Report of the Regional Deputy General Grand Master – Northeast
By William “Sandy” Karstens, RDDGM
To the General Grand Master, General Grand Officers & Companions of the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International:
I have held monthly virtual meetings with the ambassadors of my region to get general updates. Until recently, this mostly entailed review and discussion of the latest COVID restrictions and how each State was able to meet, either in-person or virtually. When not meeting in-person, various educational sessions have taken place to keep the companions active. These meetings have been a great way to stay in touch.
So far, I have attended the virtual Annual sessions for RI, NJ, NY (Chapter), NH, CT. I also attended the follow-up in-person banquet for NH on July 31. I will also be attending the NY Annual which is coming up mid-August. Looking forward to this as my first in-person annual session.
During the past several months I have spent time with my counterparts in Chapter (Dave Schuler) and Commandery (John Barnes) in planning the Northeast Conference in September. This will take place at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY, where it has taken place for several years before the pandemic. Though adhering to a similar schedule, we are interested in making this session a little different in style; hopefully more interactive. It will be a challenge as we are all returning from relative isolation.
Wrote up a summary Power Point to help with CMMRF presentations.