On behalf of the Grand Master Paul D. Underwood please see the revised orders regarding cancellation of Masonic Events in Excess of Ten Persons.
On Monday, the President announced at a news conference that the recommendation of the public health authorities concerning the number of people attending meetings had changed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, and numerous state and local public health agencies have changed their recommendations that no more than fifty people congregate for meetings and events, to no more than ten.
Based on these new recommendations, my order of March 16 in which I stated that “it is my order that all gatherings of Texas Masons which are anticipated to exceed fifty in number, including the scheduled Grand Master’s Conferences, are hereby canceled” is hereby amended to read as follows:
In accordance with the foregoing recommendation of the CDC, it is my order that all gatherings of Texas Masons which are anticipated to exceed ten (10) in number, including the scheduled Grand Master’s Conferences, are hereby canceled.
As I have stated since the outset of this national emergency, the health and safety of the public at large and that of the Masons of Texas require that my actions as Grand Master be based on the recommendations of public officials charged with the responsibility for dealing with this crisis. Those recommendations will continue to change based on the available medical information and events. To reflect these changing recommendations, my actions as Grand Master and those of the Grand Lodge of Texas will remain dynamic. Please follow the recommendations and orders of national and local officials regarding proper safety precautions during this national health crisis and join with me in invoking the aid of the Great Architect in providing wisdom and guidance to them as they combat the scourge of COVID-19.
Paul D. Underwood
Grand Master – 2020