What follows will be my last monthly message to you. My time as the head of this great fraternity has finally come to an end. On the first weekend in May, you will elect a NEW Grand Commander to lead you into the future, and I will return to my quiet existence, and find a new path to follow, out of the limelight.

It has been a high honor and an extreme privilege to have served as your Grand Commander for the past two years, and I can’t imagine that I will ever find another opportunity to experience anything which could possibly offer so great a reward.

As with last month’s Supplement, in an effort to help the Deputy Grand Commander ease into what is presumed to be his next role within this Grand Commandery, I felt it appropriate to offer him the opportunity to provide some insight into what he has planned over the next 12 months.

Therefore, I wish to express my humble gratitude, for the respect and support that many of you offered me during what were surely some trying and difficult times, and I hope the majority of you feel that, overall, my tenure has had a positive influence on this Grand Commandery, and that I have left it in a better position to survive and succeed, well into the future.

Your Grand officers are creating a “long-view” plan for our organization. You will see consistent direction as officers move up the line. We aim to provide stability, more visibility and insight into the Grand line activities, duties and responsibilities. We wish to offer our assistance to your Commandery.

We want to restore a strong desire in your members to actively participate in your Asylum and hope this will pique interest in the Grand Commandery as well.

Stability is one thing, being stagnant is another. To avoid the latter, in addition to the mentoring aspects I mentioned last month, we will provide stronger support to each Commandery and improve communications drastically.

Our website is being completely rebuilt. We want to make it into a useful tool for your Commandery, line officers, visitors to our jurisdiction, and an aid in coordination between other bodies. I am excited to be developing this in conjunction with our webmaster.

Each Commandery is being assigned a line officer to act as a resource and to assist you in whatever needs you have. If you wish specific training, help with the ritual or preparing for your inspection, this officer will be there for you. Our schools of instruction will be more focused: tactics schools for the Wardens and escorts, with protocol and leadership training for dais officers. Ritual schools will continue to be offered as well.

With the guidance of past Grand Commanders, other advisors, and input from your officers and members, we are striving to make Commandery the Masonic body you want to attend. I would appreciate your support at our conclave this year to help me bring these and other improvements to fruition.