​Greetings Sir Knights,

With our inspection completed, the pressure has been lifted. Thank you Sir Knights for all your hard work to make the inspection go well.  For the remainder of our Templar year, I would like to run through the full Red Cross and full Malta, just as practice and to get credit for our records.  Our April 13th meeting will be in conjunction with the Valley of Toledo’s Scottish Rite, for the annual Maundy service in Findlay.  Findlay 49 will still need to be there to maintain a quorum, though we will not have a regular meeting.  Our second meeting of May will be the election of officers.  The installation of new officers will be in June.

Timothy Roth
Eminent Commander

​Greetings Sir Knights,

The New Year has arrived and here is hoping it brings better times.  We will continue with Full Form Practice on the first meeting in January (12th).  If need be, we will practice the second meeting as well (26th).  There will be Order of the Temple January 9th and 23rd, as well as February 6th and 13th.  Our Annual Inspection is Sunday, February 19th, 2022.  We will have a carry-in lunch at noon prior to inspection.  The inspection will begin at 2:30pm starting with the Order of the Temple.  After which will be a Full Form Opening and then a Banquet to follow.  We will suspend the full uniform for both meetings in March.  March 23rd will be the Scottish Rite Maunday service in Findlay.  

Timothy Roth
Eminent Commander

​Greetings Sir Knights,

Now that Fall is here, we look forward to Grand Commandery.  Since COVID did not allow for any Grand Sessions last year, we are all looking forward to this year’s Grand Conclave.  Grand Commandery will be October 7,8,and 9.  Drill competition on Saturday the 9th.  wish our Drill Team good luck.  We will continue with full form practice on the first meeting in October and November. The second meeting being business with dinner before.  December’s first meeting will be our Christmas Observance.  Findlay 49’s inspection is in February, so all Knights please study your parts for Order of the temple.

Timothy Roth
Eminent Commander

​Greetings Sir Knights, 
 
I hope you all are doing well.  Now that the mask mandate has been lifted in Ohio and a large portion of the community has received the vaccine, Findlay Commandery No. 49 should be able to resume normal meetings for the 2021-2022 year.  With that I would like to remind all Sir Knights that Findlay Commandery does meet in the summer months, but will start back up in September (9-8-21).  Our first meeting will be in full uniform.  This year we have changed the schedule for our dinners and practices in full uniform.  The first meeting of the month will be for practice of full form opening (uniform), with only a short business meeting.  The second meeting will be a dinner before and business after (Green Coat).

The Findlay 49 Drill Team will meet this summer for practices.  We will meet every Monday @ 6:30 pm.  Any Sir Knights wishing to join the drill team, please come. Have a great summer Sir Knights and we will see you in September. 

Timothy Roth
Eminent Commander

Greetings Sir Knights,

It has been a long year dealing with the pandemic and all that has been canceled or rescheduled.  Some good news is that Commandries can now meet in person under certain guidelines.  In fact, our Commandery has met at regular meeting days in the month of March.  An email was sent to all email addresses that I have but, if anyone didn’t receive an email please get in touch with me to update your email address.

Some of the guidelines are wearing a mask, social distancing, signing in at the table at the dining room entrance, arrival no sooner that 10 minutes prior to meeting and leaving within 10 minutes after and no refreshments.  Meetings are in green jackets, conducted in short form.

Our inspection for this year was rescheduled several times.  A review of the records was all that was required this year.  No other ceremony was required because I’m a repeating Commander.

April 14th meeting will be the Easter observance conducted by our Excellent Prelate.  Meeting time is the same 7:30PM.

At this time, drill teams can meet but because of social distancing they cannot practice.  Hopefully it will be announced later that there will be drill competition at the State Conclave in October.  Drill competition has been cancelled for the Grand Encampment Triennial this August.

May is the month for election of officers.  Sir Knights, please consider serving as an officer in our Commandery.  We have several Knights that have served many years in the office line out of Honor and a sense of Duty.  I’m sure they would welcome any Knight that would like to join the officer line of this fine Commandery.

So looking forward to seeing everyone.  The more that participate the better the Commandery.

