Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. Remember the reason for the Season.

My Visit to the Crescent City

Coming Full Circle

I was extremely excited to head back to New Orleans for a 4-day pass. It has been almost 6-years to the day since I was last there and it was there that my interest in Freemasonry began.

While driving around looking at the various sites we came upon a graveyard which at the gate said "Masonic Cemetery". At the time I didn't know who they were, at which time one of the guys in the car said "You know, the guys from National Treasure". That sparked my interest and throughout the year I was in Iraq I read books about them, by them, and even against them. By the end of it, I wanted to join. Going home though it was pushed to the back of my mind until one day at work I heard some co-workers talking about "going to Lodge". I inquired as to if they were Masons. They responded in the affirmative. I asked who do I see to join and they guided me to the Grand Secretary who led me to Oriental Lodge No.60 which was meeting that night. The rest, as they say, is history.

This time around though I was going to re-visit that cemetery and take pictures. I took hundreds of pictures, but I won't post them all. Here are some of my favorites:

Brethren of Etoile Polaire Lodge

1 of 10 Scottish Rite Blue Lodges left in the state of Louisiana, Etoile Polaire Lodge is the oldest Lodge in the state, although I heard talking between some of the older members that another Lodge may be the oldest, but Etoile Polaire received the No.1 designation by the Grand Lodge. From its establishment in 1794 until the late 1950s, Etoile Polaire Lodge spoke French.


I contacted the Secretary to check on the standard of dress for the meetings and showed up. They did the standard investigation on me and gladly accepted me into their room. Seeing Scottish Rite Blue Lodge work done was pretty different, but it was a nicely done ceremony. The opening prayer was done in French, but through the elderly man's voice, it sounded very solemn. This meeting was fairly short as they suspended all other businesses to conduct elections. It was pretty straight forward and afterward, I had this picture taken.

Scottish Rite Visitation

I do find myself embarrassed that I didn't look up where the Scottish Rite building was in New Orleans like I did in Arkansas. At my visit to Etoile Polaire, one of the members mentioned that the building was near my hotel so when I got back to my room I searched for it and found it only a few blocks away.

The next morning I went over there and requested to look around. He asked if I was a Scottish Rite Mason, and my response was: Not yet. I explained to him my situation with deploying and missing the Spring Reunion in Idaho. He wished I had contacted him the day before as he could have worked it with Idaho to get me to the 32nd degree through Louisiana.

The Secretary took me on a tour of the building and explained to me the history of the building and Scottish Rite in Louisiana. It was quite impressive and I was grateful for his assistance. Here are some photos from that adventure:

St. Luis Cathedral

Although I visited many spectacular sites around the French Quarter none was more impressive than Saint Luis Cathedral. The pictures speak for themselves.

New Orleans was an amazing time. I saw some amazing sites and revisited the beginning of my Masonic journey, and I made some money at Harrah's Casino. Can't beat that. For now, though, I must say adios to the heart of the Who Dat Nation and go on to the next journey in my life. Onto the New Dawn.

Training in the South

Training is almost done here in the South. It has been a time-consuming time and a trying time, but the fruits of these labors will soon come about and my unit will complete its mission over in Iraq, and come back to our loved ones.. We have been very fortunate to mostly train for our particular mission in Iraq instead of doing all the monotonous work some units have had to do down here. Some days were long, but we completed the tasks asked of us by our leadership. Days of rest are coming and this will complete a circle of my life, but now is not the time for that story. I sit here on guard duty watching the minutes slowly fall away into history and see that my days here in the States are numbered, and my heart aches for it. The sun is setting on this chapter of my life, but I will have one last story to tell before it's through. And that, although, my heart aches to see this one end, it rejoices to know that new dawn approaches.

Day of Tears

Well, today is the start of a new chapter in my life. For the second time in my life, I am compelled to put my life in the States on hold for a year. I am deploying overseas in support of the conflict in Iraq.

I made it pretty well through the morning, but upon arriving at the hanger where the families were waiting emotion finally overcame me. I've only ever seen my father cry a few other times in my life and I just couldn't hold back the tears. I was grateful to see so many of my close family come to see me off: grandparents, aunts, parents, sister, brother-in-law, and last but not least, my adorable nephew.

