The Office of the Grand Chirurgeon: An Introduction and Update
Chev. John H. Mather MD FACPE KCTJ
Grand Chirurgeon, GPUSA

A Chirurgeon Corps of Knights Templar has been established. The root of the word chirugeon (pronounced kī-ˈrər-jən) is Middle English, dating to the 13th century as a reference to a surgeon. Its modern use applies to all health professions in the broadest sense; educated and trained in a health care discipline. Today’s Templar chirugeons should be active participants in the work of a Priory.

Mission
The overarching mission of the Chirurgeon Corps is to be a source of health care expertise that supports the goals and objectives of the Grand Priory, and to be able to organize and facilitate medical and other health care assistance, providing “relief” to the membership of GPUSA and wherever else there may be a real need.

Purposes
The Chirurgeon Corps is established for a variety of interlocking purposes:

To be a resource of health professionals who can be called upon to provide expert advice to the Grand Prior and the Executive Committee of SMOTJ, GPUSA;

To have established Chirurgeons at each Priory, who can assist their Priory members that might have concerns and questions concerning access to and availability of first class medical and healthcare;

To provide an auxiliary arm of the Grand Priory to integrate efforts of direct humanitarian aid with other supportive endeavors in the Holy Land;

To coordinate and execute direct humanitarian aid missions and any other health related activities approved by the Grand Prior.

To support proactively the activities of the Raymond Davis Foundation and Operation Knight Flight;

Membership
All health care professionals who are Templars (Knights and Dames) can consider themselves to be members of the Chirurgeon Corps by virtue of his or her profession.

Each Priory is encouraged to recruit doctoral-prepared health professionals to increase the local Priory’s capability, especially physicians, dentists, nurses, psychologists, speech and language therapists, audiologists, physical therapists, optometrists and podiatrists.

Each Priory should establish the position of Chirurgeon and appoint a doctoral- prepared health care professional to the position. The name and full contact information for the Priory Chirurgeon should be transmitted to the Grand Chirurgeon.

Grand Chirurgeon and Council
The Grand Prior has appointed a physician to the position of Grand Chirurgeon.

A Grand Chirurgeon Council of five heath care professionals has been authorized, consisting of a Chair (the Grand Chirurgeon) and four Deputy Grand Chirurgeons to be appointed, preferably from different Priories. Where possible each will already be a Chirurgeon serving with a local Priory.

These four Council members will be appointed based on the recommendation of the Grand Chirurgeon to the Grand Prior.

The President of the Raymond Davis Foundation and the Coordinator of Operation Knight Flight shall be Ex-Officio members of the Council.

A Strategic Plan and Operations
The Council will develop and issue a Strategic Plan with an implementation statement, with receipt of appropriate concurrence from the Grand Prior, for a two-year period concurrent with the two-year terms of office of the Grand Prior.

The Council will meet at least once a year in conjunction with the Annual Grand Council of GPUSA. It will convene quarterly by teleconference as deemed necessary to receive updates on the activities of GPUSA, determine priorities, and update the Strategic Plan.

The Grand Chirurgeon will ensure the maintenance of approved, succinct Minutes of Council meetings whether or not the role of ‘scribe’ is assumed by (or delegated to) another Council member.

In Summary
The Chirurgeon Corps will be an active source of health care expertise that supports the goals and objectives of the Grand Priory. It is intended that each Priory will appoint a Chirurgeon. A Grand Chirurgeon Council will develop and be responsible for oversight of a strategic plan’s implementation.