Brothers, Officers, Trustees, & Committee Members:
I'm writing today to inform you of the decision to allow York to remain Dark for the summer months and to, hopefully, reconvene on the Third Monday of September (21 September 2020).
This is not a decision I made lightly, as I genuinely hoped that we would be able to meet and share in our Fraternal Bonds. Unfortunately, despite waiting as long as practical, in light of current circumstances, conditions have not improved and this is the only decision I can, in good conscience, make.
The City of Columbus, other municipalities in the County, and finally Franklin County have issued a mask ordinance in the past weeks. Franklin County remains as one of the most impacted counties in Ohio. The State has rolled out
a new system for determining risk, and Franklin County teeters on the edge of the most severe classification, which carries strong recommendations for limiting travel to essential activities only.
In listening to Governor DeWine on Wednesday, I was struck by his words and they solidified my decision: "Ask yourself this: Will the family reunion be worth it if your grandmother tests positive and dies? Will the neighborhood cookout be worth it if your neighbor ends up alone, on a ventilator, in ICU? Will the play date be worth it, if the kids can't go back to school in the fall? ... Ohioans have always been willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow. I'm asking you to take action now - to sacrifice now - so kids can be in school this fall and have a chance to play sports. So businesses can stay open. So Ohioans can continue earning a living."
We are not alone in choosing to take action. The 14th Masonic District is cancelling events, including the Annual Picnic. The Scottish Rite is cancelling events, including the popular Steaks & Stogies Fellowship evening. Even the perennial favorite ~ the Circleville Pumpkin Festival has announced its cancellation. Professional sports, concerts, tours, festivals, and arts events have been thrown into turmoil, and one after another announcing a cancellation and hope to reconvene in 2021. On a personal level, many of us have foregone planned vacations and outings; have not seen members of our families or our friends in weeks, or sometimes, months; many of use are working from home, if not furloughed or laid off; in the interest of protecting our fellow Citizens and families...
I will be working with our Lodge Education Officer and Fellowship Committee to continue to find virtual Educational and Fellowship events for us to enjoy together as we move through these times together, separately.
In the meanwhile, while most of our expenses are budgeted and accounted for, Worshipful Brothers Treasurer and Secretary are authorized to handle any necessary expenses that come up while dark. Additionally, the scholarship checks have been cut and mailed, hopefully to offer some relief to our worthy applicants as we support their educational pursuits.
I wish you well, wish that you and yours remain in good health, and encourage you to find ways to share in Fraternal Fellowship with our Brothers.
Brother Josh D. Vittie,
WM York 563
organization in the World. Founded in London, England in 1717, its current worldwide membership totals 3.6 million members, 1.6 million of which are in North America. With 87,000 Masons and close to 500 local Lodges, Ohio has one of the largest Masonic memberships of any state in the country.