Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Alberta
Most Excellent Companion
William Jeffrey (Jeff) Knight
Grand 1st Principal
Royal Arch Masons of Alberta
2022 – 2023
Biography
William Jeffrey (Jeff) Knight
MEC Jeff Knight was born in Chatham, Ontario, April 6, 1958. He graduated from Blenheim District High School in 1976 and joined the Canadian Army in September 1977 as a Weapons Technician (Land) in the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. In 1992 Jeff was commissioned from the ranks as an Electrical Mechanical Engineering Officer, and completed his last years of service in uniform as the Officer Commanding RCEME Squadron at 4 Wing Cold Lake; retiring in 2005 after 28 years’ service. Jeff then accepted a position at 4 Wing Cold Lake under contract to the military. He provided training to Canada’s fighter force through instruction and operation of the CF-18 flight simulator. In August 2020 Jeff retired for the second time after 43 years of continuous service to the Department of National Defence.
MEC Knight is a third generation Mason. His decision to commit to the Masonic lifestyle began when he was initiated in Astra lodge No. 179 in October 2003. He was passed to a Fellowcraft and then Raised as a Master Mason in May 2004 with his father coming from Ontario to participate in the degree. Jeff progressed through the various chairs of the Lodge and has sat in the East as Worshipful Master during the 2008-09 and 2014-15 Masonic years. He was elected and installed as the Lakeland District Deputy Grand Master in 2018 and has sat on the Board of General Purposes, and the Jurisprudence Committee, of the Grand Lodge of Alberta. Jeff is currently the Secretary-Treasurer of Astra Lodge and has filled that position for a total of 8 years.
MEC Knight sought more light in masonry by being advanced as a Mark Master Mason, received as a Most Excellent Master and in April 2005 was exalted as a Royal Arch Mason in Cold Lake Chapter No. 39. He again progressed through the various offices and sat as the 1st Principle in the years 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2019. In 2012 Jeff was appointed as the Grand Sword Bearer of the Grand Lodge of Alberta and in May 2015 he was installed as the Grand District Superintendent of District No. 2. In 2017 he was appointed by the Grand 1st Principal to the Executive Committee of Grand Chapter, and in May 2019 he was elected and installed as the Grand 3rd Principal, a position he performed for two years. In 2021 Jeff was the Grand 2nd Principal and in 2022 was elected as the Grand 1st Principal of the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Alberta
Jeff has received the Past Masters (Virtual) Degree and has been anointed, consecrated and set apart in the Holy Order of the High Priesthood.
MEC Knight completed the Chivalric Degrees in April 2008, being solemnly received and proclaimed a Knight of the Order of the Temple in Edmonton Preceptory No.46, Knights Templar.
MEC Knight completed the Cryptic Rite Degrees at Zohar Council No.4 in Edmonton and has received the Royal Arc Mariner Degree under the direction of Edmonton Chapter No. 2.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
MOST EXCELLENT COMPANION
William Jeffrey (Jeff) Knight
GRAND FIRST PRINCIPAL – GRAND CHAPTER ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF ALBERTA
CONVOCATION – MAY 14, 2022
Most Excellent Companions, Grand Chapter Officers,
Distinguished Guests and all Companions of this Grand Chapter.
On this, the 108th Convocation of this Grand Chapter, I stand before you having
just a moment ago taken upon myself a solemn Obligation relating to the faithful
performance of the duties pertaining to this office of Grand First Principal. I am
filled with a feeling of humbleness, and at the same time a feeling of great pride,
and I am deeply grateful to the Companions of this Grand Chapter for the honour
that you have bestowed on me this afternoon. I pledge to do my very best to
prove your trust in me to be well founded.
I would first like to thank M.E. Comp. Gerald Tetzloff, my Installing “Z’, for his
efforts in assembling the Team of Officers who carried out the Ceremony of
Installation and Investiture this afternoon. To those who assisted him, thank you
all for your time and effort in making this Ceremony as dignified and meaningful
as it was. I also wish to thank MEC Rod Ponech for the honour of having him
obligate and install me in the Chair of Grand “Z”. Both Gerry and Rod have been
Masons and Companions who I have looked up to over the years. They have
helped in many ways, often unbeknownst to them, to guide me to where I am
today. I am humbled to have them as part of the installation team.
