Northeast Regional Recorder’s Meeting – March 11, 2021

Northeast Regional Recorder’s Meeting – March 11, 2021
Submitted by Stephen Balke, General Grand Recorder, Cryptic Masons International

General Grand Council Collar
Cryptic Masons International Collar
Photo Credit; MIC John Bridegroom

 

On March 11, a conference call was held with the Northeast Regional Recorders. A summary of the call is below.

Connecticut

  • Grand Lodge – 
    • Hybrid degrees, some in person.
  • York Rite
    • No Degree work
    • Good amount of virtual meetings
    • Hoping to restart in person in April/May.
  • Annual Sessions
    • Still in planning  
    • 1st week of June.
  • Educational Program – lookout for the link.

Delaware

  • Grand Sessions
    • March 13, 2021
    • Commandery 9:00 AM
    • Council 11:00 AM
    • Chapter 1:00 PM
    • Virtual Meeting
    • Mark Irwin – Retiring; Anticipating Bill Lott, with Mark as Deputy.
  • Grand Lodge Semi-Annual March 27, 2021
    • In-person – moved to Shrine – Seats 7-800 for social distancing (masks)
  • Meetings
    • Virtual – moving toward in-person.
    • Great participation with Zoom.
    • Degree work waiting for in-person. (May, maybe).

District of Columbia

Maine

  • Governor – May 50% occupancy, June 75%
  • MWGM has allowed district travel
  • MM Degrees with social distancing and masks/restrictions.
  • Chapters/Councils mostly virtual (some in person).
  • Two year program
    • Presentation at NE Conference
    • Whole curriculum
    • Link for more information.
  • Grand Sessions
    • April 23, 2021
    • Council Friday
    • Chapter Saturday Morning 9:00 AM
    • Commandery Saturday Afternoon 1:00 PM

Maryland

  • TIM Degree on Saturday April 24, 2021, at the Grand Lodge of Maryland, Special Grand Assembly at 10:00 est.  Law School at 9::00 est.   Followed by our Council of Anointed High Priests which confers the chair Degree for Chapter. Appears to be several TIM-Elects deemed qualified to be installed as TIM…Must exemplify both Council Degrees, Open & Close from Memory. (with discretion for hardship cases in special Councils circumstances)
  • Semi-Annual Grand Assembly on Saturday, May 8, 2021.  Live Meeting.   Interim Reports, Annual Budget for 2021-2022, Election of Grand Officers for 2021-2021
  • Annual Grand York Rite Sessions Friday & Saturday,   October 22,& 23, 2021,  Ocean City, MD….Hotel is right on the Ocean this year.  Same Hotel next year too!   Annual Reports, Installation of Officers, Annual Awards.
  • School for Secretaries, Recorders, and Treasurers was held on Saturday, February 27, 2021.  Virtual Meeting.  Posted to the Resources section of the yorkritemaryland.org website.  Handouts & full video.  Under-attended but well received.   Scheduled for 2022 already by popular demand…Live fire exercise!!
  • CMMRF Chairman Louis P. Romeo Jr. is working on another annual Raffle..which has been successful for the past two years.
  • Councils are open and functioning
  • Degrees are being conferred catching up the Chapter Companions.  but the cork is still in the bottle in Commandery
  • One Council is not functioning at all…considering a forced merger. 

Massachusetts

  • Beginning to open up.
  • Greatest of 3
    • 50% Occupancy
    • 10 per 1000 square foot
    • 25 Members
  • Degrees are being done.
  • No York Rite degrees.
  • York Rite Zoom meetings.
  • Think about our business model – how we do meetings
    • Zoom forum/venue for Lodge inclusion
      • Masons moved to other places
      • Visitations
      • Succinct topical interactions
  • Andrew Christos Meninos, MIGM now CMMRF Chair
  • Stephen Rubenstein, Ambassador. 

New Hampshire

  • Annual Sessions – 
    • New Hampshire Only – May 8, 2021
    • Hoping to Zoom the Meeting.
    • Banquet July 31, 2021 – In Person.
  • New Hampshire Grand Lodge – Meeting – New Hampshire Masons only. (125 limit)
    • May 15, 2021
  • No Degree work until after Grand Lodge.

New Jersey

  • Successful Sessions
  • New Grand Recorder – Gregory LaConte
  • New MIGM William Sharp
  • New website with registration requirement.

