This has not been a good year. We have faced a global pandemic that threatens us as a species. I, in America, have been forced to grapple with our original sin, slavery, which has haunted our country since its founding. Hundreds of students have had to change the way they learn.

It has not been a good year. I have found my record of these times defined by absence. In my senior speech I wrote for my high school that no one will ever hear. In the pictures I have on my phone of Times Square, empty for what will probably be the only instance in my lifetime. This year has challenged me in so many ways.

However, I have found solace from the sickly absence which has haunted my year in a quote from a comic book called “The Sandman” by Neil Gaiman, “It’s astonishing how much trouble one can get oneself into if one works at it. And astonishing how much trouble on can get oneself out of if one simply assumes that everything will, somehow or other, work out for the best.” I will continue to assume that everything will, in fact, work out for the best. It is hope that fills the absences in my life. I have found myself becoming more hopeful. I have found myself looking forward to what is to come.

As freshman in college, I find myself looking forward to the uncertainty that the next couple of years will bring as I find the certainty of uncertainty, in a strange way, comforting. I know that I am changing, and all I can hope for is that I am changing for the better.

Brethren, I do not know if this young man is a Mason (yet) but he shows the character of one we would welcome into our Craft. Yes, he makes references to things some would think odd: comic books and pictures on his phone. But he also espouses things with which we, as Masons, are very familiar: writing speeches, striving to become a better man, and trust in Divine Providence. One might say he is a model candidate.

January is named after Janus, the Roman god of gateways. He had two faces: one looking back and one looking forward. And so January is a time when we take stock; we look back at the past year, and we look forward, with uncertainty, through the gateway to the new year. Whatever befalls us, let us act as the dictates of right reason prompt us, cultivate harmony, practice charity, and live in peace with all men.

David J. Cameron, Grand Master

Happy New Year my Brethren!

I trust that each of you have been able to enjoy the holiday season in some fashion regardless of the COVID-19 conditions and restrictions that we are continuing to work through. Sitting here in the new Ontario epicenter of Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Health Unit where practically all social and recreational activities have been closed and gatherings of more than ten are restricted, it simply meant we had more turkey leftovers. I don’t mean to sound flippant at this time of real suffering for many, but we do have to make the best of what we have and follow the government guidelines if we hope to come out the other side and resume our Lodge meetings and indeed our lives as we fondly remember.

Before we get further into the work of your Grand Lodge committees, I feel that a follow-up to last month’s report of the Condition of Masonry Committee (COM) is required to let you know how the Management Committee has responded to the four COM recommendations to Grand Lodge.

1) That Lodges be required to provide a copy of the year-end financial report together with a copy of the audited statement.

Management Committee Decision: Based on history, rather than a Constitutional amendment, this request should be strongly suggested as a tool to assist the COM Committee in assessing the financial status of the Lodge. The Lodge Finance Advisory Committee is working on an easy two step program that will assist every member of the Lodge in understanding the financial status of the Lodge.

2) That District Secretaries be required to attend the District Deputy Grand Master Preparation (DDGMP) course prior to their appointment to the role to ensure that they are familiar with the duties of a District Secretary.

Management Committee Decision: This is no guarantee of aspiring DDGMs selecting competent District Secretaries. We need to stress the importance of picking the right District Secretary during the DDGMP sessions. And of course, encourage the aspiring DDGMs to bring along a Past Master with them as a feeler if they would like and that a proper pass down occurs between the past and next District Secretary including L-form completion.

3) The Constitution be amended to require the completion of the L1 (Master/Secretary Report) and L4 (Master/Treasurer Report) no later than 5 days prior to the date scheduled for the OV of the DDGM.

Management Committee Decision: The Constitution is not the place to enforce this, but rather through the DDGMP and COM training process of aspiring DDGMs.

Management Committee Decision: This too should be a training issue and not a Constitutional amendment. The COM and DDGMP teams need to be training our future DDGMs that the delivery of a report card should never be mailed out without a face-to-face explanation of the details by the DDGM and District Secretary to the Lodge Committee of General Purposes. It is at this time they could make any necessary suggestions to improve such as connecting a Lodge with an appropriate Grand Lodge Committee. We have no doubt any local Grand Lodge Officer would be willing to assist with this communication.

We will continue next month with another report of the work of your Grand Lodge Committees so stay tuned…and WELL until then!

All the best of the season with health and happiness abounding in 2022 – and a safe return to our Lodges too!

Thomas W. Hogeboom, Deputy Grand Master

As you no doubt have heard, as of Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 12:01 a.m. 2022, the Province has announced increased restrictions. These measures include: 

• Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors. 
• Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors. 
• Closing indoor meeting and event spaces with limited exceptions but permitting outdoor spaces to remain open with restrictions.

Therefore, based on the above provincial regulations, all in-person lodge meetings are cancelled at least for January and February 2022.

This includes lodge meetings, rehearsals, Masonic Memorial Services, social events, etc. There may also be more intensive local restrictions in your area.

Please continue to follow the advice of our public health authorities and be safe.

Fraternally,

D. Garry Dowling, Grand Secretary 

David J. Cameron, Grand Master

As I sit here at my desk this afternoon preparing for another virtual Masonic meeting – tonight with the Grand Lodge Committee Chairmen – and considering the latest Grand Lodge communication regarding our COVID-19 protocol which you will have heard by now, I get anxious and excited about what lays ahead for us when we do open our Lodge doors. I am excited that we appear to be getting closer to getting back to our Masonry which we love so much and with eighteen months of anticipation built up behind us, it will be exciting to get back to work!

One of the changes that our Lodges will see at that time will be all the work that R.W. Bro. David Armstrong and his team have been doing with the Cornerstone Program. This program has evolved into a District-administered program through the Grand Lodge Website by the Lodges in all our Districts. The facilitator of the program going forward will be R.W. Bro. Mark Kapitan who has a wealth of experience with the program working as a member of the Membership Pillar.

The Cornerstone Program was developed to assist Lodges with their many challenges. As with any Lodge program, it works well if all members are prepared to support and promote the program as a team. The Cornerstone Program is not a standalone initiative, but rather a program that should be used in conjunction with other membership programs from Grand Lodge as each program is designed to build upon one another to achieve the overall success and a sustainable future for our Lodges and ultimately Freemasonry.

Lodges that become involved will commit to a two year period – it is not a one-time event. Cornerstone designation is an award that is valid for two years and is presented on a biennial basis. A Lodge wishing to participate will need to decide what time frame they will be participating. They need to print the Cornerstone Standards Report Card required for sign-off by the District Deputy Grand Master or the District Cornerstone Chairman as tasks are completed. As is often the case, the Lodge program may be spread out over two years involving two District Deputy Grand Masters, so it is suggested that the District Cornerstone Chairman be willing to serve more than one year for program consistency in each District.

Cornerstone Designation Requirements:

Complete: 1 of 4 Mandatory standards

Complete: 5 of 12 Major standards

Complete: 6 of 13 Basic standards

All to be completed in a two-year timeline.

The Cornerstone program is basically a District program with the District Deputy Grand Master or the District Chairman, now responsible for reviewing the Lodges collected material for the various standards and signing off on their “Report Cards”. They are the best person to understand fully how the Lodges in your District are working and using the Grand Lodge systems. The Lodges will be eager to show their success and possibly compete amongst themselves. Each District will grow on their own, share ideas and ultimately interest in the Lodge membership will flourish. The District Deputy Grand Master will complete a Cornerstone Program recognition certificate from the Grand Lodge website upon completion of the program and set a date for a formal presentation. Many lodges start their next two-year program right away so that they can continually be a “Cornerstone Lodge”. When a District makes the decision to participate in this program, they acknowledge their desire to increase the value of the experience to their members.

Bro. Kapitan is more than willing to assist any District or Lodge with the program requirements. To this end, they have developed a Power Point Presentation on the program that can be presented virtually as well in anticipation of our return to the quarry.

If your Lodge was involved in the program prior to the pandemic but did not complete all of the required standards to earn the Cornerstone designation in the two-year qualifying period, not to worry about all of the previous work that has been completed – just print a new Report Card from the Grand Lodge web site, have the District Deputy Grand Master sign off on those standards completed the year prior to the pandemic and see if your Lodges can obtain the balance needed in the year once we get back to work.

For Lodges and Districts that have questions or require further clarification on any aspect of the new Cornerstone Program, a Cornerstone Advisory component of the Membership Pillar of Grand Lodge is available by contacting Bro. Kapitan.

All you have to do is ask and we will help you be a success!

