05/04/2026
At the installation of the officers for the 2026-2027 Templar year, the Right Eminent Grand Commander, Sir Knight Patrick C. Carr, gave the following allocution to the Sir Knights of Kansas:
Thank you, Sir Knights. Now it’s my turn and I would like to introduce my family. My wife, Adriane, the love of my life for well over 36 years. She has been by my side and supported me in everything I do. She is always there to encourage me to reach for higher achievements and to serve the greater good. She encourages me each day to seek the face of our Creator, and to look for the good in everyone and all situations. Having such a godly woman by my side means there is always someone to cover me in prayer and to be sure I stay focused. I love you, sweetheart, and thank you for all you do for me, and the Craft.
Our youngest daughter, Rachael Carr Edwards, who is a past Grand Worthy Advisor for Arkansas Rainbow. She is with my son-in-law, Brother Dennis Edwards, and our granddaughters Peyton and Olivia. Dennis will be knighted and joining the Commandery this year. Thank you both for your support and love. You are the world to me.
Thank you to my installation team and especially to Sir Knight Robert Loflin, Right Eminent Past South Central Department Commander, for installing our officers today. I would like to pause and thank Sir Knight Robert D. McClarty, Past Right Eminent Grand Commander, for asking me to be his appointment to the progressive Grand Commandery line. You don’t know how much that meant to me at that moment to be asked to serve in a Grand Commandery again. You must have seen something in me which you believed I could bring to Templary here in Kansas. I promise you I will strive to serve this Grand Commandery with the same honor, fervor and integrity you have always displayed. Again, I thank you for the appointment, my good friend.
Thank you to Miss Heartland Job’s Daughters for presenting and opening my personal Bible on the altar today, and for the beautiful Bible presentation. Thank you to the Grand Worthy Advisor for Kansas Rainbow for being here today and presenting me with the Cross made of olive wood from Jerusalem. Thank you to Kansas DeMolay State Master Councilor for bearing the Grand Commander’s Sword and providing a wonderful sword presentation.
To the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Kansas: I would like to thank each of you for your faith and confidence in electing me to serve this Grand Commandery as your Right Eminent Grand Commander. This is an honor which I do not take lightly, and I appreciate each of you for being here to support not only me, but our Grand Commandery at the installation of our officers. I pledge each of you my support and encouragement. I am always available for each of you, no matter the time or the place.
Sir Knights, Brothers, and friends, as we start the 159th year of Templary in Kansas, I want to take a moment to personally thank each of you assembled here today for your continued love, prayer, and support both during the difficult times and during the great times. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many friends, loved ones, and brothers in this room. More importantly, thank you for the support you continue to show our York Rite here in Kansas. Our Lodges, Chapters, Councils, and Commanderies are healthier and more active because of your continued support for our Orders.
This will be an ambitious year for Templary here in Kansas. As you already know, there is still much work to be done, and I truly believe we have the right people gathered together, at the right time in our history, and in the right place to perform the work so important to the continued success and future of this Grand Commandery and of its Commanderies in Kansas.
We will be hosting a few special events this year. The Annual Templar Feast will be held at the Community Building in McPherson on August 15. We have a unique and wonderful speaker coming from New Jersey. Sir Knight Moises Gomez retired from the Port Authority and was in New York at ground zero on September 11, 2001. His presentation is nothing short of inspiring and I assure you it is very moving. The second event will be an outdoor knighting which will be held on August 22 at the Masonic Old Oak Tree Park near Little River. Not only will it be done outside, but under the moonlight, and there may be a few surprises. We have been planning this event for several years and you will want to be present.
The Grand Commandery is here to serve our Commanderies. That is the only reason we exist. Our Inspectors will be making their official visits and ascertaining the health of our Commanderies during the year. This will enable the Grand Commandery to discover what opportunities each Commandery has for success and will provide a guide for how we can assist in providing support to our Commanderies. Each Commandery will be given the opportunity for an inspection of their ritual opening. You may either open in the Class A ten man opening, or in what some jurisdictions have termed the Class B opening. The Class B ritual will be available on the Secretary/Recorder area of our website for download and distribution. Please contact your Inspector and let him know when you want to stand for inspection so he can make his official visit. There will be an award for each of our Commanderies who stand for inspection. Sir Knights, our ritual is important, and as such, the short form opening will only be used in special circumstances and not for the regular monthly opening of your Commandery.
I will be attempting to make official visits this year to each of the Commanderies so I can speak with the Sir Knights about their concerns, their needs, and their opportunities to grow and to prosper.
We will be active this year in continuing to work with Securing Our Future. We will focus on membership growth and retention, excellence in ritual proficiency, and exceptional communication to the Commanderies and Sir Knights.
As a Christian I spend time reading and trying to comprehend much of the beautiful imagery depicted within the Holy Scriptures. We discover in Ephesians, chapter six, the apostle Paul writing to the church at Ephesus. Within his letter he remarks upon the whole armor of God and defines it for the Church. He does this while he was in jail for preaching the Gospel of Jesus. In his letter he describes the sword as being “the sword of the spirit, which is the whole Word of God.” Paul wanted the church to understand the sword is not always an implement of destruction, death or persecution. It can be a symbol of deep understanding, compassion and truth. The sword is not always about physical combat. It is about standing up for truth. Thus, the sword of the spirit can help us to discern what is right, even when things might be confusing. It gives us strength during those hard moments to persevere and to press forward with our lives and endeavors.
As I close my installation allocution, I would like to share the words of Sir Knight Jay B. Kirk, Right Eminent Grand Commander of Kansas during our 66th year of Templary. He remarked, “That you are welcome here needs no confirmation from me, for this is your conclave and your presence is indicative of your interest and zeal in the welfare of Templary in this Grand Jurisdiction. The cause of Templary has continued its onward march, each group in turn raising the banner of the Cross proudly at the head of the column until today we meet as representatives of a mighty host of Christian Knights, pledged to the defense of innocent womanhood, to minister to destitute widows and helpless orphans, and to promote the cause of the Christian religion.” He understood our ritual, and our cause, quite well. Sir Knights, we each must continually raise the banner of Christ over our homes, our families, and our community by daily utilizing the Sword of the Spirit. My prayer is that our Lord and Savior will be well pleased with the meditations of our hearts and the actions of our hands during this Templar year. Thank you to God in Heaven for allowing each of us to continue to serve this great fraternity.
Sir Knights and friends, thank you again for coming today. We have much to do but we welcome the opportunity to serve and to participate in the work. I appreciate all that each of you do for our craft. Be continually blessed as we leave and start this new Templar year. Thank you.