While I miss him so much, I'm glad my nephew is too young to realize where I'm going and what I'm doing. He just knew everyone was sad.

I am glad to get the goodbyes out of the way as it is one of the hardest things I've done. Now I'm sitting in the deep south...specifically Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I will say, I don't like this humidity thing whatsoever. I will be here for a time to conduct training and medical preparations. If I can manage it I will visit the Brethren in the area.

Currently...

I am sitting on my last week of military leave (vacation) here in Boise, Idaho, and I'm about to go to Annual Training. I'll be out there for some time and only have a small amount of free time before shipping off to my next training station. It has been a fun month. I've done nothing, but hang out with friends and relax. I went camping with some friends who I had not seen in almost a year. I've floated the river here in Boise several times and got a great tan from it. :D

I've also attended 3 weddings and officiated 1. One of the weddings I attended was for my little sister and I was very proud to see her finally marry the man of her dreams. They make a great couple.

Friday night I attended the last meeting I'll attend at my Mother Lodge. It was an interesting meeting as both the Worshipful Master and Senior Warden were absent (the Worshipful Master was hit by a car and the Senior Warden was with him at the Emergency Room). The Junior Warden presided and did a good job. I sat as acting Senior Warden and had a good time. I told the Brethren that this would be my last meeting and that I was grateful for all of their support. I also congratulated our Junior Warden who I was pleased to see come up the way he has as he was the first Master Mason I Raised as a Worshipful Master.

Saturday night I went to a party with my great friend and love. She and I's relationship has been an interesting one with us being years apart in age and not always having conducive agendas. It was a bittersweet parting and she holds a special place in my heart. I will miss her while I'm gone and look forward to seeing her on my return to the country. We will always be friends. The night may not have gone the way I wanted, but it was the night we both needed.

Sunday, I went camping with my father, sister, brother-in-law, and my nephew. Got up there a little late in the day, but still had enough time to go fishing with them. We had a great little dinner courtesy of my sister and her husband. My nephew and I had an epic wrestling match and it will be a fond memory while I'm deployed overseas. The next morning my father made an awesome sourdough pancake breakfast.

Monday, I went to Wilder where the Grand Lodge did a cornerstone dedication for the Elementary School. The Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Idaho, David C Triplett, asked me to fill a vacancy in the officer line and so I sat as Senior Grand Steward. It was a great turnout, 31-Masons, and most of them were Past Master or Worshipful Masters hailing from all over the State of Idaho.

The rest of the week will be dedicated to prepping for Annual Training.

New Logo and Updates

Well, I came up with a new design for the blog. I'm occasionally going to create new title logos.

I've also updated some gadgets on the page so I hope everyone enjoys it.

My Station and Places: Tyler

I was honored to serve my Lodge as Worshipful Master in 2009. A fairly new tradition in my Lodge is to appoint the outgoing Worshipful Master as Tyler of the Lodge for the following year.

As I stated in my Seneschal post, I talked about how I am always interested in their duties and etymology. Let us dissect this necessary post and his duties.

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines Tyler as a person's name. Interestingly enough, they list "Wat the Tyler" as a notable name in history. In Mr. Robinson's book "Born in Blood" Wat is believed to an indication of possible Freemasons existing in the time of the Peasant's Revolt in 14th century England. In old English, a Tyler was thought to also be a doorman to an inn, early meeting places of Freemasons before they established their own buildings.

Now we can change the name slightly and see that a "Tiler" is someone who lays tiles. This is interesting as modern speculative Freemasonry pulls from positions and tools of the elder operative Masons that were known for their great accomplishments in history. We also look at the Entered Apprentice Degree where we see the symbolism of the checkered floor, that would have required a skilled tiler to lay.

In modern times, the Tyler serves to prevent non-members and impersonators from entering a private Lodge meeting. They also should serve on the Investigative committee for those Brothers who come to visit the Lodge along with the Senior Warden who also serves to verify the membership of everyone in the Lodge. He is also a face of the Fraternity and should always act accordingly.

My Station and Places: Seneschal

On May 29th, 2010, I was dubbed a Companion Knight of York Tri-Valley College No.178. After the end of the ceremony, the Pre-Eminent Governor asked me to sit as Seneschal and I gladly accepted, with him knowing I would not be at the next year's meetings as I am deploying to Iraq.