Thomas W. Hogeboom

Deputy Grand Master

Once upon a time there was a quaint village by the sea. The people who lived there were gentle and happy, and very social. They loved getting together for banquets and festivals, and always governed themselves by all gathering in the town square to debate issues. One day they were hit with an incredible storm; it rained and rained and rained. The streets began to flood. Rubber boots were in high demand down at the local Mercantile and soon sold out. They got more in but there were some people who said “It’s just a little rain. That never hurt anybody.” But it wasn’t just a little rain. It was a lot of rain. And in addition, due to pollution in a neighboring area, it was acid rain. If it got in your boots it started to irritate your skin causing inflammation. It was autumn and with the cooler temperatures, wet feet led to chilblains. Most people got over these conditions by themselves or with the help of the town doctor, but it was suggested it would be better to prevent problems by keeping their feet dry. This was harder than it seemed. Mothers told their children to wear their rubber boots when out, and they did, but when they were playing and running around some invariably fell, or got their boots stuck in the mud. Even the careful occasionally got wet when their playmates ran past them and water splashed up and into their boots. Spray from passing wagons soaked those walking alongside the road. The fishers and outdoors enthusiasts had hip waders which allowed them to take over the essential work needed to feed and keep the townspeople safe.

On the west edge of town lived a delightful woman who had a skin condition that was severely affected by water. Even a little bit of water would cause necrosis of the skin. She dealt with this by wearing long dresses and a wide-brimmed hat whenever she went out. But since the village was by the sea, it was often damp, so she mostly stayed in her castle. She was actually very nice, but her appearance and isolation led to the townspeople fearing her. Her sister had a physical disability that made it difficult to stand. For short periods she could get by with special orthotic shoes, but she often used a wheelchair. Neither of these sisters ventured out during the storm, the one for obvious reasons, the other because the wheels of her chair sprayed water up onto her when they rolled. They lived on opposite sides of the town, but kept in touch by means of crystal balls in which they could see and talk to each other. Other people in town also had this technology but they didn’t use it much, and certainly not with these two marginalized persons.

The rain continued and the flood waters rose. The Mayor decreed that everyone who did not have hip waders must stay inside. The people did the best they could, but some had water pouring into their homes. There was much distress. Eventually the flood waters receded. And the Mercantile got in another shipment of rubber boots – enough for everybody. Hooray, everyone was protected and life could go back to normal. Alas, the rain intensified and the flood waters rose again. But the rubber boots kept everyone’s feet dry. That is, until the level of the flood waters rose above the tops of the boots!

Brethren, with high levels of COVID circulating in the community even the fully vaccinated still need to mask, physically distance and limit their social contacts. We all miss meeting in lodge but one of the things that Freemasons do is work for the betterment of society.

Stay safe and keep others safe too.

David J. Cameron

Grand Master

Extension of Masonic lockdown:

Brethren,

a reminder of the Grand Master’s letter last week that the current Masonic lockdown will continue until January 01, 2022. With the continuance of the Masonic lockdown there are several important reminders.

Masonic Memorial Services:

Please remember that, regrettably, the holding of Masonic Memorial Services is still not permitted. It is specifically noted that since 1973 outdoor (graveside) Masonic services are NOT permitted in this jurisdiction.

Long Service Pins:

While we are once again processing requests for long service pins we must stress that planning to present a pin to an elderly Mason at greater risk of contracting the virus is not a good idea, especially if a visit to a retirement home or long term care facility is involved. Serious consideration should be given to postponing these presentations or of enlisting the support of family members to make the presentation on behalf of the lodge.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,

Grand Secretary

There have been a number of meetings with several Districts, Lodges and individuals related the proposed per capita increase. I will address the most frequently asked questions and concerns.

“Does such a large increase have to be approved in one amount now?”

Several options were requested.

“Delay the increase by one year to give the lodges an opportunity to meet after the pandemic shut down is over and we can meet again. This will allow them time to review their finances and adjust their dues to accommodate this increase is the basis for this request.” Some are saying the reason for the delay is they are not able to hold fund raisers during the lock down so their lodge is already having difficulty with paying its expenses. For a lodge to be financially sound our longstanding recommendation is that the dues should cover the operating expenses. We are using the same principle for Grand Lodge finances. If the lodge is using fund raisers to cover its operating expenses, it already has financial stability concerns. Thus, the question: “What will be the impact with further delay next year?” The delay results in a permanent loss of $600,000 in revenue. “Spread the increase over four years at a rate of $5.00 per year for the next 4 years”. This option with several other levels of assessment was considered all resulting in accumulated losses of $1.9 million to $2.7 million.

“Reserve funds could be used to provide the cash to pay the capital improvements and to cover the losses.”

NOTE: ALL LOSSES HAVE TO BE REPAID FOR THE LONGEVITY AND FINANCIAL STABILITY OF OUR GRAND LODGE.

Technology: “What is the upgrade and what is the benefit?”

There is a need to be able to communicate directly with all our brethren. Only some of our brethren are members of Grand Lodge but all our members including the newest Entered Apprenticed Mason will be supporting the per capita through their lodge dues. Our present system for the distribution of information is the Resource Digest which has a mailing list of 682 made up of members of the Board and lodge secretaries. The lodge secretaries are then to forward the Digest to their members. We have not experienced a satisfactory success rate – about 14% from our analysis.

Establish a data base of all our members and have a single source for all membership data with different levels of access and security for the various levels i.e. by each member, lodge, District and Grand Lodge. There are 33,000 members, 500 lodges, 41 Districts and one Grand Lodge that will be sharing this single source membership data base with all the related access and security issues in place.

There are systems available off the shelf, or we have had offers to write programs by of our technical savvy members, but they do not easily, if at all, without major programming modifications meet our overall needs. A system written by an individual, leaves us exposed to being able to manage the technology going forward. We do not have an IT person on staff.

Workflow and Administration.

The administrative time involved with bylaw changes, dispensations, awards, and a number of regular office duties can be automated resulting with improved efficiency and savings for administration costs.

The upgrade to our technology will allow Grand Lodge, the District, and the Lodge to become more proactive compared to our present system supporting reactive activity.

Building: Our building is the head office for Masonry in Ontario.

“If the costs are so high, we should sell it.” This option was explored, and the decision is to continue to maintain and use our current building. There is no benefit from selling the property requiring us to find another home which does not seem to result in any savings.

There are two major issues with the building. The roof is estimated to reach the end of its useful life in three years. Waiting until it leaks with the associated increase in repair cost is not a good decision. The other building issue is accessibility under the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) which will require us to comply with the law when it comes into effect. The minimum will be a ramp to the first floor and an elevator to the second floor. This will also raise the issue of our washroom accessibility. Once you start modifications to this extent, you open the door to local building code requirements which may lead to even more than obvious modifications to meet the local code and AODA requirements.

Communication of financial information from Grand Lodge to our members.

“We are being asked to vote on a budget, having never seen any details of the budget or our present financial results.” “We receive this information annually buried in the proceedings when they are published long after these matters have been approved.”

The request is for more financial information to be available to the members that they may be better informed of before they vote. We plan to comply with your request by including the financial and budget information in the Preliminary Reports to be made available in early July.

Several reminders related to upcoming elections and the Annual Meeting of Grand Lodge.

Elections for District Deputy Grand Masters:

See details of Feb 12 2021 letter sent to all DDGMs.

ALL Districts will elect their DDGM via an electronic election with voting on June 18 and June 19 2021.

Every current DDGM must submit ALL signed nominations to the Grand Lodge office by May 30 2021.

There will be NO acclamations.  Even if only one candidate is running a signed nomination form and the DDGM Eligible Candidates form (fillable PDF) must be submitted.

Electronic Registration will be June 12-June 17; registration details will be distributed in early June 2021. Voting details for brethren without computer access are detailed in the March 01 document.

Elections for Grand Lodge Officers:

See details of March 01 2021 letter sent to all lodges.

Electronic Registration will be July 12-July 18; registration details will be distributed in early July 2021.

Registrations from the DDGM election will be automatically carried over to the Grand Lodge elections.

If you did not register for the DDGM election you must register for the Grand Lodge election. Voting will take place July 19 and July 20 2021. Voting details for brethren without computer access are detailed in the March 01 document.

Voting on proposed 2021 Constitutional Amendments:

Voting for the proposed amendments will take place at the same time as voting for the Grand Lodge officers on July 19 – July 20 2021.

Proposed amendments have been distributed to every lodge (April 19 2021). Amendments will be on the same ballot as the Grand Lodge officer elections.

Voting for members without Computer access:

The document emailed to all lodges on March 01, 2021 outlines the procedure for enabling an eligible member without computer access to vote.

Annual Meeting of Grand Lodge:

The Annual Meeting of Grand Lodge will be a virtual meeting held on Wednesday July 21, 2021 beginning at 9:00AM EDT.

