Preserving CRYPTIC Masonry for Future Generations
The Warren Caruss Endowment Fund
A lasting legacy of generosity, ensuring that the teachings and traditions of Ancient Craft Masonry endure for the Companions who come after us.
About the Fund
The Warren Karis Endowment Fund was established in honor of Most Illustrious Warren Karis, a devoted Companion and tireless servant of the Cryptic Rite in Michigan. His decades of dedication to the Grand Council Royal and Select Masons inspired the Grand Council to rename their permanent endowment to carry his legacy forward.
The fund supports the preservation and promotion of Cryptic Masonry across Michigan — funding educational programs, supporting struggling Councils, providing resources for degree work, and ensuring that the degrees of the Royal Master, Select Master, and Super Excellent Master continue to be conferred with the dignity and care they deserve.
Through the generosity of Companions past and present, the Warren Karis Endowment Fund has grown into a meaningful resource for the Grand Council and its constituent Councils throughout the state. We are taught, in the Cryptic degrees, the great lengths our three Grand Masters took to preserve the mysteries of our craft for future generations. The Grand Council Endowment is your opportunity to emulate their example.
Councils Supported
of Continuous Service
Generations Served
How the Fund Preserves Masonry
Educational Programs
The fund supports Masonic education initiatives — workshops, degree schools, and instructional materials that help Companions understand the full depth of the Cryptic degrees.
Council Support
Smaller Councils facing financial hardship can receive assistance from the fund, ensuring that no Council is forced to close its doors due to economic pressures alone.
Degree Preservation
Funding helps Councils maintain the regalia, ritual materials, and ceremonial equipment needed to confer the degrees with the reverence and accuracy they deserve.
Youth and New Member Outreach
The fund supports efforts to introduce younger Masons to the Cryptic degrees, ensuring a pipeline of engaged Companions who will carry the work forward.
Grand Council Operations
A portion of the fund supports the administrative and operational needs of the Grand Council, enabling it to serve its constituent Councils effectively across Michigan.
Legacy Scholarships
The fund provides scholarships and awards recognizing Companions who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the Cryptic Rite and its teachings.
Contribute to the Fund
Every contribution to the Warren Karis Endowment Fund — large or small — helps ensure that the degrees of the Cryptic Council will be available to Michigan Masons for generations to come. To make a contribution or learn more about planned giving opportunities, please contact the Grand Council office.