I am always interested in the etymology and history of the various stations. If you subscribe to studying the mysterious group known as "Priory of Sion", there were Seneschals, that were 2nd rank from the top of the pyramid-like structure, just as there were in the medieval Knights Templar

The etymology of "Seneschal" comes from the Proto-Germanic words sini, meaning senior, and skalk, meaning servant. Seneschal literally means 'senior servant'.

Historically in France, the seneschal would be sometimes the personal representative of the King charged with dispensing justice and administrative duties. In other kingdoms, seneschals were in charge of feasts and domestic ceremonies. They would seem to be close to stewards in this regard. Other duties would include managing the property and finances of the Lord under who they served.

So when we tie this into the York Rite College, we see that the Seneschal is in charge of organizing the dinners and making sure all properties of the Governor are cared for. While he may not preside over them the Seneschal should be diligent in the planning of such ceremonies as installation and initiations.

The Little Rock Scottish Rite Building

This is a post from my previous blog. It dates back to June 2009.

The Little Rock Scottish Rite building

I am attending some training courses down in Camp Robinson, Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock. The other night I had an occasion to visit Western Star Lodge No.2, F&AM of Arkansas. I had no idea where I was going so I took a cab. The driver knew exactly where it was as it turned out he was a Brother. He entertained me with his knowledge of not only the Craft, but also the area. Once at my destination, I was awestruck by the sheer size of it.

The picture doesn't do it justice, but as you can tell, it runs the entire city block. After being investigated, I was gladly invited to join in the meeting, well, after a good dinner. Before the meeting started the Brothers took me on a tour of the building. They told me it belongs to Scottish Rite, but there are two Blue Lodge rooms in it. Here are the pictures:

The entrance of the building

Library

Fireplace with Albert Pike quote

Hallway

Dining Hall. 

There is a stained glass window in the left corner of this hall that I think is a great piece of art

Stained glass window

Close-ups

2nd-floor hallway

Lodge of Perfection (I just wish I had time to get a close up of that window)

The Auditorium

The Eastern Chair of the Blue Lodge room

The meeting went well and I was introduced and welcomed by all the Brothers. After the meeting had concluded a few Brothers took me out to have a few beers. We talked more and they told me that the apartment complex across the street still has the same name it did when it was a hotel called "The Albert Pike". Apparently, Albert Pike was a member of Western Star Lodge No.2.

I enjoyed my time with them and will probably visit them again. Maybe I can get more tours of the building.

Do It Anyway

I was at a Jobie meeting the other night when the Librarian for her report used this poem: 

Do It Anyway
Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

My Station and Places: Intro

In my Intro thread, I discussed the various positions I hold within the Craft. To better understand the duties, roles, responsibilities, and history of my offices I'm starting a series of threads on them.

In the following days I will discuss the following offices:

• Blue Lodge: Tyler, Deacons, Wardens, and Master
• Royal Arch: Excellent High Priest and Royal Arch Captain
• Council: Captain of the Guard and Principal Conductor of the Work
• Commandery: Wardens
• York Rite College: Seneschal, Preceptor, Marshall, and Primate

The Regius Poem

The Halliwell Manuscript, also known as the Regius Poem, is the first known Masonic text. It consists of 64 written pages in poetic form. The poem begins by evoking Euclid and his invention of geometry in ancient Egypt and then the spreading of the art of geometry in "diverse lands." This is followed by fifteen points for the master concerning both moral behavior (do not harbor thieves, do not take bribes, attend church regularly, etc.) and the operation of work on a building site (do not make your masons lab our at night, teach apprentices properly, do not take on jobs that you cannot do, etc.). There are then fifteen points for craftsmen which follow a similar pattern.

The general consensus on the age of the document dates its writing to between the late 1300s and the middle of the 15th century, and from internal evidence, its author appears to have been a West of England clergyman. The manuscript was recorded in various personal inventories as it changed hands until it came into possession of the Royal Library, which was donated to the British Museum in 1757 by King George II to form the nucleus of the present British Library.

During this time, the document was generally described as a poem of moral duties. The significance of the document as relating to Freemasonry was not realized until it was featured in an article on Freemasonry by James Halliwell in 1840.

The text of the document states that Freemasonry was brought to England during the reign of King Athelstan from 924 to 939.

