Commander James Newby at our Christmas Libations. Past Commander Andrew Michyeta and Sir Knight Gene Pratt at our Christmas Libations. RECENT HAPPENINGS: Check our Web Site: www.palatineyorkrite.org Lots
of good information and historical newsletters. If you want to add
anything contact our Webmaster, Jim Newby. jamesn.newby@gmail.com Palatine Chapter #206 is scheduled to confer the Mark Master and Past Master Degrees on January 18th, 2017. We have two candidates for the Chapter. However, one cannot make the Degrees that night. We will have to catch him up. Palatine Chapter participated with Bethel Commandery at their Christmas Libations on December 21st. We had a great time. Palatine's next Convocation is February 15th. We are scheduled for the Royal Arch Degree that evening. Also our Grand High Priest, Companion James Tome will be visiting. Loyal
L Munn Chapter #96 celebrated Christmas with the Commandery at its
Christmas Libation on December 21st. We had a great meal and a
meaningful and fun evening. We had our last Convocation on January 4th.
We let the Council use the night for the Council Degrees. Our next
Convocation will be on February 1st. On that night we are scheduled to
confer the Most Excellent Master Degree in conjunction with Palatine
Chapter #206. We will meet again on March 1st. The Grand High Priest,
Companion James Tome will visit us. Cryptic
Council #46, C.M., had its Stated Assembly on January 4th. We were
fortunate that our three Candidates were able to attend that night for
the Royal and Select Master Degrees. We also picked up a fourth
Candidate and he was there as well. Receiving the Council Degrees were:
Don Miller, Devin Stieber, James Trafford, and David Koss. Still in
queue to receive their Council Degrees are Luciano Azevedo and Gregg
Gingerich. We should be able to catch them in the spring. Our next
Assembly will be February 1st, when we are doing the 6th Degree for
Chapter. Bethel
Commandery #36, K.T., met on December 21st and celebrated Christmas
with our Christmas Libations. We had a great dinner prepared by Past
Commander Jim Newby. Our Commander, James Newby, researched an original
Christmas Libations format from the 1890's and that is how we proceeded
with the evening. We did all the readings, Toasts, and had an
appropriate Christmas presentation that Commandery Newby came up with.
We also included a Memorial to departed Sir Knights. Last year we lost
Richard Kohn. We enjoyed many Christmas Carols throughout the evening.
It was a lot of fun and the Ladies did enjoy themselves as well. The
sure helped with the singing. We are scheduled to confer the Orders of
Red Cross and Malta on March 1st. We have two candidates that will need
those Orders, once we get them through the Chapter. Luciano Azevedo
and Gregg Gingerich. Also David Koss, who is already a Royal Arch
Mason, will need those Orders. Then we will have five candidates ready
for the Order of the Temple; Dale Costello, Luciano Azevedo, Gregg
Gingerich, David Koss, and James (Mike) Geiman. We certainly have our
work cut out for us. Bethel
Commandery has been active in supporting our other First Division
Commanderies with Work. We went down to Joliet Commandery #4 on
December 8th, and assisted in an Order of the Temple for them.
Traveling down were Frank Del Giudice, Ken Stortz, Andrew Michyeta, and
Bradley Baker. We also visited Evanston Commandery #58 for their
Inspection on December 10th. Present from Bethel were: Frank Del
Giudice, Ken Stortz, Russell Schlosser, and Bradley Baker. Evanston had
a nice day. They had a great candidate from M.I.B. Red Chapter in
Elmhurst. Many other Inspections are coming up after the Holidays. On
January 7th, Drew Michyeta and Brad Baker went to Mizpah Commander #53
for their Inspection. It was a good day. The had two candidates of
their own and one came up from central Illinois to receive the Order. Our
own Andrew Michyeta is the Grand Commandery Membership Chairman for the
year for the state of Illinois. He is making a pitch to the lodges
about Commandery history and beliefs. We wish him well in his
endeavors. I
cannot talk enough about how the Officers and Sir Knights of Bethel
Commandery #36 have demonstrated our principles and beliefs as we have
supported our noble Order. God Bless all of you! It might be nice, sometime in the Spring on a Saturday, to have a York Rite Day at Palatine. Something to think about. Last
year we were all enjoying the new 10 man Opening for Commandery. We
did it in Templar Uniform (as we all should have been doing forever).
The key to this is that we can open with 10 men (or 9 if necessary).
The Grand Encampment Full Form Opening takes about 16-18 Sir Knights to
accomplish. Most Commanderies do not have that many at their
conclaves. This is a workable way to get back to the basics of our
chivalric fraternity. It is our understanding that this Opening will be
used again this year. It is being slightly revised and updated and will
be labelled 10-Man Opening 2015. The latest Version is dated 11-15-15.
However, it was pointed out by the Grand Commander this year, that if
we have enough Sir Knights at an Inspection, we should do the Full Form
opening. My two cents, practicing both types of Opening, plus the Order
of the Temple, becomes a little much to practice. But, it can be done.