Registration information will follow closer to the date.

Installation of Grand Lodge Officers and District Deputy Grand Masters:

The Installation of Grand lodge Officers and District Deputy Grand Masters will NOT take place during the virtual Annual Meeting.

Elected officers will be authorized to perform their duties effective July 21, 2021, but Installation details will be announced later.

Amending Lodge By-Laws for Dues ONLY changes:

There are number of factors pointing to the need for many lodges to amend their by-laws to increase the amount of lodge dues ONLY.

This situation has been brought to a head by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Masonic lockdown. Therefore, Grand Lodge has adopted a temporary COVID-19 business policy and new procedure that will allow such amendments for dues only to be processed effectively and efficiently during the Masonic lockdown. That new policy will be distributed to all lodges as a COVID-19 update shortly.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,

Grand Secretary

After spending the last three months reviewing some of the proposed Constitutional amendments that have been submitted for us to vote on as part of the next Annual Communication and having spent several nights explaining some of the finer details of these proposals and with the able assistance of our Grand Treasurer, R.W. Bro. Ed Standish, answering questions that have arisen from Districts and Lodges throughout our Grand Jurisdiction, I would like to spend this month talking about the importance of keeping our Brethren engaged and informed.

It has been about a year now since your Grand Lodge created a GoToMeeting account for each District to assist the Lodges in keeping in contact with their membership. The access information was sent to each District Deputy Grand Master who was charged with providing this to each of the Lodges in their respective Districts. It was suggested that a District schedule be created such that every Lodge could host a monthly meeting on their regular meeting night to communicate with their membership, cover any business that is permissible, provide some Masonic Education and generally to take an account of the health of their membership and Lodge.

Another great advantage of this tool being used by several Lodges and Districts is to keep in touch with the many interested men who have inquired about Freemasonry either via our Grand Lodge web site, the BeAFreemason.org or the old-fashioned appeal to a current member. Many of our Masonic education videoconferences have been of such a nature that these interested men have been invited to get a feeling of the events and fellowship that is being shared during these events and get to know some of the Brethren they may potentially share membership with.

Some of those Lodges who have been making use of these monthly videoconferences on a regular basis have been reporting better attendance than when they were meeting in Lodge. Some members who may not be able to physically get to their Lodge building due to their health condition or where they are now living, have been once again enjoying the benefits of membership. And equally important, they have been able to stay in touch with potential members by keeping their interest stoked until such time as they can be formally introduced to the Lodge room.

A few months ago, the Grand Master was checking in with some of the District Deputy Grand Masters and when the question of Lodges participating in monthly videoconference Masonic education/fellowship meetings was asked, there was a variety of answers ranging from ‘none’ to ‘not much’ to ‘a few’ to ‘half’ to ‘nearly all Lodges on a regular basis.’ I don’t want to embarrass any District or Lodge with this but I will offer the generalization that those Districts that answered ‘nearly all Lodges on a regular basis,’ are the Districts that are flattening the curve over the last few years with respect to decreasing membership. A coincidence perhaps? Not likely. It stands to reason that those Lodges that keep their members (and prospective members) engaged in the process – whether that is to pre-Lodge banquets and socials, or currently to videoconference meetings – have a better chance of keeping these men as dues paying members, active Officers and future Grand Lodge leaders.

When this COVID-19 crisis forced the closing of all Masonic activity on Friday, March 13, 2020, we all thought it was a temporary thing and that we would all be back at Lodge within weeks. As I write this today, further restrictions are being added to our current stringent Provincial guidelines with no clear end in sight. To those Lodges that thought a year ago that it was just temporary and there was no need to change things, I would urge them to start now to change things – it is never too late to reach out to the members of your Lodges and interested men of your community and keep them engaged in Freemasonry. So many of the lessons we learn from the Ritual of our Craft are even more important in times of crisis. To those Lodges who are currently keeping their members and prospects engaged – your payoff will come when the restrictions are lifted and your Lodge is re-opened for business as it used to be!

Thomas W. Hogeboom,

Deputy Grand Master

M.W. Bro. Simpson, Grand Master, wrote in the Proceedings of 1865:

Bro. Rudyard Kipling wrote a short story called 'In the Interests of the Brethren' which describes a lodge meeting frequented by WWI soldiers on leave, many with quite debilitating war wounds:

“He used to talk to the men who dropped into his shop when the war began. He told us sleepy old chaps in Lodge that what men wanted more than anything else was Lodges where they could sit - just sit and be happy like we are now. He was right too. We’re learning things in the war. A man’s Lodge means more to him than people imagine.”

“The Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario and its staff and volunteers throughout Ontario are committed to treating all individuals in a way that enables them to maintain their dignity and independence. Masonry stresses the principles of kindness, consideration, courtesy, dependability, and compassion. Our commitment to accessibility extends these principles to include those of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. We are committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for everyone and to providing equal opportunity, access and integration for people with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable federal and provincial accessibility laws and to identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility.”

The full text is available through a link on the front page of our website. We have commenced training for Grand Lodge officers and staff, but I would highly recommend all leaders in the Craft avail themselves of this. In fact all Freemasons should consider it.

Online “self-serve” training videos for general AODA content are available for all to access at https://accessforward.ca and training on the Ontario Human Rights Code content as it relates to AODA compliance and awareness about discrimination related to disability is available at http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/working-togethercode-and-aoda.

David J. Cameron,

Grand Master

Despite the current setbacks, we still look forward to a time when we will be able to gather in-person again. When enough of our population is FULLY vaccinated the situation will change, but that will not be until the summer at the earliest, so for now we must hold firm.

Therefore the moratorium on all INDOOR Masonic gatherings is extended until at least September 1.

The moratorium on all OUTDOOR gatherings is extended until we make a subsequent announcement.

When we finally are able to have large gatherings again, there may be a huge demand to book the Grand Master at anniversaries and Grand Master’s receptions and there are only so many weekends in the year. I would therefore ask the brethren of any lodge who had a major anniversary last year or will have one this year to think about joining together with other lodges in your district as well as with the District itself, and consider one joint event to invite me to. Since we don’t yet know when we can have these large gatherings, we cannot start to accept bookings, but please start talking among yourselves about the concept. Your virtual district meeting may be a good time to discuss this.

Thank you and stay safe brethren.

David J. Cameron

Grand Master

Brethren,

Included in this Communiqué is a letter from the Grand Treasurer about the effect of a shrinking demographic on the finances of Grand Lodge. I would like to deal with the effect of membership numbers on individual lodges.

Of course, a shrinking membership will impinge on lodge finances in the same way as it does for Grand Lodge. And that effect can be generalized to buildings housing multiple lodges as well. The pandemic has shown us that we cannot depend on hosting events to raise funds to meet our basic needs. A few lucky lodges will have commercial tenants; great as long as they stay! But the bottom line for most of us is that we need to fund our organization from our own pockets. And if we want a classy organization we will have to pay for it.

When we return to meeting, at least at first, we will have smaller numbers coming out to lodge. Due to the isolation we have endured, we may swell our numbers (and coffers) with new initiates, but we must be cautious because taking in more men than we can adequately mentor will just result in a revolving door. But small is not necessarily bad. In fact it has many advantages.

We now realize what we miss the most – ritual, fellowship, doing things with our brethren.

In a small lodge we know every one of our brethren. In a large lodge, there may be many whom we do not know. In my visits I have noticed that no matter how many members a lodge has on its books, there tend to be twenty to forty who come to a meeting. Why is that? Some postulate that it is because that is how many jobs there are. If one is neither an officer nor has a part in the evening’s activities, one is tempted not to come. They recognize this in England. There the usual size of a lodge is thirty to forty members. If a lodge gets to sixty, it splits into two lodges. Most of the new observant lodges here limit their membership to a small number on purpose.

Other advantages of this size are that people notice if someone is missing, and they contact him to see if he is alright; they notice the new Master Mason who is sitting in the corner by himself, and go talk to him; and they all feel the obligation to attend every meeting they possibly can.

In 1973 E.F. Schumacher published a book called Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered and while it was mostly about large scale industry (and predicted the ecological crisis we are now experiencing), I especially love the last phrase “As If People Mattered”.

Let us look at lodges “As If People Mattered”, not at the economics of running a building, a fund-raising machine, or a political hierarchy.

What is it that lodges provide for their members? A sense of belonging, a moral compass, a group of like-minded men to support us in that quest? You may think of many more. Are these at risk?

We have been given an incredible gift – the ability to remake ourselves. When we return to meeting we can blithely initiate a huge number of men and go back to doing the same things that haven’t been working for the past thirty years, or we can thoughtfully chart a course that will ensure the success of our time honoured craft. 

