Greetings, Sir Knights! I attended the 202nd Conclave of the Grand Commandery of Virginia this past weekend in Harrisonburg, Virginia, home of James Madison University. It was an OUTSTANDING EVENT and I suggest every person on a Conclave planning team or arrangements committee reach out to the Grand Commandery of Virginia leaders and benchmark against their work.
As I type this message, we are 101 days until the start of the 69th Triennial Conclave in Salt Lake City, Utah. I hope that as many of you as possible will be there, as we have a lot of work to do to prepare for the next Triennium and the years to come.
Over these next 101 days, all of the candidates for Grand Encampment offices will be in high gear, contacting as many of you personally as humanly possible. We all have our teams of supporters who will be helping with that outreach, helping to inform you of our plans and, most importantly, seeking your feedback and, yes, your support. We have an opportunity to set a firm course for the future of the Grand Encampment when we gather in Salt Lake in August. Will we seek out a new path and new ideas, or will the inertia of the status quo overtake us?
Over the past two-plus years, I have spent a great deal of time preparing myself for the role I am seeking. That preparation includes an in-depth study of our prior worjk and history as a Grand Encampment as recorded in our proceedings and other historical records, our Grand Encampment finances (as best one can, given some issues with transparency in reporting), our governance (Constitution, Statutes, and Decisions), and a lot of conversations with my fellow Templars from across the country and around the globe. I assure you that I am ready to step into office and immediately be up to speed on the critical areas of our Order, and in a short time, will be conversant and well-informed on all details of our operations. I am well-prepared to assist our Grand Master in any task he asks of me, and will be working closely with him and the other officers on the work necessary to move our Order forward.
In the upcoming messages, I will highlight key points from the previous ones as well as offer additional specific thoughts and suggestions for your consideration and comment. I hope you will take time to discuss these ideas and suggestions with other Fratres and let me know your ideas as well. I am certainly not the “smartest man in the room,” and I know that many of you have some excellent ideas that woiuld help move us all forward. Let’s work together to build the long-term plan for excellence!
I appreciate your time and would also appreciate your support and vote to be the next Deputy Grand Master when we gather in Conclave in August 2024.