement, even though it possessesits own degree rituals for theEntered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, andMaster Mason degrees, like the ScottishRite systems in the United States and11

most of Europe, it acknowledges thatthose degrees are the sole domain ofMasonic Grand Lodges. The Grand Encampmenthas no such right, nor doesthe Grand Prieuré Ecossais Réforméet Rectifie d‘Occitanie have the abilityto grant the rights to those degreesthrough their Grand Priory.The R.E.R. confers the following degreeson its candidates:• 4° Maître Ecossais (Scottish Master)• 4.5° Perfect Master of St. Andrew• 5° Ecuyer Novice (Squire Novice)• 6° Chevalier Bienfaisant de la CitéSainte (Knight Beneficient of theHoly City)The C.B.C.S. is considered to be theoldest continuously operating Christianchivalric Masonic Order in theworld, tracing its roots back to BaronKarl Gotthelf von Hund’s “Rite of StrictObservance” in Germany in the 1750s.The Grand Encampment will be able tolegally confer the degrees of the RectifiedRite on Templars under its ownjurisdiction and to open it up to moreTemplars seeking this spiritual andphilosophical system of degrees.The R.E.R. is a strictly Christian Order,and as such, one of the requirements isto be a practicing Christian. There areritualistic requirements which cannotbe assumed by non-Christians. Further,one needs to be a Knight Templar anda member of a Symbolic Lodge in fraternalaccord with a Grand Lodge recognizedby most of the members of theConference of Grand Masters of NorthAmerica. This requirement is automaticallymet by any Knight Templar belongingto a Commandery of Knights Templarhere in the United States.12 april 2011

The work of the R.E.R. will be donein full form and will follow along thelines intended by those who establishedthese degrees. An initiate will remain ina Lodge of St. Andrew for at least threeyears before being advanced as a SquireNovice and a minimum of another threeyears before being admitted to theC.B.C.S. order. By so doing, a Knight mayhave the full R.E.R. experience.The Grand Priory of the Reformedand Rectified Rite of the United States ofAmerica began with one Prefecture knownas the Grand Master’s Prefecture and initiatedits first members on February 9, 2011,at 8:00 PM at the Alexandria Hilton MarkCenter as a part of the Masonic Week festivities.Following this initial group, theGrand Encampment hopes to establishPefectures in several parts of the UnitedStates. The plan is to eventually form eightPrefectures operating within the eightDepartments of the Grand Encampment.This will take time and will be done in aslow and deliberate manner.There has been considerable interestin the practice of the Rectified Riteknight templarhere in the United States by good menand Masons who are interested in aspiritual, esoteric, and strictly Christianform of Templary. The Grand Encampmentof Knights Templar has listened tothose who have had interest and actedon their wishes. The R.E.R. has beenspread throughout much of the Englishspeaking world by the Great Prioryof England and Wales through theirK.B.H.C. (an anglicized C.B.C.S.) and theGrand Priory of Belgium. The time forthe R.E.R. for Americans is at hand, andwe are excited about the prospect.13

Grand EncampmentMembership Awards812 Donald Leo McAndrewsPiedmont Commandery No. 26Manassas, VA 5-Jan-2011813 Edgar Alejandro GonzalesMississippi Commandery No. 1Jackson, MS 7-Jan-2011814-816 Donald M. WertmanIvanhoe Commandery No. 4Tacoma, WA 2-Jan-20113 bronze clusters817 Christopher Michael ReidMississippi Commandery No. 1Jackson, MS 22-Dec-2010I found this painting of a pilgrim in achurch in Milano, Italy. Look closely forthe Masonic and Templar symbolism.The Ed.14 april 2011