David J. Cameron

Grand Master

Annual Communication of Grand Lodge: The virtual Annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario will be held on Wednesday July 21, 2021. Details of the timing and the process for logging in will be communicated as they become known. A limited number of brethren will be able to join the meeting on a first registered basis and the remainder will be able to listen in to a live streamed version of the meeting. Brethren who join the meeting will be able to cast a vote on any business brought to the floor during the meeting. You are therefore encouraged to register as early as possible since brethren watching and listening to the live stream will be unable to vote. Registration details will be communicated when available.

Installation of Grand Lodge Officers July 2021: As our Grand Lodge is not permitting the use of any ritual in an online (virtual) environment the Installation and Investiture of Grand Lodge officers, including the District Deputy Grand Masters, normally conducted as part of the Annual Communication of Grand lodge will not take place at that meeting this year. A number of options are being considered, but the constant evolution of the health regulations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible to announce a solution at this time. As soon as we are in a position to make a decision we will communicate when and how the Installations and Investitures will take place.

We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Annual Meeting of the Board of General Purposes: The annual meeting of the Board of General Purposes normally held the two days prior to the Annual meeting will be held in virtual format on Tuesday June 22, 2021 from 09:00AM EDT – 14:00PM EDT. This meeting is a must for all Members of the Board of General Purposes including the current District Deputy Grand Masters. Log in details and timings will be communicated as soon as they are available. Non-Board members used to attending as part of the Gallery, will be permitted to attend the virtual meeting as observers only.

Election of District Deputy Grand Masters: A reminder that the election of all District Deputy Grand Masters will take place on June 18 and June 19 2021. A document titled “Electronic Voting Grand Lodge 2021 Member Letter Mar 01 2021.PDF” was distributed in the last Resources Digest indicating the procedures to be followed for an eligible individual member to cast his ballot. Advance registration is a MUST.

Nominations for District Deputy Grand Master: All current DDGMs are reminded that candidates in your District must complete and sign the 2021 Nomination Form as provided to you earlier and return it to their current DDGM. All current DDGMs must complete the 2021 Eligible Candidates Form and submit to Grand Lodge as a fillable PDF form (NOT printed and scanned), together with the copies of the 2021 Nomination Forms.

Virtual Meeting Protocol - Introductions: The brethren organizing virtual meetings should be aware that even though the meetings may be considered informal, some Masonic protocol need still apply. Please ensure that if our Grand Master or Deputy Grand Master or your own District Deputy Grand Master are in attendance that they are recognized given the last word.

Scheduling and Rescheduling of Masonic Events:

Lodge Anniversaries and Grand Master’s Receptions: As our Grand Master has indicated, once we are able to resume in-person Masonic gatherings, either in the lodge or at social events, there are going to be many requests to reschedule cancelled or postponed events as well as requests for new events. Regrettably we are unable to commit to any future events (especially large social gatherings) definitively until we can resume labours in a safe and healthy manner. That time appears to be a ways off yet.

While we appreciate the dilemma of having to book in advance, we cannot ask lodges and Districts to commit to rental and catering contracts for events that may not be able to be complete as planned. Cancellation clauses can be expensive.

Therefore, we are asking brethren of lodges that have had a major anniversary last year or will be celebrating one this year to think about joining together with other lodges in your District as well as with the District itself to schedule one single event to which the Grand Master would be invited.

As soon as we can re-open for business we will notify you when to submit requests for dates.

Stay safe. Keep vigilant.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,

Grand Secretary

The final proposed amendment for this year that your Deputy was charged with communicating is to approve the new Ontario Masons Brand that would be added as a new Section 3.2 of the Constitution. The Branding Team of the Community Outreach Pillar has put together a Brand Standards Manual with guidelines for the use of our name and symbols for which we stand, and we are excited to introduce them to you here.

The Brand Standards govern the intended use of the Name, Logo, Symbol, Wordmark and styles of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario, its Districts and Lodges, their Officers and members as well as the Square and Compasses within our Grand Jurisdiction.

The Standard Logo remains the official logo of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario and is defined in the Book of Constitution under section 3.1, that being the ornate Square and Compasses. This Logo is a registered trademark of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario and shall not be modified or embellished in any manner whatsoever.

The new Ontario Masons Brand that would be added as a new Section 3.2 of the Constitution, is not replacing the current 3.1 standard formal logo of Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario. The new Ontario Masons Brand consists of two distinct elements – the Symbol and the Wordmark as below and will be communicated in the revised Communications Strategy Policy and Standards publication.

The Symbol consists of an adapted version of the trademarked 3.1 Square and Compasses from the Book of Constitution. The Square and Compasses has now been optimized and simplified with a Canadian maple leaf as its background. The Wordmark quickly identifies who we are without the burdensome moniker of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario.

Branding with Symbol and Wordmark (maple leaf and Ontario Masons) would be used for any public facing documents, whereas the Logo should be used where the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario is being mentioned.

The idea behind this amendment is to have a bold, forward-looking image in materials that non-Masons will see and over time we will build consistent messaging.

We are continuing to take this opportunity to socialize the proposed Constitutional amendments now before voting day when you have them all in front of you at once for your decision. We want to ease this stress and make sure everyone has every question answered long before the vote. Your responsibility is to be a well-informed voter.

If you have any questions related to these proposed amendments, please send me an e-mail at office@grandlodge.on.ca and I will endeavor to make you more comfortable with the amendments and the process going forward.

Thomas W. Hogeboom

Deputy Grand Master

Our active membership on December 31, 2020 was at the 33,000 level.

Status of our membership:

Over age 70 - 52% or 17,000 members including 2,000 over the age of 90.

The average annual change in our membership for the last 9 years approximates:
Initiations 1,100 per year
Deaths 1,200 per year
Demits 1,100 per year
Suspensions 900 per year

The deaths are beyond our control and are offset by the number of initiations. The present rate of decline is about 2,000 annually. This is a cause for concern when we look at the age of our members and the projection for membership to a level of about 23,000 by the year 2025.

New and or expanded programs for mentorship, lodge speakers and other areas of interest to encourage participation in our virtual meetings during the pandemic has improved attendance at these meetings by about 50% or more over the number we were experiencing before COVID-19.

Keeping our members interested and participating leads to retention.

This begs the question about the post pandemic period when we return to lodge. Despite the best forecasts, we cannot accurately gage the impact on retention at this time.

While virtual meetings are interesting and could possibly be continued, they are not a substitute for the personal and social aspect of our lodge meetings. If we could hold our membership at the 30,000 level, the proposed increase of $20.00 per year would balance our budget, pay for the upgrades in technology and the improvements to our building.

I trust that this message will awaken each of us to the need to revisit or prepare our long-range plans and financial forecasts for the continuing longevity of our lodges.

We can succeed if we all work together with success as our common goal.

H. Edward Standish, Grand Treasurer

James C. Sutherland, Chairman of Audit & Finance

Sidney T. Schatzker, Chairman of Lodge Finance Advisory

Why Now?

For last several years our expenses have exceeded revenue as our membership has declined. There has not been an increase since 2011. Grand Lodge can no longer continue to run at a deficit.

Why in the Midst of a Pandemic?

The Grand Treasurer’s proposal for an increase was based on his five-year forecast which proceeded the current pandemic. Even then, the forecast really necessitated a greater increase than the one currently proposed. This assessment increase was scheduled for July 2020, but no Constitutional amendments were presented as Grand Lodge was reduced to a virtual meeting of the Board of General Purposes. The last time the Grand Lodge Assessment was increased was ten years ago. A pandemic was not foreseen, but we can no longer postpone the increase in the per capita levy.

Why Such a Large Increase?

This Assessment increase works out to an additional $2.00 per member, per meeting per year. At present your Grand Lodge Assessment is $20.00 the lowest in Canada; the next lowest is $29.00 and the highest is $88.00. The new per capita rate will not become effective until the filing of the semi-annual return due in January 2022.

Why Not Spread out the Increase over several years?

This option was discussed at length and rejected. The last time Grand Lodge spread an Assessment increase over several years there was confusion in many Lodges in calculating the correct Assessment payment on the semi-annual returns. This showed us that a single increase was preferred as it was easier to manage and eliminated confusion in the reporting. If the increase is spread out over 3 years, it would result in a permanent loss of revenue totaling $1,200,000.

What will this Increased Revenue be Used For?

Grand Lodge, Lodges and the Membership have recognized the need to upgrade our computer technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness in many aspects of our operations including the ability to communicate directly to our members. Eligible voters will be able to vote for Grand Lodge Officers and for their District Deputy Grand Masters with the implementation of electronic voting. New data base software & computers will promote better communication and education throughout our membership and increase the efficiency in the way we operate at all levels.

