Grand Lodge News

Masonic Charity as Community Service

Masonic charity is not always about distressed Master Masons, their widows and orphans. Often, it is an activity or fundraiser to address a need and help the local community. Likewise, it is not always the Mason that drives the charitable effort. The wives and ladies of Masons are often the thoughtful leaders who motivate and guide our efforts. Thank you, ladies! When Grand Master Keith and First Lady Sharon Newton were planning the 2019-2020 Grand Lodge year, Sharon wanted to promote the charity, Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), as her personal interest and contribution to the wellbeing of her community and state. SHP is a national charity that builds beds for kids. It is hard for most of us to realize, but across this country, 2% of children go to sleep every night without a bed to sleep in. They end up on the floor, on a couch or in a chair. "It's hard for visions of sugar plums to dance in a little girl's head when she's sleeping on a cold floor. It's hard for a little boy to sleep in heavenly peace on a saggy living room couch. Too many children don't have a bed to sleep in," says Regina Brett of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Sharon brought this need to the attention of the Lodges in Ohio, and the Masons heard her appeal and made significant contributions. Most recently, the 22nd District Masonic Association raised funds and organized a day for building beds. It was a very unusual build project because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lorain County Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace arranged with county health officials for an outdoor build day. 45 Masonic volunteers from the District received how-to instruction and proceeded to build 115 beds for children in Lorain County. They invited the Grand Master and Sharon to join them, and with special shirts for the occasion and lots of masks, they had a great day of fellowship and service in a good cause.

In addition to a day building beds, the 22nd District Association presented a check for $7500 for SHP. In thanking the District, Sharon told them, “you are the sunshine!” Their donation will go to help fulfill the SHP motto, “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

In the Grand Lodge e-Newsletter for May 2020, we issued the following invitation: If you’re an essential worker

or know a Brother who is that continues to show up and work so that the rest of us remain safe, fed, and healthy, we want to know. Please consider sharing your story with us.

We have published two blog-posts on Freemason.com with several stories and featured essential workers on our Facebook and Twitter pages. They represent but a small sample of the submissions. We also were surprised, however, to have several members respond that we should not be talking about ourselves – we were bragging or not practicing humility.

Brethren, if we don’t tell our own story, who will? We are an organization known to the world by the actions of our members. Names are not important. But Masons working every day in the face of great risk is a story that deserves to be told. Therefore, with the names left off in the interest of humility, here is a sample of our Masonic essential workers, identified by their Lodge affiliation.

Steubenville No. 45 Milford No. 54 Lancaster No. 57 Tiffin No. 77 Dresden No. 103 Farmers No. 153 Yeatman No. 162 Lithopolis No. 169 Flushing No. 298 Wadsworth No. 385 Muskingum No. 368 New Home No. 338 Hudson No. 510 York No. 563 Brookville No. 596 Hugh L. Bates No. 686 University Heights No. 738 Arts & Sciences No. 792

Grocery Store worker Supply chain management (5 members) (2) Auto Mechanic for dealership and EMTs Electrician / Plumber Police K9 Officer Dairy farmer UPS Hazmat worker, loader, sanitizer EMT Paramedic Security employee, checking temperatures and masks 911 Dispatcher and Firefighter EMT and Firefighter Volunteer working the Food Bank in Medina Hospital Chaplain Dayton VA Hospital Diagnostic Imaging (2) Water Department worker and Truck Driver Cashier in a Grocery Store Volunteer bus driver picking up other essential health workers

At the time of this writing, almost 9000 Ohio citizens have been hospitalized during the pandemic and over 3000 have died. The Hospital Chaplain from York Lodge wrote, “One of the hardest things…is that people end up in the hospital in isolation and unable to be close to their loved ones and many die completely alone… We hospital chaplains have become a much needed source of hope and solace in this time of extreme loneliness…a major support to other hospital staff as much as to our patients and families. I pray for all brothers and their loved ones to stay well and healthy in this time of trial and hardship of the pandemic!”

The Grand Master, MWB Keith Newton, shares this prayer and wishes to express his thanks to all Masons who serve as essential workers to keep our families safe and our communities thriving in the face of a challenge unlike any we have known in our lifetime. We may not know all of your names, but they are known to the Great Architect, and we honor you for your labors.

The Grand Master and Grand Lodge are on the road again, catching up on visits and ceremonies that had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 emergency – all following proper public health orders, of course. In some cases, the Grand Master has hopped on his motorcycle and travelled for a surprise visit to a Lodge. In other cases, he has led a Reconsecration Ceremony for Norwood Lodge and presented Community Service and Youth Awards.

Grand Master Newton allowed Lodges to begin meeting again on June 10, 2020, and issued a dispensation that allows all Ohio Lodges that usually go dark for the summer to continue meeting in July and August if that is their wish. Summer meetings are not a requirement, but they are an option at the discretion of the Worshipful Master.

In all cases, Lodges must follow proper public health rules regarding masks, social distancing, group size, and food service. Members are encouraged to act in a manner that promotes their own safety. If they are not comfortable in attending meetings, they should not go. It is that simple.

If the current rules and regulations hold, the Grand Master will visit a number of Districts and Lodges during July and August as well as September in order to lead the Craft forward into whatever the new normal will be.

The Grand Lodge Annual Communication for 2020 will be different from any in our history. The following information is presented with the caveat that it represents our current state of knowledge regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated public health orders by the State of Ohio.

Because we expect continued limits on group sizes, social distancing requirements, and travel restrictions, the Grand Master has ordered the Annual Communication to be planned as a hybrid virtual meeting with a small number of members attending in person and the majority of members attending virtually. The breakdown of attendance is as follows:

The Grand Lodge officers will meet in person to open the Grand Lodge. If permitted by public health rules at that time, the District Advisors, District Deputy Grand Masters, District Education Officers, and Past Grand Masters will be invited to attend in person. Worshipful Masters, Wardens and Past District Deputies or their proxies will attend via a special Zoom account. Please note that the change to a virtual meeting does not release Masters and Wardens from their Constitutional obligation to attend Grand Lodge. If access to technology or network resources is an issue, they should notify their District Deputy to make alternative arrangements.

Please watch for more information in the coming weeks as the Grand Lodge adapts its plans to the latest public health rulings, arranges for the delivery of reports in digital formats, and provides a mechanism for electronic balloting. Grand Lodge 2020 will truly be a historic event.

Making a Good Thing from the Bad

The COVID-19 Pandemic is reshaping our lives and forcing all of us to recognize our common humanity. We understand more than ever how we are a community. With this in mind, Grand Master Newton has ordered a limited-edition coin to commemorate this extraordinary year.

This Masonic Coin displays the Grand Master’s 2020 emblem and name on the face and the Grand Lodge logo on the reverse along with the words, COVID-19 PANDEMIC “Adapting to the world and the times in which we live.”

The coin is available for a $10.00 donation. All proceeds benefit the Grand Lodge Charitable Relief Fund. Order yours now at: www.grandlodge2020/covidcoin or contact your District Deputy Grand Master.

RWB Kevin L. Tanner Called to Rest

We are saddened to report that Right Worshipful Brother Kevin L. Tanner passed away unexpectedly on July 5, 2020. He was Worshipful Master of Adoniram-Joppa Lodge No. 517 in 2014, District Education Officer from 2015-2017, District Deputy Grand Master of the 21st Masonic District from 2017-2019. He was currently serving as District Advisor and Junior Grand Deacon of the Grand Lodge of Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Sherri, two sons and two grandchildren. As a token of respect, the Grand Master has ordered that all Lodge altars be draped in black for 60 days.