Uncharted territory

Greetings.

To say 2020 has been an unusual experience would be the understatement of the century.  Our long-term members don’t recall anything similar, and a glance at our records for the first 100 years fails to reveal anything close.  Suffice it to say we are in uncharted territory.

Locally, what has changed since our last post?

On a practical level, not much.  We customarily do not meet during the summer.  Standing Resolutions provide for the payment of bills and all routine expenses of the Lodge, which has allowed us to take care of things like utility bills during our shutdown. What has changed is that for obvious reasons we are unable to make significant future plans. 

Within the District, what has changed since our last post?

Many events and activities were placed on hold, postponed, or cancelled.  This included the 15^th District Grand Master’s Reception, and the Grand Master’s One Day Class.  Our last information is that the 15^th District Golf Outing is still “on”. 

Within the Fraternity, what has happened since our last post?

A full answer would require a recap of the 10 Edicts already issued by the Grand Master, and numerous notifications by the Grand Secretary’s office.  Instead of a full recap, here are three items worth highlighting:

1.  The Deputy Grand Master Rollout Programs have been changed from multiple in-person meetings to a single virtual meeting via the Grand View System.

2.  The Grand Lodge Annual Communication, customarily held in-person in October, is being changed to a virtual meeting via the Grand View System.

3.  Every communication includes a phrase referencing that “everything is subject to change”.

***  In case you didn’t notice a trend, the Grand Lodge of Ohio is expanding its use of the Grand View System to disseminate information to the membership.  If you have not yet established your account, doing so will allow you to stay up to date with events.

What are the concerns at this point?

As you might guess, there are many.  After reviewing all the factors, the common thread seems to be the restrictions on meetings.  This references state, local, and Grand Lodge restrictions on meeting attendance, location, and circumstance.  As example, the current situation is not conducive to performing degree work, or even having large meetings.

Why is that a big deal?

As an observation, the fraternity seems to function on schedules set months and years in advance.  To its credit, this has worked well for the past couple hundred years.  Unfortunately, we now have only vague definitions of requirements and restrictions that might be in place next week, next month, or possibly next year.   As a result, something as simple as not being able to have a single meeting, like the 15^th District Annual Meeting each September, creates significant ripples.  Using that as an example, everything usually resolved during that meeting would have to be resolved in other ways.  This would include election of District Officers and establishing the Inspection schedule for the coming year.  Those are minor activities in the world view, but significant obstacles at the Lodge level.

Is Ohio the only Grand Jurisdiction in this situation?

Not hardly.  We regularly receive communications from other Grand Jurisdictions in the form of newsletters, web sites, and social media posts.  Each has cited similar issues, and appear no closer to a solution.

While we forge a path through this interesting time our best suggestion for proceeding comes from an earlier post:

1 - Follow the restrictions placed into effect to address possible exposure to and treatment of the Corona virus.  
2 - Follow the great tenets of Freemasonry:  Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
3 - Check on your Brothers and neighbors, especially those who may be in the higher risk groups.  Resist the urge to just "stop by".  Instead, consider calling, texting, or video chats.  
 

We will post additional information as it is made known to us.  In the meantime, take care of yourself and your loved ones.