By T.S. Akers
Proficiency in
ritual work is one of the keys to ensuring the future of Masonry. It is the ritual that not only impresses the
candidates in their journey for Light; it is also the means of teaching the
lessons of our Fraternity. A tradition
as old as Templary in this State, the annual Commandery Inspection perpetuates
the conferral of the Order of the Temple
and brings Sir Knights together in fellowship.
The Twin Territories
that would become the State of Oklahoma
were by all accounts an untamed region that attracted many wild and wooly
characters from the corners of the Nation.
One could also say the Masonic ritual being practiced in the region was
a bit “wild and wooly” and that carried over into the Appendent Orders that
would come to comprise the Masonic family.
When the first Commanderies of Knights Templar were formed in the
region, they were no exception to the variation in ritual. The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of
the United States
had officially standardized the ritual of the Order by the late 1800s, but the
tactics used for opening a Commandery meeting varied from one Grand
Jurisdiction to the next. This variance
was so great in Indian Territory that it was said the
tactics varied amongst the local Commanderies.[1] To curb this, the Grand Commandery of Indian
Territory chose James A. Scott as the first Drill Master and Inspector.[2] Scott was a Confederate veteran of the
American Civil War and well versed in military matters.[3]
To the powers that be, it was becoming quite clear that
these vast differences in ritual and regalia were exhibiting a “serious lack of
military discipline.”[4] This led Grand Commander Edmond H. Doyle of Indian
Territory to issue General Order No. 4 in 1898 calling for annual
inspections of the constituent Commanderies.[5] The early inspections that occurred were not
truly inspections in today’s sense of the word.
These were essentially visits by an assigned Grand Officer to see that
all was functioning as it should. The
inspection reports for Oklahoma Territory
in 1910 paint a vivid image of what the Sir Knights were facing at the
time. Weatherford No. 11 noted that many
of their Sir Knights did not reside close enough to attend meetings
regularly. The report of Lawton No. 12
also mentioned a lack of attendance but stated that they had the best arranged
and finest equipped Asylum (meeting room) in the state. Hobart No. 10 recorded twenty-six Sir Knights
in attendance with all but two in uniform.
The Sir Knights at Ascension No. 3 in El Reno
were meeting in their newly completed Temple
which had accommodations expressly for the Order of the Temple. The inspection report notes the following:
A novel feature in the construction
of the Asylum was the Chamber of Reflection which was placed in an adjoining
room west of the Asylum and perhaps five feet above the floor of the
Asylum. There was an adjustable door
connecting the Chamber of Reflection and the Asylum which at the proper time
could be opened after the lights in the Asylum had been extinguished. Thus enabling the Sir Knights within the
Asylum to view the actions of the candidate while he in turn could see nothing
in the Asylum.
Interestingly enough, Oklahoma No. 2 was noted as the
largest Commandery but due to a number of Sir Knights who had affiliated from
other Jurisdictions, their ritual and uniforms were “not quite regular.”[6] Grand Commander Angus Gillis found the inspection
process in 1916 to be very advantageous to Templary in Oklahoma. He noted that it encouraged enthusiasm among
Commanderies and allowed the Grand Commander to become acquainted with each
Commandery.[7]
Asylum Drill Team of Enid Commandery No. 13 in 1917
(Courtesy of the Grand Commandery of Oklahoma)
With the outbreak of hostilities in Europe
in 1914, the tactics and precision movements executed by Knights Templar on
parade no doubt served those Sir Knights who entered military service
well. It was in 1916 that Asylum Drill
competitions were established.[8]
These allowed for competition amongst the
Sir Knights in the performance of opening a Commandery and conferring the Order
of the Temple. It is to the Asylum Drill that the modern
Commandery Inspection can trace it roots.
The year 1921 would see Field Drill competitions added to the annual conclave
of the Grand Commandery with three Commanderies fielding teams that first year;
those being Oklahoma No. 3, Enid No. 13, and Trinity No. 20.[9] A Templar drill team in motion is certainly a
site to see as they execute the intricate movements such as forming the cross
and as the drill competitions grew in size, the public turned out to enjoy the
spectacle. In time, the Sir Knights of Oklahoma
would excel in drill competition on the national level. At the 38th Triennial Conclave of
the Grand Encampment in 1931, Gethsemane Commandery No. 25 of Okmulgee
took Third Place in the
field drill competition.[10] Lawton Commandery No. 18 would also earn
national honors in 1940 by taking Fourth Place
in field drills.[11]
Sir Knights on the Drill Field in 1922
(Courtesy of the Grand Commandery of Oklahoma)
Today a team of inspectors descend upon the Commanderies of
Oklahoma under the direction of the Work and Tactics Committee. The Commanderies are inspected in three
distinct divisions: Class A, Class A
Inspected as Class B, and Class B. In
addition to scoring the opening tactics of a Commandery and the Order of the Temple,
Commanderies are scored on the condition of their records, having the necessary
paraphernalia to perform ritual work, and knightly courtesies. The highest scoring Commanderies inspected in
the Class B divisions are awarded the W.A. Perry and James A. Lathim traveling
trophies.[12]
Just as it did in the beginning, the Commandery Inspection
continues to bring Sir Knights together for fellowship and encourages
dedication to Templary. The Inspection
has truly become one of the great Templar traditions of Oklahoma.
Original Asylum Drill Champion Banner, presently awaiting preservation
(From the collections of the Grand Commandery of Oklahoma)
[1] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Indian
Territory, Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Conclave
(Indian Territory: 1896).
[2]
Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Indian Territory,
Proceedings of the 1st Annual Conclave (Indian Territory: 1895).
[3] Charles E. Creager, History of Freemasonry
in Oklahoma (Muskogee,
Oklahoma: Muskogee Print Shop, 1935),
188.
[4] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Indian
Territory, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conclave
(Indian Territory: 1903).
[5] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Indian
Territory, Proceedings of the 4th Annual Conclave
(Indian Territory: 1898).
[6] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 15th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1910).
[7] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 20th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1915).
[8] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1916).
[9] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1921).
[10] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1932).
[11] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 1941).
[12] Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Oklahoma,
Proceedings of the 116th Annual Conclave (Oklahoma: 2011).
