Awarded the
Outstanding Commandery of the
Year Banner
at the Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery Knights
Templar of Michigan
August, 2008
Welcome to the Detroit Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar website!
We anticipate that this website will provide you with a great deal of
information about our Illustrious Order.
In these pages you will broaden your knowledge of our Commandery's legendary
past, present, and future.
Our Order is replete of men of exceedingly high caliber and character, ready to
serve mankind.
Our local Commandery has included numerous distinguished personalities including
men who have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor, served as The United
States Secretary of the Army, or lead as Generals, Governors and Mayors.
Our local Commandery not only supports the annual "Knights Templar Holy Land
Pilgrimage", but in fact was the founding organization for this magnificent
program. The purpose of the
pilgrimage is to send Christian Ministers to The Holy Land free of charge.
Masonic membership is not required and the Minister can be male or female.
Our Order supports the Knights Templar Eye Foundation which has provided over
$90 Million to assist any citizen of the United States of America in need of
surgical treatment for the eyes without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex,
or national origin provided they are unable to pay or receive adequate
assistance from current government agencies or similar sources and provided they
are within the financial guidelines of the Foundation.
For more information, please visit this website:
http://knightstemplar.org/ktef/
Our Order supports The Knights Templar Educational Foundation.
This is an educational program that considers all applications for scholarships,
without regard to age, race, religion, National origin, gender, of Masonic ties
or affiliations. These scholarships are not "grants in aid", but are open to all
students regardless of their financial circumstances.
Our Order created and sponsors Project Freedom Inc., which is a private,
nonprofit foundation that provides funding to install and maintain liftaid
equipment, which costs more than $5,000 each, in partially disabled patients
homes until the equipment is no longer needed, at which time it is refurbished
and loaned to another patient who wishes to be cared for at home.
For more information, please visit this website:
http://www.projectfreedommi.org/
Our Order supports the Boys and Girls Club of America via two committees.
Our Hospitalers committee donates $10,000 per year, and our Christian Youth
committee donates $5,000 per year to this magnificent organization for children.
For more information, please visit this website:
http://www.boysandgirlsclub.us/
We have a long history in the development of Templarism in Michigan.
In fact, the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of the State of Michigan was born
in a meeting on January 15th, 1857 in our Asylum.
With Sir Knight John Gilbert, Jr., hailing from Detroit Commandery No. 1 being
elected as the first Grand Commander for the State of Michigan.
Since 1857, a total of sixteen (16) of the Grand Commanders since the Grand
Commandery's inception have hailed from our Illustrious Commandery.
If you are interested in joining our Illustrious Commandery, see the address and
application section of our website.
Again, welcome to our website!