Tempe Knights of Pythias Lodge #26 Announcements

Starting in January we are allowing 40 unhoused individuals in the iHOPE program to sleep overnight at the hall, one night a month. We will supply the dinner for the individuals that evening too.

We have added Save the Family in Mesa to our list of charities that receive $1,000.00 to help their veterans program.

We have added Oakwood Creative Care in Mesa to our list of charities that receive $1,000.00 to help their dementia and Alzheimer’s program that offer support groups, and dementia coaching sessions.

We are donating $1,000.00 to the Tempe Community Council "Threadz" program. This FREE resource for Tempe middle and high school teens from all three Tempe school districts helps all students with clothing, hygiene products and school supplies.

We donated the hall for ASU music students to do their final recitals at the end of the spring semester.

During Pride month in June we donated our hall for an LGBTQ+ dance party that included various agencies that have services to help youth.

On Sunday, July 23rd we hosted a dinner for the ARC of Tempe organization for the developmentally disabled.

On Thursday, July 27th we donated a pallet of water to the Tempe Community Action Agency to help distribute bottles to the unhoused during this extreme summer heatwave.

Grand Lodge Kickoff and Trustee Meetings

Javier Dibene
Grand Chancellor

Grand Chancellor Javier Dibene conveys his sincere thanks to all the Grand Lodge Trustee and Kickoff meeting attendees. He acknowledges the teamwork and commitment of the group and envisions that the Knights of Pythias will prosper through our hard work. He also expresses his appreciation to Tucson Lodge #9 for their hospitality and generosity in hosting the meetings at their castle.

We have included some photographs from the meetings and lunch.

135th Arizona Grand Lodge Convention

135th Arizona Grand Lodge Convention elects a slate of officers, trustees, and representatives. We thank everyone for attending our convention which was held in the Tucson Lodge 9 Castle.

Grand Chancellor - Javier Diebene
Grand Vice Chancellor - Allen Davis
Grand Prelate - Jeff Hansen
Grand Secretary - William Sanchez
Grand Treasurer - Sir Bryan Schwartz
Grand Master-at-Arms - Tom Giles
Grand Inner Guard - Ken Schwartz
Grand Outer Guard - Greg Posniack
Newly elected Trustee - Jose Agosttini
Other Trustees - Joe Emry, Jesus "Chino" Gomez, Jerry Castro, Jack Schwartz

We also thank past Grand Chancellor Jim Raymond for leading the convention and Supreme Secretary Allen S. Morris who represented the Supreme Lodge and programs.

134th Grand Lodge of Arizona Convention

Grand Chancellor Jim Raymond conducted the 134th Arizona Grand Lodge convention. He extended knightly honors to all in attendance online and in person. The Grand Lodge traditionally reelects the same slate of officers for a second term with the consent of all officers. Therefore, we welcome the reelected slate of officers and wish them continued success in their second term.

Join us in congratulating these elected individuals!

Officers

Grand Chancellor Jim Raymond
Grand Vice Chancellor Javier Dibene
Grand Prelate Allen Davis
Grand Secretary William Sanchez
Grand Treasurer Bryan Schwartz
Grand Master at Arms Jeff Hansen
Grand Inner Guard Alan Handelsman
Grand Outer Guard Gregory Posniack

Trustees

5-Year Term Joe Emery
3-Year Term Jerry Castro
2-Year Term Jack Schwartz

We embrace the task of supporting these officers and trustees in their roles to better the Arizona Grand Lodge and each subordinate lodge. We are to work tirelessly to modernize the Knights of Pythias to steward our money and improve our communities.

Grand Lodge Kickoff Meeting

Grand Chancellor Jim Raymond welcomes everyone to the kickoff meeting at the Tucson 9 Lodge Castle.

Grand Chancelor Jim Raymond’s welcome.

The 2022 Kickoff Meeting was attended by the Grand Lodge Officers and Trustees.

Grand Lodge Officers and Trustees at Kickoff Meeting

Other Images

Tempe 26 Officer Installation

Tempe 26 Officer Swearing in with the Lodge Bible

The Arizona Grand Lodge visited the Tempe 26 Lodge Hall to install the new slate of officers. Grand Chancellor Jim Raymond is in the picture below with the new offficers.

2022 Tempe Lodge # 26 Officers

The rest of the Grand Lodge officers joined in the next picture.

Arizona Grand Lodge Officers with Tempe 26 Officers.

Tempe 26 provided a wonderful spread of food and refreshments.

Grand Secretary Willie Sanchez leaving the kitchen with wonderful food.

Lodge Consolidation

Greetings Knights,

Pima 47 and Metro 55 have merged with Tucson 9 and Rio Rico 98 has merged with Nogales 13. This will help the Knights in Arizona to better serve the communities.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Resolutions mark this time of year for many people. We each take an honest look at our lives and compare them to the person we wish to be. I ask each of you to include the Knights of Pythias in your resolutions as your lodge is a part of who you are.

I know that each of you has a good heart and care for your community. You would not be Knights if this were not true. Therefore, consider how you can make the order stronger and strengthen the community through your resolutions. Also, consider how the lodge can help you and your other knights.

The Grand Lodge of Arizona encourages each of you to continue to meet in a social distancing method using the provided conference lines. Use the conference line, email, and social media to perform wellness checks on each other. Lift your brother's and sister's spirits by fighting the loneliness that COVID-19 brings to many people.

2021 Resolutions

Lodges helping communities

Tucson 9 donates $1100 to Toys For Tots

The Tucson 9 Lodge donated $1100 to the Toys For Tots this holiday season. The donation made the evening news, the Grand Lodge Facebook page, and the Supreme Lodge Facebook page.