The manuscript is presently held by the British Library in the Royal Manuscript Collection, catalog reference 17 A. I.

Here is a modern text translation of the manuscript:

The Regius Manuscript

"A Poem of Moral Duties"

Here begin the constitutions of the art
of Geometry according to Euclid.

Whoever will both well read and look
He may find written in old book
Of great lords and also ladies,
That had many children together, certainly;
And had no income to keep them with,
Neither in town nor field nor enclosed wood;
A council together they could them take,
To ordain for these children's sake,
How they might best lead their life
Without great disease, care and strife;
And most for the multitude that was coming
Of their children after great clerks,
To teach them then good works;

And pray we them, for our Lord's sake.
To our children some work to make,
That they might get their living thereby,
Both well and honestly full securely.
In that time, through good geometry,
This honest craft of good masonry
Was ordained and made in this manner,
Counterfeited of these clerks together;
At these lord's prayers they counter-
feited geometry,
And gave it the name of masonry,
For the most honest craft of all.
These lords' children thereto did fall,
To learn of him the craft of geometry,
The which he made full curiously;

Through fathers' prayers and mothers' also,
This honest craft he put them to.
He learned best, and was of honesty,
And passed his fellows in curiosity,
If in that craft he did him pass,
He should have more worship than the less,
This great clerk's name was Euclid,
His name it spread full wonder wide.
Yet this great clerk ordained he
To him that was higher in this degree,
That he should teach the simplest of wit
In that honest craft to be perfect;
And so each one shall teach the other,
And love together as sister and brother.

Furthermore yet that ordained he,
Master called so should he be;
So that he were most worshiped,
Then should he be so called;
But masons should never one another call,
Within the craft amongst them all,
Neither subject nor servant, my dear brother,
Though he be not so perfect as is another;
Each shall call other fellows by friendship,
Because they come of ladies' birth.
On this manner, through good wit of geometry,
Began first the craft of masonry;
The clerk Euclid on this wise it found,
This craft of geometry in Egypt land.

In Egypt he taught it full wide,
In divers lands on every side;
Many years afterward, I understand,
Ere that the craft came into this land.
This craft came into England, as I you say,
In time of good King Athelstane's day;
He made then both hall and even bower,
And high temples of great honor,
To disport him in both day and night,
And to worship his God with all his might.
This good lord loved this craft full well,
And purposed to strengthen it every part,
For divers faults that in the craft he found;
He sent about into the land

After all the masons of the craft,
To come to him full even straight,
For to amend these defaults all
By good counsel, if it might fall.
An assembly then could let make
Of divers lords in their state,
Dukes, earls, and barons also,
Knights, squires and many more,
And the great burgesses of that city,
They were there all in their degree;
There were there each one always,
To ordain for these masons' estate,
There they sought by their wit,
How they might govern it;

Fifteen articles they there sought,
And fifteen points there they wrought,

Here begins the first article.
The first article of this geometry;-
The master mason must be full securely
Both steadfast, trusty and true,
It shall him never then rue;
And pay thy fellows after the cost,
As victuals goeth then, well thou knowest;
And pay them truly, upon thy faith,
What they may deserve;
And to their hire take no more,
But what that they may serve for;
And spare neither for love nor dread,

Of neither parties to take no bribe;
Of lord nor fellow, whoever he be,
Of them thou take no manner of fee;
And as a judge stand upright,
And then thou dost to both good right;
And truly do this wheresoever thou goest,
Thy worship, thy profit, it shall be most.

Second article.
The second article of good masonry,
As you must it here hear specially,
That every master, that is a mason,
Must be at the general congregation,
So that he it reasonably be told
Where that the assembly shall be held;

And to that assembly he must needs go,
Unless he have a reasonable excuse,
Or unless he be disobedient to that craft
Or with falsehood is overtaken,
Or else sickness hath him so strong,
That he may not come them among;
That is an excuse good and able,
To that assembly without fable.

Third article.
The third article forsooth it is,
That the master takes to no 'prentice,
Unless he have good assurance to dwell
Seven years with him, as I you tell,
His craft to learn, that is profitable;

Within less he may no be able
To lords' profit, nor to his own
As you may know by good reason.

