by Sir Knight Thomas E Loughlin Jr
Cover photo: The extensive damage to the document’s container
photo by Sir Knight Thomas E Loughlin Jr
Utica NY: The lost item sought by the Knights Templar has been located.
Minutes after sitting down to breakfast at a local diner with the rest of the Knights Templar Erie Canal Races Honor Guard, Utica KT Commander Stuart Card received a phone call with good news and bad news. Card’s wife Brenda was on the line. The commander’s face went expressionless as he listened to his wife describe an article which had been given to her by a Mason brother after a last -ditch search turned it up on a Newport street. She described a metal item, approximating the measurements of the lost cylinder containing the charter. The item was reported to have been badly damaged.
Commander Card was informed by the person who found the item that they “were not here for the reward,” and responded by asking them to choose a charity to receive the money.
The warmed -up and dried off Templars readied to leave the diner, but not
before Commander Card noted the irony of having the DeWitt Clinton- signed charter being found while the organization which it created was performing duties at a race named for the DeWitt Clinton built waterway where the track itself was just feet away from Clinton’s handiwork.
In a letter to the Knights, Commander Card stated, “I cannot help seeing in this synchronicity, the hand of The One who we thank for guiding all our efforts as Knights Templar.”
Due to the extensive damage, a replica of the document will be on display alongside the damaged container.
