Active Constituent Commanderies of Indiana
as of June, 6 2017 

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Knights Templar Eye Foundation

Click here for: Donation Form

With the passage of the new Healthcare Reform Bill by Congress and a number of other related events, the Trustees of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. on August 14, 2010, voted to move out of case processing and redirect the dollars allocated for treatment to research and education.

Effective December 31, 2010, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation will no longer be participating in direct patient care except as is currently done with the Seniors Eye Care Program in partnership with Eye Care America and the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

There were a number of other circumstances involved in the decision such as compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy regulations, computer software replacement, staff retirement, etc., but primarily, the passage of national healthcare was the underlying factor.

The need for our services will be greatly reduced or eliminated. Further, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation had moved over the years from primarily treating children to almost exclusively treating adults for cataracts. Additionally, our cases were processed primarily in only about 25% of the United States due to state government programs. The trustees further felt that research benefits everyone’s eyesight no matter where they live, whether in this country or in the other countries where the Grand Encampment has Grand and Subordinate Commanderies.

We have learned over the years that our efforts in funding pediatric ophthalmology research have been the primary reason that we have had fewer and fewer children with strabismus (crossed eyes) to treat. Our research dollars have helped develop new, non-surgical treatments for this problem.

Your Trustees are excited about the prospects of being able to benefit more of humanity by redirecting your generosity from treating 2,000 individuals per year to benefiting untold millions in generations to come.

For more information contact:

Holy Lands Pilgrimage Program

The Grand Commandery of Indiana, in conjunction with the Grand Encampment of the United States of America, sends Christian Ministers to visit the Holy Lands. There they get to walk were Jesus walked while on Earth and visit sites mentioned in the Bible. Pictured below is Sir Knight R. Frank Williams, Past Grand Commander of Indiana, (lower right) and one of the groups of Ministers while on their Pilgrimage.

All of the Pilgrim Ministers are recommended for the trip by a local Commandery of Knights Templar and have an established ministry. In many cases, the local Commandery will even pay for the Ministers trip. Further funding comes from the Grand Commandery itself. In all cases, the Minister does not have to pay for anything except incidentals.

Grand Encampment is planning a trip every year. We ask you to pray for our program and for peace.

For information contact

Randal P. Ellington, GPE
PO Box 335
Shelbyville, IN 46176
(317) 364-3022
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Knights Templar Educational Foundation

"...Freedom can only exist in an Educated Society..."

Scholarship Application for a Divinity School (pdf)

How the Foundation Began

In 1922, the Grand Encampment launched the Knights Templar Educational Foundation with these words: "We feel the Grand Encampment can build no greater monument than to put into effect a plan which will provide educational advantages for the youth of our beloved Country, thereby enabling them to become more useful members of society and better citizens of this Republic." The Foundation was sustained and perpetuated by each Sir Knight paying annually the sum of $1.00 for a period of nine years beginning July 1, 1924. Half of the assessment was placed in the Fund for direct investment and the other half was made immediately available for student loans by allocation to the individual Divisions on the basis of their original capitalization-the 1922 membership.

How It Operates

The Educational Foundation is a Trust Fund administered by the Committee on the Educational Foundation of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar. The national Committee supervises the loan activity among the 50 Divisions (Grand or subordinate Commanderies) which administer the funds and process loan applications. By regulation, the Grand Recorder of the Grand Commandery is the Division's Secretary-Treasurer. The Foundation, recognizing the need for education is essential, provides financial assistance for vocational, technical or professional training and for undergraduate (last two years) and post-graduate study in accordance with the policies conforming to the Regulations and Standard Practice of the Foundation.

The Knights Templar Education Foundations (one in each state) are autonomous in each state. Each state has different rules and decision processes to award loans or scholarships. In Indiana, up to the year 2007, we helped needy students by providing loans up to $3,000 for each of their junior and senior years, with a maximum of $6,000. These loans were at 5% interest and required repayment on a regular monthly basis beginning 6 months after graduation.

