november - Grand Encampment, Knights Templar

Sir Knight John Palmer,First, I just wanted to say “Way to go,”and give you a pat on the back. I for oneam very proud to call you a Brother andfellow Knight Templar. I am referring tothe letter you put in the last issue of ourmagazine, (March) concerning somethingabout a vote. I agree 100% withthe way you handled it and showed howa true Knight and Mason should be.Second, I would like to point out toall your readers that like you stated,you have at least 108,000 readers. I amsure that if any one of them were to bein your shoes, small things would slipthrough once in awhile. Maybe it’s justme, but I have a lot of bigger things toworry about than typos in a magazine.I also wanted to write you about thequestion you asked, “What one thingwould I change in Commandery?” It mayseem trivial to a lot of people, but thisproblem goes all the way back to BlueLodge. I also, in my opinion, think this isa big reason why we lose so many membersafter they have become Entered Apprentices.I encountered this problem allthe way up through my degrees from E.A.to Master Mason, through York Rite, andalso in being knighted. The problem is allthe foul language and cursing that goes onbefore the meetings, (sometimes during)by men that call themselves Christians. Iask you, would these same men talk thatway if they were standing in a Churchtalking to other members? I have hearddirty jokes told, the Lord’s name taken invane, other curse words, and even the “F”word. Not just from the same man butfrom several different men from differ-knight templarLetters to the Editorent Commanderies, Councils, Chapters,and Lodges. When I was first visited by acommittee to join the Masons, I was toldthat the Lodge was to be treated like aChurch, and as a Christian, I was happy tohear this. Then after a few meetings theystarted getting use to me, and I startedhearing all this bad language and dirtyjokes. If other Christian men are cominginto the Masons to work their way up tobecoming a Christian Knight Templar, andthey start hearing this kind of talking asan E.A., they stop coming, which keepsthem from becoming a Knight Templar. Iask, “What kind of an example are we settingas CHRISTIAN Knights Templar andMasons to each other, these young E.A.s,and most of all to God?”Thank you, and keep up the awesomework you are doing; next to my Bible Ienjoy reading my Knight Templar magazinethe most.Your BrotherIn Christ’s Love,Sir Knight Phillip McConnellSir Knight John Palmer,If I could change one thing about howTemplary is done, it would have to be thefull form opening for the Order of theTemple. This opening is excessively longand superfluously detailed. The natureof this opening is so complicated that itfrustrates and alienates several potentialSir Knights from Templary who otherwisewould prove to be great assets to thisbranch of Freemasonry. Some knowl-Continued on page 20.17