Funding Campaigns

Well, the time has come. While I have tried to avoid this for as long as possible, the time that it takes to maintain this blog and the resources that it requires (and the simple fact that I am running out of free ideas) that I start a fundraising campaign. I have also been asked about donating on a few occasions so this also provides the means for me to now accept those generous offers. Actually, because of the projects that I am working on, I am actually starting two fundraising campaigns through Patreon and Kickstarter respectively.

The Patreon campaign is ongoing and is designed to help with the recurring costs of maintaining this blog and raising the funds to take the blog to the next level. To this point, I have funded all research, travel, equipment, review products, and other expenses to maintain the daily stream of content. Obviously, this has come on a pretty tight budget and has hindered the growth of the blog which currently receives over 2,000 views per month. Patreon allows readers to donate monthly to the blog to support these efforts. Additional details about the campaign as well as incentives and ways the funds will be used can be found at https://www.patreon.com/SeanMT4D.

Understandably, not everyone is able to contribute on a monthly basis and many readers have specifically asked me about one topic in particular… genealogy. With those suggestions in mind I have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $20,000 to really dig deep into my family tree. I admit that it is a lofty goal but it is also one that would allow me to expedite the process. The project is titled “Pruning The Family Tree: Questioning Facts and Fiction” and will result in a book most likely with the same title. Overall, the purpose of this project is not only to find those elusive answers but also to give shape and character to the lives of my ancestors and tell their stories, as eventful or uneventful as they may be, to the world. Additional details about this campaign, how the funds will be used (there is some overlap with the Patreon campaign), as well as the incentives for these onetime donations can be found at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1751333165/pruning-the-family-tree-questioning-facts-and-fict.

If you have the means to contribute I would greatly appreciate your support with one or both of these campaigns. If your finances do not allow for such an expense I completely understand. I never have and never will maintain this blog solely for profit and to change that now would be disingenuous. I appreciate all the support that I received in maintaining this blog and I will continue to provide you with the free content that you have come to expect. Thank you all for your support.

Some Letters

Today was one of those days, like too many others, when I wish I had a transporter like the one in Star Trek (or an improved version of the one in Spaceballs). While I was able to get out of the office a little earlier than my usual departure time, I was still rushing to get through the evening. After all, I had to take a detour to the lodge to make sure the mail was up to date for our stated meeting later in the week.

As we have so much going on and so many different things that are in the works for the remaining months this year, I have had to pay particular attention to the communications situation. Not only are we in the midst of the annual dues influx but there are also the usual monthly invoices, charity requests, and notes of thanks. Adding to all of this are the letters from brethren stating that they would like to hold an elected office next year. Needless to say, the post office box was quite full and required some effort to remove the mail jammed into the confined space.

When I got home, and after my wife and son went to bed, I finally sat down and sorted through the pile of paper that I had retrieved earlier in the evening. There were a couple of checks, a couple of bills, and a nice group of letters mixed in with the junk. I enjoyed reading the letters as a couple of them were thanking the lodge for some generous gifts and support and the others were those from the brethren asking to have their name on the ballot. It is indeed a pleasure reading the kind words of others and it is reassuring to see so many brothers wanting to hold a leadership position in the coming year.

These letters are really what give me hope about the future of the lodge and reassure me that, while we may have had a few issues here and there over the past year, we have the masons and motivation to really make our lodge the best in the district if not the entire commonwealth. And these letters are not just from ambitious young members but also from those who have held elected offices for years as well as those wanting to do so for the first time. It has been a great mix and I am excited to see what comes about in December. Next year should be a great!

Everyone Contributes

Every month I record the donations made to the lodge. The amounts vary but there is a pretty consistent flow coming in through the mail of brothers looking to help boost either the general fund, various projects, or the Change for the Troops program. These are pieces of mail that I am happy to receive and checks that I gladly record in the ledger. And there is an even greater flow of donations going out at the same time. However, while the financial contributions of many are welcomed and greatly appreciated, it is the other donations that truly make a difference.

Over the past year we have received donations of various equipment for the lodge to use. The largest of these contributions was of an entire keyboard and speaker arrangement that we are now using to accompany both the stated and extra meetings. Recently we also received two laptop computers to replace the antiquated tower languishing in the basement office. Not only are they newer models but they are also, obviously, portable allowing us to conduct business throughout the building. We also came into procession last fall of an industrial copier/printer formerly used in a political campaign that has been a tremendous help turning out dozens of copies whenever we have needed them.

