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A Different Look for Executive Session 2020 The Supreme Council for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America held their 208th Annual Session in Lexington, Massachusetts, on August 24-26, 2020. The original plan was to hold this session in Portland, Maine, but with the pandemic impacting the ability to travel, it made sense to hold it at Supreme Council headquarters instead.
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more restrictions due to COVID-19 impacted the number of states considered low risk by the Governor of Massachusetts, many members could not attend our session in person. As a result, Supreme Council Executive Session was held both in person and via Zoom for the 46 Active and Emeritus Members unable to travel. The following business of the Supreme Council was conducted and completed (although all missed the usual opportunity of the in person comradery): • Five new Active Members elected with no retirements of Active Members this year • Active Members unanimously elected Sammy L. Davis, 33°, to receive the Gourgas Medal, the highest honor within our Supreme Council • Active Members balloted on and approved 207 Candidates to receive the 33rd degree in Cleveland in 2021. This number, added to the previously approved 84 candidates, plus 2 holdovers, will culminate in a class of 293 Candidates, one of our largest classes in many years. • All committee reports were received and approved • Annual meetings of the Children’s
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Dyslexia Centers, Inc. and the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library, Inc., were also held, with budgets approved and elections of officers completed
• Active Members approved a report by the Fraternal Relations Committee giving approval to seek amity with the following Supreme Councils: Monaco, Mauritius, Andorra, Benin, and Bulgaria • The following Illustrious Brothers were eulogized: - Eric Ginette, 33°, Emeritus Member and Past Deputy of Vermont - John Sharp Wright, 33°, Past Active Member of Ohio - Illustrious Malcolm B. Wernik, 33°, Past Grand Master of New Jersey and an Advisor to the Benevolence Committee Legislation The Supreme Council Active Members approved the following changes to our Constitutions: • Article 332 is changed to allow a Valley Secretary to become an Active Member • Article 902 is added to allow for a new award titled “The Illustrious Harry S. Truman Award for Outstanding Citizenship” which
may be presented to any female or a non-Mason, by the Sovereign Grand Commander or the Supreme Council. This award will be launched at our 2021 Session in Cleveland
• Article 111-2 is changed to lower the required number of new members to nominate an Honorary Member from 50 to 35 candidates • Article 702 changes the per capita fee of $27 to $30, effective June 16, 2021, with the next Supreme Council census • Article 704 changes the fee for a candidate for the 33rd Degree from $900 to $1,000 Additional approved nonConstitutional legislative items • The consolidation or merger of the Corning Lodge of Perfection, Valley of Corning, New York, into Rochester Lodge of Perfection, Valley of Rochester, New York • The change of names of Westchester Chapter of Rose Croix and Westchester Consistory, Valley of the Hudson, New York, to George Clinton Chapter of Rose Croix and Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Consistory, respectively. • The consolidation or merger of each of the several Subordinate Bodies in the Valleys of Bay City, Grand Rapids, Marquette, and Traverse City, Michigan with the corresponding Subordinate Body in the Valley of Detroit, Michigan, with said consolidated bodies to be known as the Valley of Michigan
The Northern Light