Fourth article.
The fourth article this must be,
That the master him well besee,
That he no bondman 'prentice make,
Nor for no covetousness do him take;
For the lord that he is bound to,
May fetch the 'prentice wheresoever he go.
If in the lodge he were taken,
Much disease it might there make,
And such case it might befall,
That it might grieve some or all.

For all the masons that be there
Will stand together all together.
If such one in that craft should dwell,
Of divers disease you might tell;
For more ease then, and of honesty,
Take a 'prentice of higher degree.
By old time written I find
That the 'prentice should be of gentle kind;
And so sometime, great lords' blood
Took this geometry that is full good.

Fifth article.
The fifth article is very good,
So that the 'prentice be of lawful blood;
The master shall not, for no advantage,
Make no 'prentice that is deformed;
It is mean, as you may hear
That he have all his limbs whole all together;
To the craft it were great shame,
To make a halt man and a lame,
For an imperfect man of such blood
Should do the craft but little good.
Thus you may know every one,
The craft would have a mighty man;
A maimed man he hath no might,
You must it know long ere night.

Sixth article.
The sixth article you must not miss
That the master do the lord no prejudice,
To take the lord for his 'prentice,
As much as his fellows do, in all wise.
For in that craft they be full perfect,
So is not he, you must see it.
Also it were against good reason,
To take his hire as his fellows do.

This same article in this case,
Judgeth his prentice to take less
Than his fellows, that be full perfect.
In divers matters, know requite it,
The master may his 'prentice so inform,
That his hire may increase full soon,
And ere his term come to an end,
His hire may full well amend.

Seventh article.
The seventh article that is now here,
Full well will tell you all together,
That no master for favour nor dread,
Shall no thief neither clothe nor feed.
Thieves he shall harbour never one,
Nor him that hath killed a man,
Nor the same that hath a feeble name,
Lest it would turn the craft to shame.

Eighth article.
The eighth article sheweth you so,
That the master may it well do.
If that he have any man of craft,
And he be not so perfect as he ought,
He may him change soon anon,
And take for him a more perfect man.
Such a man through recklessness,
Might do the craft scant worship.

Ninth article.
The ninth article sheweth full well,
That the master be both wise and strong;
That he no work undertake,
Unless he can both it end and make;
And that it be to the lords' profit also,
And to his craft, wheresoever he go;
And that the ground be well taken,
That it neither flaw nor crack.

Tenth article.
The tenth article is for to know,
Among the craft, to high and low,
There shall no master supplant another,
But be together as sister and brother,
In this curious craft, all and some,
That belongeth to a master mason.
Nor shall he supplant no other man,
That hath taken a work him upon,
In pain thereof that is so strong,

That weigheth no less than ten pounds,
but if that he be guilty found,
That took first the work on hand;
For no man in masonry
Shall not supplant other securely,
But if that it be so wrought,
That in turn the work to nought;
Then may a mason that work crave,
To the lords' profit for it to save
In such a case if it do fall,
There shall no mason meddle withal.
Forsooth he that beginneth the ground,
If he be a mason good and sound,
He hath it securely in his mind
To bring the work to full good end.

Eleventh article.
The eleventh article I tell thee,
That he is both fair and free;
For he teacheth, by his might,
That no mason should work by night,
But if be in practising of wit,
If that I could amend it.

Twelfth article.
The twelfth article is of high honesty
To every mason wheresoever he be,
He shall not his fellows' work deprave,
If that he will his honesty save;
With honest words he it commend,
By the wit God did thee send;
But it amend by all that thou may,
Between you both without doubt.

Thirteenth article.
The thirteenth article, so God me save,
Is if that the master a 'prentice have,
Entirely then that he him tell,
That he the craft ably may know,
Wheresoever he go under the sun.

Fourteenth article.
The fourteenth article by good reason,
Sheweth the master how he shall do;
He shall no 'prentice to him take,
Unless diver cares he have to make,
That he may within his term,
Of him divers points may learn.

Fifteenth article.
The fifteenth article maketh an end,
For to the master he is a friend;
To teach him so, that for no man,
No false maintenance he take him upon,
Nor maintain his fellows in their sin,
For no good that he might win;
Nor no false oath suffer him to make,
For dread of their souls' sake,
Lest it would turn the craft to shame,
And himself to very much blame.

