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2020 October – Concord York Rite Trestleboard
Greetings Companions and Sir Knights,
It appears that time is speeding up, September flew by and we’re already well into the second week of October. The next thing you know it will start getting white and cold outside. Seems to happen every year around this time, with more things to do around the yard than time to do them in.
This months Meeting will be on Tuesday the 20th @ 19:00 (7:00 pm). It will be hosted by the Council, so look over your Rituals and the Council Opening. I’ve attached a list of the Officers to remind those of you who are Officers of which one you are, since it’s been so long since the Council has gotten together.
We’ll be conducting business in Chapter, Council and Commandery. The main item in all three Bodies is to vote on next year’s budgets, which will remain the same as last year’s. We may have other odds and ends that might come up, but shouldn’t be anything drastic.
We’ll still be operating under the Covid Guidelines as put forth by Grand Lodge and adopted by Grand Chapter and Grand Council. If you don’t feel comfortable in groups yet, or are feeling ill we fully understand your not attending.
Fraternally,
Dennis Tuttle, Sr
Excellent High Priest Trinity Chapter
Illustrious Master Horace Chase Council
Eminent Commander Mt Horeb Commandery
2020 September – Concord York Rite Trestleboard
Greetings Companions and Sir Knights,
I hope that you all are well and enjoying this long weekend with its lovely weather. This being September we are coming out of our Summer Darkness and back to our Stated Meetings. This months Meeting will be Tuesday the 15th and commence at 19:00 (7:00 pm). There will be no meal. The Meeting will be hosted by Trinity Chapter #2 RAM and we’ll be doing the Mark Master Degree. We have our final rehearsal tomorrow night, the 8th, at 18:30 (6:30 pm).
The Grand York Rite Bodies have adopted the Covid-19 guidelines as set forth by Grand Lodge. With this in mind we will be following these guidelines at our Meetings, utilizing masks, distancing, etc. As much as we’d like to see you at the Meeting, if you’re not feeling well, or feel uncomfortable about being in a group don’t hesitate about staying home, we fully understand. See you soon.
Fraternally,
Dennis Tuttle, Sr
Excellent High Priest Trinity Chapter
Illustrious Master Horace Chase Council
Eminent Commander Mt Horeb Commandery
2020 July – Concord York Rite Trestleboard
Greetings Companions and Sir Knights,
Well, July is upon us with its usual high temperatures, but the good news is that we are starting to come out of our lockdown. Some of the various Lodges have started to meet in person following the current Grand Lodge guidelines for Masonic Bodies. Seems like it’s been such a long time since we’ve been able to get together. Hopefully we’ll be able to continue on this new path and gradually get back to normal without any setbacks.
I’m currently planning on having a Special Meeting in August, on the 18th, so we can get back together and catch up on things. A lot will depend on the status of the Concord Lodge Building. They have a project this Summer to re-do the Restrooms in the Temple and our Meeting will depend on the status of the project. We wouldn’t want to be there if the facilities are unavailable, especially us older guys.
Hopefully for the August Trestleboard I’ll have more good news for you about our ability to meet and get together. Until then stay safe and hopefully see you soon.
Fraternally,
Dennis Tuttle, Sr
Excellent High Priest Trinity Chapter
Illustrious Master Horace Chase Council
Eminent Commander Mt Horeb Commandery
2020 June 10 – NH York Rite Reopening
2020 June – Concord York Rite Trestleboard
Greetings Companions and Sir Knights,
The beginning of another month is here and the lockdown has been extended, but only for 2 weeks this time, so things are looking somewhat better. Hopefully this will be the last extension and we can then start making plans about how, and when, we’ll be able to get together in person again. Since we are traditionally Dark in June, July and August we don’t have to worry about any Stated Meetings, but hopefully we can work a Special Meeting in to vote on any Petitions, or other items that we’ve had to put off. Now would be a great time to contact any of your Brethren who have mentioned a desire in joining York Rite and assist them in getting their Petition to Secretary/Recorder Earl Cole.
