District Grand Priory of Central Southern Africa.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THIS DISTRICT

IN THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE TEMPLE, AND OF MALTA.

The first Preceptory of Knights Templar to be founded in Southern Africa, under the Scottish Constitution, was DEEP LEVEL Preceptory No 21 - Johannesburg, which was consecrated in January, 1904. Almost immediately after this, in February of the same year,

SIMONSTOWN Preceptory, No 22 - Cape town, was consecrated. Both these Preceptories are still with us, and have, with the added honour of the presence of the Grand Master, the Most Eminent and Reverend Frater Roy Scott, PP., GCT., successfully celebrated their Centenaries.

There followed a period of 54 years before the third Southern African Preceptory was formed and consecrated, in 1958, when ROBERT THE BRUCE Preceptory, No 98, was erected in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia.

Following the consecration of the BRAEMAR Preceptory, No 99, in Grahamstown, in 1959, it was considered expedient to form a District Grand Priory, and thus Deep Level No. 21, Simonstown No. 22, Robert the Bruce No. 98, and Braemar No. 99 were all represented at a special Meeting, convened in Johannesburg on the 5th of May, 1959, from \-which it was unanimously agreed to approach the Great Priory of Scotland with a request that a District Grand Priory be inaugurated.

Approval being forthcoming, on the 4 th of March, 1960, the District Grand Priory of Central and Southern Africa was Erected and Consecrated in Due and Ancient Form by the Most Eminent and Reverend Grand Master, the Right Honourable, the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, KT., C.M.G., T.D., L.L., LLd., J.P., PP., G.C.T., in Johannesburg. The District was given the duty to administer control over Preceptories in the following Territories:-

The Republic of South Africa; the Federation of the Rhodesia’s, and Nyasaland; South West Africa; the High Commission Territories ofBechuana1and, Basuto1and, and Swaziland.

There is one exception to this long list: Simonstown Preceptory No 22 retained its right to remain directly under the control of the Great Priory of Scotland, which it does to this day, maintaining, however, very close links to this District for advice and assistance when needed. In recent years, the District Grand Prior has travelled to Capetown, often accompanied by a Deputation from the District, to assist in the

Annual Installation Muster of the Preceptory and this inter-action is engendering a great harmony, that bodes well for the future.

Following the formation of the District Grand Priory, a period of expansion and development ensued, with the Erection and Consecration of KINCARDINE Preceptory, No 107 - East London, in 1966; BARCLAY

HARVEY Preceptory, No III - Que Que, Southern Rhodesia, in 1969; then REEF Preceptory, No 113 - Johannesburg, in 1969, and LION'S DEN Preceptory, No 115­Rhodesia, in 1971, all of which doubled the size of the Templar/Malta Masonry in the Southern African context.

Mainly due to the problems of distance, as well as the need to cross Borders, the decision was taken to form a separate District of Rhodesia, comprising the 3 Preceptories in that area, namely Robert the Bruce, No 98, Barclay Harvey No 111, and Lion's Den No 115, with all the other Preceptories, except Simonstown, falling under the re-named District of Southern Africa.

Growth continued with the consecration of LAWRlE TRESSIE Preceptory, No 121 ­Middelburg, in 1974, which was closely followed by the consecration of GLAMIS Preceptory No 127 - P0l1 Elizabeth, and SCOTTISH CRUSADERS Preceptory, No 129 - Durban, (now in Botswana), both in 1978.

Again, due mainly to the need for a more close and "neighbourly" administration, the 3 Eastern Cape Preceptories, Braemar No 99, Kincardine No 107, and Glamis No 127, on the 11 th of August, 1979, formed the District Grand Priory of the Cape of Good Hope, with all the rest of the Preceptories forming the, again, renamed District of the Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Natal, which name is currently, again, under review, this time on the grounds of needing to conform to the changes that have taken place in recent years within the Country as a whole. Even in the 21 51 Century, our Order has to tread the road of "political correctness".