Knights Templar EyeFoundation, Inc.1000 East State Parkway, Suite ISchaumburg, IL 60173Phone (847) 490-3838Fax (847) 490-3777Greetings Sir Knights,As I write this article we are in the home stretchof our current voluntary campaign. As you recall,the 43 rd campaign commenced on October 1, 2010,and is scheduled to close on May 15, 2011. This willgive the office staff sufficient time to close the books and prepare the final reportingby July 1, 2011. I hope that each Commandery has had an opportunity to hold afundraising event to support the Foundation or an educational program to increasethe visibility of the Foundation.Last month we reviewed the exciting research that you are sponsoring at theUniversity of Michigan and the University of Iowa. We also discussed the action planadopted by the Board of Trustees which calls upon those Sir Knights and friends whoare in a position to do so to remember the Foundation in their will and when preparingtheir estate plan. A timely gift might provide the funding for a young scientist thatwill lead to a breakthrough that will be of incalculable benefit to mankind.One aspect of charitable giving that I would like to emphasize this month is thecharitable Individual Retirement Account. Legislation enacted in December 2010 restoredthe IRA charitable rollover for 2010 and 2011. IRA owners can make qualifiedcharitable distributions of up to $100,000 per year from their IRA’s and a couple withseparate IRA’s can each make gifts up to $100,000. The distributions to charity whichwould otherwise be taxable are excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes.Donors must have reached age 70½ by the date of contribution to qualify for thisexclusion which is only in effect for the remainder of 2011. One important factor toremember is that the charitable gift must be made directly from the IRA trustee oradministrator to the charity. If the owner accepts a distribution and forwards thefunds to the charity, the distribution fails to qualify and becomes taxable.I’ve only reviewed some of the general concepts of making gifts from IRAs. If thissounds like something you might want to consider, I would urge you to visit with yourtax or financial advisor regarding your specific situation before making any gift to seeif this option might be of benefit to you.In closing, I would again like to thank all of the Sir Knights and friends for theirhard work and support of the Foundation.Sir Knights, PLEASE BE GENEROUS.Jeffrey N. Nelson, GCTChairman43 rd Annual Campaignknight templar15

NEW CONTRIBUTORS TO THE KTEF CLUBSGrand Master’s ClubGrover L. Sardeson CO Paul Craig Seyler SCDavid B. Emmitt KY Terry Davis Pritt NCJohn Alexander Williams CA Ralph E. Bruhn ILRalph E. Bruhn FL Burch E. Zehner OHShirley Lohman WI David E. Greer TNWalter M. Zierman NM Robert E. Eberly, Jr. SCRobert L. Kratz PA Ronald Milton Hilmer PARichard E. Mohs NM William C. Gordon MSJohn Braxton Cole LA Harry M. Bluford VABennie F. Brookins GA J. Marvin Acree GARichard J. Corwin, Jr. GA Charles T. Sweatman, Jr. GATimothy E. Crimmons GA Raymond G. Laird GARobert D. Kilgore GA Richard L. Scoggins GALloyd Kinchen GA Jason L. Jackson TXUvalde StoermerTXGrand Commander’s ClubJohn Alexander Williams CA Thomas L. Wimbish NCMichael A. Riley VA Donald L. Marshall CORalph T. Woodrow VA Barry E. Newell IDCharles R. Rogers GA Lee O. Seagondollar AKWalter M. Zierman NM Patrick S. Pelletier PALester Robin Irvin CA Orwin E. Keeney PAGordon Alan Davids MD George Kwitka NDRalph C. Williams GA Richard R. Knock KYJohn Braxton Cole LA Harry M. Bluford VALawrence E. Lathrop ID Lloyd Kinchen GAJason L. Jackson TX Uvalde Stoerman TXHow to Join the Grand Commander’s or the Grand Master’s ClubsAny individual may send a check in the amount of $100 or more specified for thepurpose of beginning a Grand Commander’s Club membership and made payable to theKnights Templar Eye Foundation. This initial contribution will begin your Grand Commander’sClub membership. In addition, members of the Grand Commander’s Clubpledge 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 individualsonly, and Commandery credit is given for participation. Information is available from:Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc.; 1000 E. State Parkway, Suite I; Schaumburg, Illinois60173-2460. The phone number is: (847) 490-3838. The fax number is (847) 490-3777.16 april 2011

Solution to Cryptic Puzzle on Page 20of March IssueACROSS1. HARP dbl.definition5. KNEAD homophone for NEED9. GRAND + LODGE11. NILE anag. of LINE13. CODGER anag. of RED COG14. B(L)UR reversed15. C(anoeist) + ROW16. CH(EES)E rev. SEE(ing)19. T + OFU rev.20. PAST (MAST)E + R21. TYLER dbl.def.22. WHIP dbl.def.DOWN2. ARBOR DAY anag. for DRYAABRO3. RAN + DOM4. IDLE anag. of LIED6. NOG rev. of (a)GON(y)7. A + GNUS + DE(l)I - L8. DEGREE dbl.deg.10. ACCE + P.T.12. SLEUTH homophone of SLEW TH’17. HOAX C changed to H in CO-AX18. (g)ATEknight templarThe author is a Knight Templar whofollows Cryptic Crossword traditionby setting puzzles under acrucinym, choosing Loki, the Norsegod of mischief. If you would likedetailed instructions on how tosolve Cryptic clues, go to http://cerrillos.org/cryptic.htm.Subscriptions to the Knight Templar magazineare available from the Grand Encampmentoffice at a rate of $15.00 per year.Individual issues in quantities of less than10 can be obtained for $1.50 each from theoffice of the managing editor if available.Inquire via e-mail to the managing editorfor quantities in excess of 10. Some past issuesare archived on our web site. http://www.knightstemplar.org.CorrectionThe Grand Commandery of Californiawas incorrectly listed last month. Thedates of their annual communication areMay 22-23, 2011.17

