May 29, 2020

Sisters and Brothers All,

I bring you the greetings of the Grand Lodge and of course I also bring you my personal greetings. I think about the health of our members every day and I hope that everyone is managing their well-being as best as possible given the circumstances of this global pandemic.

It is my unfortunate obligation to inform you that I am ordering that lodges remain closed for the entirety of June, July, and August.

 This is not what any member wants to hear and it is not what I hoped to have to say. My hope was that we could re-open in June before many of us recess our meetings for the summer. But it is my belief, as well of that of the Executive Committee of the Grand Lodge, that if we make this short-term sacrifice we will accrue the long-term benefits of safety, health, and vitality.

Please recall, too, that every lodge has dispensation from Sovereign Grand Master E. Wesley Nelson to remain "dark" for the duration of COVID-19 outbreak. How long that will be is anyone's guess. And to me, that is the second­most important aspect of what we are facing: the unknown. New information is coming in every day and until we have scientifically-validated knowledge of the causes and remedies for COVID-19 it is inconceivable to me that we take any short of chance, guess, or gamble on our health.

Speaking of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, they are currently surveying the representatives in order to ascertain whether or not they will meet for their Session in August.

As far as New York is concerned, on Saturday, May 23 the Grand Lodge Executive Committee held a meeting with the Executive Committee of the Rebekah Assembly. We unanimously agreed to cancel the Joint Session scheduled for September. This has several important implications which I will detail.

Since there will be no Grand Lodge Session we will hold over our slate of officers and remain at our operating budget. To the best of my knowledge, this is the practice of every jurisdiction these days.

I expect the local lodges to follow suit. If there are no meetings there can be no nominations and if there are no nominations there can be no election of officers. Similarly, budgets, expenditures, new business, and the like can not be voted upon by the members. Therefore I recommend you to think of this as the practice most lodges follow during summer recess: allow the elected officers to pay the bills but nothing beyond that.

In addition, the Grand Master's Gala to Honor Appointed Officers, which had been rescheduled from May 30 to August 29, is canceled. Rest assured we will try again in 2021.

Please note well that even though I encourage all lodges to meet via teleconference or video meeting these do not constitute official meetings. Recall that when we meet the world is shut out and we must protect the secret work of our beloved Order. When we meet on Zoom or Skype or any other platform it as if we are meeting on a third party's property and are not guaranteed privacy. Perhaps in the future there will be some sort of accommodation for conducting official business by electronic means but as of now it is forbidden. So please "hold down the fort" and continue to work around these hurdles that we are all facing.

To back this up I cite the Sovereign Grand Lodge Code of General Laws Chapter XXX Section B (1):
 "A social meeting shall not include any Ritual and no formal business shall be conducted. The secretary shall make note of the date, location, and roll call of the members in attendance."

Nevertheless, it is still the duty of financial officers to keep meticulous records of the finances of the lodge and to give a thorough accounting of it to all members when regular lodge meetings resume.

So that's the bad news. The good news is that the spirit of an Odd Fellow is indomitable. We are taught early in our journey we are stronger when we work together. I would say I have faith in every member's ability to overcome these challenges but it is not a belief I have, it is evidence. I have seen time and again us refuse to have our mission waylaid by circumstance. I have every confidence that when we do return we will be as resilient and determined as ever.

It is out of necessity that this communication has so far overemphasized what we presently cannot do. So what can we do? Of course, we must follow our local ordinances; different regions of the New York Jurisdiction are re-opening at different times. With these guides in mind our work can still continue in some form. If members want to "pass the hat" and collect for any mutually agreed­upon worthy cause that would certainly follow the letter of the law and the spirit, too. The drive-by donations of food, money, PPEs and the like are heartening to see. And of course, if many of us are relegated to nothing more than electronic means of communication then let us use it for all that it's worth. Please stay in contact with each other and make plans for the future of Odd Fellowship, but especially make sure to reach out to our elderly and vulnerable members.

It seems at times like this improbable and unfortunate situation is interminable but it is not. This pandemic will end and life will return to largely the way it was. When it does I want to be able to say that the New York Odd Fellows made the sacrifices necessary to ensure our survival and longevity.

I am sure there will be problems, questions, and concerns about this. How could there not be? Therefore I have included my phone number and email address below my signature. If any member at any time wants to express concerns, kick around ideas, or just hi I am available for you.

Sincerely yours in Friendship, Love, and Truth,

Michael Zurell
Grand Master, IOOF Jurisdiction of New York