Final Preparations

We are now in the final couple of days, hours really, before the final stated meeting of the year and, as always, there are a few things that I am scrambling to get done before tomorrow night. Mostly this consists of printing out a fresh pile of paperwork, doing some final revisions to the minutes, and making sure all the bills are organized and included in my monthly spreadsheet. It isn’t a time of trying to figure out what to do but rather a period of setting aside the time to do the things that need to be done every month.

Of course, there are always one or two new items every month and the preparations for this meeting are certainly no exception. With elections and installations taking place tomorrow night, I have to make sure that I have all of the corresponding paperwork and lists readily available. There are also a few extra meetings that I have to have on the side throughout the night that require some additional time and planning. And, finally, I need to make sure that the annual donation totals are ready to be calculated and the attendance numbers updated.

However, what might be the most important thing that I have to do personally is to prepare for another year in office. While I took my oath two years ago expecting to stay on as Secretary for a number of years, there never really is certainty when holding elected office. It has been a learning experience to say the least and while I have been far from perfect (really really far), so far the brethren have been supportive of the work that I have done at the lodge and knowing that I have their support is really what keeps me going.

I am also getting ready to hit the reset button after this meeting. Not because I want to forget anything or ignore what has happened but as a means to move forward without either thinking about any past issues of relying on the successes of the previous year. It is a new year with a new slate of officers. While many things remain the same, the masonic years must remain independent from one another for just that reason. What happened in the past, good and/or bad, should remain there. What we learned from those experiences, what to do and what not to do, are the only things that should impact the present and be part of the future.