We will see what next year brings. Well, as an addendum, we are told
that we will be expected to do the Regular Full Form Opening at our
Inspection. So, that is that. Now we know. And, we are practicing!
And, in conclusion, we did the Full Form Opening at our Inspection and
our Sir Knights did a fine job! The
Grand Commandery has come out with a new award, called the Cross and
Crown Award. This is available to a Commander who performs certain
functions and reaches certain goals during the year. It is our
understanding that this Award will be available in 2016/2017, as well.
This past year our own Gary Berenger won that Award. The only
recipient in the State of Illinois. Congratulations, Gary! Bethel Commandery has come out with another belt buckle for sale for benefit of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. This one is a Royal Arch Chapter buckle, with the triple tau, and with the infamous words "Holiness to the Lord" emblazoned thereon. This buckle has been commissioned in honor of Brother, Companion, and Sir Knight David P. Miller, Past Grand High Priest and member of the Palatine York Rite. It will sell for $50, just as the Knights Templar buckle did last year. We also we able to obtain a few more Knights Templar buckles since we had more orders than we could fill. Let me know if you are interested. Our
loyal Companion and Sir Knight Jim Newby had volunteered some time ago
to coordinate the Degree work. I really did not give him what he needed
to get started on this. However, I will work on getting that done.
Jim is now out of Office as Commander and I will get myself into gear
and help him with coordinating our Degrees and Orders. The York Rite offers many opportunities for us to serve our fellow man and our communities. Each of the Bodies has a charity or several charities that we support. Membership in our York Rite Bodies allows us to fulfill our Obligations and Vows to help those who are less fortunate. Let us keep this in our minds as we go about our daily endeavors. There is a cloud surrounding us, that has been built up over the centuries, that we are a secret organization. Now is the time to let those on the outside know who we are. We should not keep our lamps under the bushel, but should let our Light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father, which is in Heaven. Palatine Chapter currently has about 168 members. L L Munn has about 55 members. Cryptic Council about 166 members. Bethel Commandery now has 203 members. Of these, 94 are life members and 13 are 50-year members and are exempt from Dues. As a reminder, the new Palatine Masonic Temple is all on one floor and at ground level. Therefore it is wheelchair accessible. No ramp or chair lift needed. Our backlog of work is: Palatine Chapter #206-2; Loyal L. Munn Chapter #96-0; Cryptic Council #46; 2 Bethel Commandery #36-5. Let's get those Petitions in. Sickness and Distress: Nothing new reported. UPCOMING EVENTS: 1. 1-28-17 Silangan #93 Inspection. 2. 2-1-17 Palatine York Rite. #96, #46, and #36 meet. 6th Degree. #46 Opens. Dinner at 6:30. 3. 2-4-17 Apollo Commander #1 Inspection. 4. 2-9/11-17 AMD weekend in Virginia. 5. 2-15-17 Palatine York Rite. #206 and #36 meet. 7th Degree. #36 Opens. GHP visits. Dinner at 6:30. 6. 2-18-17 Aurora #22 Inspection. 7. 2-25-17 Trinity #80 Inspection. 8. 3-1-17 Palatine York Rite. #96, #46, and #36 meet. RC and M Orders. #96 Opens. GHP visits Dinner at 6:30. 9. 3-4-17 Austin #84 Inspection. 10. 3-15-17 Palatine York Rite. #206 and #36 meet. Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner at 6:30 to 8:00. #206 Opens. 11. 3-18-17 St. Bernard #35 and Albertus Magnus #92 Inspections. 12. 3-25-17 Calvary Commandery #25 Inspection. 13. 4-1-17 Joliet Commandery #4 Inspection. 14. 4-5-17 Palatine York Rite. #96, #46, and #36 meet. Order of the Temple. #46 Opens. Dinner at 6:30. 15.
4-19-17 Palatine York Rite. #206 and #36 meet. Past Presiding
Officers Honored. Council Degrees. #36 Opens. Dinner at 6:30. 16. 4-22-17 St. Elmo Commandery #64 Inspection. Grand Commander's Commandery. 17. 4-29-17 Elwood Commandery #6 Inspection. Deputy Grand Commander's Commandery. 18.
5-3-17 Palatine York Rite. #96, #46, and #36 meet. Annual
Convocation of L L Munn Chapter. Degree Work if candidates in queue.
#96 Opens. Dinner at 6:30. 19.
5-17-17 Palatine York Rite. #206 and #36 meet. Annual Convocation
of Palatine Chapter. Degree Work if Candidates in queue. #206 Opens.
Dinner at 6:30. 20.
6-7-17 Palatine York Rite. #96, #46, and #36 meet. Annual Assembly
of Cryptic Council and Annual Conclave of Bethel Commandery. Degree
Work if candidates in queue. #46 Opens. Dinner at 6:30. 21.
6-21-17 Palatine York Rite. #206 and #36 meet. Steak Fry and
Installation of Officers. #36 Opens. Dinner at 6:30 to 8:00. Bradley L. Baker, PHP, PM, PC, correspondent |