Pacific Northwest York Rite Festival

The last few days I've spent in Wenatchee, WA, attending the Pacific Northwest York Rite Festival. At one point we had over 50 candidates for the degrees and orders of the York Rite. One of the candidates was Bro. Don Munks, Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Washington.

I had the pleasure of serving as Illustrious Master and conferring both of the Cryptic degrees on 52 Companions. After the degrees, we had a nice dinner and then ended the night with some scotch and brotherhood. For the last two Chivalric Orders, I served as Knight in the West for the Order of Malta and then for the Order of the Temple I got to sit on the sidelines and watch some excellent ritual work.

The Order of Malta was conferred by a Brother who has been a Mason for 75-years. The Order of the Temple was conferred by Sir Knight Michael Johnson, Right Eminent Grand Generalissimo of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the USA and Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Wyoming. It was a historical moment as a sitting Grand Master dubbed and created another sitting Grand Master a Knight of the Valiant and Magnanimous Order of the Temple.

It was great to see so many Companions and Sir Knights assembled together and meet so many new ones. I'd like to thank Companion Richard Kovak, Most Excellent Grand High Priest of Washington, and Companion Michael Holland, Most Illustrious Grand Master of Washington, for asking me to help out at this festival.