General SupplementThe space on these two pages is provided by the Knight Templar magazineto be used by the Grand Commanderies to communicate with the individualSir Knights in their jurisdictions on a monthly basis. From timeto time and for various reasons, we fail to receive any material from theeditor of the state supplement for a given month. When this happens,we take the opportunity to offer you the information below. – The Ed.Photo of Knight Templar tunnel Akko (Acre), Israel copyrighted by Paul Prescott .18april 2011

Photo of Leon Cathedral, Spain copyrighted by Photooiasson.knight templar 19

CRYPTIC PUZZLEby LokiSolution in Next Month’s IssueDOWN1. E.g., Knights Templar, in Delawarethey cover tires (9)3. There in Europe, Hero is lost toMuse of lyric poetry (7)4. Regulation 1, US Post Office, §2:employee gets oldest Mason’scharges (6,4)5. Junk meat (4)6. Canadian, catching catfish with hisfingers, is petting (10)7. Color between the plus range andthe minus range (6)8. Thirteen systems embracingwhat’s tiny (6)10. Flea destruction of greenery on aplant (4)11. Artfully ingratiating fruity drink (8)13. Squandered battered apple slice oneducation (9)16. Half-brother or -sister is likesummaries - they just cover theessentials (7)17. Men hire truncated monolith (6)18. Many loud musical pieces takespecial skills (6)21. Stretched around carving letters (4)22. Robs transformation of Seers (4)ACROSS2. Mysteries re: being surroundedby sects (7)6. Mannerly youth takes short-cutin place of “Y” (5)9. Exclude ends from ooze (5)12. Coral structure bridges areeffective (4)14. Theater’s overseer makes saintgrow older, commoner growolder, royal (5,7)15. Need variety for Eve’s garden (4)19. Log is in tofu, returned tosaucer expert (9)20. Outwardly dead-positive amissing IV, lost, was put in asafe place (9)23. Bishop Eisenhower’s hog (4)24. Near-historic rearrangementby experts in one of the liberalarts (12)25. Father, rise in confusion (4)26. Innocent one in the middleof church (5)27. It produces a Rainbow Girl’sheart, reflected in Past SupremeMatron (5)28. Recommend to slug guest withoutUnderwriters Laboratory seal (7)We publish letters and articles from avariety of sources and points of view.The opinions expressed in these articlesdo not necessarily reflect the opinionsor policy of the Grand Encampment,the Knight Templar magazine, or theEditorial Review Board.20 april 2011

Some SymbolicInterpretationsof the CommanderyJewels of OfficeThe last in a two part seriesbySir Knight George L. Marshall, Jr., PGC, KCT, ADCAt the right is thePrelate’s jewel. Thejewel of this officeis a triple triangle with a redpassion cross in the centerof each triangle. It is also anemblem of Deity. This jewel,like that of the Jr. Warden, is also richwith symbolic interpretation.To begin with, the triple trianglehas long been taken asa symbol of Deity. For us asTemplars, the three equilateraltriangles of the Prelate’s jewel representthe three figures of the Christiangodhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.The triangles being the same size remindus of the equal importance of allthree. Further, each triangle has threesides, symbolic of the omniscience, omnipresence,and omnipotence of theHoly Trinity. It is of interest that if wejoin the triangles with lines as in the figureat left, we produce a six-sided geometricshape known as a hexagon. It isthe cross-section of the cell constructedby the bee, which is an ancient symbolof both industry and community. Otheroccurrences of the hexagon in natureare in some crystals such as basalt, andin snowflakes.We notice that the three trianglesknight templarhave a total of nine sides. In the NewTestament, the number nine is significantbecause Jesus Christ expired atthe ninth hour after being nailed on thecross; he appeared nine times to hisdisciples and apostles after his resurrection;and Saint Paul enumerated ninefruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, trustfulness,gentleness, and self-control. In fact, thenumber nine is used fifty times in theBible. This number also finds referencesin other religions and cultures. To mentionbut a few, some peoples believedthat the sky was divided into nine celestiallevels. This was true for the Buddhistsand also for the last worshippersof Mithras; the Chinese prostrated ninetimes in front of their emperor; the nineopenings of the man for Islam; the ninestages that should traverse the souls ofAztecs to reach the eternal rest. Theycounted also nine underground worlds.In Brahmanism, Vishnu incarnates innine avatars to sacrifice himself for thesalvation of men.Finally, we see that the jewel containsthree passion crosses. The three crossesin Christian symbolism represent thework of the atonement at Calvary whereChrist was crucified with two thieves(typical of the human race), one on His21