Since 1979 the District has grown, and now has a total of 11 Preceptories, with DAVID LIVINGSTONE Preceptory, No 150 - Johannesburg; GOLDFIELDS Preceptory, No 151 - Germiston; LEN GREEF Preceptory, No 157 - Odendaalsrust, (now in Riebeeckstad); WEST RAND Preceptory, No 164 - Roodepo0l1; WILLIAM STEWART BIRRELL Preceptory, No 166 - Nelspruit, (now White River); LION RAMPANT Preceptory, No 170 - Boksburg; and PRO DEO Preceptory, No 172­ Pinetown, all being Erected and Consecrated over the years. Scottish Crusaders Preceptory closed due to a lack of members, but was re-constituted and re-dedicated by the Grand Master, ME and Rev'd Frater Roy Scott, PP., GCT., in Gaberone, Botswana, in 2004, and currently operates under the control of, (and thus forms a part of), this District.

This District has now over 100 years of Templar and Malta masonry to celebrate, and whilst much of Free Masonry is showing a "diminishing return" in respect of Membership numbers, this Order, in this District, is showing a slight, but significant, and steady INCREASE in Membership. Long may this continue!

The Order is founded upon principles and tenets that are from the 13 th Century, and whilst we no longer draw our swords in defence of Pilgrims to the Holy Places of Palestine, we can, and should, draw our Moral and Spiritual swords in defence of our fellow man, his Character, and the relief of his affliction, as well as that of his family.

Let that continue to be our Watchword. In the Bonds of the Order,

Roodepoort.

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A Short History of the Templars (Complete or Incomplete)

By Rt. Em Frater Darrell D. Phillips, PP, D.G. Prior

There are, in History, characters and events which seem to be shrouded in mystery. Scholars study, in vain, the documents, to find all they can about the lives of men, and the connection of acts. But the Riddle remains unsolved. Thus, figures as diverse as Casper Hauser and Joan of Arc; far reaching events like the formation of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, or the emergence of Freemasonry, are seen only through a kind of mist. This History, therefore, is never complete. Can it be that it contains some of that elusive element, which, for want of a better word, we call the super sensible? ... that spiritual forces were active at the time, although the people concerned were not aware of it? Such a case it that of the Knights Templar, an Order of particular interest to the French, since its rise and fall were both due to Frenchmen, and now, of course, of immense interest to us all.

The very origin of the Order is obscure. The Brotherhood was founded in 1118 or 1119. - the exact date is unknown, - after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Crusaders, under Godfrey de Bouillon, and the founding of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, the throne of which was occupied by Baldwin II, a cousin of the conqueror. It was already felt that there was a need to have a standing armed force which could ensure the safety of the new Kingdom; an organised, and disciplined Militia, that could maintain order within the State. Naturally, there were many Crusaders in the land, but they were always on the move, and there was no real cohesion between them. The enthusiasm, which had once united men of all conditions, and from all countries, had died down, and its place had been taken by ambition and greed.

As the Kingdom of Jerusalem had a religious as well as military basis, it was bound to rely upon a force which was both Military, as well as Religious. In fact, the Founder of the Order seems to have had, from the start, a double ideal, spiritual and lay. To realize such an ideal on a secular basis was without precedent, and it is surprising to find that the author of the scheme was not a powerful Prince, nor a dignitary of the Church, but an obscure knight from Burgundy, being the holder of the small fief of Payens, a village situated a few miles from Troyes. His name was Hugo de Payens.

How did this humble vassal conceive the idea of founding a Brotherhood, the members of which would be bound by a Monastic code, and Military discipline, so STRICT that they were doomed, one might say, to become true heroes, ... which in fact, they often were?? History tells us nothing about the man, except that he was elderly, and very wise. (perhaps this last sentence applies to most of the Fraters in the Scottish Knights Templar Preceptories today, ... the elderly part, anyway!!)

To form an accurate picture of the Order of the Temple, (which differed from both its predecessor, the Hospitallers, as well as the Teutonic Knights, who came later), we have only some scanty information with which to work from. Much comes from men, such as Rudolf Stuner, to the effect that the Grail was brought to the Templars, and received by Tituril at Monsalvat. Thus a close connection was formed between the Order of the Temple, and the Knights of the Grail, and the Temple is even said to have proceeded from the Grail.

