‘Knight Masons on Zoom soon’

     

The three councils of Knight Masons located in New Jersey will host Mohamad Yatim for an esoteric talk that will be shared with Knight Masons everywhere via Zoom.

Mohamad will present “Zerubbabel: Lessons in Liberty and Truth” on Thursday, June 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. This will be available only to Knight Masons, and advance registration is required.

Also in attendance will be the Most Excellent Great Chief of Knight Masons of the USA.

If you are unacquainted, the Order of Knight Masons is one of the invitational groups appended to the York Rite in the United States, meaning Royal Arch Masons in good standing may be tapped for membership. It promulgates the Green Degrees of Irish Freemasonry, so the rituals concern the Second Temple in Jerusalem. (And they are available in various forms throughout the York and Scottish rites, so I’ve always had a hard time understanding why we need this Order in the United States, but I digress.)
     

‘The Commander and Chief’

John J. Corrigan reads the charter of Northern New Jersey Council No. 10 during his installation as Excellent Chief Thursday night at Pantagis Renaissance in Scotch Plains. From left: Installing Officer Thurman C. Pace, Jr., outgoing Excellent Chief Richard A. Hammill, and Corrigan. (Rich doesn’t usually look so menacing!)

Thursday night was the first meeting of the new year for Northern New Jersey Council No. 10 of the Order of Knight Masons. Time for the installation of officers. Our new Excellent Chief is John J. Corrigan.

This year will be a busy one for Corrigan, who also will be installed as Right Eminent Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of New Jersey in March, and who will be coroneted a 33° Scottish Rite Mason in August when Supreme Council meets in Philadelphia.

Our council also celebrated the 86th birthday of Thurman C. Pace, Jr., Past Most Excellent Great Chief of the Grand Council of Knight Masons of the United States (and our “go to guy” whenever it’s time to install the officers of these little known York Rite bodies).

Blowing out the candles - Instead of a globe-warming 86 candles on Thurman’s birthday cake, there was a “mystic nine.”

The Order of Knight Masons is an honorary body within the York Rite of Freemasonry. Membership is invitational and open only to Royal Arch Masons. Created circa 1790, it works the “Green Degrees” of Irish Freemasonry, concerning the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This council and Southern New Jersey Council No. 11, are the two Knight Masons councils in our state, both chartered in 1968.

Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 20.

Knight Masons of the USA

     
Just got back from the taping of tonight’s broadcast of The Late Show with David Letterman (sample joke that will not make it on air: “Today, A-Rod tested positive for bullsh*t!”) followed by a smoke and a few pints at Club Macanudo. But duty calls and it’s time for the Magpie to resume his labors.

The Magpie Mason opted to skip the 7 a.m. – what is this, the Army? – breakfast on Friday hosted by the Convent General of the Knights of the York Cross of Honor, conserving strength for the full day’s agenda of events. First up: the annual meeting of the Grand Council of Knight Masons of the USA followed by the meeting of Great Chief’s Council 0.

Seems like it was only yesterday when M.E. Donald Street took office as our Great Chief. Now it’s time for the installation of Dennis Zier and his officers for the ensuing year.

Dennis Zier, front and center, with his officers,
take their oaths of office.

Knight Masons?

This is another of the small, honorary, invitational bodies under the York Rite. Membership is reserved for Royal Arch Masons who are recognized for their talents and accomplishments, who then are invited to join.

Knight Masonry works the so-called “Green Degrees” of Irish Masonry. Click here for a taste of the history of this fraternity, written by Cousin David Lindez.