By T.S. Akers
Grand Commandery Officers, 1968
In Templary,
it is typically the Grand Commander who receives all the glory. However, there
have historically been a number of men in Oklahoma who have progressed through
the various stations of the Grand Commandery and ultimately not arrived at the
pinnacle of the grand officer line owing to death or other reasons. Those who
reach the grand dais are worthy of recognition owing to the years of service
they provided to arrive there. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, these men no
longer even garner a footnote in Oklahoma’s Templar history, though the Grand
Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States even outlines their honorary
rank.
On this subject,
the Constitution of the Grand Encampment states the following (the relevant
section has been underlined):
RETENTION
OF RANK
Section
235. One who has filled by installation and term of service, the
office of Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Grand Generalissimo, Grand
Captain General, Grand Prelate or Department Commander in the Grand Encampment;
Grand Commander, Deputy Grand Commander, Grand Generalissimo or Grand
Captain General in a Grand Commandery; or Commander in a Commandery; shall
retain the title of the highest office attained by him in the Grand
Encampment, Grand Commandery and Commandery, with the word, "Past"
immediately preceding and qualifying the official title. Past rank is
limited to the offices named in this section, and may include the
Administrative Offices as authorized in Section 43 and 55 of the Constitution
provided that the provisions of this section shall apply to all Department
Commanders who have served their terms of office" prior to the 49th
Triennial Conclave. Provided that an officer who is installed and thereafter
dies during his term of office shall be entitled to be considered as having
filled his term of office.
Two Grand
Masters of the Grand Encampment have further expounded on this with Decisions,
one of note being:
A Grand
Generalissimo of a Grand Commandery, having declined advancement and not having
been re-elected as Grand Generalissimo, becomes a Past
Grand Generalissimo and retains that rank. His shoulder straps are
prescribed in section 243(c) of the Grand Encampment Statutes. (1940,p 70 &
291, No. 37, Norris)
With the
necessary code and decisions outlined, here are the Past Grand Officers of the
Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Oklahoma.
Past Deputy Grand Commander
Past Deputy Grand Commander
1902-1903, Daniel
M. Williams, McAlester Commandery No. 6 (I.T.)
1905-1906, John
C. Hughes, Oklahoma Commandery No. 3
1959-1960, Dan
G. Emrick, Trinity Commandery No. 20
1965-1966, Robert
H. Jelley, Lawton Commandery No. 18
1969-1971, Lawrence
E. Tryon, Guymon Commandery No. 51
2015-2016, James
E. Smyrl, Trinity Commandery No. 20
Past
Grand Generalissimo
1898-1899, Benjamin
E. Binns, Oklahoma Commandery No. 3
1904-1905, Eugene
Hamilton, DeMolay Commandery No. 7 (I.T.)
1907-1908, Ransom
Stephens, DeMolay Commandery No. 7 (I.T.)
1915-1916, Frederic
H. Smith, Gethsemane Commandery No. 25
1947-1948, James
A. Sinex, Bethlehem Commandery No. 45
2023-2024, John T. Turner, St. Johns Commandery No. 8
Past
Grand Captain General
1902-1903, Rev.
A. V. Francis, Muskogee Commandery No. 2 (I.T.)
1949-1950, Joseph
R. Holmes, Muskogee Commandery No. 2
1981-1983, Cecil
E. Johnston, Shawnee Commandery No. 36
1985-1986, Charles
H. Warner, Norman Commandery No. 38
1998-1999, Paul
A. Fitch, Ardmore Commandery No. 9
2015-2016, T.S.
Akers, Oklahoma Commandery No. 3