However, the greatest donations that we receive is of time and expertise. There have been countless instances during the course of the year when professional council has been received to address both issues that have arisen as well as to move projects along. These brothers have given of both their time and expertise to further the lodge (our kitchen renovation is a perfect example of this generosity). We have also had many brothers contribute their time to help man events, clean out sections of the lodge, hold offices, mentor other masons, and just get things done. Time is an all too precious commodity for many of us and the number of hours that have been donated to the lodge is truly staggering.  

I guess the most important thing that many of us need to remember is that financial contributions are appreciated but donations of time, energy, and expertise are what lodges really need to thrive. It is not only a means of getting things accomplished but it also brings us closer together as a masonic family when we work as one toward our goals. We may not all have the monetary means to support various efforts but we have time and skills that hold much greater value in our fraternity. After all, we all become richer people when we truly value ourselves, one another, and the fraternity.

Sunday Search: Planning For 2020

Five years seems a long way off but if it goes by as fast as the last half decade (and especially the last six months) it won’t be long before we are all, once again, heading down to Virginia for another reunion. Over the last couple of months (yes, it has been that long already) I have been thinking about different things to include the next time around and what I would like to see organized by the next time we get together. Some of these things are general ideas while others are specific items I want to finally check off my list (a number of these things I have been meaning to get done for some time now).

Bear in mind, these are things that I hope to do in order to enhance or build upon the fantastic work that has already been done in previous years. We are a big family and it is similar to herding chickens when it comes to getting us all together. Each reunion, from what I have heard since I have only been to two, has been a great experience for all in attendance and a tremendous success overall. Like putting the pieces together in the family tree, I hope to build upon what has already been done.

So, let’s start with the general, yet specific, things that I hope we are able to arrange. The first big one is a project that I am not spearheading (but I will be happy to assist) which is getting the family tree (all branches) loaded onto a website where all family members will have access and can notify us of any updates. This will also be a great place where documents and pictures can be shared and enjoyed by all. I really hope to see this up and running well before the next reunion.   

Personally, I hope to coordinate tours of some of the towns and places where our family once (and still does in certain instances) lived. This was a great experience when we walked around these places over the summer and I hope to have a larger group next time around. Additionally, I hope to have a listing of the local cemeteries where we can find our cousins, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Hopefully, we can add a few names to this list as well before the next reunion. Lastly, it would be nice to have access to the local records offices so that we can have basically a group research project. It should be a lot fast with each of us searching for pieces and putting them together at the end of the day.

Of course, there are also numerous goals that I hope to reach by the time we meet again. First and foremost are the applications to the Sons of the American Revolution and the Monacan Indian Nation. The former is purely a formality as we have more than enough documentation to satisfy the membership requirements. The latter is proving to be more difficult as specific documents need to be found in order to prove lineage. It is not an impossible task just a tedious one. However, it will all be worth it in the end.

In addition to the above, I hope to secure some donations for the raffle and coordinate what I hope will be some fun activities. As I think about it, Genealogy Jeopardy or Six degrees of family history could be interesting games to play. Pursuing raffle items could be interesting as well given that there are a variety of books that pertain to our family history, memberships and application fees that would be great auction items, as well as prints and other items that would be great to create (although I don’t think we could do better than the quilt that was raffled off this time around).

I am also curious to pursue various possible partnerships. It would be great to partner with a site like ancestry.com to add another dimension to the gathering. I hope to have mutually beneficial things like this coordinated so that we get some great insights into the family research while they (ancestry or some other site/group) have a perfect opportunity for a case study. After all, many of us are on ancestry already and can tell our family story through the leaves on the trees and the items that we have personally uploaded.

In the end, the most important thing for me to do personally is to keep working on the family history. Not just searching for and collecting the facts, documents, and photos but telling the stories of the family on this blog. Who knows, maybe I can pull enough stories together over the next few years to publish a book. The stories are certainly plentiful, it is just a matter of sitting down and recording the family history.

Oh, The Stuff You Find When Packing!

