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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