COMMANDERY OF WASHINGTON DC
Founding and Growth
Because of the distance between the then Commandery of New York and the Commandery of the Palm Beaches, it was determined in early 2004 that an appropriate strategic location for a new Commandery would be in the Nation’s capital, Washington, DC. A second precipitating factor was that the then current Vice Commanders of the New York Commandery and the then current Commander of the Palm Beaches were very familiar with the Washington area due to currently or formerly residing in the area. They along with the former Prior of the Eastern United States formed the new Commandery holding the first investiture on November 7, 2004. The majority of members of the Commandery reside in the outlying area of the District of Columbia.
In 2008, the Commandery had the privilege of hosting one of the largest attended Sovereign Council meetings.
Members of the Commandery have not only been active at the Commandery level but have shared their talents and expertise at the Priory, Grand Priory and International levels of the Sovereign Order. The Commandery is proud that the recent Chief Justice of the Order’s Supreme Court is a Commandery Knight and the current Grand Prior of the United States and Central America is one of the Commandery’s Dames.
Charitable Works
Through the years, the priorities for charitable contributions have been ailing and poor children, the homeless and persons suffering from mental illness. The former, Green Door, a center for persons with mental illness, Georgetown Ministries serving the homeless, Children’s National Medical Center, Boys Hope, Girls Hope in New Orleans damaged by hurricane Katrina, Food for the Poor in its recovery efforts after the 2007 hurricane in eastern Nicaragua, the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church’s program for feeding the homeless, and more recently Second Story for troubled youth, have all been recipients of financial assistance.
The Commandery has conducted a cadre of service projects including cleaning of the Green Door facility, preparing and serving breakfast to several hundred homeless through the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, and sponsoring as well as chaperoning a group of disadvantaged child care (Pre-K) students to the zoo. Currently, Commandery leadership is working with staff at Second Story to facilitate vocational training opportunities for disadvantaged young adults.
To date the Commandery has been dependent upon the generosity of its members to personally provide funds to assist with meeting the charitable needs identified by the Commandery.