In 2007, Indiana Templar Education Foundation changed its loan process to a scholarship process by awarding one scholarship in the amount of $10,000 for one school year. The scholarship was awarded to a master’s student studying for the Divinity. These scholarships will continue to be granted on an annual basis as funds are available. The scholarships are awarded to a university, in our name, located in Indiana and the school departments will determine who best qualifies for the scholarship.

Contact:

Robert J. Frazer - GT, PGC, KCT
3208 NW "C" St.
Richmond, IN 47374-4554
(765) 966-5684
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Who and What are the Knights Templar?

The Knights Templar is a Christian-oriented fraternal organization that was founded in the 11th century. Originally, the Knights Templar were laymen who protected and defended Christians traveling to Jerusalem. These men took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and were renowned for their fierceness and courage in battle. Today, the Knights Templar display their courage and goodwill in other ways. They organize fund-raising activities such as breakfasts, dinners, dances, and flea markets. They support Masonic-related youth groups and they raise millions of dollars for medical research and educational assistance. Currently, Templar membership consists of people from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, clergy, businessmen and entertainment personalities, all of whom profess a belief in the Christian Religion.

Three Levels of The Knights Templar

The Knights Templar operate on a local, state and national level. But their religious activities extend across international borders as well. Nationally, there is The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar. This unit defines the rituals and laws governing state and local level organizations. The state level is called a Grand Commandery of Knights Templar. This organization represents members of a state or an area of equivalent size. Finally, the local level unit is called a Commandery of Knights Templar. There are almost 1,600 Commanderies in communities across the United States, Germany, Italy and Mexico, with over 260,000 members. Indiana Grand Commandery is made up of 56 constituent Commanderies, with a total membership of approximately 7,000.

Order of the Red Cross

As the first step in a Commandery of Knights Templar, the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross continues the story of the Royal Arch and deals with a period in Jewish history at the time of the return of the Jews from captivity and the efforts to rebuild the Temple of their God in Jerusalem. The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross, peculiar to the United States, teaches the lessons of the triumph of Truth.

Order of Knight of Malta

The second Order in the Commandery is the Knight of Malta with its pass degree of Knight of St. Paul or the Mediterranean Pass. This Order is the first Christian Order encountered by the candidate. The ritual is based historically upon one of the old Orders of the Crusades.

Order of the Temple

This is the third and most impressive Order of the Commandery and is wholly Christian. The Templar tradition derives from the Society of the same name which played so important a part in the Crusades of the Middle Ages. Beautiful lessons of the death and ascension of our Savior are inculcated and the candidate is received into full fellowship, in the most solemn manner.

How Do I Become a Knight Templar?

To become a Knight Templar you must first become a Master Mason in good standing in a regular Masonic Lodge. The catch words "To be one, ask one" applies in the case of a man who is not a Mason. Any Master Mason is free to ask any York Rite Mason about membership. There should be a Brother Mason in your Lodge, who is also a York Rite Mason, you can talk to. The road to becoming a Knight Templar includes becoming a Royal Arch Mason and a Cryptic Mason. You will receive symbolic teaching that will greatly enhance and supplement the moral teachings of the Symbolic Lodge.

*  Our videos are hosted on YouTube, we will not be responsible for auto-content that YouTube suggests after our video's. Respectfully, Indiana Grand Commandery.

 

Tradition is upon us.

It is time again for our annual Newby-Avery-Vaught Banquet. This banquet is a fundraiser for the Knights Templar of Indiana. Paying reverence to Leonidas Perry Newby, Willard Meredith Avery and Duane Lee Vaught who were and are our forefathers of the Indiana Knights Templar.

Right Eminent Grand Commander Randy J Darling

and Lady Penny

Invite all Masonic bodies to join them

 at the 126^th Newby-Avery-Vaught Banquet

January 18, 2025

Social Time 5-6 PM

Dinner 6:30 PM

Horizon Convention Center

401 S High Street

Muncie, Indiana 47305

If you are a Mason and would like to learn more about the Knights Templar of Indiana and the strength we have together, please join us. Fill out the form below and RSVP to:

Lady Christine Fodrea

11128 Hickory Tree Road

Fort Wayne, IN 46845

by December 21, 2024. Ladies and families are welcomed as well.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow”. Ecclesiastes 4:9

Download the flyer here