No, Really, This Is Something Completely Different…

Last year the notices that I put together for the lodge were pretty light. There wasn’t much information that needed to be relayed each month and there were even times when I had to find content to fill some of the empty space left after all updates were included. This month that was definitely not the case and given what is on the horizon, I don’t expect to have any ‘light’ notices this year.

In addition to two petitioners being listed (the first in quite some time), the passing of a brother, and the full calendar of events to begin the year there was also a portion of the notice dedicated to the raising of our dues. This is a democracy and everyone has a vote so everyone needs to be informed before the meeting. This was all before I put in the Worshipful Master’s brief message and I wrote my rather long letter to the brethren.

It took some work to make everything fit together but, in the end, the notice was completed and put in the mail last night along with a few dues cards for some brothers who sent in late checks. But while I write this and thing about all that has to be done and the event that have happened and that will be happening at the lodge, I am also reflecting on the day itself. Today is one of reflection for a couple of reasons for me.

Today is actually International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Honestly, it had slipped my mind until I looked at the calendar this morning. However, I think I knew that this was the day as I am finally returning to the work that I created years ago. It is something that I dread reading but also take pride in its completion. Similar feelings that simmer in me on this day. Today is one when we not only remember in sorrow the lives lost but we also should rejoice in the simple fact that we survived. And while the world is far from perfect, we are a part of it and we are thriving in today’s society as a people.

And that joy is only matched by the fact that I am able to look back in my own life and celebrate that singular moment of surprise when I proposed to my wife on this day in 2007. While the store may no longer be there, the images and memories that we have will always remain vivid and the evening, having picked up my grandmother from the house and taken her to dinner to celebrate, is a great moment that makes me smile every time… especially when I recall telling my grandmother that she wasn’t allowed to kick until after the wedding (which was two and a half years from that day). Her smile in response is just one of many smiles that I will always remember.

Chasing Down Dues

Since the last time I was at the lodge, stemming from a conversation I had with one of the brothers, I pulled together a list of those brothers who have yet to pay their dues for the current year. I divided the disappointing list between myself and a few other brothers, all of whom are past Masters, with the hope that we could all reach out to those brothers specified for each of us and make sure that our fellow masons can avoid being suspended. Well, I can’t speak for anyone else but I started reaching out to the members of the lodge that I selected for myself beginning with those whom I am most familiar.

And it didn’t take long before I spoke with a brother who has had a bit of a rough time as of late. Unfortunately, I had lost touch with him over the past year but took it upon myself to reconnect with him via Facebook. While doing so I had the odd feeling that something must have happened since it had been a while since I had seen him at lodge. While he was clearly being too hard on himself, I continued to insist that he is welcomed at the lodge at any time and that we are here, I am here, should he need any assistance. After all, we are brothers.

Thankfully, after a lengthy conversation we agreed to see one another again at the lodge soon. And, despite my justified offer to remit his dues, he insisted on paying is own way. I give him credit, he had a few very trying moments in his life lately but he managed to push through them and hopefully we can bring him full circle and continue to make this good man even better.

Other discussions never even got off the ground as there have already been a few unsuccessful attempts to reach various brothers. For some their lack of dues seems to be a simple oversight while, for others, there may be a little bit of abuse of the system at play. I can’t say for certain unless I speak with them directly but their track records in the database don’t quite match up with someone facing a recent hardship. But, again, part of being a good mason is giving your brother the benefit of the doubt so I will have to wait and see.

In the end, we are a small lodge with unreasonably moderate dues so when brothers don’t pay it does hurt. It won’t make or break us but it would give us some additional breathing room in the coming year should everyone pay their own way. Heck, they should take note of my interaction above… I was ready to remit his dues on the spot but he wanted to put forth the effort and the finances to pay for himself. I tip my hat to you sir and look forward to meeting again at the lodge in the near future.

New Year, New Life

It is always interesting spending time at the lodge for the first time in a new year. The turn from one meeting in the previous year to the next is something that can’t really be explained but there seems to be a new life that is breathed into the lodge as the page turns on the calendar. I guess it is something about working for the better part of a year to put a plan together and now that the time has come we are finally able to put it into action. And it is also a time to catch up on some of the things that I have missed over the last couple of months.

