Text-Set current font as mail default

We have a custom mail template based off of the 9.0.1 template. When you go into a memo and put your cursor into the body field you do not get the “Text-Set current font as mail default” option. When you put the person back on the default template they are fine and if you replace the memo form with the one from the base template the menu option appears correctly also. My question is this:

What make Notes show this option/what is it in our customized memo form that is causing it to go away?

Subject: Try this

Go to the custom form’s text properties and click the Paragraph Styles tab. Then choose *DefaultStyleForMail.

Subject: did not work

I composed a new message, but could not assign the style to “DefaultStyleForMail”. I can create a new style but then user has to highlight the msg → bring up the properties box → go to Paragraph style tab and choose new style every time.

Do you know why we are loosing the option in customized mail template for “Text-Set current font as mail default” ?