Inspection day arrived for Temple Commandery No. 4 on
Saturday, February 23, 2013. The morning began with set-up, of course, and the
old adage “many hands make for light work,” while true, doesn’t necessarily
apply to the actual weight of items when they’re being hauled down from the
fourth floor of the Scottish Rite Center in Des Moines. Still, we did have many
Sir Knights helping and while the work may not have been light, it was
enjoyable.
The inspection of Temple Commandery No. 4 was the
first order of the day. Sir Knight Richard "Butch" Zummak, Past Grand Commander, performed the inspection. This was my first inspection and it wasn’t as
intimidating as I anticipated. The more experienced guys helped me out with
what to do and what to say, but still, I was nervous: I didn’t want to be the
guy costing us points. Last May at the annual Conclave I discovered I had lost
a button off of my jacket; the sword belt buckle had cut it off. This time, my
wife graciously sewed it on with fishing line and all was well!
After the inspection, we went through the opening of
a Commandery. I had a very small part, Treasurer, but still struggled with the
line. After opening, we had lunch and prepared for the Order of the Temple. The
Order of the Temple wasn’t just an inspection of how well we knew the ritual
and work, but also an actual Order of the Temple with five candidates. My part
was to play the third guard and although this time I had a few more lines than
in the opening, I felt that I did better. The Order of the Temple is one of my
favorite Masonic degrees/orders; the religious theme and setting has an impact
on me each time I see it. Iowa’s Grand Master, Most Worshipful Bryce Hildreth, was
with us Saturday and told the class that he found the Order of the Temple to be
one of his favorites, and he has certainly seen a lot of different degrees!
After the class and guests departed, props needed to
be stored, and humping all of the props up the stairs to the fourth floor can
certainly work up quite a thirst for Sir Knights. Needless to say, refreshments
were available, and enjoyed.
The day concluded with members of Temple Commandery
No. 4 and other Sir Knights forming an Arch of Steel for the Za Ga Zig Shrine’s
Potentate at the Potentate’s Ball. Sir Knight Gregory
L. Andersen, Right Eminent Grand Commander of Iowa, led sixteen Sir
Knights in the impressive ceremony; a few pictures of which are below.
In all, it was a fantastic day for this Sir Knight.
Freemasonry offers many opportunities to improve one’s self, and although I’ve
only been a part of the York right for just over a year, I’m finding it to be
one of the most important parts of my masonic activities. The religious lessons
taught by the Order of the Temple are the most powerful expression of Christian
belief that I have experienced in Freemasonry. In addition, since York Rite
bodies tend to be more localized and smaller, it’s easier to build close friendships.
Plus, you get to wear a sword. Now how cool is that!
The pictures below are from the Downtown Des Moines York Rite's Temple Commandery #4 inspection and the Arch of Steel.