READ MORE

The York Rite College

Initiation 

Last December, I was approached with an invitation to become a member of the local York Rite College. I gladly accepted, filled out the paperwork, paid the dues, and then played the waiting game as the College would not meet until May. 

Well, the time came this past Saturday. Starting in the morning, there were 6 of us to be initiated into the college. I was chosen as the active candidate or the exemplar. Throughout my York Rite journey, there have always been 3 Companions and Sir Knights, Art Shoemaker (Right Eminent Grand Commander, Knights Templar of Idaho), David Grindle (Right Puissant General Grand Recorder, General Grand Council, Cryptic Masons International), and Ronald Berto (soon-to-be Grand Governor of Idaho) that have guided me and took major parts in my conferrals. Those 3 would again take part, either being the guide or conferring. It was an amazing time and afterward, the Governor, Tony Such, asked me to sit as the Seneschal. I gladly accepted and look forward to the service I can provide to my Brethren, Companions, Sir Knights, and Companion Knights. 

Origin of the York Rite College 

The first York Rite College was constituted on June 15, 1957, in the City of Jackson, Michigan. From here, the new organization spread rapidly from coast to coast and from north to south, and by 1970 Colleges had been established in fourteen States and one Province of Canada. Membership in a College is by invitation and is restricted to those who hold membership in all of the other York Rite bodies. Since the primary object of every College is to foster a spirit of service and to promote and support the York Rite in every way possible, it is no surprise to find many of the leaders of the Craft numbered among its ranks. Here they find a common ground from which they can act for the welfare of all York Rite bodies without special favor to any. Colleges have been active in the organization of York Rite Festivals, degree teams, drill corps, and many other functions which serve to assist, coordinate, and unify the Rite. 

Purpose 

The purpose of the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, as set forth in its Constitution and By-Laws, are as follows: 

1. To foster a spirit of cooperation and coordination among each of the Bodies of York Rite Masonry. 
2. To assist in worthy efforts to improve the ritualistic and dramatic presentation of York Rite's work. 
3. To conduct an education program in order to inculcate a greater appreciation of the principles, ideals, and programs of York Rite Masonry. 
4. To strengthen York Rite Masonry in every possible manner. 
5. To build up a love of country and to aid and support genuine Americanism. 
6. To reward outstanding service to York Rite Masonry by awards, honors, and other methods of proper recognition. 
7. To support Charitable and Benevolent Endeavors of Freemasonry. 

Structure of the York Rite College 

The York Rite Sovereign College of North America is the supreme governing body for all Colleges within its jurisdiction. As such, it endeavors to promote all those activities which favor the accomplishing of its stated purpose. Among these is the awarding of certain honors for outstanding service. 

The Gold Award may be given to any Mason for unselfish and faithful service in any branch of the York Rite. The recipient need not be a member of a College, nor is it required that he be a member of all the other York Rite bodies.

The Order of the Purple Cross of York, the highest honor of the College, is conferred upon those members of the College who have distinguished themselves by their service to humanity or to the Rite, The recipients are designated Associate Regents of the Sovereign College, and from their ranks are chosen the Regents or active members of that body. 

The Sovereign College meets in General Assembly once each year, generally in late July or early August. 

Legend of York 

The York Rite takes its name from the Ancient English city of York, around whose minster, or cathedral, cluster many Masonic traditions. Here, these traditions tell us, Athelstan, who reigned more than a thousand years ago and who was the first king of all England, granted the first charter to the Masonic guilds. Here, in 1705, a Grand Lodge in London, to whose constitution the Grand Lodge of England later appealed as the true source of authentic Freemasonry. Though early disappearing from the Masonic scene, this Grand Lodge left an indelible impression upon the institution, and its name --- York --- will survive as long as Freemasonry continues. 

"This craft came into England, as I tell you, in the time of good king Athelstan's reign; he made then both hall, and also bower and lofty temples of great honor, to take his recreation in both day and night, and to worship his God with all his might. This good lord loved this craft full well, and purposed to strengthen it in every part on account of various defects that he had discovered in the craft. He sent about into all the land, after all the masons of the craft, to come straight to him, to amend all these defects by good counsel, if it might so happen, He then permitted an assembly to be made of divers lords in their ranks, dukes, earls, and barons, also knights, squires and many more, and the great burgesses of that city, they were all there in their degree; these were there, each one in every way to make laws for the state of these nations. There they sought by their wisdom bow they might govern it; there they found out fifteen articles, and there they made fifteen points."----Regius Manuscript, circa 1390----Regius Manuscript, circa 1390. 