ight and one on His left. (Luke 23:32-33). In this symbol we find the truth ofGod’s grace. One thief hurled insultsand ridiculed Jesus, ultimately rejectingthe salvation He offered. His fatewas sealed. The other acknowledgedJesus as the Christ and called uponHim to save him. He saw Paradise thatvery day. Likewise, we all face the samechoice with the same consequences.Thus, these crosses represent rejection,repentance, and redemption.Taken as a whole then, this jewelreminds us of God in three persons, ofthe sacrifice of Jesus the Son of God forthe sins of the world, and of the choicewe have in accepting or rejecting himas Savior and the Lord of our life. Itsymbolizes salvation and our communityof Christian Masonic Knights boundtogether by the indissoluble bonds offaith, hope, and charity and strivingto cultivate the nine fruits of the Spiritmentioned by Paul.The Treasurer’s jewel is thecrossed keys. The installationceremony is silent as to its symbolism.In the Roman CatholicChurch, the crossed keys are asymbol associated with St. Peter,because Christ said to St.Peter that he would give him the “keysof the kingdom.” As a Masonic symbol,its exoteric or open meaning is the twinsciences, moral science and physical science,a way of representing Masonicknowledge. In old Masonic texts thecrossed keys are mentioned in their esotericsense as a symbol of Anubis, theEgyptian god represented with the headof a jackal, who leads the dead to judgmentand also of Osiris, the god of theunderworld and the dead. The “CrossKeys” also is the name used on severalEnglish pubs. As such, the symbol ofcrossed keys represents hospitality. Finally,a key is a symbol of power. It representspower over wealth—to lock it upfor security and unlock its container tobring it forth for use. Extending this idea,it also represents the power to admit orto exclude. The Treasurer’s jewel thusreminds us that we are the guardiansand conservators of Templary and of ourresponsibility to guard well the doors ofour Asylums against the unworthyand the impious.The crossed quill pens, whichseem to be the internationalsymbol of a secretary, are theRecorder’s jewel. Like that ofthe Treasurer’s jewel, the installationceremony is silent as to itssymbolism. Its obvious symbolic meaningis that of the Recorder’s responsibilitiesfor letter and document (records) writingand preservation. In another sense,crossed quills are recognized as one ofman’s oldest and most important toolsused to record knowledge and learning.For over 200 years, a pair of crossed quillpens has been set before lawyers whoplead cases before the United States SupremeCourt. In this context, the crossedquills could be taken to symbolize justiceand equity. The Recorder’s jewel signifiesthe necessity of self-improvementand education to the Templar, and hisduty to be fair and impartial when judgingthe motives and actions of others.At left is the StandardBearer’s jewel. The jewel ofthis office is a Masonic plumbsurmounted by the banner ofthe Order. It has always struckme as unusual that the plumbshould appear here, ratherthan in the Sr. Warden’s jewel as one22 april 2011

