Report of the Trustees — November 2022 to April 2023

This is the second report on the activities of the Grand Lodge Trustees, covering the months of November 2022 through April 2023.

The monthly meetings have been very productive as the Trustees continue to support the work of the fraternity. It is good to see the great work accomplished by our Lodges and supported by the Grand Lodge Trustees. These include Educational Assistance, Creating A Partnership, and Lodge Restoration and Repair Grants.

Educational Assistance is one of our most important programs. Each application was carefully reviewed by Senior Grand Warden, R.W.B. Tim Best. Once complete, he presented them and his recommendations to the Trustees so they could be acted upon. This year, we provided $72,450 in assistance to qualified Masonic families.

Creating A Partnership is going strong with Lodges engaged in their communities, helping with scholarships, Bikes for Books, STEM school activities, 4-H, FFA, sports, after-school programs, and supporting Veterans, to mention just a few. These requests are administratively reviewed and approved by the Oregon Masonic Charitable Foundation (OMCF) Board and reviewed monthly by the Trustees. Lodges are reimbursed at 50 percent. This fiscal year, Lodges have received $67,146, supporting them with their community engagement. In January, the funding for the Creating A Partnership program was transferred to the OMCF, freeing up Grand Lodge funds for other programs.

The Lodge Restoration and Repair Grants program continues to be very popular in supporting Lodge building maintenance. Each Lodge is capped at a $10,000 yearly reimbursement at 100 percent of the project cost. This year, the program expended the total budgeted amount of $150,000.

The Trustees, led by M.W.B. Mark Posler and the work of the Long Range Planning Committee, were very excited to provide the WestGate Experience to Lodges. The WestGate approach entails placing a special emphasis on member prospects and newly made Masons to enhance their Masonic experience. Along with this were updates to the “Torchlight” and “Fellows of the Craft” by W.B. Ian Cawley and W.B. Dale Palileo, respectively. These are all very useful tools that can be used to further our Masonic journey.

The Trustees attended several Annual Communications in other jurisdictions. One of the few times a year all the Trustees travel to the same venue is the Conference of Grand Masters. This year it was held in Alexandria, Va. This conference is a great opportunity to learn about other Grand Jurisdictions and join in some wonderful fellowship. Some topics covered included America Cornerstone of Democracy, Best Practices to Transform Your Jurisdiction, and It’s Not a Membership Problem, It’s a Leadership Problem. However, the true highlight of this trip was the opportunity to participate in the rededication of the Memorial Cornerstone at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. This event included walking in the local parade along with about 1,000 other Brother Masons. The reenactment of the Cornerstone Ceremony was performed by the Grand Master of Virginia, M.W.B. Donald Strehle and his Grand Lodge Officers, using the original cornerstone language used 100 years ago. It was truly an amazing experience.

The Grand Lodge office has seen some personnel changes this year. We welcome some new faces with Elizabeth Peeke at the front desk, Amy Barnhart as the Executive Assistant, and Holly Darling as Publications Manager. Courtney Chun has transitioned over to MasonicAid, supporting Danielle Christopherson. Tammy Vanderzanden retired in May. We wish her the best and thank her for all her 18 years of service to this great fraternity.

The Trustees have a great support team with the Grand Secretary, M.W.B. Jim Morgan, P.G.M.; Grand Treasurer, R.W.B. Gary Ball; and the Grand Lodge staff. All the work we do could not be accomplished without their dedication and commitment to our wonderful Craft — it is very much appreciated.

The Grand Lodge Trustees would like to thank our chairman, M.W.B. Mark Posler, for his dedication and leadership this year and congratulate him on a job well done!

Respectfully submitted,

R.W.B. Craig A. Sipp, Deputy Grand Master