Up Close and Personal-an interview
Melinda L. “Mendy” Richards, DCTJ, PhD, Deputy Archivist General, OSMTH
 My interest in the Knights Templar began long before I actually joined the Order. I was introduced to the history obliquely by (I hate to admit this, but . . .) a book I read titled “Holy Blood, Holy Grail.” I followed the trail of some of their references, which actually WERE scholarly works, and learned of the history, Grand Master Jacques de Molay, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and how the Order came to an end. The more I read, the more I wanted to know.
Little did I know that a modern version of the Order actually existed! A Facebook posting by a close friend of mine led me to asking questions, and before I knew it, I was a Postulant! I received the Accolade in May of 2014, and became a Dame. This is one of the best things I have ever done. The service, the atmosphere, the comradery are really a good fit for me.
And I continue to read and learn . . .
I was asked by Br. Scott Simon to consider joining the History & Archives Committee, and to be trained by him to join the Archives as his deputy at the GPUSA Grand C&I in May of 2016. It was a moment I will never forget. I pursued the process and was approved by the OSMTH GMC to become the Deputy Archivist General within the month. The first task given to me by Br. Scott was to come onboard in the work of a book, the second installment of a Templar history being undertaken by the History & Archives Committee. My job was to glean through each and every sentence for readability, and to make suggestions where I felt changes were warranted. It was meticulous and detailed work; but apparently it paid off. Br. Pasi Pollanen told Br. Scott and me that he had accepted over 95 percent of my suggestions, and made those changes. I learned much from him from his explanations concerning the other 5 percent; those were about the history and some gaps in my understanding of the Order and its history. Not one suggestion was wasted. It was very gratifying to see the finished product, and to know that I had played a role in its coming to fruition.
History informs us on many different levels: it tells us where we came from; why we do the things we do; and why we believe the things we believe. An organization with history and models from which we draw our identity as deep as ours literally cries out for its members to be thoroughly steeped in and knowledgeable about our organizational history. As we approach the 900th Anniversary of the Templar Ideal, it behooves each of us to absorb as much of it as we can. And we must remember at all times that history is not just about our past; we are making history every day, by carrying on the customs and traditions that once formed us into the future. What will it look like? Only time will tell . . .
While we cannot claim to be a continuation of the original Templar Order of warrior-monks, what is important is that we take their ideals as a model. By doing so, we can build what Br. Pasi called “social capital,” and carry it into all that we do to make the world a better place. How do we do that? By honoring our past, we are doing God’s work in the present and the future. That is the core message of the second volume of Templar history. The first volume focused on details and facts of the formation of the Order, through the tragic ending of the Knights Templar; the second volume added to the history with documents that had surfaced more recently, and carried the story through to the present day. As such, it was a continuation of the first, and not exactly a “sequel.”
As the 900th Anniversary of the Knights Templar approaches, we have an opportunity to not only celebrate our storied past, but to recommit to the renewal of the spirit of Chivalry, in doing the work the Order was designed to do: assist the Christian in times of need, at home and especially in the Holy Land. The need is everywhere, and as pronounced as it ever was. As an NGO with close ties to the United Nations, there is a special aura to being a Knight or Dame, and a sense of humility, and of mission. To think that this Order that we model our present-day Order on has existed in one form or another for nearly a millennium is mind-boggling. To carry on the work is an honor and a privilege that no one should take for granted. That, to me, is what it is to be a member of the Order: honoring our past while carrying its goals and ideals into the future.
Just as it took a very special sort of person to become a warrior-monk in the original Order of the Poor Knights of Christ, it takes a very special sort of person to become a Knight or a Dame in the present Order. I think the attraction to become a member comes first and foremost from an appreciation of and curiosity about the history of the Order; but again, that is my bias. We often find that former or present members of the military have a special affinity for what the Order is and was about. A Christian who dedicates his/her life’s work to doing the work of God will find a home in the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem; a Christian person who understands that we are God’s hands on Earth will find that membership in the Order is a calling that will find them, not the other way around.
Yes, there have been talks about a third volume; but that is where we must leave it: we are in the talking stages. Likely, it will carry the modern Order forward with a focus on not only the Present, but where we are going into the Future as an Order. Stay tuned . . .
Pearls of wisdom? I may be sorely lacking in having those. But I will say this: if someone reads this second volume (or both volumes, even better), and feels the tug of chivalry, s/he may be a Knight or Dame in the making. I would remind that person that we are not a “Society of Creative Anacronisms” that exists to relive the past; but rather a collection of like-minded persons whose first desire is to make a positive difference in the world. Find, or be found by, a mentor who can help to shape that desire to help; one who can help you with your formation as a member of the Order. As was said to me by my first Prior, “Find your mission, and offer it to the organization. It may be helping at the Priory, Grand Priory, or OSMTH level; but whatever it is, be ready, willing, and able to offer your gifts to the Order.” I would only add to that to be open to your work in the Order as a calling; let it call you. The most rewarding experiences I have had in my life have happened when I was found BY the job, and not the other way around.
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