As I have stated before, over the last few weeks I have been busy packing boxes. Whenever I have been home I have either been putting together or stuffing boxes. It really is amazing how much stuff that you can cram into a small apartment… that much is apparent when the closets and book shelves start to empty.

No matter how much I have tried to stay organized I can’t do much more than put general labels on boxes in the hopes that they are put in the right room. There are no specifics mentioned. I guess you could say, given the time of year, that they are mystery presents filled with crap that we have already bought. The good thing is I know that my wife will like what I give her.

However, one of the interesting aspects of this whole process is that after over three years in our current apartment there is stuff that made its way onto a shelf or into a corner that we have long since forgotten about. At least until now. Maybe we didn’t have to buy it when we did.

There are also other things that met the same fate and upon discovering them again it was a “I was wondering where that had gone to” type of feeling or a “I was thinking about picking one of those up”. While this was more common with documents than things it was still an interesting time of discovery even more prominent than when I was simply cleaning.

These documents were things that I was most excited to find. While it wasn’t the same, it was close to the feeling of when I originally found them and put them aside. It was a feeling of rediscovering family and/or memories depending on the piece of ephemera that came to the surface. Maybe this time I can get around to checking that last item off my genealogy wish list.

Just as I would discover these things I would once again relegate them to the spaces out of sight. I would find them, look at them, and put them in a box to be unpacking in our new place and, hopefully, stored in a more efficient manner. While the documents will be going with us there are also items that we just don’t have any use for anymore and will be making their way to either the dumpster or a donation location.

So we will soon be in a new place filled with the same stuff from our previous residences. And, of course, we will be getting more stuff to fill in the extra space. Thankfully we have good reason for the additional accumulation. Baby needs his stuff too!

I Guess I’m Not Welcomed At The Cool Kids Table…

Forgive me for not being as excited as some others about this whole Ice Bucket Challenge thing. I have been a joiner and a follower in my life and it doesn’t really agree with me. I have other charities and causes to which I contribute both my time and, when I am able, a little money now and again. While ALS is a great cause which to donate, I have others which are where my passion lies and that are much more personal to me… that is where I chose to focus my efforts.   

With that said, I have to give credit to the person that started this campaign/fad. At this moment, I can’t recall a nonprofit having such a huge social media campaign that has crossed so many cultural, economic, and international lines. It’s the kind of marketing/fund raising campaign that makes you just marvel at the speed and efficiency of how fast this has spread. And while there is tremendous purpose and a great cause behind these videos, pictures, posts and the campaign in general, there is a bit of a downside to such success.

While this has raised awareness for ALS which is a great thing to have happened and probably the primary purpose behind this campaign’s creation, the campaign itself seems to be overshadowing the cause. It is no longer about how much money has been raised for ALS or really any education about the disease, it is all about seeing someone pour ice cold water on their head. It is slowly descending into the realm of an entertaining fad that people insist on being a part of… it is membership to the cool kids table.

I consider myself a bit indifferent at this point slightly leaning toward tired of seeing all the nonsense on the internet. While I don’t hold the same view of this campaign as one of my friends, I think it is important to share the views from the other side:

 

While there is a lot said in this screen shot, the comment he made following this post adds the color that as apropos to this discussion:

“And please don't take this the wrong way. I'm happy that these "games" seem to work and perhaps in some cases lots of people are helped, provided more than 5% of donations actually go to people in need and not administration. I might get ALS tomorrow, who knows! It's just that anything that is overdone tends to turn me off. I know it raises awareness. Just consider it a quirk in me or even a character flaw; I just can't help it; it's the way I am.”

Don’t get me wrong. I am by no means against supporting this or any other charitable cause I just wish that people knew what they were donating to and truly raising awareness about the disease. It really makes me wonder whether these kinds of campaigns, in the end, do more harm than good for the cause. In the coming years will this cause be considered ‘so last year’ among the celebrities and their followers? I honestly can’t give you a definitive answer to that. I hope not but it is not out of the realm of possibility.

However, if there is one message that I hope that everyone takes away from this social media one up game is that if you have a charity or cause you are passionate about take the time to not just donate but put some effort into supporting the cause and the work that they do. Don’t just post an over the top video, channel that effort into supporting a cause close to you. That is how we can make a greater difference above and beyond a clever social media marketing campaign.