knight templarmight expect if the inclusion of the immoveableMasonic jewels in our Templarjewels should follow in progressionas begun with the Generalissimo’s jewel.One of the earliest and simplest instrumentsused in construction, the plumband its line was an essential tool of thestone mason. As the level was to insureevenness of a surface, the plumb was toinsure perpendicularity and right anglesto that surface. And so it is that this toolwas taken from the operative mason tothe speculative mason as a symbol of thebest of conduct, unequivocal uprightness,and constant integrity required tobuild a spiritual temple reflective of thebest of one’s efforts.The ritual of our order refers to twobanners, the Grand Standard and theBeauceant. As the Beauceant is mostcommonly used in historical referencesto the medieval Knights Templar as theirpeculiar banner, I will follow that conventionhere. The origin of the word“beauceant” is uncertain. An anonymouspilgrim who visited Jerusalem aroundthe twelfth or thirteenth century hadthe following to say of the banner ofthe Templars, “…when they go to war, astandard of two colors called balzaus isborne before them.” The late author JohnJ. Robinson claimed in his book Born inBlood that “The word beau is now generallyconceived to mean beautiful, but itmeans much more than that. In medievalFrench it meant a lofty state, for whichtranslators have offered such terms as‘noble,’ ‘glorious,’ and even ‘magnificent.’As a battle cry then, ‘Beau Seant’ wasa charge to ‘Be noble’ or ‘Be Glorious’.”The Beauceant consisted of a black sectionabove a white one. Its main purposeseems to have been as a rallying pointfor the Templars. During battle, the Templarswere often separated from one another,and the flying banner would allowthem to easily regroup in order to continuethe attack. Symbolically, the blacksection is said to have depicted the sinsof the secular world that the Templarknights had chosen to leave, while thesecond section was white depicting thepurity that the order offered them, asort of transformation from darknessto light. (Note that the ribbon of theCommandery officers’ jewels containsthe Beauceant colors). The use of blackand white metaphorically to symbolizeduality is quite ancient. All civilizationshold black and white as symbolic connectionsbetween light and dark, goodand evil, life and death, sky and earth,fire and water, male and female, etc.Black is also the symbolic color for theearth and white for the spirit. A symbolicmeaning of the Standard Bearer’sjewel then, might be that as MasonicTemplars engaged in the struggle betweengood and evil (represented bythe banner), our conduct and integritymust be such as to stand the test of theGreat Architect’s plumb.The Sword Bearer’s jewelis depicted at right. The jewelof this office is a triangle withcrossed swords. As we havelearned throughout our Masonicjourney, the triangle isa symbol of Deity. The crossedswords represent military might. If thecrossed swords are pointing downward,it symbolizes resting or peace. If the crossswords are pointing upward, it symbolizesa time of war or conflict. The SwordBearer’s jewel is thus a striking reminderof our constant warfare with the “lyingdeceits and vanities of the world,” andthat a firm reliance upon God will insure23

us the ultimate victory. As the SwordBearer’s duty is to assist in protectingthe banner of our order, so it is the dutyof each of us to protect and defend thefaith of our risen Lord and Savior.The jewel of the Warder,shown at left, is a hollow squarewith crossed swords and atrumpet thereon. The symbolof the square was discussedin conjunction with the SeniorWarden’s jewel and that of thecrossed swords in the SwordBearer’s jewel. Besides its obvious useas a musical instrument, the trumpetis a symbol of a specific message for aparticular time. For instance, a speakingtrumpet was a trumpet-shaped acousticdevice to intensify and direct the humanvoice. Reference to it is found throughoutthe Bible, but to us as Christians, ithas a special significance. “For the Lordhimself shall descend from heaven witha shout, with the voice of the archangeland with the trump of God.” (1 Thess.4:16) Here Paul refers to the coming ofChrist to resurrect those who have died inthe faith and to gather to Him those whoare alive. To continue, “...and the deadin Christ shall rise first: Then we whichare alive and remain shall be caughtup together with them in the clouds tomeet the Lord in the air: and so shall weever be with the Lord.” Notice that thecrossed swords are pointing downwardsymbolizing rest or peace. With thethree symbols upon the Warder’s jewelconsidered as a whole, we might interpretits symbolism as being that of heraldingthat time when war and sufferingshall be no more, when we are at restfrom our labors, and when the resurrectionof Jesus will be consummated bythe resurrection of all the faithful and arenewed creation—an eternal kingdomof peace, justice, and love.The jewel of the Guard is ahollow square, with a battleaxethereon, and is shownat the left. The symbol of thesquare was discussed in conjunctionwith the Senior Warden’sjewel. The battle-axe is asymbol of authority and of theexecution of military duty. The battle-axedenoted a warlike quality of its bearer.The symbolism of the Guard’s jewel thusteaches us to be vigilant in the cause ofChrist, to protect our order with fidelity,and to fight valiantly for those things,both moral and spiritual, which will hastenthe coming of our Lord again and theultimate redemption of His people.The final jewel is that of theSentinel. It is a hollow square,with a sword thereon. As alreadynoted, the symbol ofthe square was discussed inconjunction with the SeniorWarden’s jewel. The swordhas many symbolic meanings.Alchemically, the metaphorical swordcleanly pierces the spiritual soul of man.This symbolic action sacrifices physicalbondage to release a path to etherealor enlightened freedom. In Christianitythe sword symbolism deals with protection,righteousness, and justice. Doubleedged swords give us symbolism of dualityof nature and the dual powers ofmanifestation. Here we see creationas well as destruction (death and life)housed in the instrument. The sword issaid to be the emblem of military honorand should incite the bearer to a justand generous pursuit of honor and virtue.It is symbolic of liberty and strength.On the other hand, it has been taken as24 april 2011

