What is Brian's vision for Modern Chivalry in America
Brian recently spoke with the Sir Knights of California at their Annual Conclave. Read what he had to say...
Sir Knights, I am Brian Dimatteo – Past Commander of Zion Commandery Number 2 in Minneapolis, Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Minnesota, and today I stand before you to offer myself as a Candidate for the Grand Encampment Line in Salt Lake City in 2024.
My Fraters, a handful of months ago, I was attending a Conclave of a Grand Commandery and I was asked, not for the first or last time why I was running for the Grand Encampment line. “Why are you crazy enough to actually run? Why are you wasting your time?” That was the first I had heard that question. Maybe they were really curious. Maybe they thought another candidate was better qualified. Maybe they just didn’t like me. But then, the follow up came before I had a chance to answer…
“Why are you wasting your time, because the Grand Encampment won’t even be around in 12 years?” I was flatly told that it doesn’t matter what we do, we just won’t exist in 10 years. And that thought filled me with dread, as well as a sense of purpose, a re-invigorated spirit to prove this Past Grandmaster of the Grand Encampment wrong. Yes, you heard me right. This was a past Grand Master of our Grand Encampment. A man who served for decades. It was at this point I committed to ensuring our survival as a body.
Some of you may have heard me say this before, that armor undented is armor untested. Our armor has been tested over the past three years. We have faced the conflicts and predations of men who only seek to improve their lot at the expense of our order. Sir Knights, we have come through these tests and that armor has held – it may be dented and bruised, but the patina of that armor has only made it more lustrous.
The Japanese have a concept of Kintsukori. When something is marred, or broken, such as pottery, they fill in the breaks with gold, and have an understanding that the piece is more valuable for having been broken. In our case, we should not fix the damage so that it looks like it has never happened in the past, but fix the damage with the gold that is at the heart of our Order. As gold improves the value of pottery in this sense, we must improve the value of our Order by building on these concepts – Integrity, Honor, Faith. These things are the gold that will mend our damaged order. What additional luster can we add, more precious metal that I feel I can bring as an artist to our tarnished armor?
While we have Templar Education programs, we need to broaden them. There is a hunger for learning in our Order. We need to be seen acting as Christians, not just saying we are, by working with our Charities and philanthropies locally and internationally. We need to continue to evolve our Leadership program, improving the tools we give our next generation of leadership. We need to improve our Membership tools rather than just covering it once per year in a Department Conference. We need to build real tools and get them in the hands of our Sir Knights. Finally, we need to build a Veterans Outreach program to help our Vets in our Order to reduce the 22 per day that take their own lives. These are the flecks of gold in the broken pottery that will make our Order shine!
Our magnanimous order is founded on integrity of character. We do not betray our integrity or ethics for the contrivances of office or position. I will not sacrifice either to gain position, or to keep it. I recommit to our principals in earnest to be of value to our Sir Knights. Value I bring by not advancing through the typical leadership path. Value by bringing fresh ideas not beholden to our past failures. Value as an experienced executive leader in the business world that develops and promotes my team’s talents. Value in experience in building lasting partnerships among our York Rite bodies and the rest of our Masonic Family, including our youth.
Sir Knights, express your voice. We are blessed with a variety of candidates for your leadership team, each with their own great qualities. I urge you to share your ideas and views with your Candidates, inform them on what is important to you. Don’t let artificial predilection govern your vote. Be your own best advocate and vote your conscience. Remember that no vote is wasted – no matter what anyone else will tell you.
Thank you for your considerations, hospitality, and especially your brotherhood.
Modern Chivalry
Modern Chivalry, simply put, is a decision that we make every day. The decision we make is based on the Golden Rule – treating others as we would want someone to treat us. It is a decision that we will take the high road – whether it is convenient or not – choosing what is right because it is right, not because it is the easy thing to do, or the expedient thing to do. We chose to do what is right, supporting the Christian Religion, our Order and Freemasonry. In short, the virtues of Knighthood from our Historic brothers are the virtues we, as Modern Sir Knights, should be evidencing.
Courage, Justice, Mercy and Generosity; Faith, Nobility and Hope. These are the virtues of our ancient Brethren – virtues that we, as an Order and as men, must once again hold inviolate. These virtues are what can set us apart and should influence our every action. We must continue to show the world that we are Knights, more than name alone
On speaking with the Sir Knights at the NorthEastern Department Conference, I suggested that “It’s not when it’s convenient, it’s not when we are afraid of making a decision. It’s the actions that we take that allow us to be seen as men of Integrity, of high moral character, as the representatives of our Lodges and our Masonic Family”
Faith
Our Order is based on the Christian Faith, and that should show in our inclusivity of all of our Knights. “Why do you pass judgement on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.”
We can no longer allow the preaching of discord by our membership. If we are truly Christian Knights, and we are to follow the teachings of that Faith, we must cease the pointless arguments that plague our Order and our Communities.
It is no longer good enough for us to just say the things that are expected. It is no longer enough that we say we are Christians. We need to show each other and the world that we are truly Christian, in word and action.
Relevance
Very simply, our Order will fail and die if we don’t change our trajectory. Currently we are losing our membership to not only the grim specter of death that looms over us all. However, of more importance, are the losses due to apathy and lack of relevancy in world. We can stop the loss of our members by relevant in the world – performing good acts, displaying the noble virtue of charity, espousing our unique Christian Faith and being the same men our historical Brothers were.
We must continue to work within the communities in which we live. Our Sir Knights need to be daily as a part of that community. We have a duty to make our communities better by our action, and by doing so, we will grow and thrive and our Order will expand once again.