Climbing The Desktop Mountain

It seems like the last meeting was only yesterday and as the time has continued to fly by, the projects have continued to pile high. The last couple of months have been trying in more ways than one and as the district visitation and numerous other deadlines approach, I am continuing to struggle to get things done. But sometimes this is what we have to do as the Secretary of the lodge… we have to prioritize the various wants of the lodge, complete the needs, and slowly start working down the list.

Unfortunately, there are more projects that need to get done now than at any other point during the year and so the hours of communication, processing, sorting, and filling out forms has been a bit more arduous than usual. It hasn’t helped that I have also been absent from the lodge for many of the meetings and other gatherings as well but, again, that is part of the personal prioritization that we must all find for ourselves. But it has been tough trying to balance everything.

It has not just been the many new things that have come up since the beginning of the year. There have also been a number of items that have carried over from 2015 and, undoubtedly, many things from the previous year that have had a significant impact on our ability to check things off the list over the past few months. And for each of those items it has been a constant stream of emails, phone calls, and conversations at the lodge. Those are the moments when I would like to have an answer for the brothers asking the questions but I have nothing to offer or very little to report. Some things, whether I like it or not, are simply out of my hands.

However, there are a few things that seem to be coming together albeit a little later in the year than we had planned. I can see the peak of the pile and soon hope to be gliding down the slope into the summer. Of course, that will also be the time when all the projects that have been moved to the bottom of the list should be competed so that maybe, just maybe, we can head into the fall and the final four stated meetings of the year with a clean slate… at least of the myriad of things on my desk. But, right now, I just have to make it through the next few months.

Monthly Delays

I think it got stuck!

There is always a little carry over at the lodge from the previous year. Sometimes it is as simple as some events that have postponed or votes that have been delayed from the previous leadership. Of course, there are those other moments when a complete review is need of everything that transpired over the previous twelve months. That is the situation that I find myself in now but, thankfully, this is also why I make sure to keep overly detailed notes and basically records of anything that crossed my desk.

While the last stated meeting went smoothly and we closed the lodge at a completely reasonable time, the conversations that took place after the meeting came to an end filled the remainder of the night. Long after all the other brethren departed and were on their way home, a few of us slowly made our way down the stairs, shut off the lights, and headed out to our cars. Just one of those nights that happens every once in a while.

And that is where the work only really just begins. Now is the time when a couple of us have to make the calls, send the emails, and twist some arms to get all the information that we need to ensure that our records of the previous year are complete. There isn’t really an issue it is simply a matter of collection… there are many things that just need to be brought back to the lodge and filed. Heck, there are some records that I keep at home because it is more convenient given the times when I am able to get work done between meetings.

This was just one part of the delay for the evening. The other part comes down to the fact that I enjoy discussing ideas and plans with the brothers from the lodge. More often than not, this is what adds that extra 20-30 minutes to the end of the evening. While it has been less prevalent lately with the schedule that I need to maintain, it still happens every once in a while and can actually be a quite productive part of the night. These walking brainstorm sessions in the parking lot have produced numerous viable and useful plans and projects during the year.

Sometimes I kind of wish that the work would stop when I leave the lodge or at least get into my car but, at the same time, I enjoy the moments here and there outside of the lodge when progress is made or ideas are turned into reality. However, on the other side of this are the moments when I have to hunt down brothers through every means of communication available to take care of things that should have been wrapped up by the time we replaced the calendar on the wall. Either way, the work never ends at the doors of the lodge and, overall, I am okay with that… for now.