Park Place Commandery #106 K.T.

December 2011

Dear Sir Knights,

I write this letter with a lot of mixed emotions. At the meeting just past, (November) I was elected to serve as your Eminent Commander again. This is a high honor and a privilege. More than that it is an opportunity to serve this Commandery once more and perhaps do a little better than I did the first time -1978.

For those of you who were around at that time, Buddy Baccus was the Grand Commander of Texas and we hosted his Grand Conclave here in Houston in April. He had just married his American Express card – Bettye Z. Baccus. That was a very eventful year. We had a Championship Class B Drill team and were knighting people, pretty regularly. Pappa Todd from Pasadena Lodge brought in over 25 petitions that year alone. At that time we had nearly 700 members. Actually, we peaked out at 800 in or about the mid 1980s.

Well, times have obviously changed and there are several new opportunities facing us. We have in the past two years moved to a new location – Pasadena. Even though we are pretty well settled, there still are challenges. Our membership has declined to less than 300. We had to raise the dues to $50 to be able to survive. Partly, because the Rent has doubled and Per-capita, which has to be paid to Grand Commandery and Grand Encampment ,has gone to $12 per member. The cost of living has increased – that is no surprise is it?

We are trying to maintain the organization in a condition so that it will attract new members and allow us to share the lessons which our Orders teach.

I do not want to see this Commandery decline and lose the great heritage / history which people like Buddy Baccus, Marion Zilliox, Shelby Herron, Frank Post, Tom Bebee, Jack Hackward, Dusty Rhodes, Warren Trost, Art Reine, Dozier Gossett, etc. built over the last 60 years. We just got word that Litt S. Perry Commandey may have to merge with Fort Bend Commandery. There have been several mergers around the Grand Commandery of Texas and we do not want to be the next.

With your continued support, we will survive. We have a great Corps of Officers this year, with only a couple of Past Commanders in the line. We have several new men and one young man under 21 in the line. So, I believe that we have the people who can and will keep this Commandery great and see it improve. We are trying hard to deal with all of the challenges.

Stated meetings are still the first Monday of every month at 6:30 pm Dinner. The SOOB also now meets on the same night at the same time. We have planned programs for each month – see the web site.

I hope to see you at one of our meetings this year.( More if possible )

Kenneth B. Fischer, PGC, PGM

Eminent commander - 2012