To my predecessor, MEC Gerald Waldern, I extend my appreciation for your
efforts during your term of office. Your dignity and integrity will be remembered
by this Grand Chapter. Your attention to the duties of the office of Grand “Z”,
during the pandemic and your constant consideration for the health and
wellbeing of all the Companions of this Jurisdiction was unwavering. On behalf of
this Grand Chapter, we thank you for staying the course.
I now accept the Sceptre of this high office, with humbleness, and an immense
feeling of gratitude at the faith which has been placed in me to carry this Grand
Chapter forward. I shall attempt to uphold that trust during the course of my
duties by demonstrating good leadership, patience, understanding and
acceptance. I wish to congratulate, the Grand Chapter Officers who have been
Installed and Invested today. I look forward to working with every one of you
during our time in office together.
Many Challenges face our Royal Craft, today, as they have in the past. But
Companions, the work we have before us for the coming year in Capitular
Masonry is enough to keep us more than busy. In some cases, it will be a tough
hill to climb. I am not referring to just the Grand Chapter Officers, or the Officers
of our constituent Chapters. If we are going to maintain this fraternity as we
recover and move back to the quarries, it will require the effort and support of
every Royal Arch Mason within this jurisdiction. It will require patience as we pick
our way through the rubble to find the pillars again and get our Chapters back on
their feet. It will take understanding as we determine how best to meet the
challenges of today, whether they be in the way we do business going forward, or
how we maintain the fundamentals of our Royal Craft while still ensuring a safe
and a fulfilling environment for all our Companions. But most of all, it will take
acceptance. Acceptance of the fact that we are not all the same and we are not
all going to bounce back from the last two years in the same way or at the same
rate, or even perhaps, some of us may not bounce back or return to Chapter at
all. We need to reach out to each other, help each other and most of all respect
each other. Capitular Masonry has withstood the trials of the past 275+ years and
we will do it again. Masonry can still be the bulwark that is needed to move
beyond what is still unknown about our future. Let’s work together, positively
and joyfully, to ensure that this Royal Craft, that we love, this family of Masons
and Companions, is strengthened and enriched in the months and years to come.
Most Excellent Companion
Gerald D. R. Waldern
Grand 1st Principal
Royal Arch Masons of Alberta
2021 – 2022
A message to
Royal Arch Masons of Alberta
from
M. Ex. Comp. Rod Ponech
| Grand First Principal’s Tentative Schedule 2019 -2020 | ||||||||
| Dates | Days | Location | Chapter / Event # | Dist. Meeting Location | ||||
| May | 8-9 | Wed-Thu. | Camrose | Gr Council Cryptic Rite W CA | Norsman Inn Camrose | |||
| May | 10-11 | Fri.-Sun. | Camrose | Grand Chapter Alberta, RAM | Norsman Inn Camrose | |||
| 15 | Wednesday | Grand Prairie | Wapiti | 34 | O.V. | 1 | Grand Prairie Masonic Hall | |
| 16 | Thursday | Ft. McMurray | Hanging Stone | 40 | O.V. | 2 | Ft McMurray Seniors’ Centre | |
| 23 | Thursday | Didsbury | Mountain View | 42 | O.V. | 3 | Didsbury Masonic Hall | |