While the upfront investment in technology is expensive, we will improve the efficiency with administration workflows resulting in future cost savings.

Why not delay?

If we fail to make this investment now, with rising costs we may never be able to catch up. This will also enable your Grand Lodge to look at new ways of conducting the Annual Communication and to enhance our experience of attending every year.

Like any house which has aged, our Grand Lodge building needs some costly repairs to remain viable and up to date. The roof, fence, parking lot and bringing access into compliance with the current AODA regulations are some of the projects to be completed.

Since 2011 expenses have increased for Grand Lodge, individual Lodges and Districts and the postponement of this Assessment cannot delayed.

We trust that the Brethren will understand and appreciate the need and will approve the proposed increase in the Assessment.

- H. Edward Standish, Grand Treasurer

- James C. Sutherland, Chairman of Audit & Finance

- Sydney T. Schatzker, Chairman of Lodge Finance Advisory 

COVID-19 Temporary Business Policies:

On February 12 we distributed another COVID-19 update that related to temporary business policies implemented to deal with the prolonged impact of the Masonic lockdown on lodge business. I trust that it has been widely distributed and that you have taken the time to read it.

Election of DDGMs – Nominations:

Also on February 12 we distributed a document to all DDGMs that details the procedures to be followed for the election of the new DDGMs in June 2021. That communication also contained the nomination forms that MUST be used by any brother seeking election to the office of DDGM (no matter which District).

June and July 2021 Electronic Voting:

Included in the current March issue of the Resource Digest there is a communication to each and every eligible member of Grand Lodge entitled to vote in the election for DDGM in June 2021 and the election for Grand Lodge officers and voting on proposed Constitutional amendments in July 2021. If you plan on casting your ballot in these elections, you need to be aware of the details for registration and casting your ballot.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments July 2021:

Finally, also included in this current March issue of the Resource Digest is the final list of proposed Constitutional amendments to be balloted on electronically in July.

Fraternally,

Garry D. Garry Dowling,

Grand Secretary

Who says your Grand Lodge doesn’t listen to its members?

After the first month of socializing the proposed Constitutional amendments, your Grand Lodge has listened and have revised our plans based on the feedback we have heard.

The initial proposal was to re-introduce all the twelve proposed Constitutional amendments from 2020 that were held in abeyance last Summer when a very short form of our Annual Communication was held. The plan was to add those twelve to the six, rather lengthy proposed Constitutional amendments from 2021. This would mean that we were going to have eighteen proposed Constitutional amendments amounting to twenty-nine pages of material on an electronic ballot that we were also experimenting with for the first time. And that doesn’t count the allowable explanation capability for each that our new e-balloting system would allow.

The determination of your Grand Lodge to get caught up on all these proposed amendments has been perceived by some as a daunting task. The expectation of each member to work through every one of these proposals, spending the required amount of time to make a conscientious decision on each, was wishful thinking and that the process may not receive the appropriate attention it deserved.

So, we spent last week deciding which of these proposals were essential and which we could hold over until the Annual Communication of 2022 with the hope of having two manageable lists of proposals rather than one daunting list.

Again, as I mentioned last month, the Grand Secretary will be addressing all the new amendments from this year that deal with the proposed revisions to the Annual Communication including electronic voting on the proposed Constitutional amendments and the election of Grand Lodge Officers that will enfranchise every eligible voting Mason. As you will see by reading this Communique further, the Grand Treasurer will continue to communicate the very important amendment to increase the Grand Lodge assessment. That leaves me with only four proposed amendments to review.

Two of these proposals regarding Section 104 of the Constitution as discussed last month were to add the Form L4 Lodge Master’s/Treasurer’s Report to subsection (b) to be inclusive of all the reports required to be submitted in the report to Grand Lodge after an Official Visit of the District Deputy Grand Master and the addition of subsection (c) and (d) to deal with the suspension of Lodge Warrants for failure to submit these said L forms within forty-five days of an Official Visit.

Another proposed amendment under the category of Lodge Changes is to revise Form 4, Section 298(a) found in Part VII – Forms, at the back of the Constitution. Form 4 is an example of how a Lodge Secretary should set up the Lodge Minute Book. The revision here was to add Masonic Education as an item that should be a part of every Lodge meeting and so recorded in the Minute Book. As you know, this is one of the important strategic initiatives of the Grand Lodge Ritual, Education, Mentoring focus for the next several years.

Be sure to tune in next month when I will review the final proposed amendment for this year on Grand Lodge branding.

We are continuing to take this opportunity to socialize the proposed Constitutional amendments now before voting day when you have them all in front of you at once for your decision. We want to ease this stress and make sure everyone has every question answered long before the vote. Your responsibility is to be a well-informed voter. We have decided that an integral part of this is to make the process manageable by holding some of the less essential proposed amendments back until next year.

If you have any questions related to these proposed amendments, please send me an e-mail at office@grandlodge.on.ca and I will endeavor to make you more comfortable with the amendments and the process going forward.

- Thomas W. Hogeboom,

Deputy Grand Master

- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

What does it take to be a leader in unprecedented times? Perseverance, flexibility and imagination.

This month will mark the anniversary of the “year that didn’t exist” as we are wont to call it. We decided that since we weren’t meeting we would extend all the Grand Lodge officers’ terms for a year so that we could take up where we left off and eventually visit all those lodges that had been on our agendas. But that is not likely to be. We wish this had not happened in our time but all we could do is decide what to do with what is given us.

We rapidly adapted to videoconferencing. The Board and their committee members, with extra time on their hands, reviewed and revised our programs. The Grand Treasurer thoroughly examined multiple scenarios of how we could fund our activities for the upcoming years. (See his letter included in this Communiqué.) The Grand Secretary, Chief Operating Officer and the office staff held down the fort. And District Deputies and District Secretaries shepherded the lodges in their charge through these challenging times, setting up videoconferences, staying in touch with the brethren by phone and newsletter, and managing the business of the districts.

We now have the capability to hold elections electronically for District Deputies and other Grand Lodge officers. Some incumbents may wish to run again. Some brethren were planning on running last year and have been patiently waiting for a chance. And there may be some who will put their name forward this year for the first time.

All this while not knowing when they will be able to resume all the traditional duties of the office, but ready to pitch in and help the Craft. Knowing they may have to persevere with video management for the first few months. Knowing that the large banquets and gatherings may not be possible at first. Having the flexibility to switch between virtual and in person duties. And having imagination to try new things.

If this describes you, I would recommend you consider letting your name stand for a Grand Lodge office. Although the elections seem a long time away, there are some deadlines to consider. Candidates for Grand Registrar, Grand Wardens, Grand Treasurer, Grand Secretary and the Board must have their nominations into the Office by April 1 as usual. Nomination papers sent in last year have been held over so those brethren do not need to resubmit. Anyone wishing to withdraw their nomination can do so until April 15.

In order to be able to have electronic voting for District Deputy Grand Masters this year, candidates for DDGM will have to submit written nomination papers to the current DDGM by May 30. Candidates should complete the work for their qualifying certificate by that date. The DDGM Preparation Team will run another course before then, and of course the College runs their course continually (and it’s free during the lockdown!)

Please follow the Grand Secretary’s correspondence for details on nominations and elections.

The upcoming year will have its challenges, but if you have a desire to help in leading the Craft to new heights, consider putting your name forth now.

“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.”

- Samwise Gamgee

David J. Cameron,

Grand Master

How to Run an Effective Online Meeting

If you are interested in attending with brethren from across our Grand Jurisdiction, please RSVP here:

https://forms.gle/EVhDuugErwTcze9b6

The Grand Lodge Masonic Education Committee Speaker Series will take place monthly, typically on the first Saturday of each month. This month’s presentation will be held at 7:15 pm EST. We will have a wide variety of speakers over the course of the year. We welcome all masons of every rank and from every lodge. As these sessions are NOT Tyled, all of your families and friends are welcome to attend.

The event will begin with fellowship from 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm EST, with the program of the evening beginning at 7:15 pm.

Invitations for the meeting will be sent out roughly 24 hours prior to the event. They will contain the link you need to access the presentation.

Questions and comments may be directed directly to the team at glcpoomasoniced@gmail.com

Sincerely & Fraternally,

 Bro. Don Kemball

Zeredatha Lodge 220

GLCPOO Education Committee

We are all seeing a continuing increase in the number of virtual sessions (Zoom, etc.) for educational and other purposes. As the situation evolves, we are developing some protocol for taking part in those virtual meetings.

I want to highlight two points this month.

