Dear Sir Knights:
    The Oliver Commandery School of Instruction is dark for the summer because our instructor and his significant other are traveling across the United States in their motor home. We extend our best wishes to our instructor, Sir Knight Jerry Favor, and his lady Joyce, and look forward to their safe return in September 2008.
    The bad news is that the recession has put a lot of people out of work and they have lost their health insurance. The bad news is also that inflation and $4.00 per gallon gasoline have forced many people to choose between paying for health insurance and paying for other necessities and gasoline.
    The good news is that I am receiving on average one telephone call per week from persons who are uninsured and cannot afford the cost of eye surgery. The Knights' Templar Eye Foundation requires all applicants to apply for medical assistance, preferably though a state agency and receive a denial letter.  The bad news is that the State of Florida Medical Program states on its website that it takes four to six weeks to issue a denial letter. The bad news is that many of our clients neither have personal computers nor are computer literate. Yet the state requires that they complete an online Medicaid application.
    I assisted a woman with filing a Medical application through connecting my laptop computer ro the phone line in her home. Three months after making the application, she convinced the Orange County's public assistance unit to pay for the surgery on both eyes because the Medicaid program would not respond. If the Medical program will not timely approve or deny applications for assistance, pehaps it is time to find an alternate source through which to obtain these letters. Otherwise, our program is in jeopardy. As the number of requests for assistance through the Knights' Templar Eye Foundation increases, our charity will be thwarted and no one will receive assistace if we have to rely on the state. I intend to run the problem by Right Eminent James D. Dickenson, District Deputy Grand Commander, to see what we can come up with.
    The GOOD NEWS is that Right Eminent District Deputy Grand Commander will make his official visit to Olivet Commandery No. 4 on Thursday July 24, 2008 at 7:30 pm. He looks forward to being with the Sir Knights in our Commandery, and we look forward to receive him.

Thomas S. Rice, E.C.