Commandery of Virginia. For the Past Grand Commanders, thank you for your
support, advice, mentoring and friendship. You are a great asset to the Grand
Commandery of Virginia. Thank you REs Brad, Phil, Mark, Jeff, Mike, Jim, Jay,
Bob, Ed, Gerry, John, Sam, Gordon and Mansel.
Sir Knights, Family, and Friends,
As May begins, the sun is high in the sky, the grass is green and needs mowing,
the flowers are in full bloom, the Grand Annual Conclave of the Grand
Commandery of the Commonwealth of Virginia is a few days away, and my term
as your Grand Commander is almost over.
This year has flown by and it seems such a short time ago that I was beginning
on this journey. By the time you read this, I will have traveled over 25000 miles
across our great Commonwealth and the other Jurisdictions of the Mid-Atlantic
Department. I have had the privilege of representing the Grand Commandery of
Virginia at all three Virginia Youth Groups, many appendant bodies, at Grand
Encampment, at the Department Conference, at Grand Lodge, at Grand Royal
Arch Chapter, as a Member of the Masonic Home Board of Governors, at Blue
Lodges, at Royal Arch Chapters, at many other Masonic Organizations, and had
the distinct privilege and high honor of attending 6 festivals and knighting over
40 Sir Knights. It has been a wonderful year from my point of view. I have
thoroughly enjoyed all of the travel, the opportunity to bring my message and
vision to you, the friendship and brotherly love, the meals (I think I gained 20
lbs), and most of all, just being among the Sir Knights.
There are so many that I need to thank for their support during my sojourn
through the Grand Line. I thank my Grand Line for their support this year.
Without you, many of the expectations I set down at the beginning of the year
would not have happened. The DDGC’s, what can I say, all of the District
meetings were well attended; a great success, and I thank you for your efforts.
For the District Instructors, thank you for your efforts in bringing our ritual to the
level it is today. Thank you for seeing that we have qualified Dais Officers to
govern our Commanderies. For the Commanders, Generalissimo’s, and
Captains General, thank you for the leadership that you provide at the
Constituent Commandery level. Without you, we would not have a Grand
Commandery. For all of the Committee Members and Committee Chairmen,
thank you for your service to this Grand Commander and the Grand
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May 2013
Thank you my darling, I love you dearly.
Finally Sir Knights, I would ask that you give your full support to Sir Knight
Lawrence Barton Smith when he assumes the role of Grand Commander of the
Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Virginia. I wish him much success and I
hope he can achieve that allusive goal that has plagued so many Grand
Commanders, that of having an increase in membership. I ask you Sir Knights, to
RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT!!!
I ask you Sir Knights, to join with me, be Persistent and see if we can restore our
great fraternity to its former prominence, vitality, prestige, and vigor. If we all work
together as a band of brothers, I have every confidence that we will achieve
“Success through Persistence”.
I look forward to meeting and greeting all of you at the Grand Annual Conclave in
Charlottesville 3 and 4 May. Until we meet again, I remain your humble servant.
In His Service,
Bill
William Thomas Hargrove, PhD, KCT, KYGCH
Grand Commander
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 3-4, 2013
Virginia Supplement
Grand Commandery of Virginia (Charlottesville
19
VA
FROM THE APPARTMENT OF THE GRAND
COMMANDER
And now for some specific individuals who have been instrumental to whatever
success I may have had this year. Please forgive me if I have left anyone out of
this list. There are so many who have contributed this year that is hard to
remember everyone’s contribution. I would like to thank Jay Cotner for having
enough faith in me to nominate me for the Grand Line, for being my Mentor, for
being my Special Assistant this year, for handling the arrangements for the Grand
Commandery this year, and most of all for just being my friend and brother. I
would remiss if I did not thank Lady Ann Dechent for pinning on my jewel each
year and Lady Florence Forster for the beautiful afghan she donated for the
charities. I thank Sir Knight Roger and Lady Joyce Duncan for volunteering to be
my photographers this year. I thank Patrick Murphrey for volunteering to manage
my Face Book page this year. I thank Sir Knight Bill Reinhold for his efforts with
the Drill Team. He brought honor and recognition to the Grand Commandery of
Virginia. Please forgive me if I have forgotten to mention your contribution. And
last but not least, I must not forget to thank my best friend for life, the love of my
life, my wife, Lady Dianne for allowing me the freedom to pursue this dream for
the last nine years. Without her love and support, I could not have done this.