First, should you participate in a virtual call please be sure that you understand where that call originates – is it within our jurisdiction or does it originate outside Ontario? You need to be aware that the culture, ritual and protocol observed in other Masonic jurisdictions may be different from our own.

You may attend any of these virtual sessions (within or outside of Ontario) without seeking permission through the office of the Grand Secretary. However if you are asked to identify yourself and you mention that you are from the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, you must remember that you  cannot bring greetings on behalf of this Grand Lodge. Also, if you speak make sure that you indicate that your remarks are personal and that you are not authorized to speak on behalf of our Grand Lodge.

Second, if you are attending a virtual session that originates within our Grand Lodge, even though the session is informal, proper protocol must be followed in addressing our Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master. They should never be referenced by their first or last names, only as Grand Master and Deputy
Grand Master.

All the best for the celebration of your festive season, no matter what form it takes this year.

D. Garry Dowling
Grand Secretary

Freemasonry has long been a beacon of universal tolerance, or I should say, universal respect, since tolerance is an Enlightenment term and today we would choose to say acceptance, inclusion or respect. From time to time we are moved to re-examine how we practice these tenets, and the language that
we use.

The Ritual Committee is the only body authorized to make any alterations in our
Ritual, and they take it extremely seriously, balancing any changes against the landmarks and considering the practice of other Grand Lodges, most notably those of our brethren in England, Scotland and Ireland.

A task force of members from a variety of faith traditions convened by the Grand Chaplain at my request last year looked at some aspects of our Ritual from a theological standpoint. The Ritual Committee weighed their suggestions as well as other considerations and made some changes which will be included in the Book of the Work when it is reprinted.

The current understanding of most faiths is of a Supreme Being that is forgiving rather than vengeful. Therefore the second question asked of the candidate will be changed to “prefers virtue over vice.”

All references to “Freeborn” and “Free by Birth” will be removed.
So we will say “By being a man, of mature age, and under......” and “Pass Man of G.R.”

And lastly, we will bring our Ritual in line with the stories of the Abrahamic traditions by removing the word “only” so the sentence reads “....in not refusing to offer up his son Isaac...”. (That patriarch had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.)

The specific details will be forthcoming in the new Book of the Work.
This is the time of the year during which brethren of so many traditions hold
celebrations which involve lights – Diwali, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa to name just a few.

As we ponder the prospect of a socially distanced holiday season let us try to lighten the darkness however we can. Take a walk or drive to see the Christmas lights. Put up a Kinara, or just light some candles. Practice gratefulness. Be open to the experiences that a slowed pace can reveal.

Consider the inner light at the heart of all the festivals. Call your friends and brothers to lighten their day. And keep safe with your loved ones.

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts;
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power, be our support;
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance:
That we may seek Your face With all our heart and mind and soul and
strength.
     - Alcuin of York, 8th Century

Jill and I wish you many blessings and a meaningful holyday season.

David J. Cameron
Grand Master

As I mentioned last month, our Chief Operating Officer, R.W. Bro. Lou Domjan, has spent a lot of time setting up a GoToMeeting account for each District to be
shared with each Lodge via the District Deputy Grand Master in order for each Lodge to schedule a monthly virtual meeting to keep the Masonic spirit alive in each member. The access information was sent to each District Deputy Grand Master who was charged with providing this to each of the Lodges in their respective District to share. It was suggested that a District schedule be created such that every Lodge can host a monthly meeting on their regular meeting night to communicate with their membership, cover any business that is permissible, provide some Masonic Education and generally, to take an accounting of the
health of their membership and Lodge.

Although this tool will never compare to a good old fashioned Lodge meeting with handshakes and bear hugs, it is being used by many individual Brethren,
Lodges and Districts to scratch that Masonic itch that we feel ‘once a month’ or more. Your Deputy Grand Master has been fortunate enough to have been invited to many of these video conference meetings to speak or to just enjoy the fellowship of the assembled Brethren. Some have been quite ingenious to improve the Masonic experience. I have experienced a Lodge banquet where each attendee was encouraged to bring their own dinner to enjoy together, singing together as if we were all holding hands around the banquet room,
and of course Masonic Education to keep our minds engaged and spirits enlightened.

Last week one of our Lodge video conference active Worshipful Master’s was telling me how difficult it was to get his members to present some Masonic
Education for these meetings. I told him about my Mother Lodge when I was just a young Entered Apprentice Mason where the Worshipful Master used
to just assign a Brother each month to do the Masonic Education for the next month. Being quite fresh to the Craft, it pained me for a month of empty preparation until my mentor told me it didn’t have to be me talking for fifteen or twenty minutes, it could be as simple as starting a discussion of all Lodge members with a simple question. Two days later, my EAMs simple question was why are the W.Ts. of an E.A.M. the 24 I.G., the C.G. and the C.? I gave my take for a minute and the rest of the members carried the conversation
for the next thirty minutes easily.

Our Grand Master is oft to greet a screen full of members to a video conference Masonic Education meeting with the comment of how fortunate we are during this time to be able to access the finest Masonic speakers around the world during this pandemic via a video conference and have no airline or hotel expenses to fly them in. There are many libraries of Masonic speakers who used to offer their services if their expenses were covered – makes it pretty easy now.
The hardest part now is to juggle the differences between time zones of your Lodge and their home base. 

We have another resource bank right here at home, and you already know them. Your Grand Lodge Committee Chairmen are rightly proud of the work of their Committees and would be more than willing to get some free publicity for their programs by addressing your Lodge or District. They are always appreciative of
your feedback as a measure of compliance to our Strategic Plan.

R.W. Bro. James Broomhead at 1921glbgp@gmail.com would love to bring you up to date on all of the plans for accessing a library of Masonic Education on the Grand Lodge web site. He can also share the successes of the monthly Grand
Lodge Masonic Education virtual presentations on the first Saturday evening of every month. 

Heard about The College of Freemasonry but don’t know where or how to get started? – R.W. Rick Cadotte does - rickcadotte@hotmail.com
Want to know how we prepare our District Deputy Grand Masters for the leadership of their District? Give R.W. Bro. Jamie Wark a buzz at jameso@bmts.com 

Does your Lodge Condition of Masonry report need further explanations? R.W. Bro. Michael Locke is your guy at mjlocke@cogeco.ca He will even offer some tips for improvement to turn all the green lights on! 

R.W. Bro. Howard Adams - hadams5@cogeco.ca - and the University  Partnerships Committee have been leaders in the spreading of their message with the Sankey Lecture being delivered into our homes on Sunday, November 15. Howard and his team would be pleased to share their next project of developing University Clubs to get started on the fraternal development before joining.

We’ll continue with my Grand Lodge Chairmen recommendations for your virtual meeting presenters next month.

Stay well until then!

Thomas W. Hogeboom
Deputy Grand Master

Brethren,
My great uncle, Pte. Robert Franklin Gordon Cameron, died in the Great War and my father was given one of his names in remembrance. The story I recall being told that he was killed just after Armistice Day, a very sad circumstance. But years later, while researching my family history, I found the letter from his C.O. along with a hand-written account by one of his comrades. He had died the end of August, but it was this letter that my family had received in November. The description of his death was gruesome.

As a teen I belonged to the Youth Group at our church. We almost never did anything religious,but we got together for activities. Sometimes I liken it to Masonry. Just the act of hanging out with people of a like mind helps to shore up your own principles. We would regularly go to Westminster Veterans’ Hospital to play bingo with the men there. The Four Counties wing was a series of rambling, one story buildings which provided assisted living. There we encountered men who had lost limbs, or were blind, or, it seemed to us,
were just old. But not all their wounds were visible. Their sacrifice but didn’t really hit home. However, driving in and out we had to pass by the multiple
story psychiatric building, much larger than the Four Counties wing. We never went in there, but Eric Bogle’s song always brings a chill to me, especially the third line. That building was so big.

In those days they called it “shell shock” but now we say Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. This condition is not limited to soldiers. Health
care and other front line workers are also prone to it. Those nurses and caregivers who are having to deal with multiple COVID deaths come to mind.

Indeed anyone who encounters trauma – abused women, accident victims, police officers – can be affected. And, although to a lesser extent, the
isolation of the lockdown can also disrupt one’s mental health. But help is available. The sad thing is that we, as men, tend to not ask for that help.
It’s okay to not be okay. Please ask for help if you need it.

November 11 is coming up soon. This year is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Anniversaries are important. They bring things into focus. Two years ago on the centenary of his death. I made a point of attending the Cenotaph ceremony in Brussels, where Uncle Gordon’s name is inscribed. I felt it important to be there. Past Grand Chaplain, R.W. Bro. William M. White,
once said that one of the most important things we do as Masons is to be there. When a brother is feeling low, we are there for him. When a widow is
grieving, we are there. We hold a Masonic Memorial Service and large numbers of brothers show up, just to “be there” for the family.