a symbol representing war, aggression,and power. The sword superimposedupon the square may therefore be takenas symbolic of our desire to sever our attachmentto the things of this materialworld and to pursue a steadfastly Christianhonor and virtue which will gain usadmission into the heavenly world, into“that house not made with hands, eternalin the heavens.”It is my sincere hope that this articlehas stimulated you to look beyond themere ribbon and metal of these badgesand the reference made to them in theceremony of installation of officers andto reflect more deeply upon the symbolicmeanings they can impart to us asMasonic Knights Templar. If so, its purposewill have been fully realized, andthe labor involved in writing it will nothave been in vain.knight templarSir Knight George Marshall, Jr., PGC, KCT,and Aide-de-Camp to the Grand Mastercan be reached at geomarsh@yahoo.comor 161 Anna Kathryn Dr., Gurley, AL 35748.25

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNALBySir Knight Donald Craig KerrApril showers bring May flowers,so it is said. That means spring ishere. Springtime is pleasure time.We feel and enjoy the beauty of nature. Aswe look around, we see nature putting ona new face, and that reflects happiness. Tosee nature returning its blossoms of fragranceis to believe “God’s in His heaven;all’s right with the world.” Some do not seeit that way. Maybe they can’t, but if wecan believe in optimism and enthusiasm, ithelps us to look up and not down. Thingsmay not always be at their best. If, however,we can make them look a little brighter, wehave done something worthwhile.Springtime brings together two importantfestivals. One is Passover and the other is Easter. The miracle of resurrectionand the freedom of life go hand in hand with the rebirth of nature. The timefor Christ’s resurrection from the dead was in the spring of the year, when anemonesand wild flowers along the Judean hills would be bursting in bloom. WhenMoses led his enslaved people of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land, it mayhave been springtime.All of this suggests hope. From what appears dead, new life emerges. Hope is an actionof creativity which only God has the power to bring to fruition. Passover and Easterare not man-made schemes to shock and bewilder the world. They are wonders andmiracles originating with God. They are givento restore our faith in knowing that nothingstays the same but that life is always changingand being transformed. The mood of thisfestival time compels us to break the spell ofapathy and to seek the light and hope thatdispels the shadows of doubt and fear.The Reverend Sir Knight Donald C. Kerr, amember of Beauseant Commandery No. 8,Baltimore, MD, is Pastor-emeritus of theRoland Park Presbyterian Church in Baltimore.He resides at 700 John Ringling Boulevard,Apt. E202, Sarasota, FL 34236-1586.26 april 2011

The Templars and the ShroudThe Mystery UnfoldsThe seventh in a series exploring the Shroud of Turin and a possibleconnection with the Ancient Templars.BySir Knight John L. PalmerWhat did Jesus look like?Any second grader who hasregularly attended SundaySchool can answer thatquestion with the greatestconfidence. After all, theyhave seen many pictures ofhim in Sunday School books,on posters, and even intheir Bibles. That same secondgrader would pick theShroud out of a lineup asJesus in a New York minute.Now we adults knowthat there were no camerasin Jesus’ time andthat there are no portraitsthat anyone claims to havepainted of Him in person,but how come so many ofthe images we see todayand down through theages look the same? To besure, you can find many examplesof Christian art produceddown through theages that bear no resemblancewhatever to thatmodern, familiar face withthe sad eyes, the long flowinghair, and the full beard,but an amazing number ofthem actually do. Regardlessof what Jesus actually lookedknight templarPainting of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin byAriel Agemmian, circa 1935. (c) Confraternity ofthe Precious Blood, 5300 Fort Hamilton Parkway,Brooklyn, NY 11219. Used with permission.27

Well known De La Rovere painting showing how the cloth was wrapped around the bodyto create the head to head image found on the Shroud. Copyright unknown.28 april 2011