Perfect Weather For An Open House

Yes, I know, this is an old stock photo. I keep forgetting to take a picture.

Friday night, just like I did on Thursday evening, I headed over to the lodge as soon as my work day came to an end. It was a much more relaxed drive as I didn’t feel as though I had to rush to make before any given time. Despite our big clean out having yet to happen, it was Open House time when we swung the doors open, put and Alex’s Lemonade Stand on the corner, and chatted with every person with whom we crossed paths. This is the first time that I have done this with the lodge and it was a great experience socializing with the brethren and those from the community, greeting new petitioners, and generally getting to know each person a little bit better.

Of course, during the slow moments during the night I was able to get a few things done and discuss a few potential projects with the Worshipful Master. Might as well, we had the time and it saved us from having to circle up over the weekend. Every now and again, a few new faces would round the corner with a few old faces sporadically walking up the front steps as well. We gave a few tours, accommodating everyone that asked to see the building, and made sure to promote the two businesses in the basement owned by brothers from the lodge.

Up on the corner where better foot traffic prevailed, a few other brothers (of various experience and degrees) ran an Alex’s Lemonade Stand. While the weather was beautiful with calm and cool temperatures and a bright blue sky slowly fading to star speckled black, there wasn’t much of a crowd out on the streets of Ardmore that night. Maybe we were too early, maybe we were too late, maybe the fact that it was the last day of school had something to do with it. Regardless of the crowd, or lack thereof, it was a great night for us all to get out, open the lodge up, and bond as brothers.   
Of course, the night would have been a little nicer had we raised more than $200 selling lemonade. However, we do have the opportunity to rewrite memory. Our generosity does not have to be confined to one evening selling lemonade along Lancaster Avenue as there are still a couple of ways that we can contribute to the cause. You can visit the lodge’s Alex’s Lemonade Stand event webpage and contribute by clicking the donate button near the top right of the page. The other option available for those who would like to contribute is to text “Lemonade E1113739” to 85944 (this will be recorded as a $10 charge and will be listed on your bill from your wireless carrier). Obviously, please feel free to share this information with any friends or family that would like to donate.

So, that was my exciting Friday night at the lodge. While it was slow this first time around I am sure that we will improve upon this experience in the fall when we will, once again, open up the lodge doors and welcome you all to the lodge. I hope to see you this fall!

Mail Day

It’s amazing how fast the mail can build up in the mailbox. Between junk mail, bills, and donation solicitations addressed to someone who has never lived in our apartment it makes you wonder how much money is being wasted everyday by some of these people, companies, and organizations. I’m also surprised at how much can be crammed into our little piece of real estate in the mail room.

The real problem with so much mail is not necessarily the volume, it’s the fact that I no longer look forward to the mail. Remember when you were a kid when it was something special to get a letter in the mail. It didn’t have to be anything particularly special it was just the fact that someone sent something to you because after all at that age you are the center of the universe. It was a time when you felt like you were getting your very own speedy delivery.

But now it is just a mass of wasted paper and pleas for money that I am not willing to hand out even if I had the money to give away. There is the occasional card or letter but that is quickly disappearing and morphing into the empty void that is email. Don’t get me wrong, I like email and I use it constantly throughout my day but sometimes you just need to take the time, sit at a desk, and pull out a pen. There is still something to be said for a signature on a white page.

I miss receiving letters from people. I miss having enough space on my desk to write letters to people. I have always enjoyed the act of writing. Not just the formation of thoughts on a page but the fine motor skills involved in the swift flowing motion of a fountain pen as you watch the lines slowly morph into letters, then words, and finally sentences until the thoughts are fully formed and the ideas are bouncing around the margins. Think about it, when is the last time you wrote a letter?

I like seeing the personality in the handwriting. This is something that is completely lost in the quick glance of a perfectly spaced email. And, in some instances, tone can be lost between the ink on the page and the words on the screen. It’s almost like an automatic cooling of the sentiment occurs as soon as technology is put into play.

I guess this is a long way of saying that I like getting a lot of mail as long as there is a personal touch to the correspondences I receive. Maybe the best way to start doing that would be to stop typing so much in my free time, break out the fountain pen, and stain the good paper currently being segregated in the closet. Who knows, maybe some of you will be getting a letter soon and some of you may even read it before shredding.