This year we cannot hold Memorial Services because the risk of transmission in small confined areas is too great. (Think not only of the funeral chapel but also of the regalia room and the hallways.) The last thing we want to do is transmit the virus to the grieving family. So we will hold our memorials later.

In a similar vein, participation at a Cenotaph ceremony, even though outside, is not risk free. Therefore The Royal Canadian Legion’s National
Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa will have very limited attendees, no parade and the wreaths will be pre-placed. However, we can participate
virtually and I urge you to do so.

Please stay safe, keep others safe, and
remember.

David J. Cameron
Grand Master

The second wave of COVID-19 is unfortunately upon us. This has led to increased case counts throughout the Province and even to levels higher than they were last April. As a result, the Grand Master has extended the cancellation of in-person Masonic gatherings across the Province.

The cancellation of all in-person Masonic meetings and events in the Province has now been extended until AT LEAST January 31, 2021. We will continue to monitor and adjust as the situation evolves.

The Grand Master wishes to congratulate all Masonic brethren in Ontario for the way that they have supported each other and for the diligence they have shown to date in their obedience to all local and Provincial Health Guidelines and hopes that we can continue this in the months ahead.

Based on the continuation of the lockdown, a number of administrative issues are highlighted below.

Lodge Dues:

I wish to draw your attention once again to the Grand Master’s remarks in the October 2020 Communique which included the following directive:

“The Worshipful Master, Secretary and Treasurer of each lodge have already been authorized to conduct the necessary business of the lodge until the lodge re-opens, subject to retroactive approval at the next regular meeting. I therefore decree that, until we return to labour, they may authorize the remittance of the dues of any member without requiring notice of motion or a vote. This will, like all their other decisions, be ratified at the next regular in-person meeting.” Note that if lodge dues are remitted, they must be appropriately recorded in the books of the Secretary and Treasurer.

Processing of Demits:

First, all demits must be processed in accordance with Sections 190-194 of the Constitution.

Second, the effective date of a demit issued in good standing (no dues owing) is the date on which the demit was submitted in writing to the Lodge Secretary.

Third, to issue a demit in good standing, the member must be fully paid up as of the date of the request of the demit.

Therefore, during the lockdown, demits can be received by the Lodge Secretary who then must determine if dues are paid up to the date of the request.

If that is the case, the name will be read out at the next regular meeting of the lodge (whenever that will take place) and the demit in good standing will be issued following the meeting but effective the date the request was received by the Lodge. These demits in good standing are to be recorded on the first semiannual return submitted after the demit was received in writing by the lodge Secretary.

Before a demit is issued, hopefully an investigation can be done by telephone to ascertain if remitting the brother’s dues would solve the issue.

Processing Suspensions NPD:

The COVID-19 update distributed on April 2, 2020 still applies on the topic of suspensions for NPD. "Suspensions NPD: The names of any brethren more than 12 months in arrears must still be read out at the next regular meeting of the lodge and the Worshipful Master will then declare them suspended. However, the brethren will be suspended as of the date of the end of the 12 month period."

Lodge dues are payable in advance. Brethren must be notified within 10 months of the date they were dues owing. Such notification would state that they would be suspended effective twelve months from the date dues were due, even though the name may not be read out in lodge until after that. This note, referencing Section 202, will identify to the brother concerned what date they will be ‘effectively’ suspended.

The names will still be read out at the first regular meeting after resumption of labours to complete the process as required by Section 200 (d). The letter following that meeting will simply confirm the effective date of the suspension. These suspensions are to be recorded on the first semi-annual return submitted after the effective date of the suspension. The fact that these brethren are technically suspended (without the lodge meeting) is a bit of a moot point when no one is meeting at this time.

Again, before processing this, the Worshipful Master should try to ascertain if the brother is in need of financial assistance.

Masonic Memorial Services:

Masonic Memorial Services remain under the lockdown of all Masonic activities. We deeply regret that we are not able to pay our respects to departed brethren at this time in the manner to which we are accustomed. However the risk associated with brethren gathering to perform a Masonic Memorial Service are still too great to permit this activity.

Remembrance Day Services and Parades:

Regrettably no dispensations will be issued this year for groups of Masons to participate in Remembrance Day Services or parades. While individual Masons may choose on their own to attend such events, no regalia is to be worn.

Further updates will be published as required. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,

Grand Secretary

If I should be so fortunate as to live to meet my Great Grandchildren, I’m not sure I will be able to explain the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic to them. Or
maybe I won’t have to – it may be the new reality? My Grandkids are having less difficulty with the current restrictions than I am for sure, but they aren’t involved with a fraternity or sorority at their young age. They get to go to school and see their friends all day while I sit at home missing my Lodge hand shakes and bear hugs, content in seeing a few of you occasionally via our videoconferencing that
some Lodges and Districts have invited me to attend or address. 

One thing I am sure of though is that how fortunate we are to have elected a medical doctor as our current Grand Master during this medical pandemic.
The Grand Secretary has received many letters from frustrated Masons who want to assume responsibility for themselves and get back to Lodge.
But M.W. Bro. David Cameron has been able to use his many years of medical training to steer the whole membership safely through the many challenges
that have arisen during this medical pandemic.

The support for our Grand Master’s decisions comes not only from within Grand Lodge. I want to share with you a message of unsolicited support for our Grand Master from one of our Lodge Secretaries in the current Lodge Summons:

“I believe that:

• we are fortunate to have a physician as our Grand Master. He brings to the table a medical background and understanding that many organizations do not have in their leadership during these difficult and confusing times.
• at our core, we are a social organization! We meet during the time of the year where indoor gatherings are the norm. Our meeting rooms are often small and poorly equipped with air quality monitoring and management. On many occasions, these gatherings are crowded and “cozy”.
• we are a group that greets and interacts through enthusiastic contact during our social and ritual settings. The “shaking of hands” is synonymous with Masonry!
• our demographic is generally one of a more mature nature where medical challenges are the norm rather than the exception.

In short, through our normal practices we offer the ideal conditions for the effective nurturing and spread of a viral entity like this strain of coronavirus.
If precautions had not been taken and maintained, the Masonic order may have been responsible for much pain and suffering within and outside our ranks. I strongly believe the cautious actions taken by our Grand Master and Grand Lodge should be commended and supported with gratitude for our own and our families’ wellbeing. 

I believe challenges such as these stimulate growth and strength within organizations that recognize and appreciate the full scope of the situation and its
importance. Masonry will be stronger because of COVID and our actions and resolve through COVID will foster growth and revitalization. Be patient and
remain resolved.” (Thanks Rob!)

To assist the Lodges in keeping in contact with their membership, your Grand Lodge has created a GoToMeeting account for each District. The access
information has been sent to each District Deputy Grand Master who was charged with providing this to each of the Lodges in their respective District to
share. It was suggested that a District schedule be created such that every Lodge can host a monthly meeting on their regular meeting night to
communicate with their membership, cover any business that is permissible, provide some Masonic Education and generally to take an account of the
health of their membership and Lodge.

We are also continuing to publish a monthly Resource Digest – from which you probably received this Communiqué. We need your help in the distribution of these tools. It was reported at our Virtual Board of General Purposes Chairmen’s
September meeting that of the 680 copies distributed via email to the Grand Lodge Officers and Lodge Secretaries, 216 weren’t even opened! Hard to say they are being distributed via Lodge email contact lists if a third of them weren’t even opened.

Please help us keep in touch with our membership by forwarding all the communication from Grand Lodge to as many members as possible. It will be
appreciated by the creator and the receiver and ease the transition when we go back to our Work.

Stay well until then!

Thomas W. Hogeboom
Deputy Grand Master

This has been a long six months. We have avoided superspreading events and hopefully saved some lives, but it has taken its toll on us individually and as
lodges, both mentally and financially.

The Temple Board of my mother lodge described the situation well:

“COVID-19 has reduced significantly the “usage” of our building (or Temple) and literally no Masonic meetings and/or events took place for many months and potentially more months to come. Our Temple is still a very important part of our Masonic life and we are still bound to maintain it, which comes at a cost...

The Board reduced as much costs as possible by eliminating building activities such as garbage removal, postponing repairs, etc... but insurance, tax, etc. are still part of our commitment to keep our Temple in place. We would like to thank all of our partners, brethren, lodges, chapters, councils, for their continued support of our Masonic home. In order to have our Temple ready and in proper condition when we return (and we will return), we are asking each of the core voting lodges and concordant bodies to keep their commitment and ask all Masons that are part of our Temple to please keep being dedicated in supporting our Temple for our future.”

