Knight Masonry controls the three Green Degrees of Ireland, which are considered to be the ne ultra plus of Freemasonry in Ireland. In England, these degrees are worked as part of the Allied Masonic Degrees and it is referred to as the Red Cross of Babylon. Membership is by invitation and requires affiliation with the Royal Arch Chapter and is unlimited in membership numbers. The presiding officer of a subordinate Council is the Excellent Chief. The governing body is the Grand Council presided over by the Most Excellent Great Chief.

Degrees worked are:

• Knight of the Sword (sash)
• Knight of the East (sash)
• Knight of the East and West
• Installed Excellent Chief (Chair Degree)

MINUTES OF INITIAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
TEXAS COUNCIL No. 45
ORDER OF KNIGHT MASONS

The initial organizational meeting of Texas Council Under Dispensation Order of Knight Masons was held on Saturday afternoon, December 21, 1991, at 3:00 P.M., in the Scottish Rite Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. Officers present included the following:

Sir Knights and Cousins Reese L. Harrison, Jr., John Samuel Henderson and John E. Jack Kelly are members of Great Chief's Council No. 0 and were three of the petitioners for a dispensation to form Texas Council Order of Knight Masons. Gerald Franklin Nowotny, Larry Gene Wallis, and Sidney Shaenfield were petitioners for a dispensation to form Texas Council of the order of Knight Masons and are to be made Knight Masons at Sight during this initial organizational communication.

Robert L. Morris, a member of Maryland Council No. 9, Alexander E. Blue and Robert L. Martinez, both members of Albert Pike Masonic Lodge No. 1169 and members of Great Chief's Council No. 0, also were petitioners for a dispensation to form Texas Council of the Order of Knight Masons. They all are out of town on this occasion and could not be present for this meeting. Additional petitioners for dispensation for Texas Council order of Knight Masons included Robert L. McMahon, Jr. and Michie M. Brous of Weatherford and Fort Worth, respectively, both members of Great Chief's Council No. 0.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr., is also a Past Excellent Chief of Great Chiefs Council No. 0 and is the current Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Council of the Order of Knight Masons in the United States of America.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr., reported to the Council that he had telephoned the Grand Scribe, C. Ray Scarborough, on Friday, December 6, 1991 informing the Grand Scribe that the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas at its 156th Grand Annual Communication on that date had recognized the Order of Knight Masons in Texas and approved Councils of Knight Masons to meet in Masonic Lodge Halls in Texas. He reported that he completed securing the signatures for the Application for Dispensation on December 6, 1991, and mailed the Application for Dispensation on that date to the Grand Scribe requesting the Dispensation to form Texas Council of the Order of Knight Masons. He enclosed his personal check for a dispensation contribution of $25.00.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr. reported that the Dispensation had been signed and mailed by the Most Excellent Great Chief, Howard R. Caldwell, granting a Dispensation to form Texas Council with the first five officers named above as the elective officers of the Council appointed by the Most Excellent Great Chief, Howard R. Caldwell. This was confirmed in a telephone conference on December 18, 1991 between the Great Chief and our Excellent Chief on Wednesday, December 18, 1991. A copy of the Dispensation is attached hereto and incorporated by reference the same as if set forth verbatim herein.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr. reported that he had received a letter dated December 19, 1991 by facsimile from the Great Chief of the Grand Council of Knight Masons rendering Reese L. Harrison, Jr. the authority to make Knight Masons at Sight for the purpose of forming a new Council of Knight Masons. A copy of that letter is attached hereto and incorporated by reference the same as if set forth verbatim herein.

Reese L. Harrison, Jr., as Grand Junior Warden of the Grand council, acting under the authority rendered him by the Most Excellent Great Chief of the Grand Council, then proceeded to make Sidney Shaenfield, Larry Gene Wallis, and Gerald Franklin Nowotny Knight Masons at Sight, including the obligation of the Degree of the Knight of the East and West.

The Uniform By-Laws for local Councils of the Order of Knight Masons was then discussed. A copy of the By-Laws are attached hereto and incorporated by reference the same as if set forth verbatim herein. The Uniform By-Laws for the Council were unanimously approved upon motion made by Sir Knight and Cousin John S. Henderson and seconded by Sir Knight and Cousin John E. Jack Kelly.

