Message from our Grand Master MW Bro Graham Wrigley

Masonic spirit to the fore

Welcome to this newsletter, Brethren.  I hope you are all coping with this enforced isolation as well as possible, looking after yourselves and others, and staying safe in your bubble.

I can’t stress enough how important it is that we all do as instructed by Government, especially our elderly and more vulnerable Brethren and their families.

I’m pleased to report that Freemasons NZ appears to be weathering this Covid-19 storm reasonably well.

Reports I am getting from around the country from our Divisional and District Grand Masters indicate that Brethren are doing their best to adapt to this ‘new normal’, and lodges, for the most part, are doing their best to continue to operate, albeit in a virtual environment.

Well done!  If ever an event has impacted so heavily on our organisation – and our country – it’s been this pandemic, and the fact that our Brethren have responded so positively and collegially to what could well have been a death knell for our organisation makes me extremely proud and hopeful for the future of our Craft.

I know that virtual Masonic gatherings are taking place regularly and I know that Brethren are doing their best to support and connect with each other in this time of need and doing what they can to help others outside of their immediate circle.

Obviously, this is very much in keeping with the spirit of Freemasonry and its very pleasing to see that spirit come to the fore when it is needed most.

I’m sure I’m speaking on behalf of everyone when I express the fervent hope that the lockdown will be over sooner rather than later and that we can return to something approaching normality.

I’m also sure that, after this period of enforced isolation, Brethren will be only too keen to reconnect in person so I’m expecting lodge meetings to be very popular when we can again gather face to face.

And while we have to keep our eyes firmly on the present situation and how we deal with it, Freemasons NZ must also look to the future and assess how we transition safely out of lockdown and resume lodge meetings.

I was going to use the phrase ‘business as usual’, but that would imply we aren’t trying to learn any and all the lessons we can as an organisation this from Covid-19 crisis.

As I said in a recent video to you all, while this pandemic has forced some drastic measure on us all, it has also forced National Office to do some serious thinking about how we operate as an organisation.

There are some silver linings for us – the  trick is how do we capitalise on them to make Freemasonry in New Zealand stronger and more resilient.

Our Executive Director Mark Cassidy touches on those issues in this newsletter.