199th Grand Lodge Communication

The 199th annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Missouri was held on September 21, 2020 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri following all of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services guidelines as to face masks and social distancing. MWB Stanton T. Brown, II opened the Grand Lodge at 10:00 AM with 218 members present representing 159 lodges; 76 Worshipful Masters, 27 Grand Lodge Officers and 9 Past Grand Masters.

The morning started off with the nomination and election of Keith P. Hensen from Lathrop 506 and Joshua A. Thompson from Compass Lodge 120/Kansas City 220 for Masonic Home Directors.

The Grand Master then presented his Grand Master’s address and received a standing ovation, after which MWB David R. Ramsey read the Necrology Report and there was a moment of silence.

RWB Jonce Chidister, Chairman of the Jurisprudence committee, reviewed each of the 7 proposals.

1. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many lodges to not meet, the Constitutional

Amendment did not have enough responses and will be resubmitted to each of the lodges again next year. 2. The proposal to 10.045 to make the support to youth groups permanent was passed. 3. The proposal to 2.018 to make “Brother” the proper form of address was deemed not in due form. 4. The proposal to 17.150 concerning suspension of multiple members passed. 5. The proposal to 18.040 allowing lodges to charge a late fee of up $10 delinquent fee was passed. 6. The proposal to 10.050 and 19.010 changing the date that the annual report is due to April 30th; that dues are delinquent on March 1st, if unpaid, members will be suspended on April 1st passed. 7. The proposal to 5.160 concerning modifying

Masonic Education was withdrawn. Following the legislation, an explanation of the safe dismissal of the members for lunch was given by RWB Ty Treutelaar, SGW. The Grand Lodge Officers election was held at 12:05 PM, after which all were released for lunch.

At 1:30 PM the Grand Lodge reconvened and RWB Mitch Weinstein announced that there had been »

» an election. The officers were advanced by a vote of 198 of the 208 ballots cast. Grand Master elect Barry Cundiff announced that the 200th Grand Lodge would be held at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri on September 27th and 28th, 2021, beginning at 9:00 AM. He then announced that RWB Keith Bail from Wallace Lodge 456 in Bunceton, MO would be his appointment as Senior Grand Marshal.

MWB Stanton T. Brown, II read the names of the award winners for his year and announced that the awards would be given at upcoming area meetings. They were: 1. District of the Year were Districts 18 and 19 for working together 2. DDGM of the Year was RWB Ashley W. Young from District 3 3. Great Communicator of the Year was RWB Jacob

W. Thompson from Silex 75/Troy 34 4. Public Relations Award went to Grand River

Lodge 276 5. Masonic Service Award went to Troy Lodge 34

6. MOChip Coordinator of the Year is RWB

Rodney Klein from Algabil-Freedom 636 7. Secretary of the Year was RWB Bobbie E. White from Barry Daylight 17/Platte City 504/Rising

Sun 13. 8. The Regional Ritual Award winners were: Region

A, Franklin Lukenbill from Acacia-Twilight 114;

Region B, William “Ed” Kapelski from Weston 53; Region C, Michael A. Todd from Cass 147;

Region D, Timothy S Southard; from Laclede 83;

Region E, Curtis M. Fulbright, Crestwood-

Anchor #443; Region F, Walter T. Hargett from

Central Crossing 674; and Region G. Michael L.

Hill from Wayne 526. 9. Truman Medal went to RWB Ronald E. Wood

The Grand Master made his final remarks and closed the Grand Lodge in due form at 2:20 PM.

The Installation of Grand Lodge Officers for the 200th year followed and MWB Barry V. Cundiff was installed as our 2020-2021 Grand Master.