| 24 | Friday | Frank | Hillview | 15 | O.V. | 4 | Frank Masonic Hall | |
| “ | “ | “ | Shekinah | 4 | O.V. | 4 | ” ” “ | |
| June | 5 | Wednesday | High River | Golden West | 5 | O.V. | 4 | High River Masonic Hall |
| 10 | Monday | Calgary | Alberta | 1 | O.V. | 4 | Bowmont Masonic Hall | |
| 13 | Thursday | Irricana | Strathmore | 21 | O.V. | 3 | Irricana Masonic Hall | |
| 14-15 | Fri.-Sat. | Calgary | Grand Lodge of Alberta | Calgary | ||||
| 17 | Monday | Calgary | Crescent | 24 | O.V. | 4 | Bowmont Masonic Hall | |
| 19 | Wednesday | Camrose | Mount Olivet | 17 | BBQ | 2 | Camrose Masonic Temple | |
| 20 | Thursday | Edmonton | North Star | Mtg. | 1 | Highlands Hall | ||
| 24 | Monday | Cold Lake | Cold Lake | 39 | O.V. | 2 | Astra Lodge Hall | |
| 27 | Thursday | Edmonton | Capital City | 13 | BBQ | 1 | Highlands Hall | |
| July | 11 | Thursday | Cold Lake | Memorial PG1P A Edstrom | Cold Lake | |||
| Aug | 9-12 | Sun.-Thur | Montreal | Grand Imperial Conclave of CA | Montreal | |||
| 13-15 | Fri.-Sun. | Montreal | Sovereign Great Priory of CA | Montreal | ||||
| 23-24 | Fri..-Sat. | Edmonton | Allied Masonic Degrees of CA | Edmonton | ||||
| 27 | Thursday | Calgary | Otuskwan | 9 | O.V. | 3 | Bowmont Masonic Hall | |
| Sept | 5 | Thursday | Drumheller | Eheyeh | 27 | O.V. | 3 | Drumheller Masonic Hall |
| 6-7 | Saturday | Drumheller | Outdoor Field Day | |||||
| 14 | Saturday | Lacombe | Lebanon | 38 | O.V. | 2 | Lacombe Masonic Temple | |
| 16 | Monday | Edson | Edson | 30 | O.V. | 1 | Edson Masonic Hall | |
| 18-22 | Thur.-Sun. | Kelowna | Grand Chapter B. C. & YT, RAM | Kelowna | ||||
| 23 | Monday | Edmonton | Norwood | 18 | O.V. | 1 | General Hospital | |
| 26 | Thursday | Edmonton | Capital City | 13 | O.V. | 1 | Highlands Hall | |
| 28 | Saturday | Stony Plain | District 1 Meeting | 1 | ||||
| Oct | 7 | Monday | Brooks/M. Hat | Assiniboia | 3 | O.V. | 3 | Brooks Masonic Hall |
| 16 | Wednesday | Camrose | Mount Olivet | 17 | O.V. | 2 | Camrose Masonic Temple | |
| 19 | Saturday | District 4 Meeting | 4 | |||||
| 21 | Monday | Red Deer | Keystone | 12 | O.V. | 3 | Red Deer Masonic Hall | |
| 24 | Thursday | Wainwright | Parklands | 31 | O.V. | 2 | Wainwright Masonic Temple | |
| 26 | Saturday | Camrose | District 2 Meeting | 2 | Camrose Masonic Temple | |||
| Nov | 9 | Saturday | District 3 Meeting | 3 | ||||
| 20 | Wednesday | Stony Plain | Stoney | 41 | O.V. | 1 | Meridian Lodge Masonic Hall | |
| 21 | Thursday | Edmonton | North Star | 2 | O.V. | 1 | Highlands Hall | |
| Dec | 8 | Sunday | Calgary | Crescent | 100th Anniv. | Shrine Centre Calgary | ||
| 12 | Thursday | Edmonton | Tri- Chapter Christmas Social | Highlands Hall | ||||
| 15 | Sunday | Edmonton | Edmonton Preceptory Christmas Observance | |||||
| 19 | Thursday | Edmonton | North Star | Inst. | 1 | Highlands Hall | ||
| 2020 | ||||||||
| Jan | 1 | Wednesday | Edmonton | Grand Master’s Levy – G L AB | Freemasons’ Hall Edmonton | |||
| Feb | 8 | Saturday | Lacombe | Grand Chapter Executive Meet | Lacombe Masonic Hall | |||
| 13-16 | Thur.-Sun. | Great Falls | Grand Chapter Montana RAM (Gr 2 Prin.) | Great Falls | ||||
| April | 12 | Sunday | Edmonton | A.A.S.R. Sunrise Breakfast -Speaker “Easter Message” | ||||
| 23-26 | Thur.-Sun. | Winnipeg | Grand Chapter Manitoba, RAM | Portage La Prairie | ||||
| May | 7-10 | Thur.-Sun. | Red Deer | Grand Chapter Alberta, RAM | Cambridge Hotel | |||