Close-up of a portion of the “L-shaped” burnholes on the dorsal view of the Shroud of Turin.The cloth was folded in quarters when theseholes were made and this is the 1 st or toplayer of the four. (c) 1978 Barrie M. Schwortzcollection, STERA, Inc. All rights reserved.knight templarlike, it seems that these images musthave been copied from a single source,and the Shroud is one of them. The realquestion is, “Is the Shroud the originalsource of this familiar face?”This is the line of thinking that mightlead us to discredit the carbon 14 datingconclusion of the age of the Shroud,because if it is the source, some of theother images are much older than thescientist’s oldest date of 1260 A.D. Soif you have two images of the sameface, then how do you determinewhich is the copy and which is the copied,particularly if you know the age ofonly one of them? We might be able toanswer that question.There are many works of art whichare obviously copies of the image onthe shroud. Some are depictions of theShroud being displayed by Church officialsor its owners and are documentedas less than 600 years old. How dowe know that these are images of theShroud? Well, some show a double fullbody image front and back orientedhead to head like the Shroud. These areobvious, but some are only facial images.If you observe the Shroud withthe naked eye from a distance asmany of the ancient artists wouldhave, it is easy to mistake some ofthe unrelated markings and stainson the cloth as facial features.For instance, in the center of theforehead on the frontal image is ablood flow that some have said isin the shape of a “3.” In much ofthe art that has been copied fromthe Shroud, you will find two straylocks of hair hanging down wherethis blood flow is on the original. Itwas obviously thought by the artistto have been a feature of the imageof the man. Another dead giveawayis the presence on the copy of the “L”shaped so called “poker” holes on thepainted copies. You can understand whyan artist, in an attempt to be accurate,would paint these “L” shaped markingson his copy, but it is difficult to believethat someone copying a painting onto a“fake Shroud” would think to burn holesin the cloth rather than just place similarmarks on it.The problem is that there are manyof these little features including the forkin the beard, the swelling of one eye,and the creases in the cloth that appearon objects known to be older that thecarbon dating process indication of theage of the Shroud. In my mind, this isthe most compelling evidence that theshroud is older than 600 years. Let megive you a few examples.An example of a painting done afterthe Shroud is known to have been ondisplay is one by Della Rovere in the 17 thcentury named “iL VERISSIMO RITRATTODEL SANTISSIMO SVDARIO DEL NOS-TRO SALVATORE GIESV CHRISTO” showingthe full length image and actually29

The photo above is a close-upof the “L-Shaped” burn holesin the Shroud of Turin. (c)1978 Barrie M. Schwortz collection,STERA, Inc. All rightsreserved.The photo to the left is ofthe Hungarian Pray Manuscript- circa 1191 (nearly200 years before the dateindicated by the carbon-14dating to have been the ageof the Shroud) showing aclose-up of “L” shaped burnholes consistent with theShroud of Turin. (c) NationalSzechenyi Library, Budapest,Hungary. The above copyrightholder was contactedfor permission to reproducethis image.30 april 2011

depicting how the Shroud would havebeen wrapped around the body to producesuch an image. The artist added a“modesty” cloth covering the groin area,but the burn holes from the chapel firein 1532 are clearly depicted. However, ifyou observe a work of art in the form ofa mosaic known to date to the 11 th centurycalled the “Christ Pantocrator” onthe dome of the Church of Daphni, youwill find the same stray “locks of hair,”the forked beard, and the elongated fingersshown on the shroud. The crossedhands with no thumbs feature of theshroud is shown on a depiction of Jesusin death from a Byzantine Piece of ivorynow owned by the Victoria and AlbertMuseum in London dated at about 1100A.D. A document dated around 1192 A.D.called the Hungarian Pray Manuscripthas an illustration of the entombmentof Christ featuring the bloodstainedforehead, the “no thumbs” position ofthe hands and even the L shaped “poker”holes in the cloth. One ofthe most striking examples ofsimilarities is on a gold coin,a “solidus,” coined during thereign of the Byzantine EmperorJustinian about 692 A.D.,but this one does not show burn holesor anything else which would prove thatthe Shroud is older. Perhaps the oldestimage thought by some to bear resemblanceto the Shroud image is one foundin the Domitilla Catacomb and datedaround 60 A.D. Another convincing imageis located in the Monastery of St.Catherine located on Mount Sinai. It issaid to date from 550 A.D.These do not prove by any meansthat the shroud was the burial cloth ofChrist. It may even be an exact copy ofa much older cloth right down to thecreases and burn holes. To me, however;these “copies” which are dated priorto the date of 1260 A.D. given by thescientists, seem to be the most convincingargument against the accuracy of thecarbon dating.Next month, we will take a look atwhat we know about the history of thecloth and also the historical legendsabout its past.1121 Broad St – Wesmark Plaza Suite 11Sumter, SC 29150$110$120$80knight templar31

