Triennial Highlights

Triennial Highlights
Stephen A. Balke
General Grand Recorder, Cryptic Masons International

Stephen A. Balke
General Grand Recorder, Cryptic Masons International

Highlights of the 47th Triennial Virtual Assembly
Held September 26, 2020
(To be distributed to the Elective Officers of member Grand and Subordinate Councils)

Due to Corona Virus restrictions, the Triennial Assembly of the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons, International was held via Zoom with over 500 Companions attending world-wide. In addition, at least 82 Companions, Brothers, and Friends joined us watching the meeting via the Cryptic Masons International YouTube Channel. 681 people registered, which included 38 duplicate registrations, making the total registered 643. The volume of participants caused a delay in starting.

The following alterations to the normal business were made to facilitate the first online meeting:

No legislation was presented in the business.
No floor nominations were allowed for Elective Officers – declarations were open until September 1, 2020.
No floor nominations were allowed for CMMRF At Large Board of Trustee positions – declarations were open until July 15, 2020.

The following decisions regarding the meeting were made to facilitate the online business:

Floor votes were made by “Ayes” remaining silent and “Nays” voicing opposition.
Zoom polling was used to elect the single contested office.
Discussion was limited to three minutes.

Opening

The General Grand Council was declared open in ample form by Most Puissant General Grand Master David A. Grindle at 18:40 UTC on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Present were voting delegates from 50 member Grand Councils, six Grand Councils Under Dispensation and over 20 Subordinate Councils spanning 24 countries on 5 continents and 18 time zones (UTC-10 to UTC+8).

Introduced Dignitaries

William Cooke, Thrice Illustrious Grand Master of the General Conference of Grand Councils of United States and Bahamas Prince Hall Affiliate, Inc.
Larry Gray, PGGHP, General Grand Secretary, General Grand Chapter
Teko Foly, General Grand Scribe of the General Grand Chapter
Steven Tiner, General Grand King, General Grand Chapter
David Kussman, R.E. Generalissimo, Grand Encampment
Jeffrey Nelson, M.E. Grand Master, Grand Encampment
Steven L. Hall, PGM, Idaho
Garry Graham, Grand Master, Hawaii

Reports of Officers and Committees

The Triennial.org website held all received reports as pages for ease of translation by the Craft, and the Proceedings of the 46th Triennial Assembly was available as a pdf. The General Grand Master gave a condensed version of his Address. Reports were given by the Committees on Necrology, Charters and Dispensations, Jurisprudence, and Credentials. Published and given reports were all accepted. The proposed budget was presented with an explanation by Monty J. Glover, Deputy General Grand Master, and was adopted.

A short memorial service was presented by Right Puissant Companion E. Jeffrey Craig memorializing those officers and members lost during the Triennium.

Charters and Dispensations

The following Subordinate Councils remain Under Dispensation

Fiat Lux Council #18, México
Giblin Council #10, México
Guametria Council #11, México
Hanif Council #17, México
Jedidiah Council #9, México
San Juan del Rio #21, México
Sepulcro de Monarcas Council #14, México
Xalapa Council #13, México
Bethlehem Council #19, México

The following Subordinate Councils are approved for or have received a Charter. If not yet received, will be Constituted during the 48th Triennium.

Cripta de Salamao #1, Brazil
Vigilantes do Extremo Sul #4, Brazil
Arca Sagrada #5, Brazil
York #6, Brazil
Alegrete #8, Brazil
Felisberto Silva Rodrigues #9, Brazil
Bud C. Himes #12, Brazil
Santo Graal #14, Brazil
Liberdade #15, Brazil
Divina Aliança #19, Brazil
Rocha #25, Brazil
Horus #26, Brazil
Piratininga #28, Brazil
Marco Zero do Equador #30, Brazil
União e Harmonia #31, Brazil
Capixaba #32, Brazil
Cavaleiros da Luz #33, Brazil
Resistencia de Mossoro #36, Brazil
Santuãrio da Allança #37, Brazil
Vila Bela Santissima Trindade #38, Brazil
Jarbas Tadeu de Freitas #41, Brazil
Grão-Mestre Tomaz Luiz Naves #42, Brazil
Exodus #43, Brazil
Samuel Houston #45, Brazil
Santuãrio da Fé #49, Brazil
Prince Hall #50, Brazil
Águia de Prata #51, Brazil
Jundiahy #52, Brazil
XVIII de Março #53, Brazil
Lux Mundi #54, Brazil
Porto Velho #55, Brazil
Zohar #56, Brazil
Upaon-Açu #57, Brazil
Adoniram #59, Brazil
Lux Centralis #60, Brazil
Guardiões da Cripta #61, Brazil
JG #62, Brazil
Costa do Sol #64, Brazil
GM Jair Tercio #66, Brazil
Leonardo Sant’Anna #68, Brazil
Thomas Smith Webb #69, Brazil
Adam Kraft Council #18, Germany
Alfa y Omega Council #18, México
Tangamanga Council #22, México
Rafael D’Arrigo Carranza Council #2, Peru
Arequipa Council #3, Peru
Pachacutec Council #4, Peru
Ica Council #5, Peru
Arabia Council #9, SW Asia
Quito Council #1, Ecuador

The following Grand Councils were approved to remain Under Dispensation

Grand Council of Germany

The following Grand Councils were approved for Chartering and Constitution during the 48th Triennium.

