Supreme Tall Cedar Meaasge

Date: May 25, 2020

Subject: Resumption of Forest Activities
From: The Supreme Tall Cedar

I hope all is well with each of you and your families.  Unfortunately, the COVID-19 disease has not been kind to all of us.  Please pray for peace and comfort for our members whose loved ones succumbed to this disease.  Also pray for our fellow Cedars and/or family members who continue to recovery from the disease.

As the country starts to recover and begins the process of restarting activities, we also are beginning to plan for the resumption of Forest activities.  Various areas of the country dealt with the pandemic in different ways, and the return of business activities and of social gatherings is also being directed in different ways.  I recognize that what is a proper approach in one area of the country may not be appropriate for fellow Cedars in another area.

We, as Cedars, recognize that three types of authorities that are giving us advice, guidance, and rules to follow, and that all impact the Supreme Forest and our individual Forests.  
Thus, I have decided to issue the following guideline:
The decision to hold a Cedar event remains up to the individual constituent Forest, with the following conditions:

• First, and foremost, we must continue to follow the advice of the various health authorities to stop the spread of the virus and to avoid its consequences.   We must also follow all governmental regulations.  The event must be legal and allowable under any local, state, and/or federal restrictions put in place to control the spread of the virus and the related disease.  If meetings are limited to a certain number of persons and your Forest meetings usually exceed that number, you may not yet meet.  Or if your Forest is usually under the limit, but normally meets in a restaurant and this type of business is closed or limited, you have few options at this time – don’t meet or find another location.
• Lastly, the event must be acceptable within the restrictions announced by the Grand Master of the Jurisdiction under which the Forest operates.  The use of lodge facilities must follow the edits of the Grand Master of that state.

I ask the officers of each constituent Forest to ensure that their future plans are consistent with the guidelines of the Grand Master of your jurisdiction as well as within the health and governmental guidelines for the size of gatherings within your state.

Your health and safety continue to be very important to us and remain the primary factor when deciding when and how to resume Forest activities.  Hopefully our members will again be comfortable in attending Cedar events in the future.  Ultimately the decision to attend an event is an individual decision, based on his understanding of the situation.  Thus, we should only plan on meeting or holding social events when we and our fellow members feel safe and secure when gathering for fun, frolic, and fellowship.

 
 
William W Martz
STC

Fellow Cedars,

Based on the continuing health crisis that we face as a nation, and the concerns that I and the officers of the Tall Cedars have for the safety of our members, I have decided to postpone the 2020 Annual Meeting and Convention that was to be held in Wildwood, NJ the second weekend in May. The executive committee and the Board of Directors have agreed with this decision.

The executive board and I became aware of additional facts that were not known during our Board meeting last Saturday.

The rate of infection of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to increase and health officials are now predicting a longer period of unsafe conditions.

New Jersey has now limited the size of groups meeting in public to 10 for the foreseeable future.

We also became aware that the cancellation period for reservations at the Adventurer hotel is 30 days for individuals, but 7 weeks for groups.

Based on the discussions at the Board meeting Saturday, after additional discussions with the executive committee, and per Article II - Annual Meeting, Section C, "... the time and place of the annual meeting shall be set by the Supreme Tall Cedar with advice and consent of the board of directors," I have made this difficult decision.

Let me be clear - this is a postponement, not a cancellation, per the By-Laws.

Once the national health crisis becomes more manageable, PSTC Bud Willard, Convention Chairman, will work with the Wildwood Convention Center and the Wildwood Hotel Association to arrange alternative dates. If Wildwood cannot accommodate the Tall Cedars we will then look for other places.

All members will have timely notice, in writing, when future plans have been finalized.

Please spread the word to those members who may not have email services.

If you have made hotel reservations, please call and cancel them as soon as possible.

God bless with hopes for continuing safety and health to all.

Sincerely and Fraternally

William Martz, STC