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  1. Companion Joe

    York Rite light

    The YR has the York Rite College and, as mentioned, the Companion Adept of the Temple program.
  2. Companion Joe

    Texas Commanderies...a modest proposal

    A year or so ago, we had a guy - God bless him - who paid the Eye Foundation money for everyone in the state who hadn't done it on their own. Whatever it was, $5, $10, I'm not sure because I didn't send it in, this man did so the state would hit 100%. I got a letter in the mail thanking me for...
  3. Companion Joe

    Why I demited out of York Rite

    We are very fortunate. My Blue Lodge, Chapter, and Council all had positive gains in membership this year, small gains, but positive for the first time in decades probably. Our Commandery broke even.
  4. Companion Joe

    Why I demited out of York Rite

    We don't do the sash here, but I am certain at one point they did. I have seen Commandery members marching in parades from the late 1800s where all the members wore a white sash over their black uniforms. They all had on the current chapeaus!
  5. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    There is no objection to the military aspect in my local bodies. My Blue Lodge is probably 75 veterans. My Commandery is almost entirely veterans. Many of the members are drawn because of the throwback to their days in the service. I have never met a veteran or active duty military person who is...
  6. Companion Joe

    Why I demited out of York Rite

    I would love it - love it - if Tennessee cut down some of the marching around in the opening. That is my biggest dislike of the Commandery. I also agree that a state should agree on one uniform and go with it. That ties into my repeated verse of being where the stalemate arises: those who...
  7. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    I just noticed this; sorry, I wasn't ignoring it. As to the question if existing members work to change the uniforms, I have no problem with that at all.
  8. Companion Joe

    Masonic Regalia

    We currently use blue ropes with silver jewels. We have a very old set of embroidered, fringed, wide collars, but they haven't been used in probably a dozen years.
  9. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    I agree on the festivals. We had our fall festival in November and brought in two new members. We have four coming through the first of the year that couldn't make the festival, so we will confer their degrees/orders at home. It has been 20+ years, but I remember very little about getting the...
  10. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    I agree with pretty much most of that. I am not a major Commandery cheerleader; never have been, never will be. I participate out of an obligation to the other YR bodies. I honestly don't see the Commandery as the top of YR light. It doesn't even stick to the basic Masonic story. Some guys love...
  11. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    That's fine. Young people today have too much of a sense of entitlement and getting their own way. Commanderies shouldn't have to cater to everyone's demands. It is a voluntary organization.
  12. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    There are no uniforms for the Chapter and Council. If you are a grand officer, you will need a red or purple blazer. Otherwise, you just wear what you would to a lodge meeting.
  13. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    The basic Commandery uniform of black coat and chapeau is pretty much the same as it has been for more than 150 years. It isn't changing any time soon. As I've said in other threads (and maybe this one), it is a cycle. There are those of us who have our uniforms put together and those who do...
  14. Companion Joe

    Why is it so hard to get Masons to join the Commandery?

    I'm going to be Generalissimo next year and just dropped $400 on a new chapeau. I'm all about keeping them now. That doesn't mean I have to like 'em; it just means I'm not in favor of changing now :rolleyes: :D
  15. Companion Joe

    2nd Degree

    Make sure you absorb the lessons of the degree. Many times FC gets lost in the shuffle - the Jan Brady of Masonry if you understand the reference - but it is as important as any.
  16. Companion Joe

    Masonic Years

    It is used on certificates and such, not on minutes or bills or anything (at least that I've ever seen). There are separate dating systems for the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council, and Commandery.
  17. Companion Joe

    360°s of SR

    That guy was probably Alex Jones. He has made a career of stirring up the conspiracy nuts.
  18. Companion Joe

    Form of Address

    You can't go wrong using that because that is the full formal title. Also, depending on the tone and formality of the letter, you would be OK with "Worshipful Sir" as a salutation.
  19. Companion Joe

    New uk member

    Welcome
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