Likewise, Grand Lodge has a building to keep up, as well as services to lodges which remain ongoing. We have looked into lowering the per capita, but as you
will note from the budget, we are already in a deficit position despite trimming many items (including yours truly’s travel budget, which is fine because I’m
not going anywhere at the moment.)

Those of us who are retired or have secure jobs, may have fewer expenditures as we have avoided concerts, theatre and dining out in order to reduce the spread. However, it cannot be concealed that we have many members who are not so lucky. With reduced hours of work, lay-offs or struggling businesses, these brethren are suffering. As Masons we are encouraged to relieve the necessities of our brethren and fellows. I know that many lodges have significant benevolence funds. And even those that don’t can consider what they have in their general funds or put away for a rainy day. For some brethren, it is raining still

You may well want to do more, but the very least you can do for these brethren is to remit their dues. Section 200 of the Constitution says that a lodge may by open vote remit the dues of any brother, with notice of motion at the regular meeting immediately before, and that the notice of motion must contain the amount of the dues but need not contain the name of the brother. Section 202 outlines the procedure for suspension due to non-payment of dues. As we don’t know when we will be able to have regular meetings again these procedures are
problematic. The Worshipful Master, Secretary and Treasurer of each lodge have already been authorized to conduct the necessary business of the lodge until the lodge re-opens, subject to retroactive approval at the next regular meeting. I therefore decree that, until we return to labour, they may authorize the remittance of the dues of any member without requiring notice of motion or a vote. This will, like all their other decisions, be ratified at the next regular in-person meeting.

Our hearts may be disposed to soothe our brothers’ afflictions in a greater way than just looking after their dues. Those lodges that have the funds may want to consider finding out how they can do more. Many districts have benevolence accounts as does Grand Lodge. This is the time to reach out to our brethren and help. (Even just asking may be all the support that some need – knowing we care about him and his family.) Don’t forget to ask the widows.

Some of our brethren are needing to use food banks, as well as many in the community. The Masonic Foundation has instituted a new project to support
Feed Ontario, a network of 130 member food banks and over 1,100 affiliate hunger-relief programs and agencies across the province. I encourage you to
support this endeavour.

Keep safe and look after each other.

David J. Cameron
Grand Master

As mentioned previously, all decisions that are being made by Grand Lodge regarding the COVID-19 situation are under constant review and subject to change as things change. We may not always get it correct on the first try. In addition, I must reiterate that we continue to hold the health and safety of all our Masonic membership as paramount.

Last week we issued a directive regarding the usage of Masonic facilities under the direction of Temple Corporations. Grand Lodge has always recognized that Temple Corporations being separate legal entities are not governed by our Constitution and policies. The message last week was not intended to alter that relationship, but was issued solely with the health and safety of our members in mind.

We have since received a number of suggestions and concerns, particularly related to the ability of the Temple Corporations to generate revenue from their operations. We have also monitored the developments as to the enforcement of local health regulations connected to the pandemic as they relate to the reopening of some businesses, restaurants, community spaces, etc.

Therefore we have made a change to the policy related to the rental of Masonic facilities by Temple Corporations under whose authority those spaces fall.

Effective immediately, Temple Corporations may continue to rent or lease their facilities (with the exception of Craft Lodge rooms) to outside groups provided that the Temple Corporation and the renter/lessee observe all local and provincial health regulations. Those outside groups include any Masonic or non-Masonic bodies NOT bound by the Constitution and directives of Grand Lodge. Note that the cancellation of all Masonic meetings and events in the Province continues to be extended until AT LEAST October 31 2020. Masonic meetings includes, but is not limited to, Regular and Emergent Lodge meetings, Lodge Committee Meetings, Lodge Committee of General Purposes meetings and Masonic Memorial Services.

We again refer you to the Ontario government document regarding guidance in the safe re-opening of workplace. The document can be found at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/develop-your-covid-19-workplace-safety-plan

If there are specific events that you are unsure about, please contact us in advance for guidance. Please note that this policy will continue to be reviewed as the pandemic situation evolves.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,
Grand Secretary

You will by now have read the Grand Master’s message regarding the continued cancellation of all Masonic meetings and events until at least October 31, 2020.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to keep us in lockdown mode, many requests are being received about the hosting of Lodge/District/Temple Corporation social and fundraising events and about the use of Lodge/Temple Corporation facilities.

Use of Lodge or Temple Corporation Facilities during the lockdown period:

We recognize that many Lodges and Districts host social gatherings in the summer months for the purpose of raising funds for the Lodge or District. However, all Lodge meetings and events, including Masonic social events have been cancelled until at least October 31, 2020. Therefore, in effect, all Masonic buildings will remain closed to any activities. With one or two exceptions, the usage of the premises or any part thereof is not permitted.

The only activity involving the use of Lodge premises that would be permitted would be if the Lodge or Temple Corporation had a pre-existing contract with a for-profit business (e.g. bank) or certain not-for profit corporations operating an essential service (e.g. Day Care) provided the business was permitted to reopen in stage 3 of the provincial guidelines.

Several examples follow to illustrate the above policy. 

• Example 1: a Lodge owns a two story building – Lodge room above, bank premises below. The bank had previously operated in the premises prior to the lockdown under a lease or rental contract. The bank would be permitted to reopen for business – provided all provincial and local health guidelines were observed.
• Example 2: a daycare previously operated in the premises under a lease or rental contract. The daycare would be permitted to reopen for business provided provincial and local health guidelines were followed.
• Example 3: a Lodge permitted the use of its facilities to a local Alcoholics Anonymous group for their regular meetings prior to the lockdown under a prior lease or rental agreement. As Alcoholics Anonymous has been declared an essential service, this agreement could continue.

Permitting the use of or renting the Lodge premises for any other activities is NOT permitted.

• Temple Corporation, Lodge committee or other Masonic related usage of Lodge premises
• Club rentals or usage (Lions club, Kiwanis Club, etc.) for regular or special meetings;
• Appendant bodies (e.g. Shrine Club, Scottish Rite, York Rite) or other bodies with a masonic connection (e.g. Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile) wishing to meet or to conduct a fundraiser using Lodge premises (Banquet Hall);
• Any outside group wishing to rent the Lodge premises to host an event or fundraiser where food is prepared and/or served on site;
• The Lodge or Temple Corporation operation of a ‘breakfast club’ or ‘coffee club’ or any other activity where food and beverages are prepared/served on site;
• The usage or rental of Lodge/Temple Corporation premises by community groups for purposes such as Yoga classes, fitness classes, coffee clubs;

Any usage of Lodge or Temple Corporation premises must be conditional upon the enforcement of all provincial and local health guidelines. The Lodge/Temple Corporation is subject to the many regulations involving that use (e.g. proper cleaning and disinfecting after each use).

Referencing the Ontario government document regarding guidance in the safe re-opening of workplaces is recommended for those in charge of any Lodge or Temple Corporation facility. The document can be found at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/develop-your-covid-19-workplace-safety-plan

I hope the above helps clarify the situation in general terms. If there are specific events that you are unsure about, please contact us in advance for guidance. Please note that this policy is under constant review as the pandemic situation evolves.

Fraternally,

Garry Dowling,
Grand Secretary

By staying home our province has flattened the curve and probably gotten through the first wave of COVID-19. But the virus is not gone. We must continue to be wary of the 3 Cs: closed spaces, crowded places and close contact. Re-opening too early in other places around the world has led to a resurgence of infections. Waiting to see the impact the opening of schools in September would seem to be wise. With the incubation period of this virus, we won’t be able to assess that impact until it’s almost October.

Some jurisdictions are going ahead and hoping nobody dies. Others, like Scotland, have simply called off meetings until January 2021 at the very earliest. Taking into account the conditions in our province and our neighbours, and our underlying philosophy of thinking of the health and safety of our brethren first, we will take a balanced approach.

The cancellation of all Masonic meetings and events in the Province has now been extended until AT LEAST October 31, 2020. We will continue to monitor and adjust as the situation evolves.

So, it is suggested that, while waiting to be able to re-open, lodges have virtual education sessions on their regular lodge night, followed by a social chat on-line. Grand Lodge will be setting up GoToMeeting accounts for each district. Your DDGM can then set up a schedule for each lodge to use it in turn. It makes the most sense to have it on your regular meeting night. In the few cases where two lodges in the district meet on the same night, they will have to negotiate an alternative. Or perhaps they could both meet together – an opportunity rarely experienced in former times! The COO will be sending the details to your DDGMs.

Stay healthy and remain concerned about the health of those around you.

David J. Cameron
Grand Master