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Brethren,

Once again, I greet you with hopes that you and your family are doing well. I know we have all lost some of our friends and Brothers this past year not only to the pandemic, but other illnesses and accidents. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all.

It does appear that we are moving toward a reopening of our State and Lodges. The day is coming that we will be back to attending excitement with everyone getting back together. lodge, doing degree work and being active Masons again. I am well aware that some of our members may never feel safe returning to lodge and that is a decision that each of us has to make for ourselves. Should you feel you need more time away from lodge that is your decision and I encourage you to stay home until the time when you are comfortable returning to lodge, but the lodge will need to start meeting and doing the business of a lodge very soon. I have worked with many lodges to meet on a virtual platform and have given blanket dispensations to allow lodges not to meet at all, but this will be coming to a close and all of the lodges need to start planning now on how they will achieve a quorum so they can meet.

I have been disappointed with many lodges that refuse to even try to meet on a virtual platform. With just a little help these meetings can be set up and they are even easier to attend. Some have expressed interest in going to a virtual lodge but I am not in favor of that. I believe we need to meet in person and share our lives with each other, for this is how we bond as a fraternity.

Many of our lodges have already returned to work and there seems to be a new

We were planning on Grand Master Festivals in May, but due to the limitations on the number of people who can meet in any one place we have decided to delay them until late summer or early fall.

We are at a new beginning and I hope that you all feel the same excitement as I do. We have a unique opportunity to begin anew, start fresh and return to lodge with the energy and excitement to move our lodges forward.

In closing I want to thank all of the Masons of Illinois for their encouragement and patience during this past year. I know it has been rough on all of us, but through our Fraternal Bond we have persevered. It is because of all of you I am proud to say that I am an Illinois Mason.

Fraternally yours,

Brother Stephen F. Oakley Most Worshipful Grand Master

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This article is from:

Illinois Freemasonry Magazine - Spring 2021