One of the most anticipated upcoming events will be the completion of the Commandery Degrees that were started several months ago. There are currently over two dozen Knights of Malta who are patiently waiting for their Order of the Temple. It will probably be sometime in the Fall, which will give the two Commandery’s that are presenting it time for some rehearsals and work out any adaptations that may have to be made for Covid-19 reasons.
I hope that some of you have had a chance to participate in the weekly Virtual York Rite Discussions that the Grand Bodies have been presenting on Tuesday nights. They have been well received and are most interesting and informative, enough so that the thought is to continue them in some capacity, even after the lockdown is lifted. If you get the opportunity, definitely join in.
This past Saturday all the Grand Bodies held the second portion of their Annual Meetings along with the Installation of their Grand Officers. The lists of the Grand Officers can be found on the York Rite NH website. Congratulations to Patrick J O’Sullivan on being installed as our new ME Grand High Priest of Grand Chapter and MI Grand Master of Grand Council, and to David S Collins on his second year as RE Grand Commander of Grand Commandery. Also a Special Congratulations to our own Earl Cole who is embarking on his second year as the E Grand Generalissimo of Grand Commandery.
Until we meet again Brethren, be safe and hang in there, things will eventually get better.
Fraternally,
Dennis A Tuttle, Sr
Excellent High Priest Trinity Chapter
Illustrious Master Horace Chase Council
Eminent Commander Mt Horeb Commandery
On the Precipice of Great Responsibility
Brothers and Companions,
I wish first to thank you all for the confidence you have placed in me. It means a great deal to have your trust, and know that I stand (figuratively of course) before you as, but a servant-leader. To say that this is a humbling experience would be a gross understatement, particularly to be taking the mantle of responsibility in such a tumultuous time. While I cannot change those things that are beyond all of our control and must trust in the Great Architect of the Universe, know that I do not take this duty lightly and look forward to a time when we can all gather together again in fellowship and harmony.
I have been fortunate in my life to have had other opportunities to lead some amazing organizations, but there is a key difference between those bodies and our fraternal society, and it is in that word, fraternal, that gives us a clue to that uniqueness. This speaks to a bond that cannot be expressed accurately and transcends both time & distance. It is our brotherhood, our obligations, and our promises to each other which unites us. However, that bond alone cannot be the only tie we have. If our Rite is to have not just a future, but a firm foundation, we must all pick up the yoke together to move what is a truly heavy burden. As the adage by John Heywood goes, “many hands make light work…”
As a former military officer, we are taught to look strategically at our command, it’s structure, to develop both a mission and a vision, but in this case some of those are defined for us. We exist to answer that request we, and all of fellow brothers, companions, and sir knights made at that altar when we asked for further light. To that end, being an engineer also, I have tried to encapsulate, to me at least, what I see as the “sacred delta” of our Rite. It exists in the simple acronym, T.E.M.P.L.E. Yes, the allusion is an obvious one, but it is that simplicity which I feel best defines what we do. T+E, we must Teach and Educate, not only our members, but ourselves. If we are not conversant in our beliefs, lessons, and morals of our work, how can we ever hope to pass that on to our newest members. M+P, we must Master and Perform, our rituals. It was one of my recent predecessors, MEPGHP Ayen, who said, “do the work” and that still holds true to this day. If we are not doing that, then why are we here? Mastery, as those in the special operations community say, can only be achieved with constant repetition under fire. So, my brothers & companions, we must roll up our sleeves and “do the work”. L+E, Lead and Excel, leadership is not something we are, it is something we do. I have always said, “we lead people and we manage things”. I must inform you we don’t have things…we have people and those people deserve good leadership, so this falls on those not only in such positions in our local and Grand bodies, but to every one of you who holds a dues card. We are all leaders in some capacity and must walk & act as such.
If we truly dedicate ourselves to these things I have talked about, our beloved New Hampshire York Rite will Excel. I thank you all, may the Great Architect of the Universe watch over you, and may you have many years of health & happiness. Be well my brothers & companions, I look forward to the next year and beyond as we Rebuild our T.E.M.P.L.E.
