Greetings  Sir Knights,
The last time I addressed you, we were preparing for   our inspection in the Order of The Red Cross.  I am thanking all of you that helped in the portrayal of the order.  We got good marks for our Commandery for using all our own members.

RT EM Grand Commander Pugh and PGC Dennis Hughes said there are not too many Commanderies that can do either order without help from other Commanderies.  Thanks again Sir Knights.  We were praised for the use of the new banners since we could not find either one after nearly 35 years without doing the full form.

We are now going to do our best for next year by tackling the Full Form Order of Malta.  This may not need any new banners or robes since we have most every item except the octagonal table.  We can still use the plywood top on card tables.
We have not given up the Order of the Temple; we just want to be proficient in all the orders so we can maintain our ability to do all the work of Commandery.

After the Defiance Inspection several weeks ago Ken Crouch had back surgery to remove a cancer growth.  He is cancer free at the last report.  Then several days after Ken had surgery,  Jerry Holzer had a stroke (left side) which put him in St. V’s for several days.  Jerry is doing fine now but not moving too fast.  He told me that he may have to have a substitute for his upcoming inspections since he has been told to rest and recover by his doctor.

On March 23, 2016, Findlay Commandery will use the Scottish Rite Maundy Service as our “Easter Observance” since the Valley of Toledo has claimed our meeting night, to present the first Maundy service in several years.

Findlay will open at 7:00pm in short form and post colors for the opening of the Maundy Service that night. All Sir Knights should wear their uniforms with sword and chapeau.

I have been asked if we are going to have the annual Pancake and Sausage breakfast, well I’m not sure! I have asked several people if we could have the monthly Saturday in April or May for the Commandery.  I have yet to hear about the request. 

Dave Roth, Sovereign Master and Em Commander
Findlay Commandery No. 49
Fees-$40.00-Dues $35.00 – Due in June

Greetings  Sir Knights,

Another year is upon us, and we still have much work to do,  If you remember 2015 was a year when our Grand Commander mandated the TEN MAN OPENING, now we are actively practicing The Order of Red Cross.  It seems Findlay Commandery is in the minority of Commanderies doing the Order of the Red Cross at the Order of Malta for our inspection.  We chose The Order of the Red Cross because I’ve been commander before and we have not performed Full Form in such a long time, that there are very few that even remember the work in the “Full Form”.  Our biggest problem has been learning new lines and doing the order in costume rather than in uniform.

Trying to get costumes to match the characters has been a challenge since most are gone, worn out, or never replaced.
The Banners we had for the Full Form Red Cross are missing and we suspect misplaced after an early York Rite Festival.  We are making Banners, rather than buying new, since they run about $500.00  each.  Our banners should be about $200.00 + each.

Lodge and Commandery Inspections are on January 16 at 10:00am and Commandery at 3:00pm.  The meal is at 6:00pm.  However our noon meal will be with the officers of Findlay Lodge 227.  We will have Wilson hamburgers with covered dishes by our members.  We will share food and expenses.  Evening meal will be Chicken Cordon Bleu, Yellow beans, Tossed Salad, Red skin potatoes, Butter flake rolls, Assorted pies, coffee, tea, water and milk.  It will be family style.

The ladies will have a program in the afternoon and a snack table while we put on the Order of the Red Cross.
Saturday, April 2, 6:30pm will be the Awards Dinner with a speaker.  All of the York Rite Representatives should be here to make presentations to all who have achieved 25, 40, 50, 60, 65, and more years as a member of the respective organizations.

May 17, will be the Oren L. Goodman Scholarship and Widows Dinner.  One of our own will tell about Oren L. Goodman, and motivational speaker, Bruce Brusky.

May 22, a Sunday, will be the Memorial Service honoring all who have laid down their working tools, to enjoy life everlasting.  The service will start at 2:01 pm.  All family members and friends are invited.  Flowers will go to members of the family with refreshments in the dining room after the message.

Commandery will try to have some special programs before we go dark in June.

We are planning to have our Renaissance Meal with some good food of the times so remain hungry and prepare yourself to wear costumes from the armory.  We will have the fattest pig, chickens, and fruit with some special pastries of the time.


David Roth, Sovereign Master and Em Commander

Greeting Sir Knights;

It’s me again, I missed the opportunity of stepping back into the sidelines this Spring.  But the train caught me from behind and pushed me back on the track for another year.  2015-16 will be a very busy year.  It looks like Findlay will be the first out of the starting blocks again.

The change in the inspection schedule is very different if you have served as Commander before, in one of the other Orders; Order of Red Cross or Order of Malta will be the Inspection Order.

These cannot be performed in short form, but in full form only for the Inspection.  If we chose the Order of Malta, then we do the Order of Red Cross in short form, and the reverse if we chose the Order of Red Cross.  But we will not be inspected in the Order of the Temple.

This suggestion was given by our DGC as a way to have each Commandery start doing the Long Form of the other two Orders, in lieu of the short form which is being performed during the NWOYR Festival each year.  The Long form of each Order is not a snap especially if you have not had a cast for many years.  During our last CTA meeting we discussed having a Full Form Opening  day in December where each Commandery will do the full form opening using members from other Commanderies to fill out the lines only, as we do at the varies times when we did Full Form Inspections.  The Full Form Opening day will start on a Saturday after a light lunch when each Commandery using their own platform officers, and Wardens and second division, along with any Sir Knights to do the lines.  The last Commandery can select to do the Full Form opening for the Ladies.  The end of the day will conclude with a Christmas Observance, a full meal and a Christmas message by a selected Prelate.  If we combine our efforts we can be an example to the Grand Commandery of Ohio, that we are the “First Division in Ohio”.  We need every Sir Knight that has a uniform and the spirit to help, show up, and work to make the division great, not for me, but for the spirit of the order.

The first meeting in September, we will make the decision as to which Order we will be inspected.  We need every members input and helping in doing either Order.  The good thing about the Order of Red Cross and the Order of Malta are done in costume, so the black uniform is not used.  If you do not have a uniform don’t worry, because we can give you a costume to wear at no cost.

We need your help this next year in so many ways.  We work at the Fair driving golf carts to shuttle people around and work at the tractor pull entry gate on Sunday at the Fair, and we get paid.

We still meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from September through June.  Come and be a part of the Best Commander in the First Division.

Fraternally,
David J. Roth
Em. Commander