A Message From The East

Great news! 

     We have received the green light from Grand Lodge to hold our meetings without restrictions on attendance.  (Well technically, we’re only allowed to have 50, but I think we’ll be okay.)

      Our Stated Communication will be this upcoming Monday, April 12th, at 7:30 PM.

      If you haven’t been in a while, I encourage you to come join us.   I’ve turned away of few you who have asked me about bringing guest brethren recently.  Feel free to invite them.

     Meals prior to the meeting are still problematic.  But one suggestion out there is to meet at a nearby restaurant prior to the meeting.  If that’s something you’re interested in doing, please contact me to let me know. 

      On the top of the agenda of our meeting:  We have a petition for membership and petition for affiliation coming up for their second and first readings respectively.   If have any more petitions, please send them to the Secretary or me prior to the meeting.

      I would also like to start planning a family cookout to celebrate our re-opening.  So please come prepared with some dates and location suggestions. 

      More good news!  The Grand Lodge is also allowing us to perform our own degrees again – provided we follow the COVID protocols practiced at last year’s One-Day School.   The officers and I will be discussing the details of this with the DDGM as we get closer.   The Grand Lodge also approved of District-level One-Day Schools.  I’ll let you all know if District 8 ends up having one. 

      Our next practice is tonight, Monday, April 5 at 7:00 PM.  Whether you are an officer, a new member, or an existing member interested in helping out, you’re invited to come.   

      As a reminder, here are some of the basic rules we must follow for the meeting:

• No dinners or refreshments in the Lodge before or after meetings.
• Brethren must sit 6ft apart on the sidelines. 
• There is to be no touching or standing in close proximity.  
• Wearing a mask is mandatory.
• If you do not feel comfortable coming to the Lodge, please stay home — especially if you or a loved one is a high-risk candidate.
• If you have any symptoms – even if you think it’s allergies – please do not attend the meeting. 

      Finally, Brethren, we’ve all heard of atrophy – when a muscle wastes away due to underuse or neglect.  There’s nothing more painful than that first week of exercise after a long hiatus.  Your muscles hurt and all you can think about is how nice that couch would feel.

      Across the nation, our Fraternity and our members are suffering from a historic level atrophy after being locked down for over a year.  I know I’m struggling to get back into the groove of just showing up for anything after work.  I have no doubt that quite a few Lodges our size and smaller will go dark over the next year due to this atrophy.  I’m asking you right now to fight through this atrophy and keep our Lodge strong.