From the Grand Secretary

TO: The Officers of the Grand Lodge, elected and appointed, Past Grand Masters, Grand Lodge Committee members, Grand Representatives of other Grand Lodges, to all Worshipful Masters and Secretaries of all lodges under the Jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge and the membership in general:

Mansour Hatefi, PGM

Grand Secretary

Be It Known that the 197th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of the District of Columbia, was held at the Scottish Rite Center on the 27th day of October, 2007. As reported by the Credentials Committee, 31 (elected and appointed) Grand Lodge Officers, 13 Past Grand Masters and 3 Past Grand Officers were in attendance. Also 31 Masters, 28 Senior Wardens, 19 Junior Wardens, 20 Proxies and 81 Past Masters were present.

Reports At this session the Grand Master’s report was received for submission to the Jurisprudence Committee. Also the report of the Deputy Grand Master, including the 2008 Budget of the Grand Lodge, as presented earlier in the Call for the Annual Communication, and printed in the Report Booklet, was received and approved by the Grand Lodge. The report of the Grand Secretary on the operations of his office indicated added emphasis on the use of current technology to enhance communication with constituent lodges, membership and public in general and to digitalize correspondence, receiving, tabulating and filing of lodge reports and record keeping.

Work and Casualties All of our 34 degree-conferring lodges were retained in 2007 and 2 new lodges were added, to bring the total of working lodges to 36, plus 2 special lodges to account 38 lodges all together. During the year, however, in spite of the relatively high number of raisings and affiliations, we suffered a net loss of 49 members, mainly owing to the number of withdrawals and NPDs, as well as the ever potent factor of death. Total membership of the Grand Lodge on September 30th, 2007 stood at 4,552.

Fraternal Recognition Acting on the recommendations of the Committee for Recognition and Fraternal Relations, the Grand Lodge voted to grant recognition to: Grand Lodge of Slovenia – consecrated by the Grand Lodge of Austria in October 1999, and judged regular by the Commission for Information on Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America, in its annual meeting in the year 2000. Grand Lodge of Ukraine – consecrated by the National Grand Lodge of France and the Grand Lodge of Austria on September 24, 2005 and judged regular by the Commission, in 2006.

Awards The Grand Master awarded three worthy Masons with the Valentine Reintzel Medal for Meritorious Service Brethren so honored were: Harry E. Echols, PM Albert Pike No. 33, Stephen Ohanian, PM, Hayastan Lodge No. 94, and Walter R. Hoenes, PM, Fraternity Lodge No. 54. To honor a worthy and dedicated Master Mason for his long and distinguished service to this Grand Jurisdiction and the Fraternity, the Grand Lodge approved the Grand Master’s recommendation by acclamation to bestow the title of Honorary Past Senior Grand Warden on Right Worshipful Brother Harold Grainger. Also on the recommendation of the Grand Lodge Awards Committee, WB W. Fred Gore, PM, SingletonHope-Lebanon Lodge No. 7, was elected to receive the Grand Lodge Distinguished Service Award, at the Third Communication, on December 8, 2007.

Legislation Adopted SEC. 83, Paragraph 3. No brother shall be installed Master of a Lodge unless he is able to open and close a Lodge in each of the three degrees consistent with the charter of the Lodge in an efficient manner and demonstrates proficiency in the Modes of Recognition of each of the three degrees and has a certificate to that effect issued by the Grand Lecturer, either on his own initiative or upon the recommendation by a member of the Committee on Work and Lectures. The Grand Master may, if in his judgment the circumstances warrant, waive the requirement for such certificate.