Fraternally,
Patrick J. “Sully” O’Sullivan
MEGHP/MIGM
2020 May – Concord York Rite Trestleboard
Greetings Companions and Sir Knights,
Well, the month of May finds us still in this lockdown mode, but there are signs of it lessening in the near future. That being said, I am still going to postpone/cancel our May Meeting in keeping with the Grand Lodge’s guidelines to Masonic Bodies. I am hoping to schedule a Special Meeting as soon as it’s possible and safe to do so and it will be hosted by the Chapter, so any and all that wish to attend will be able to do so. It will be so that we can meet again in fellowship and maybe take care of any necessary business that we haven’t been able to do these past few months. In the meantime, try to join us in the Tuesday night virtual educational programs put on by the Grand Bodies. They have been covering the various Degrees and rotating it thru the 3 Grand Bodies. It has been very informative and you’ll find it most interesting.
Hopefully we’ll be able to get all of our Knights of Malta their Order of the Temple soon, as they’ve been waiting patiently since this pandemic started. I expect that it will be a little while after things restart, just to let the Commanderys get in a couple of rehearsals.
I have made up a list of all our members, including phone numbers and email addresses. What I’d like to do is contact each of our members by phone sometime this week, or next, to check-up on their current status, as well as verify their phone numbers, email and regular addresses. We can then use this as an emergency phone tree, contact type list. If any of you would like to assist our Secretary and myself in this please contact me at: datuttlesr@gmail.com and I’ll email you a copy of the list and the members to contact. Thank you for whatever assistance you may be able to provide.
Also, for the Diaz Officers, just a reminder of the upcoming second half of the Grand Bodies Annual Meeting to be held on the 30th. Due to the present conditions, it will be another Virtual Meeting. Our Secretary/Recorder will send out the connection information to the required Diaz Officer Attendees after it is totally finalized. As far as I know, any others of you that would like to attend just to observe your respective level are welcome to sit in for that portion.
Fraternally,
Dennis A Tuttle, Sr
Excellent High Priest, Trinity Chapter #2
Illustrious Master, Horace Chase Council #4
Eminent Commander, Mt Horeb Commandery #3
2020 Annual Meeting Announcement (made on April 18, 2020)
To the Companions and Sir Knights of New Hampshire:
Companions and Sir Knights,
It is with some sadness but with a desire to proceed in all our doings that we are announcing the following:
- The notice of March 20 by the Grand York Rite Bodies is now void; we are cancelling the July 24 banquet and July 25 in-person annual meetings of the Grand York Rite Bodies of New Hampshire.
- Rather, on Saturday, May 30, beginning at 9:00 a.m., the three grand bodies will proceed with their annual meetings in a virtual session, as we did with the business meetings on April 4 (they were conducted successfully).
- The agenda of said meetings will be roll calls of grand officers, roll calls of constituent officers, reports (Credentials, Membership, Treasurer, Secretary, GHP/GM/GC, Jurisprudence), any other business, and voting on constitutional amendments (instructions for voting will be handled on the day).
- The meetings will begin with Grand Chapter at 9 a.m.; we will take ten-minute breaks in between the meetings and open the next one.
- Instructions for the virtual meeting will be sent as we get closer to the meeting.
- The current Grand High Priest/Grand Master, Grand High Priest / Grand Master Elect, and Grand Commander are tentatively suggesting a late summer social gathering where the awards for the 2019-2020 year can be presented; details will emerge as the world returns to normal.
As you know, we are living in extraordinary times, and extraordinary measures are sometimes called for, thus we believe that these measures are necessary.
Please remember that constituent dais officers and grand officers are required to attend (a proxy may be counted for the purposes of constituent bodies), and past heads of bodies are entitled to voting at the meetings.
We thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate these difficult waters.
Fraternally and Courteously,
Paul C. Smith
ME Grand High Priest, Grand Royal Arch Chapter of New Hampshire
MI Grand Master, Grand Council Cryptic Masons of New Hampshire
SK David S. Collins
RE Grand Commander, Grand Commandery Knights Templar of New Hampshire
Attest:
Dennis A. Sheridan
RE Grand Secretary-RI Grand Recorder-E Grand Recorder