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Montana DeMolay Amid Covid
Aarron Lakko, State Master Councilor

We all now know how hard it is to keep large they joined us, brotherhood. Our chapters are also
groups and organizations afloat during times like working with the state to help design new, virtual,
these. From trying to keep all your members engaged, activities too. During this time, it is imperative that
and new recruitment programs to fundraising and we stay together while we are far apart. In order to
meetings, staying active during this pandemic has accomplish this goal, we have had continual contact
been nearly impossible. It seems that we must find with our chapters as well as giving them as many
new ways to keep our organizations active or stand tools as we can in order to help them to succeed.
by as they crumble. This is how Montana DeMolay
is adapting to overcome this new hurdle. At the end of the day, it is always about the members
that we have. It is about touching the soul of every
Montana DeMolay has focused almost solely on person that we can in order to better their lives. This
the retention of our members. We have realized can only be done while we are strong and have the
that trying to actively recruit new members is not ability to do so. That is why we cannot sit around
the right thing to do during the situation we have and let our organizations be during this time; we
now found ourselves in. Our conclusion is that the must take action and put our own effort into our
most important thing that needs our focus now is organizations. We must stay strong in these times so
our members. Our members are also suffering that we can help others in the times to come. These
during this time, just as our organizations are. We are the ways that Montana DeMolay is staying strong
must understand that in order to help others after so that we can help more and more boys after this
this blows over, we need to help our members first. mess rather than picking up the pieces.
One cannot pull the boat with a chain that is missing
links.

In order to keep regular chapter communications,
the state and her chapters have begun to use an
application called Zoom. Zoom is a free application
that allows face-to-face conference calls, almost
like Skype. We have been able to use this app to
enable our chapters to conduct informal meetings
and plan new events. The state is also using Zoom
for communication purposes both within itself and
between our chapters. Colleges and high schools
around the state are also using Zoom at this time
in order to teach their students. We have found this
application to be of the greatest benefit. There are
other applications like this, such as Cisco WebEx,
TeamViewer, and Google Hangouts. We strongly
suggest using this type of software in order to
conduct meetings and keep on top of the happenings
throughout the state.

In order to keep our chapters active throughout
the state, the state is doing online statewide activities
such as scavenger hunts and online trivia. These
activities allow the state to assess the condition
of our chapters as well as enable them to virtually
visit other chapters and help them to continue to
build their relationships. We, the state, feel that it
is essential to keep our chapters communicating
with each other in order to continue to offer to
our members exactly what we offered them when
Montana Freemason Page 15 April/May 2020 Volume 96 No.3