AnotherAntiqueFobSir Knight Joseph McCann of Corson Commandery No. 14 in New Jersey sent usthese photos of an old Masonic watch fob. One of his friends, Hal Francis, found itwhile cleaning out the family atticand believes it belonged to agreat uncle and that it was madearound 1910. Although one exteriorface has the cross and crownencrusted with jewels and someRoyal Arch emblems, you willnotice that it also has what appearsto be a symbol from theScottish Rite fourteenth degree.The back is the double headedeagle, and the interior faces depictthe symbolism of the ScottishRite eighteenth and thirtiethdegrees respectively.Thanks, Joseph, for sharing!We find that many of these old fobs had a mixture of symbols on them reflectingthe various memberships and interests of the original owner. Many were oneof a kind. The Masonic jewelry made around the turn of the twentieth century isfascinating and beautiful.If you have an old piece that isunique or unusually beautiful, sendme some high resolution photos ona black background so we can sharethem with the rest of the Sir Knights.My wife found the one to theright many years ago in a local antiquestore and was thoughtful andgenerous enough to buy it for mefor Christmas. Ladies, take note!32 The Ed.april 2011

Warren Assembly No. 77, Warren, Ohio enjoyed the OfficialVisit of Mrs. W. Joe Ryland on November 5, 2010. The WorthyPresident is (Mrs. John) Merry Beth Vargo.East Liverpool Assembly No. 71 welcomed the Supreme WorthyPresident, Mrs. W. Joe Ryland, on November 4, 2010. WorthyPresident, Miss Tara B. Shulas, is on her right and the woman inblack on her left is (Mrs. Earl) Pat Brown, a 25 year member, whowas 100 years old on Jan 30. She was actually the exemplificationcandidate for the Official Visit.knight templar33

Knightsat the BookshelfBySir Knight Bryce HildrethKnights and Freemasons – The Birth of Modern Freemasonry by Albert Mackey andAlbert Pike, edited by Michael Poll, forward by S. Brent Morris, Cornerstone BookPublishers, ISBN-10: 1887560661, ISBN-13: 978-1887560665.Two of the most revered, studied, and disseminated Masonic scholars areAlbert Mackey and Albert Pike. Michael Poll condenses these two giants andtheir insights to the origin of Freemasonry into one book, Knights and Freemasons.By doing this he saves us the volumes of research and sorting through theirextensive writings, books, and papers to answer the question of their opinions onthe origin of Freemasonry.The excellent forward by S. Brent Morris puts into perspective how we should judgescholarship, research, and theories by the time in which the authors lived. Mackeyand Pike are remarkable in their research and in connecting the history of differentorders and sects to the possible origin of Freemasonry. But their history is oftheir age, before discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls, papal releases, and otherdocuments and artifacts. Their basic ideas, especially the link of Freemasonry to theKnights Templar, are still sound today and repeated by many modern day authors.To realize that they wrote in the mid to late 1800’s with such resolve gives the bestproof of their genius. Yes, with current knowledge, they would have come to somedifferent conclusions, but for us today, they offer a link to our remote Masonic pastand history from which we can make our own conclusions.This book is not necessarily for the idle, curious Mason or Knight Templar. The historyof the crusades, the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, the change from operativemasonry to speculative masonry, Albert Pikes’ rare history of the Order of theTemple, and other interesting thoughtsmake this an excellent reference book. Itis replete with names, dates, and places.Knights and Freemasons is a good condensedview of Mackey and Pike deservinga place on the shelf of any seriousstudent of Masonry and the Templars.Sir Knight Bryce B. Hildreth, PGC is thechairman for the Grand EncampmentCommittee on Public Relations and amember of the Editorial Review Board ofthe Knight Templar magazine.34 april 2011

knight templarTO ORDERCall toll-free at 1-800-426-5225 orvisit www.lighthouseuniform.com 35

Knight Templar5909 West Loop South, Suite 495Bellaire, TX 77401-2402And when theyhad plaiteda crown ofthorns, theyput it uponHis head...Matthew27:29