May 2011 Trestle Board

Table of contents May 2011 Trestle Board

Last issue
From the Apartment of the Commander

First I would like to thank all the Sir Knights for allowing me the honor and privilege to serve as your Commander this Chivalric year. I hope to have fun and keep the Commandery on the positive track for which we have come to be recognized. To succeed, I will definitely need the help of all the Sir Knights.

I want to congratulate Sir Knight Ben Hill for a terrific year as Commander. He’s been a wonderful inspiration, and will undoubtedly be a very hard act to follow.

I have been amazed at how fast time has gone lately. Summer will soon be here and we have a lot planned for the next couple of months. Please try to be attend as many Commandery functions and monthly Conclaves as possible and help to make this year as successful as we’ve been in the past. As Sir Knight Ben has said, “It takes a TEAM effort to produce a top notch Commandery; good job on the ritual and tactics and your positive “can do” attitude.”

The Annual Grand Conclave of Grand Commandery of the Commonwealth of Virginia will be held May 6-7, 2011 at the Double Tree Hotel, 990 Hilton Road, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1-434-973-211. Sir Knights from Portsmouth Commandery No. 5 are planning to meet for dinner at a nice restaurant on Friday evening, May 6.

On Saturday, May 14, we are meeting at Aberdeen Steakhouse on Northampton Blvd at 6:30pm for a farewell to Sir Knight Bruce VanBuren, who has decided to return to his Yankee roots in New York. Let’s wish him well, and enjoy a good meal together. Hampton and Grice Commanderies are also invited to join us!

At our May Conclave, (May 16), we will be receiving the new District Deputy Grand Commander on his first Official Visit of his year. I would like to have a great turn-out for our new DDGC, and start his year with a great Conclave.

Portsmouth has the oldest Memorial Day Parade in the country, and on Memorial Day, (May 30), Portsmouth Commandery will be marching as a unit in that parade. (Uniforms, Chapeaus and Swords if you have them)

In June, we plan to do the first Order, the Illustrious Order of Red Cross Degree, in its long form on Saturday, June 18. I would like all who took parts in January to repeat their excellent performances. We will also plan to have a practice on Saturday, June 4. Still time to get a few more petitions, talk to your Royal Arch Brethren! Remember the Orders are not finishing lessons. Please come out and join us and renew your Templar Spirit.


The Commandery will celebrate Ascension Sunday as a unit on Sunday, June 5, at Bethlehem Christian Church, 1549 Holland Rd in Suffolk, VA. Uniforms or dark suit, with no chapeaus or swords. We will meet at the church at 1030am.

Our June Conclave will be Monday June 20. Since we will have no official Conclaves in July or August, please try to attend.

Portsmouth Commandery is planning on a Tides Baseball Game outing August 20, 2011. We’ll get a block of seats and enjoy a ballgame together. Game time is 7:15 pm. Sir Knight Major Stephenson (757 483-6184) is working on getting tickets and they will need to be prepaid. Cost will be $11.00. We will invite both Hampton and Grice Commanderies to join us, as I’d like to see more joint functions between us all, where possible. We did this last summer and all present had a wonderful time!

As we have been doing, we will meet for dinner at Ruby Tuesday, 6249 College Drive, Suffolk, at 6 PM prior to the monthly Conclaves. Come out with us, and bring your wife, family.

Let’s have some good fun and a great year!


Randall D. Reed
Commander
Tel: 757-487-2069

Chivalric District 2 News and Itinerary

Photos

Grice Installation of Officers
Portsmouth & Hampton Joint Installation of Officers

Plans

Sat May 14	6:30pm	Aberdeen Steakhouse on Northampton Blvd: Farewell to Sir Knight Bruce Van Buren
Mon May 16	6:00 pm	Portsmouth Dinner at Ruby Tuesday, 6249 College Drive, Suffolk. Bring your wife, family.
	7:30 pm	Portsmouth Receive the new District Deputy Grand Commander on his first Official Visit of his year
Mon May 30 (Memorial Day)		Portsmouth Commandery will be marching as a unit in that the Portsmouth Memorial Day Parade. (Uniforms, Chapeaus and Swords if you have them)
Sat June 4		Portsmouth Red Cross Practice
Sun June 5	10:30 am	Portsmouth Ascension Sunday at Bethlehem Christian Church, 1549 Holland Rd in Suffolk, VA. Uniforms or dark suit, with no chapeaus or swords.
Sat June 18	Portsmouth Confer Illustrious Order of Red Cross Degree long form
Mon June 20	6:00 pm	Portsmouth Dinner at Ruby Tuesday, 6249 College Drive, Suffolk. Bring your wife, family.
	7:30 pm	Portsmouth Stated Conclave
Sat Aug 20	7:15 pm	Portsmouth Commandery Tides Baseball Game outing. Sir Knight Major Stephenson (757 483-6184) is working on getting tickets and they will need to be prepaid. Cost will be $11.00.
Mon Sept 19	6:00 pm	Portsmouth Dinner at Ruby Tuesday, 6249 College Drive, Suffolk. Bring your wife, family.
	7:30 pm	Portsmouth Stated Conclave

Apr-Jun — Jul-Sept — Oct-Dec — Jan-Mar 2012

This Month

Select "List Style" view and then "Notes" for details.

Conclave Locations

Portsmouth No. 5	Portsmouth Scottish Rite Center, Hatton Point & Cedar Rd.
Grice No. 16	Norfolk Masonic Temple, Granby St.
Hampton No. 17	Newport News Scottish Rite Center, 65 Saunders Rd., Newport News, VA

Petitions

NOW is always a good time to get petitions from your Companions and Brothers.

Dues Portsmouth Commandery Dues $ 40.00 Eye Foundation $ 1.00 G E Assessment $ 9.00 G C Assessment $ 15.00 Total Dues $ 65.00 Life Sponsorship $ 30.00 Life Membership $1152.00 Total PLM $1182.00 Degree Fees Fees for the Orders of Knighthood are $150.00 and new members automatically receive a Knight Templar Eye Foundation Life Sponsorship. Petition for the Orders Application for Affiliation

Knight Templar Eye Foundation Life Sponsorship Life Sponsorship is $30.00 and entitles $1.00 to be taken off your dues. There is also a Patron sponsor for $100.00, and an Associate Patron sponsor for $50.00. Permanent Life Membership The Permanent Life Membership fee is Eighteen (18) times your dues plus the current dues. The Life Membership is transferable to another Virginia Commandery. It is NOT transferable out of state. At death, the Commandery will continue to receive the funds. You will always be on the rolls as a member! A payment plan can be arranged, call the Recorder Portsmouth Commandery No. 5 Endowment Fund Portsmouth's operational revenues depend on the interest from this fund. Although you are not required to pay dues, we request that you contribute to our endowment. Baldwin-Brown Fellowship Funds generated by this program go into the Grand Commandery of Virginia Permanent Endowment Fund to increase the interest earning power of that fund. None of the money donated to the Baldwin-Brown Fellowship will be used for any other purpose. The interest earnings from the already existing Grand Commandery of Virginia Permanent Endowment Fund are used to pay for the costs of operating Knights Templar Masonry in Virginia. This is essential as the Grand Encampment Assessment has almost tripled and Grand Commandery expenses have unexpectedly risen as office rent has gone up considerably. Eye Foundation Please make additional contribution to the Eye Foundation. If you reach a total of $500 you are eligible for the Knight of Siloam Award.

Bruce L. Van Buren, KYCH Webmaster/Recorder

Deputy Grand Marshal Grand Commandery Webmaster Grand Commandery Awards Committee Grice Merit Award