REPORT OF AREA DEPUTY/DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE CHAIRMAN
The duties of the committee are diverse and include the coordination of the various activities of the Area Deputies and District Representatives. These activities are regularly reported to the Corporate Board. The committee is composed of the AD/DR Coordinator, all Area Deputies, the Chairman of the Board of Custodians, and the Junior Grand Warden.
The Area Deputies and District Representatives serve to support individual Lodges and function as a primary link with Grand Lodge. During the past year, emphasis has been placed on working with Lodges to return to pre-pandemic activity levels. This included six Area Conferences, Schools of Instruction, and re-starting Area Masonic Associations.
The training of District Representatives and Area Deputies is an ongoing process, which takes many forms. Primary among these is the AD/DR Conference, held each February. This year the AD/DR Conference was again held in St Cloud in conjunction with the Junior Wardens Academy, allowing us to meet and interact with upcoming Lodge Leaders. This training was well-received, as in previous years, and will continue to be expanded upon as we plan future events. At this event, the ADs and DRs learn the duties of their office and receive instruction. Topics of current importance are reviewed and discussed. Further, the Area Deputies meet several times each year to track the progress made on the improvement goals we have set. Similarly, each AD meets quarterly with his DRs to discuss lodge issues and potential solutions.
This year, we have continued to focus on our upward and downward communications. We also worked with other Committee Chairs to facilitate getting their respective messages out to the Lodges by utilizing the ADs and DRs. This allows for better communication to the Lodges and provides a more informed DR to assist the Lodge.
We continue to encourage Lodges to reach out to their DRs and ADs for assistance when issues arise. I would like to thank the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Past Grand Masters, Liaison, Area Deputies, and District Representatives for their assistance in making this a successful year.
We wish to thank the following Brothers who have completed many years of service to the Grand Lodge and who are retiring from their positions:
- District Representative Reed Endersbe, District 37
- District Representative Michael Hilgert, District 9
- District Representative Douglas Pamp, District 11
- District Representative Bradley Phelps, District 28
- District Representative Terrance Schaffer, District 19
Respectfully Submitted,
Donald J. Nolley, Chairman