Return to AZ Grand Lodge

2019 Grand Chancellor Kickoff Meeting

Grand Chancellor Joe Emery

2019 Kickoff Meeting

Hosted at Tucson Lodge Hall

Brother Joe presented his program to the officers and trustees. The committee assignments remain unchanged.

Subordinate Lodges

• Multiple lodges will continue to support the Supreme Read & Ride program to promote literacy and bicycle safety.

• Phoenix lodges will host the annual Grand Lodge Convention.

• Tucson lodges will host the annual picnic and the rodeo parade float.

• Nogales lodges will host the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Grand Lodge Officers

The Grand Line Officers will perform an official visitation at each subordinate lodge. Later they will return to install the slate of newly elected officers.

We will continue to recognize the military and first responders service to our communities. We will look into starting a program to teach stress relief skills to these groups.

Happy 4th of July

Dear Brothers,

Please allow me to wish each of you and your families, a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday. We put our flag out to display our American pride. I have been beyond our shores and I can assure you that the nations of the world, almost without exception, wish us peace and prosperity. Our history is noble. Our goals are true. We salute our flag with pride.

Joe Emery
Grand Chancellor
Arizona Grand Lodge

Convention Energy Recharges the Lodges

I enjoyed seeing many of you at the convention this last weekend. We had a wonderful banquet followed by a game night. There were tables with UNO, Blackjack, Poker, and dominoes. We also had a great time in the hospitality room where Knights and their families caught up and ate together. The debate on the new legislation was professional.

I felt energized by the convention and I hope you did as well. Please take this energy back to your subordinate lodges and use it to recruit new members and to make your communities stronger. We will talk about the activities you are planning now and the people you help at the next convention.

New Golden Spur Recipient: Sir Bryan Schwartz

A group of knights and their families gathered today for lunch to recognize this special Knight, Brother Bryan Schwartz,  for a lifetime of achievement to this community and to the nation by awarding him the Golden Spur. This is the highest honor from the Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias.

This is the highest recognition for a lifetime of service to the community. The Golden Spur has only been granted to someone in Arizona a few times in many decades.

Knights can submit nominations to the Grand Chancellor for consideration and review by a special secret committee for review. The committee reviews the information and gathers further information as needed. They then make recommendations to a second committee who reserves the right to consider further names. This committee then selects the best nomination and submits their name and lifetime achievement documentation to the Supreme Lodge of the Knights of Pythias. A knight who receives this nomination is not guaranteed to receive the Golden Spur.

The details of the ceremony will not be recorded on this blog. However, we ask that all of you extend the warmest wishes and congratulations to our Grand Treasurer, Sir Bryan Schwartz!

Knights of Pythias Service

• Chairman of the Grand Lodge Trustees - Bryan Schwartz was instrumental in restructuring the Grand Lodge investments leading to both an increase in investment income as well as a decrease in risk to principle investment. Bryan also scheduled the annual audit to take place on the day of the Grand Lodge Annual Picnic to reduce travel expenses by eliminating one trip.

• Grand Lodge Officer – Sir Bryan has held each office in the Grand Lodge line including Grand Chancellor. He currently serves in the capacity of Grand Treasurer. He has served in several positions multiple times.

• Chancellor Commander of Tucson Lodge # 9 – Our Golden Spur recipient was instrumental in restructuring the cemetery fund investments leading to both an increase in investment income as well as a decrease in risk to the principle. The Cemetery Association maintains the cemetery for the benefit of our members. He also was instrumental in the investment of monies from the sale of our lodge hall so that we will have the finances to perform community service for years to come.

• Chairman of the Grand Lodge Convention, Picnic, and Hospitality Room Committee for numerous years.

• Subordinate Lodge Membership – Sir Bryan was an instrumental founding member of Rincon Lodge #4 in 1998 & Metro Lodge # 55 in 2015. He has recruited more than 30 new Knights to the Order and received his 50-year pin. Bryan is currently a member of 5 subordinate lodges in the Arizona Domain.

• Supreme Lodge Delegate for the Arizona Grand Lodge – Sir Bryan Schwartz has attended the Supreme Convention to vote on legislation that is best for the Order.

Community Service

• United States Navy – Sir Bryan Schwartz received the Navy Achievement Medal for outstanding service as well as 26 letters of commendation.

• Board Member, State of Arizona Foster Care – Sir Bryan reviewed cases and determinations to protect children from abusive parents and various other situations. The board members advise counselors and the courts of what actions are appropriate. They also advise when a child should be removed from their home environment when called upon by the police.

• Pima County Justice Court, Small Claims Division – Sir Bryan Schwartz was appointed to serve as a volunteer at the pleasure of the board of supervisors and the superior court to hear civil cases under $3,500.00 for the Pima County justice court, small claims division.

• Past President, Fraternal Order of Police - He helped to serve and promote the Tucson Police Department, Sheriff's Department, and Highway Patrol.

• City of Tucson, Sentence Enforcement – Sir Bryan Schwartz volunteered with the city of Tucson courts to assist incarcerated members of the public in clearing their records.

• Rehab Institute of Southern Arizona - He helped create the volunteer program which facilitates volunteer activities for university student class projects, young offenders thru court-ordered placement, and members of the public wanting to serve their community.

• St. Joseph Hospital – Sir Bryan Schwartz has volunteered in various departments including the emergency room, hospital surgical ward, communications and various other positions.

• Mature Workers Program – Sir Bryan Schwartz has assisted citizens over 55 find employment.