If we consider the esoteric side of Knight Templar Masonry, we find that the Knight, of the Grail carried on their activities, mostly in a secret, or esoteric manner, just as, long before them, had done the priests who officiated in ancient mysteries. The Knights of the Round Table, on the other hand, were more interested in secular affairs. The transition from the esoteric to exoteric action occurred, roughly speaking, during the two and a half centuries from 869 to 1118 or 1119. In that period, man chose a new path. Henceforth, Civilization and History were to be guided by the powers of reason, and the vigour of intellectual thought. Indeed. Parsifal led a rear-guard action against the powers symbolized by the name of Klingsor. The Christian Brotherhood of the Grail was opposed by occult fraternities, which later were to compel the Order of the Temple to depart from its true course. Other methods were then to be needed to recapture the impulse, which, throughout that period of History had been characterized by the sign of the Grail.

The effects of the ascetic mode of life, heroically cultivated by the Knights Templar, were comparable to those of true initiation discipline, but the men who submitted to t ascetic rule were exposed to the gravest of risks. Obedience to it, brought about a state of severe tension, for the Templars had to live in the world of warriors, fighting the infidels, stressing after the highest ideal, always ready to lay down their lives to save the Christian Faith, and the Kingdom, which in their eyes, was its reality. The result for many of them was a kind of mental breakdown, which, together with the stress of torture, explains the strange behaviour of the best of them.

From the stake, where, facing the Cathedral, Jacques de Molay and his followers were slowly dying, the Grand Master gathered his strength to repudiate, for a last time, the charges made against the Order and himself. It is even reported that he predicted both the King and the Pope that they would both appear, within a year, before the Heavenly Judge, a prophecy which, in fact, came true.

There have always been men who, by nature or inclination, have had knowledge of higher worlds, of the patterns through which spiritual powers interpenetrate the physical world. This wisdom was, at one time, symbolized by the Grail, and the conscious and methodical pursuit of it was, as well we all know, the Quest for the Grail. Some of the men who set out on the quest were Templars. They accepted martyrdom, and submitted to the most terrible sufferings, moral as well as physical. For indeed, men like Jacques de Molay, and his companions, could not but realize the cowardice and betrayal, and suffer deeply for such knowledge.

They gave their lives for a cause they knew to be sacred, a cause worthy of their sacrifice, the triumph of which must further the normal course of human evolution. Thus those who, even today, seek the knowledge of the Grail, or any other fulfilment should not forget that the Order of the Temple marked an important state on the road they follow into eternity. They should remember, with gratitude, the Martyrs of yore.

A very eminent Knight, Patrick Henry, once wrote "Better than the History of the Past". It prophesied an enduring future for the knights who belong to the Order of the Knights Templar, and it emphasized the philosophy, that it is better to dream about future progress in the Order, than to dwell upon accomplishments of the past. What occurred in "days of yore", can, and should, of course, give us a genuine sense of pride in our Masonic appellation of "Soldiers of the Cross". Dreams do not come true just because of wishing. We need to be imbued, each and every one of us, with new incentives to enlarge the world of Templar Masonry, to strive, with the unabated zeal, to participate actively and energetically in community life. Let us all strive to be worthy citizens of our Nation, and exemplary Christian Knights of the Temple.

The contents of this Article, which raises points not always heard in our Musters, is worthy of careful study, But I must point out that the contents are not necessarily those of the District Grand Priory, nor, indeed, of the Great Priory. However, I look forward to others articles from the Fraters of the District, which will add even more interest to the history of the Order in the years ahead. Come on, you budding Ernest Hemingway’s).

(N.B. Should you wish to make any comments about this Article, please contact the Author, who will be delighted to expand on this interesting theme. Rt. Em. Frater Phillips is a well-known Masonic Lecturer, and will always be willing, if available, to give Talks to Lodges, Chapters, and Preceptories).

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