The subject of a bank account was discussed and it was unanimously agreed upon motion made by Sir Knight and Cousin John E. Jack Kelly and seconded by Sir Knight and Cousin Larry Gene Wallis, that the funds of the Council be separately accounted for in an account in which Texas College S.R.I.C.F. and San Antonio Council No. 261 A.M.D. both have their funds. It was noted that John S. Henderson is the Treasurer of Texas College S.R.I.C.F. and the Treasurer of San Antonio Council No. 261, as well as the Treasurer of Texas Council No. 45 and that the signatories on the bank account are John E. Jack Kelly as Secretary of Texas College S.R.I.C.F., John S. Henderson as Treasurer of Texas College S.R.I.C.F., and Reese L. Harrison, Jr. as Celebrant of Texas College S.R.I.C.F. Since these officers are not likely to change and because all are officers and members of San Antonio Council No. 261 AMD and Texas Council No. 45 of the Order of Knight Masons, and because AMD and S.R.I.C.F. apparently do not have 501 (c) (10) exemptions from the Internal Revenue Service and are therefore not subject to securing the appropriate Taxpayer Identification Number with a Group Exemption Number, it was necessary to handle the funds in this manner.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr. reported that Grand Council of Knight Masons does have a Group Exemption Number (GEN) and that an SS Form 4 for securing a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) had been sent to us by Grand Council. Accordingly, a TIN will be secured and used on the joint bank account of the three bodies mentioned herein in lieu of the TIN presently being used. This will be done after receiving a charter number in February at the Annual Meeting of the Grand Council of Knight Masons. The Council then proposed Companion Royal Arch Masons for membership in Texas Council Order of Knight Masons and it was decided that all of the remaining members of San Antonio Council No. 261 Allied Masonic Degrees would be offered invitations to membership in Texas Council No. 45 Order of Knight Masons. The following named Royal Arch Masons then were unanimously elected to membership in Texas Council and invitations were extended for them to accept such membership:

James L. Bruner
Jack E. Burton
Jacobo R. Casanova
Marshall H. Dodge
James Knox Duncan
Joe 0. Estlack
Jesse A. Garza
William Jeppesen Henry
James N. Higdon
Robert L. Jett
Robert C. Madison
Alfred E. Machts, Jr.
George Mills
Dr. Tom Mote
Jerry Jon Rhein
William W. Rutledge, Jr.
George W. Smith, Jr.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr. announced that he had prepared the letters of invitation to the above-named proposals for membership in Texas Council No. 45 Order of Knight Masons and caused them to be mailed to the proposed candidates.

The Council then unanimously agreed that the Annual Meeting of Texas Council No. 45 for 1991 would be held on Monday evening, December 30, 1991 at 9:00 P.M. or at the closing of the Annual Meeting of San Antonio Council No. 261 Allied Masonic Degrees, whichever first occurs, since all of the current members of Texas Council No. 45 Order of Knight Masons and the proposals for membership in Texas Council No. 45 all were members of San Antonio Council No. 261 Allied Masonic Degrees, with the exception of Sir Knights and Cousins Robert L. McMahon, Jr. and Michie M. Brous, who reside in Weatherford and Fort Worth, respectively, and who are members of Grand Masters Council A of the Allied Masonic Degrees and are becoming members of an AMD Council under dispensation in Fort Worth, Texas.

Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr. reported that he had ordered 28 members aprons and 28 members sashes from Dominion Regalia Company in Toronto, and 25 members jewels and lapel pins from the Grand Scribe of the Grand Council. He also announced that he had ordered more than 15 rituals but at the present time the Grand Scribe could only supply 15 rituals. He noted that the initiation fee as currently set in the By-Laws adopted on this date would cover the cost of all of these items.

For the sake of history it should be noted that the officers were selected based upon their rank and seniority in membership in the Order of Knight Masons. Excellent Chief Reese L. Harrison, Jr., Past Grand Master of DeMolay International, is a Past Excellent Chief of Great Chiefs Council No. 0 and the Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Council. He was Knighted in Great Chief's Council No. 0 in 1976. Senior Knight Robert L. Morris, Past Grand Master of Masons in the District of Columbia, was Knighted in Maryland Council No. 9 in 1969. Junior Knight Alexander E. Blue, Past State Master Councilor of Texas DeMolay, was Knighted in Great Chief's Council No. 0 in 1985. Treasurer John S. Henderson, Past National President of National Sojourners and Robert L. Martinez, Past Deputy State Master Councilor of Texas DeMolay were Knighted in Great Chief's Council No. 0 in 1986. Senior Warden John E. Jack Kelly, Past Grand Master of Masons in Texas, was Knighted in Great Chief's Council No. 0 in 1988.

The officers made Knight Masons at Sight on this occasion are Scribe Sidney Shaenfield, Secretary, Recorder, Registrar of the San Antonio Scottish Rite Bodies; and Junior Warden Gerald Franklin Nowotny, Secretary, Recorder of the San Antonio Chapter No. 381 of Royal Arch Masons and San Antonio Council No. 14 of Royal and Select Masters of the York Rite of Freemasonry. Director of Ceremonies Larry Gene Wallis is the Chapter Advisor of the Albert Pike DeMolay Chapter and a Past Master and current Treasurer of Albert Pike Masonic Lodge No. 1169 and his youth, leadership abilities, and financial management skills as a CPA, give him the potential to be one of the outstanding Masonic leaders in the future in San Antonio.

No further business appearing, Texas Council No. 45 of the order of Knight Masons was closed in due form at 4:00 P.M., peace and harmony prevailing.

Respectfully submitted,

Sidney Shaenfield
Scribe

Attest:

Reese L. Harrison, Jr., PEC
Excellent Chief