Report of the General Grand Sentinel
Submitted by John A. Bridegroom, General Grand Sentinel
General Grand Sentinel
Most Puissant General Grand Master,
Thank you for the opportunity to serve the General Grand Council during the 2017-2020 Triennium. It has been a very rewarding experience, and to have taken a small part in the advancement of the Cryptic Rite and the wonderful work that the General Grand Council is doing has been a privilege I will long remember.
During the course of the Triennium, I had the opportunity to represent the General Grand Council on your behalf at the Grand Conclaves of both Michigan and Indiana. I enjoyed serving in my position while I travelled to many national meetings, such as the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, The Royal Order of Scotland, and the many orders that meet at Masonic Week in Crystal City Virginia. I also attended the Grand Conclaves of Ohio and Missouri as well and have tried my best to be a strong representative of the General Grand Council wherever I travelled. In addition, I had the pleasure of working with the General Grand Recorder to make great strides in the online presentation of the General Grand Council, working on both the Weekly Decryption as well as the General Grand Council website. We worked hard to revise and improve the General Grand Council Ritual, improving the graphics and diagrams also. We designed and created the Veterans Medal, the First Responders Jewel, and improved the certificates for the Cryptic Mason of the Year, the Youth Leadership Award and the Order of the Secret Vault.
While the tasks were numerous, it was always enjoyable, and that is a testament to the leadership team and their ability to encourage and inspire those laboring in the quarries. I wish to personally thank Stephen Balke, General Grand Recorder, for keeping me involved and being a joy to work with. I would like to also thank William Snyder, General Grand Principle Conductor of the Work, for being incredibly supportive and working so hard to bring the value and importance of the Cryptic Rite into the forefront of Freemasonry.
It has been an honor to serve as the General Grand Sentinel, thank you for your trust in me and for bringing me along this wonderful journey.
Respectfully submitted,
John A. Bridegroom, PMIGM, OSV
Right Puissant General Grand Sentinel