Greetings Sir Knights, This year I have the privilege of serving as chairman for the 42nd Annual Voluntary Campaign for the Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF). During the course of the campaign I will have the opportunity to visit with you each month about the great work the foundation has done, exciting new developments, and how you can help the foundation in accomplishing its mission. Speaking of missions, as many of you know, the mission of the foundation is to provide assistance to those who face loss of their eyesight without regard to race, color, creed, age, sex, or national origin. This assistance is provided to individuals who otherwise could not afford needed services because of their lack of insurance or government coverage for treatment of their eye disease or disorder. Our mission is also to provide support for research into curing diseases of the eye. The purpose of the Voluntary Campaign is to raise funds to support the mission of our foundation. At the just concluded 64th Triennial Conclave in Roanoke, Va., we heard the chair of the foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee, J. Bronwyn Bateman, M.D. of the University of Colorado, tell us how research grants are awarded and how important the foundation is to ophthalmology research in the United States. We also received a report on the three tremendous Voluntary Campaigns conducted during the last Triennial, which raised $3.6 million. With the recent world-wide economic downturn there is, of course, concern about the financial condition of our foundation. As might be expected in this period of economic uncertainty, the total assets of the foundation are down from their peak, but not as much as some had feared and under the stewardship of our Board of Trustees, are recovering. However, our foundation requires continued voluntary support to maintain and increase our research and charitable endeavors. Over the coming months we’ll discuss the ways you can support the foundation, recognition programs, exciting research developments, clinical care, and Seniors EyeCare Program (SEP) and how you can sponsor a case. In fact, information on how to sponsor a case is available on the KTEF’s website, which I encourage you to visit at www.knightstemplar.org/ktef. Finally, during this season of Thanksgiving I urge each of you who are able to do so to contribute at least $30.00 to the Foundation. This amount will not only be very beneficial to the accomplishment of our mission but will also entitle you to be recognized as a Life Sponsor. Sir Knights, PLEASE BE GENEROUS. Jeffrey N. Nelson KCT, PDC Chairman, 42nd Annual Campaign