This information on the description, history, and purpose was pulled from the YRSCNA website. 

Grand Masters of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon

Here is the list of the Grand Masters that commanded the famous Knights Templars. A fuller biography of each Grand Master will come later, but here are some bullet points of the more famous events that occurred during their reign.

Hugh de Payens + - 1118-1136

• First Grand Master
• Established Houses in England and Scotland
• Established the Order as an influential military and financial institution

Robert de Craon - 1136-1147

• The 2nd Crusade begins at the latter part of his rule

Everard des Barres - 1147-1149

• Officially abdicated in 1951 and became a monk of Clairvaux
• Ruled during 2nd Crusade

Bernard de Tremelay * - 1149-1153

• Died in the Battle of Ascalon on August 16, 1153
• Ruled during 2nd Crusade

André de Montbard + - 1153-1156

• Uncle of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
• Ruled during 2nd Crusade

Bertrand de Blanchefort - 1156-1169

• Known as the "great reformer of the Order"

Phillipe de Milly - 1169-1171

• Mysteriously resigned in 1171 as Grand Master

Odo de St Amand * - 1171-1179

• Won the Battle of Montgisard

Arnold of Torroja - 1181-1184

• Knights Hospitallers reach a new peak in influence

Gerard de Ridefort * - 1185-1189

• Killed during the Seige of Acre on October 1, 1189
• Saw the start of the 3rd Crusade

Robert de Sablé - 1191-1193

• Lord of Cyprus - 1191-1192
• Elections were postponed for over a year until he joined the Templar Order
• Ruled during the 3rd Crusade

Gilbert Horal - 1193-1200

• Tension increased between the Hospitallers
• Organized and consolidated the Templar possessions in France and Apulia

Phillipe de Plessis - 1201-1208

• Helped uphold the treaty between Saladin and Richard I
• Relations with the Hospitallers is tense
• The rule of the Order of the Temple reached its height in Europe
• 4th Crusade occurred during his reign

Guillaume de Chartres - 1209-1219

• Assisted in the coronation of Jean de Brienne, King of Jerusalem.
• The Order flourished in Spain during this rule
• Ruled during half of the first half of the 5th Crusade

Pedro de Montaigu - 1218-1232

• The relationship between the Hospitallers eased; Hospitallers were led by Guerin de Montaigu
• An effective battlefield leader; Siege of Damietta.
• Saw the 2nd half of the 5th Crusade as well as the 6th Crusade

Armand de Périgord * - 1232-1244

• Descendant of a previous Grand Master (unknown though)
• Many of his attacks failed and reduced the effectiveness of the Order
• Made a treaty with the Sultan of Damascus
• Defeated during the Battle of La Forbie against the Sultan of Egypt in 1244, but believed to have survived until 1247

Richard de Bures - 1244-1247

• Unsure if actually was elected to be Grand Master or just acted during the captivity of Armand de Périgord

Guillaume de Sonnac * - 1247-1250

• His tenure was considered a violent one
• Along with the French King and his army seized Damietta; the beginning of the 7th Crusade
• Miraculously escaped after the defeat during the Battle of Mansurah
• Was killed during the Battle of Fariskur
• Was known as a chronicler; created most in-depth, codified records

Renaud de Vichiers - 1250-1256

• Ruled during the latter part of the 7th Crusade

Thomas Bérard - 1256-1273

• Initiated cooperation between two other military orders: Knights Hospitallers and Teutonic Knights
• Grand Master during the 8th and 9th Crusade

Guillaume de Beaujeu * - 1273-1291

• Died during the Siege of Acre

Thibaud Gaudin - 1291-1292

• Known as a man of great piety
• Attempted to reorganize the Order

Jacques de Molay * - 1292-1314

• The last Grand Master
• Met with Western leaders to gain support for another Crusade
• Reigned during the arrest and inquisition of the Templars by King Phillip of France and Pope Clement V
• Burned at the stake on the Isle de Juifs, a small island on the Seine river

* - Killed in Action
+ - Founding member