New York

  • Opening up – 
    • Chapter has been meeting
    • Council will be opening, and official visits happening.
  • Lodge
    • Degreework going on – social distancing and masks
    • Written modified degrees that are COVID safe.
  • Scottish Rite
    • Radio Degrees – like you’re on a radio show.
    • Remote from home.
  • Degreework – still postponed.
  • Grand Assembly
    • August 21, 2021 (20th evening TBD)
    • Hybrid meeting (in person and watching)
    • The Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY
  • Online Education for Treasurers and Recorders
    • Jan 30, Feb 27
  • Grand Lodge
    • New York Masons only 
    • May – 1st Week.
    • October Meeting for Elections
    • New property in New Rochelle, NY
      • Henrietta and East Aurora also bought properties for Masonic Homes
      • Utica upgrading
    • Library is going to virtual
  • State – 
    • Local leadership authority for room size with social distancing.
    • Most 50 Members, some 100.

Pennsylvania

  • Grand Assembly
    • April 19, 2021 
    • Pittsburg – In person.
    • Room and social distancing restrictions.
    • No banquet.
  • Local bodies still doing Zoom meetings.
  • State – still some restrictions on meetings, but in process of opening up.

Rhode Island

  • Lodges meeting in person – limited capacity at 40%
    • Social distancing/masks
  • Grand Lodge
    • 3 degree festival on three saturdays in April (3, 10, 24)
    • 3rd Monday in May (IP/V undetermined)
  • Chapters and Councils
    • Meeting in person (with limitations of Lodges).
  • Grand Convocation and Assembly (HYBRID)
    • March 27, 2021
      • Grand Council 9:00 AM
      • Grand Chapter 10:00 AM
      • Grand Commandery 11:30 AM (Semi-Annual)
    • In person – Scottish Rite Building, 
    • Luncheon – Carved Roast Beef.
    • Limited Sessions (necessary reports, awards, MIGM, MEGHP, Installation)
  • Planning to institute a Candidate forum for Councils
  • One Day Degrees
    • Grand Lodge – April
    • Grand Chapter – June
    • Grand Council – July

West Virginia – No new information.

Vermont

  • State Restriction
    • One to one if unvaccinated.
    • Vaccination numbers going up.
  • Chapter/Council/Commandery
    • Holding Zoom meetings (but somewhat unenthusiastic)
    • Showing the difference between those who like virtual and those that don’t.
    • Virtual – primarily social.
  • Grand Session
    • Rescheduling – in planning stages
    • TBD – June 12, 2021 is IN CONSIDERATION
    • Hybrid – In person Dais Officers, Zoom for membership
  • Working on inventory of Petitioner/Candidate/Degree participant placement
    • Planning degrees and Festival work.
  • Grand Lodge
    • No Degree work.
    • Dispensations are dealing with elections and installations, being done by Edict.
    • Worshipful Masters are getting Past Master Degrees as soon as practicable.

Virginia – 

  • Mostly virtual meetings (some in person).

York Rite Leadership

CMMRF

  • Power Point Slides developed with papers as a backup with more information.
  • $50,000.00 matchings funds expires April 1, 2021.

Northeast Conference

  • Still in place at The Desmond, Albany, NY
  • September 10-22, 2021

Conversation – Regions

  • Mid-Atlantic model works (Mark Irwin is available to discuss).

General Grand Council

  • Dates for the 1st Triennial Meeting
    • August 13-14, 2021 – Minneapolis, MN
    • First Day – Education, Training, CMMRF, etc.
    • GG Assembly – Constitution & Bylaws Changes, Grand and Subordinate Charters, and Ritual approval.
      • Grand Council of Germany
    • GEKT has been the epitome of York Rite Cooperation. Essentially hosting us.
      • Registrations will be one – the GEKT will have a registration, ours will be a part of it.
      • Registrations should be available in early March.
      • Education speaker for GEKT on Sunday.
  • Mid-Term Session – August of 2022 – Budget – Virtual.
  • August/September 2023 – General Grand Assembly
    • Kevin Sample, Chair.
    • Awaiting books being closed for 2020 Triennial from General Grand Chapter.
  • Branding – Thank you to RPC John Bridegroom – creating traditional and vibrant artifacts such as certificates, Greeting Patents, Charters, and more.
  • Fireside chat – 4th Sunday of every month (except April – due to Holy Week)
    • 5:00 PM ET.
  • General Grand Council Programs

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