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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, R.A.M., has been dark for the summer.  I reported last month on our Slate of Officers for the upcoming Royal Arch Year and also on the Grand Chapter convocation and new Officers.  Our next convocation will be in September.  We meet on the third Wednesday of each month, September through June, with a dinner at 6:30 PM and the convocation at 7:30 PM.  We are chomping at the bit to get into our Degree Work this Fall.  Bring some Petitions in.  The Royal Arch is great story to tell.

Loyal L. Munn Chapter #96, R.A.M., has also been dark for the summer.  I reported last month on our Slate of Officers for the upcoming year.  Our next convocation is in September.  We meet on the first Wednesday of each month, September through June.  Dinner at 6:30 PM and the convocation at 7:30 PM.  As Palatine Chapter, we are also chomping at the bit to confer our Work.  We have been informed that the Deputy Grand High Priest, Comp. James Tome, will be visiting us on September 2nd.  So, we will try to be ready.

We received a Flyer from the Grand Royal Arch Chapter that they are sponsoring a "Grand High Priest's Tailgate Party" at the University of Illinois Football Game when they play Western Illinois on September 12th, at Champaign.  Tailgate Party starts at 9:00 AM and the game at 11:00.  All the food and drink for the Party is provided, however the game tickets and parking are on you.  Visit the Grand Royal Arch Chapter Web Site for more information (ram-il.org).

Cryptic Council #46, C.M., has also been dark for the summer.  I reported last month on our new Slate of Officers for the forthcoming Cryptic year.  Cryptic Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month, September through June, dinner at 6:30 PM and Assembly at 7:30 PM.  I could not report on the Grand Council Assembly last month because they met in early August in Springfield.  This happened to be the same weekend as the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar.  Many of us were at Buffalo, NY, for that session.  The new Grand Master of the Grand Council is Larry Raglan and the new Grand Steward is Derrick Helfer.  I think the Steward is the bottom of the Line.  If not, I will fix that next month.  Got this from the Web Site.

We understand that the Grand Council will be meeting the same weekend as the Grand Chapter and the Grand Commandery next year at Normal, IL.  That will make things easier.

Bethel Commandery #36, K.T., has also been dark for the summer.  I reported last month on our new Slate of Officers for the Chivalric Year.  I also reported on the Grand Commandery's Annual Conclave, where our own Russell Schlosser presided.  Bethel Commandery will start meeting again in September.  Our stated conclaves are on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, September through June, dinner at 6:30 PM and conclaves at 7:30 PM.  We have a candidate for our Annual Inspection, but would like a few more to give us lots of Work for the year.  Bring those Petitions in!

Many off us from Illinois attended the Triennial Conclave of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar in Buffalo, NY, August 8th/12th, 2015.  It was a nice weekend.  Duane Vaught from Indiana is the new Grand Master, Jeffrey Nelson from North Dakota is the new Deputy Grand Master, Michael Johnson from Wyoming is the new Grand Generalissimo, and David Kussman from California is the new Grand Captain General.  The Sir Knights from Illinois fielded a Drill Team again this year.  It was a Class D Team and consisted of the following Sir Knights: William Smith (64), Russell Schlosser (36), David Truax (36), Andrew Michyeta, III (36), Richard Carnall (80), William Rakes (53), and Bradley Baker (36).  We placed eighth out of seventeen Class D teams.  We are proud that we participated for Illinois.  If you notice, four of those seventeen are from Bethel Commandery #36. Good for us!  The next Triennial will be in Indianapolis, IN, in 2018.

We are 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.

The Grand Commandery has come out with a new award, called the Cross and Crown Award.  The details were read at our last conclave.  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 2015/2016, as well.

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 has volunteered to coordinate the degree work going forward.  Thank you, Jim. He will also work with the Officers of the four respective bodies.  I will help him get started with this task by giving him a list of who does what in our Degrees and Orders.  I told him I would do that and have yet to get it done.  The following is what we have printed for some time.  "As a reminder, at our planning meeting on April 4,
2007, we tentatively decided to appoint one member as
a "Degree Czar" for each of the Palatine York Rite
Bodies.  That would be four individuals.  The thought
was that the number two man in each body would fill
that need.  We need to get more people trained in our
Degree Ritual so we have a backup for each part. 
Right now, if certain people are out of town, we are
stuck.  This will also get some of our newer members
actively involved in the affairs of our four York Rite
Bodies.  This will also get the number two man in each
group more prepared for his year as Presiding Officer.
Planning and Preparation.

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 176 members.  L L Munn has about 56 members.  Cryptic Council about 200 members.  Bethel Commandery now has 206 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 chairlift
needed.


Our backlog of work is:  Palatine Chapter #206-2;
Loyal L. Munn Chapter #96-0; Cryptic Council #46-0;
Bethel Commandery #36-4.  Let's get those Petitions
in.

Sickness and Distress:   No new reported.  However, we are informed that Maryann Harris, widow of Max L. Harris, now resides at the Illinois Knights Templar Home at Paxton, IL.  I know she would like cards.  450 Fulton St.  Paxton, IL  60957.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

1.  9-2-15  Palatine York Rite.  Dinner at 6:30 PM.  #96 Opens.

2.  9-16-15  Palatine York Rite.  Dinner at 6:30 PM.  #206 Opens.

3.  9-20-15  Combined Reception of Grand Officers at Normal, IL.

4.  10-7-15  Palatine York Rite.  Dinner at 6:30 PM.  #46 Opens.

5.  10-21-15  Palatine York Rite.  Dinner at 6:30 PM.  #36 Opens.

Fraternally,

Bradley L. Baker, PHP, TIPM, PC, Correspondent