Staying Engaged Masonically Through COVID-19
Submitted by Will Highsmith, Editor, Decryption

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(Photo Credit: unsplash.com

Editor\’s Note: The examples here are ones I am personally aware of and utilize. We will be releasing a survey soon soliciting your opinion and thoughts on what ideas have on this subject.

As most of the Masonic World is currently at a standstill due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it is important to stay Masonically involved. Many Jurisdictions and Masonic Bodies have put their meetings on hold, but there are several things you can do to help Masonry move forward.

• Reach out to a Brother or Companion and see how they are doing during this time. Inquire if they need any assistance and offer to assist if necessary. This is a great thing to do for our older Brethren and Brethren who are living alone.
• Write an article for the Decryption or other newsletter or publication and send it in. Articles for the Decryption can be sent to wd@ggccmi.org
• Host a virtual Masonic Fellowship or Education Time using technology such as Zoom or join.me. I know of one Companion who organized one and had 24 people attend from seven different states and one Canadian Province. My Home Lodge is also planning a virtual gathering.
• Engage with Brothers on Social Media. A couple Facebook groups you might enjoy: General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International, Refracted Light, and York Rite Masons.
• Order a new Masonic Book or E-Book, read it and share something you learned with another Brother. There are many great Masonic books available that you could make some time to read.
• There are also correspondence courses that you can complete.  The York Rite Sovereign College offers the Companion Adept of the Temple Program which focuses on the York Rite Degrees, enrollment instructions are available here: http://www.yrscna.org/forms/YorkRiteenrollmentform.pdf  The Scottish Rite also offers the Master Craftsman Program which can be enrolled in at https://scottishritestore.org
• Work on a Masonic Education Talk to present at a future meeting of a Body you are a member of.
• Volunteer to do something to help the General Grand Bodies or your Grand Body or Local Body. There are plenty of tasks that could use your assistance. You can e-mail Recorder of the Body and volunteer your time and efforts.
• Learn a new Ritual part to perform at an upcoming Degree.
• Contact your Grand Recorder and start working on the General Grand Council\’s Ronald L. Thomas Ritualist Award.
• Find a Masonic Blog and read it. Freemasons for Dummies andThe Traveling Templar are good places to start.
• There are also Masonic podcasts you can listen to such as the Masonic Roundtable.
• Read the articles you haven\’t read on the General Grand Council\’s page.
• Find Masonic papers online and read through them. Pietre-Stones is a great web site filled with Masonic information.
• Explore Google Books to find free Masonic E-Books you can read. One Cryptic book available for free is A Manual of the Council by Albert Mackey.