The 5th Regular Convent of the Grand Lodge of Serbia was scheduled for July 5th 2020 in Prijepolje, together with the traditional Freemasonic Picnic to Kamena Gora.
The program of the three-day stay of the Brothers with the families was very promising, and the response of the Brothers was impressive. As in previous years, sleeping was organized in the dormitory of the Mileševa monastery, and a rich homemade meal was organized in the Hunting House on Kamena Gora. It was supposed to be an opportunity for Brothers to show guests from abroad the beauties of nature and cultural monuments that we are proud of.
However, the situation caused by the pandemic of the COVID-19 virus and the measures taken by the Government of Serbia and the Crisis Staff caused the postponement of the Fifth Regular Convent of the Grand Lodge of Serbia for an indefinite period.
Given that the epidemiological situation in Serbia has significantly improved and that the measures have been eased, the 5th Regular Convent of the Grand Lodge of Serbia was held on September 27th 2020 in the Temple of the Grand Lodge of Serbia. In order to comply with the prescribed measures limiting the number of people present at meetings, this Convent was a Delegate Convent, i.e. in addition to the Delegate Brothers of Honorable Federal Lodges, only the Brothers of the Honorable Officers of Federal Lodges and the Officers of the Grand Council of the Grand Lodge of Serbia attended the Convent. It remains a great regret that the other Brothers from the Grand Lodge of Serbia could not attend the Convent, and we especially missed the Brothers from the Fraternal Obediences from Serbia and the Brothers from the Fraternal Obediences from Hungary, Austria, Romania, Montenegro, France, India, Italy and Slovenia.
Brother Delegates of Honorable Federal Lodges, respecting the conclusions of the Honorable Lodges they represent, first unanimously adopted the Architectural Table from the previous Convent of the Grand Lodge of Serbia, adopted the Agenda and Rules of Procedure of the 5th Regular Convent and accepted the Annual Report of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Serbia. Decisions that are within the competence of the Convent, and it was necessary for the Grand Chamber to make them between two Convent sessions, were confirmed unanimously.
It was difficult to make the Decision to put one Honorable Lodge to sleep, but it was necessary due to the many years of inactivity of the Brethren from its ranks and the complete absence of appropriate communication with the Grand Council and other Honorable Lodges.
The next Decision that the Brother Delegates had on the Agenda was much easier to accept and adopt, and that was the Decision on joining the Honorable Lodge “Phoenix” and placing it under the protection of the Grand Lodge of Serbia. Previously, the Honorable Lodge “Phoenix” was under the protection of the Supreme Council of Serbia, which, after inspecting the registers of the Brothers and through visits to their Ritual Works, concluded that it could recommend the Grand Lodge of Serbia to adopt the Request of the Honorable Lodge “Phoenix” and to accept it into its ranks as a full member.
The Joining Ritual of the Honorable Lodge “Phoenix” was conducted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master, and the Worshipful Master of the Honorable Lodge “Phoenix” took the solemn oath in his own name and in the name of his Brethren. After the warm words of welcome from Brother the Great Orator, this solemn moment was marked by a cheering battery and the Scottish exclamation “Liberty – Equality – Fraternity”.
At the end of this wonderful ceremony, the Most Worshipful Grand Master declared the Works in the winter semester 2020/21 open and determined the semester password that was passed from ear to ear in the Fraternal Chain.