blocks not loading an included perch:template

I have a master template that creates a region and then pre-populates it with a template. The template it populates the region with uses blocks for content. Once a block is chosen the template the loads has a perch:template included at the top. When I create the pages the last step in the process (the template include) on a loaded block template does not show.

But if I use a standard perch_content() tag and then choose the free_form_template.html the template include shows on top of the block choice. Is there a restriction that doesn't allow you to use a template include when creating a region using perch_content_custom?

Here is all the code. It may explain it better when seeing the actual code. I'm only including the relevant parts to understand this question.

MASTER TEMPLATE:

<?php 
    perch_content_create('Page Content', array(
        'template' => 'Structured_Content/page_content_template.html',
        'multiple' => true,
    )); 
?>

    <?php
    perch_content_custom('Page Content', array(
        'template' => 'Page_Template/free_form_template.html',
    )); 
?>  

PAGE_CONTENT_TEMPLATE

<perch:template path="content/Page_Template/free_form_template.html" />

FREE-FORM-TEMPLATE:

<perch:blocks>
    <perch:block label="ADD 2 Columns" type="cols2text" order="1">
        <perch:template path="content/Number_of_Columns/2_colums.html" />
    </perch:block>

    <perch:block label="ADD 3 Columns" type="cols3text" order="2">
        <perch:template path="content/Number_of_Columns/3_colums.html" />
    </perch:block>

    <perch:block label="ADD 4 Columns" type="cols4text" order="3">
        <perch:template path="content/Number_of_Columns/4_colums.html" />
    </perch:block>

(MORE BLOCKS HERE)  
</perch:blocks>

2 COLUMN BLOCK TEMPLATE

** <perch:template path="content/section_start_template.html" />  <<< THIS IS THE TEMPLATE THAT DOESN'T LOAD **

 <perch:repeater id="2Cols" label="REQUIRED MINMUM: 2 ITEMS" notes-before="2 Columns with Content">     
<perch:before>
               <div class="row">
</perch:before>

                    <div class="col-sm-6">  
                        <perch:if exists="title">
                        <div class="section_sub_title">
                           <perch:content id="title" type="text" label="Content Headline" title="true" divider-before="Column Content" />
                           </div><!--* ./sub title *-->
                        </perch:if>
                        <perch:if exists="image">
                                <div class="section-image">
                                <img src="<perch:content id="image" type="image" label="You can add an image for your content." divider-before="Image Choice" />"
                                alt="<perch:content id="imagealt" type="text" label="Alt Text" help="Place alt text here to describe your image. It is helpful to use a keyword" />" class="img-repsonsive" />
                                </div><!--* ./ section image *-->
                            </perch:if>
                        <perch:content id="col" type="textarea" label="Text" markdown="true" textile="true" editor="markitup" required="true" />
                       </div><!--* ./cols-6 *-->

                <perch:every count="2">
                </div>
                <div class="row">
                </perch:every>
        </perch:repeater> 
    <perch:after>
                </div><!--* ./row *-->
            </div><!--* ./container from section_start_template_file *-->
        </section>
    </perch:after>

SECTION START TEMPLATE:

<section class="<perch:content label="Background color for Section" id="class" type="select" options="dark gray bg|content dark, white bg|content white, solid black bg|content black, boxes with colored headline box |boxes" />_section">

<div class="container">
    <perch:if exists="title OR support_text">
                <div class="row">
                    <div class="col-sm-12 col-md-10 col-md-offset-1">
                     <perch:if exists="title">
                         <h1>
                         <perch:content id="title" type="text" label="Main Title for Content" title="true"/>
                         </h1>
                          </perch:if>
                          <perch:if exists="support_text">
                         <perch:content id="support_text" type="textarea" textile="true" editor="markitup" label="Support Content for Title" help="Add support description here" />
                  </perch:if>   
                    </div><!--* ./col-12 *-->
            </div><!--* ./row *-->
    </perch:if>