Sincerely,
Tom DeFrieze

​Blessings and Peace!

Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage UPDATE.
We are significantly encouraged by the availability of several vaccines for Covid-19 and the global distribution that is unfolding.  While the November 2020 Senior Pilgrimage and the 2021 February minister’s pilgrimages were necessarily cancelled, we are moving ahead with confident and complete plans for November 2021 and February 2022.

Please be encouraged to share the information with anyone you think might be interested.  As a former participant in this pilgrimage program, you know the value of this experience.  We are committed to continue to make these opportunities well into the future.

I have attached information on the November 2021 “In the Footsteps of Jesus Pilgrimage” and the 2022 Pilgrimages for Christian Ministers.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Duane A. Kemerley

Greetings Sir Knights,

Hopefully all had a Merry Christmas and are looking to a better year.

The Grand Encampment was shut down the last of October.  The State Conclave was due to open in December but was shut down until further notice because of COVID-19.

Our Commandery did conduct a virtual meeting to include our Christmas Observance on December 9th.  We will continue to conduct virtual meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of the month until we are allowed to meet in person.  I will email invitations the Monday prior.

All Full form Opening reviews have been canceled for this year.  There is an abbreviated Order of the Temple that was to be conducted but, all of January inspections has been cancelled awaiting notice when the inspection season will resume.

This virus has caused many disruptions in all our lives.  Hopefully we can resume to normalcy very soon.  Please stay in touch through social media outlets, emails, text messaging or calling by phone.  We can help each other get past this.

Sincerely,
Tom DeFrieze

​Addendum for Ohio to Grand Encampment of Knights Templar Reopening 2021 Safety Protocols”
With an effective date of December 1, 2020, permitting Commanderies within the jurisdiction of the Grand Commandery of Ohio to open for in-person Conclaves in “Phase 1” is hereby rescinded.  Grand and Constituent Commanderies in this jurisdiction will remain in Phase Zero, as defined by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar Reopening Templary 2021 Phased Opening Criteria, (this document was provided to Eminent Commanders and Recorders of Constituent Commanderies on November 6, 2020, via electronic mail) and remains in effect until further notice , with applications as follows:
Limited to virtual conclaves and conference calls only, virtual conclaves by means of teleconference call and/or video conferencing (Zoom, etc).
In-person conclaves at any location are PROHIBITED.
Any type of ritual work associated with the conferral of any of the Commandery orders on candidates is PROHIBITED.
Given under my hand and seal of the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of the State of Ohio, on the 24th day of November 2020, Anno Ordinis 902.

​Greetings Sir Knights,

We are still following Article 12 issued by the Grand Master of the Grand Encampment.  There has been no updates when this may change.  I will post any changes by means of Findlay Masonic Body web and Facebook page, group text, or by personal contact. 

Here’s a couple of dates to keep in mind if things change.  Dec. 9 2020 is Full Form Opening review conducted at a stated meeting.  Jan. 30, 2021 Order of the Temple inspection. 

Yours Truly,
Tom DeFrieze

​Greetings Sir Knights, 
 
The Grand Master for the State of Ohio is allowing in lodge meetings, but does not include the Commanderies.  On May 4, 2020, The Grand Master of the Grand Encampment issued General Order #12 not allowing in-person conclaves.  This order is still in effect until further notice.

Hopefully by September, Conclaves can resume.  I will post any news on Findlay’s facebok page website or any other way I can get the word out.

We can look forward to conducting the Orders of the Commandery on 2 petitioners.  Also, the full form Opening will be conducted on December 8, 2020 and Inspection of The Order of the Temple on Jan. 30, 2021.

This is also the time we elect officers.  All current officers are staying in those positions for 2021.  We do need to fill the position of Warder.  If anyone is interested please contact me.

The 178 Annual Conclave for Ohio is scheduled for Oct. 9&10, 2020 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio.  Information can be found on the Ohio Knights Templar website.

I hope this message finds you well.  It’s been a long, crazy and historic time,. God be with you Sir Knights. 
   
 
Yours Truly,  
Tom DeFrieze