Grand Council of Central America
Grand Council of Paraguay
Grand Council of Peru
Grand Council of the United States of Mexico
Grand Council of Venezuela

Election and Appointment of Officers

A Unanimous Consent motion was made to elect the unopposed candidates for the General Grand Council to their respective positions of candidacy and was adopted. An election of the General Grand Treasurer followed by ballot using Zoom polling. The following officers of the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons, International for the 48th Triennium.

General Grand Master – Monty Jerome Glover, Hawaii
Deputy General Grand Master – William Gene “Bill” Snyder, Missouri
General Grand Principal Conductor of the Work – George Thomas Taylor III, Delaware
General Grand Treasurer – Charles Andrew McCollum, Maine
General Grand Recorder – Stephen Andrew Balke, New Mexico

The appointive officers of the 48th Triennium will include the following.

Assistant General Grand Recorder – John R. Miller, Florida
General Grand Chaplain – E. Jeffrey Craig, Washington
Assistant General Grand Chaplain – Charles M. Roberts, New York
Assistant General Grand Chaplain – James Robert Herrington, Delaware
General Grand Captain of the Guard – Georghe A. Vilceanu, Romania
General Grand Conductor of the Council – Mark Edward Megee, New Jersey
General Grand Steward – Lee David Gordon, Hawaii
General Grand Marshal (East) – Paul C. Smith, New Hampshire
General Grand Marshal (West) – Danny Dwight Smothers, Missouri
General Grand Sentinel – Nioolai Mironovich Khiterer, Hawaii
General Grand Lecturer – Michel Claude Sabatier, France
General Grand Lecturer – Anthony T. Johnson, Nebraska
General Grand Orator – Robert G. Davis, Oklahoma
General Grand Musician – Steven C. Monrotus*, Missouri

Regional Deputy General Grand Masters

Africa – Marc Kpakpovi Adote, Togo
Asia/Pacific – Victorino Alejan Floro III, Philippines
Central America – Marcos David Ostrander, Panama
East Central – Mike J. Smith, Indiana
Europe – Norman Reginald Draine, United Kingdom
North Central – Carl Francis Lidstrom, Minnesota
Northeast North – William S. Karstens IV, Vermont
Northeast South – James B. Walsh, Delaware
Northwest – Wayne W. Long, Wyoming
South America – Rafael Poggio Soneghet, Brazil
South Central – John L. Logan, Oklahoma
Southeast – Thomas H. Nesbit*, Alabama
Southwest – Jason Critchlow Varner, Utah

*Not Installed

CMMRF Corporate Meeting

The Cryptic Masons Medical Research Foundation (CMMRF) Corporate Meeting was held. An update was made by President Monty J. Glover. The Executive Secretary’s report was previously posted as a part of the preliminary reports, so Most Illustrious Companion Gary Wyne went directly to Dr. Michael Murphy’s presentation and update on the activities of CMMRF. After the presentation, Gary Wyne asked that we donate a portion of the money saved by not travelling to CMMRF.

The election of the At Large Board of Trustees positions for CMMRF was declared without objection for the four candidates who ran unopposed for the positions. These members include the following.

Paul W. Friend, Florida – At Large
Joe P. Rouse, M.D., Arkansas – At Large
John P. Ridenour, Washington – At Large
Rafael P. Soneghet, M.D., Brazil – At Large (International Seat)

The new board members were declared installed. Romania reported that they have implemented a $1.00 per Companion annual donation program.

Awards

The following Companions’ continued work as Grand Recorder for their Jurisdiction, for at least ten years, was acknowledged by their being awarded the Mordhurst Award.

Charles D. Wood, Jr., Indiana
Kenneth M. Badget, Wyoming

The following Companions’ efforts in promoting and preserving Cryptic Masonry were acknowledged by them receiving the Columbian Award.

Africa – Marc Adote Togo
Asia Pacific – Evaristo A. “Sonny” Leviste Philippines
Central America – Oswald Hernandez Huerta El Salvador
East Central – Ryan Groat Michigan
Europe – João Carvalha Portugal
North Central – Peter Misko Wisconsin
Northeast North – Stuart Card New York
Northeast South – Mark Irwin Delaware
Northwest – Richard Rowe Idaho
South America – Alejandro Mita Peru
South Central – Kevin Sample Missouri
Southeast – C. Danny Wofford Georgia
Southwest – George Weil Arizona
At Large – Thomas Nance Wyoming
At Large – John Logan Oklahoma
At Large – James Baum California

The following Companion, whose contribution to Cryptic Masonry is known world-wide, who has for over twelve years compiled, produced, printed and distributed the Cryptic Freemason periodical, was awarded the Gold Award, or Medal of Honor.

Richard Eppler, Connecticut

Closing

The initial meeting of the 48th Triennial Assembly is planned to be in person and in coordination with the Grand Encampment Triennial Conclave in August of 2021.

The meeting was closed without form, with peace and harmony prevailing at 22:41 UTC by Most Puissant General Grand Master David A. Grindle.

Installation of Officers

The Installation of officers for the ensuing Triennial was opened by Most Puissant General Grand Master David A. Grindle at 23:00 UTC and the officers were installed with the assistance of Most Illustrious Companion Dennis Sheridan, General Grand Installing Secretary, Most Illustrious Companion Mark Irwin, General Grand Installing Marshal, and Most Illustrious Charles Roberts and Companion Robert Lopaka Kapanui, General Grand Installing Chaplains. The officers were declared installed at 23:07 UTC.

Monty J. Glover, newly installed Most Puissant General Grand Master gave an introduction to the 48th Triennium of the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons, International.