Over
the last few weeks I have been able to provide a lot of answers regarding a few
things that were still up in the air at the lodge. It was nice to be able to
check a few things off the list and get back to what needed to be done to
finish up the year. However, that transition, as many of you know, leads to
more questions than answers. It is a dilemma that all lodges face as the second
half of the year unfolds and one that we do our best to navigate in the final
months of the year.
You
can usually count on participation being rather high as the calendar turns to a
new year which drives attendance and involvement across the board. This inevitably
begins to waiver at the weather warms and comes to a near standstill as we call
off from labor for the summer. Just like returning to work after a long
vacation, it is difficult to get back into the routine and, in this situation,
hard to get the brothers back to participating at the lodge.
In
addition to attendance of the brethren, we also wonder about the current candidates
and the possibility of new petitions. We haven’t seen as many this year but the
hope remains that we will be seeing some fresh forms this fall. Thankfully, we
have a decent process in place for our new candidates and brethren but I can’t
help but think about the ongoing need for petitions that will surely occupy my
mind for the remainder of the year. Hopefully, any new petition and subsequent brother
will be as dedicated and involved as those who have recently been raised.
The
final months are also a time of transition as we will have new officers in the
chairs for the coming year (this is true even in Grand Lodge for the coming
year). While we are well aware of the brother who will be stepping up, there
are always questions that we have regarding style of leadership (I actually
have no concerns with the incoming Worshipful Master), schedule of programs for
the year, and the officers that will be supporting him. Some of us will be
staying on but there is never a guarantee and a lot can change over the next
several months… we have all certainly seen that happen a time or two.
I am
both concerned and excited by these questions and eager to see how the remaining
seasons unfold at the lodge. We are always striving to improve the lodge (with
regard to both membership and the building itself) and I am looking forward to
seeing many of our projects and endeavors come to fruition. There are great
things in store both this year and in the coming years and I am going to do my
best to both support those initiatives and stay the heck out of the way. It
just goes to show that change can be a very good thing.
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