Last night in particular, I spent much of the night jumping from conversation to conversation either trying to figure out the next steps on a project already started or looking for some way to get things off the ground. The lodge office, the contents of which was moved last month, is something that we still have to figure out and it is pretty astounding how much stuff was in that space which was now staring me in the face. Needless to say, the pile in the upstairs room was bigger than I expected.

Seeing this mountain of masonic ephemera and memorabilia, I immediately started trying to figure out a way to configure the room. What did we need to keep? What could we possibly get rid of? Was there a way to have the space serve multiple functions? Was there enough room in the closet for storage? These were just some of the questions that initially came to mind which became more detailed as I explored more options and more closely assessed what we had to work with. There is tremendous potential that I am excited to see realized in the coming months.

Toward the end of the evening it was time to try and get another project off the ground… raising dues. Obviously a topic that isn’t really going to be very popular but we have gotten to a point that it is a necessity to have the discussion (and debate if necessary). We are the smallest lodge in our district (by a good margin) and we have, by far, the lowest dues in the district (maybe in the entire commonwealth). That combination is obviously not going to work in the short or the long term. While I don’t know quite yet what this little journey will entail, we have at least gotten things started and the conversation moving in the right direction. We will have to see what happens.

While this past year was trying and draining in about every way possible hopefully this year I can maintain the energy that we all have seemed to found in this new year. There is a lot of work to be done, much more than the few things I have mentioned and alluded to here and there, and the right people in place and participating in the success of the lodge on a weekly basis. There are enough sturdy shoulders to lift this lodge to the next level and I am definitely not the only who has noticed this and we are all excited about where we are heading.

Last Notice Of The Year

For the first time in months I am actually on schedule… the final notice of the year is done and ready to be mailed. This is usually the hardest message for me to write or at least it has been these past two years as there is limited space to both reflect on the previous year while also looking forward to the following year. Of course, it also wouldn’t be an end of the year message if I didn’t include another appeal to pay dues.

The past year has been a bit trying but we managed to get through it and now we are entering the new year with a clean slate. Actually, with an almost completely new slate as I will be one of the few staying in my elected office. While there were times over the past twelve months when I questioned whether I even wanted to run for reelection it all came down to living up to the promise I made to myself and others to see this to the end. We are at a point of turning things around at the lodge. While we may fishtail a bit at times, we are still moving in the right direction.

It is with this at the forefront of my mind that I wrote my final message of the year to the brethren. It consisted of wrapping up the events for the year as well as a warm welcome to the incoming officers. While I will in some regards miss the routine that I have enjoyed over the past couple of years under the current leadership, I am also looking forward to the changes on the horizon and getting to know some of the other brothers a little better. This is one of the benefits of being Secretary that only those who have held the office can truly appreciate… you really get to know the people with whom you work and the bond that you have with them is something that is shared, for a brief moment in time, among the officers.

Having missed the final meeting of 2014 due to a medical emergency, I am interested to observe the transition first hand. My first time as a sitting officer and only my second time as a mason. And during this upcoming meeting I am looking forward to seeing the faces of those taking office for the first time. I remember the feeling well and I will never forget it. It truly is a time to remember and an experience that I look to share with some newly elected brothers.

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!

One Meeting Or Two?

The more you know the harder you laugh!

Since our usual stated meeting was postponed and a degree already scheduled for the evening, last night was an interesting and condensed meeting. As if the scheduling wasn’t enough of a concern, I also had to make a point to have discussions with the Worshipful Master and the Trustees. Some extra fun that I really wasn’t looking forward to but, in the end, everything seemed to smooth out… hopefully my phone will stop ringing now.

Of course, as is the nature of my office, this was not the end of the discussions for the night. There were a number of behind the scenes things that needed to be addressed in order to keep things running smoothly. They were actually great conversations with a lot of progress made to hopefully take care a number of things that have been quite the headache as of late. It simply came down to making sure that everything was communicated and everyone knew what was expected of them. It happens.

Something that I hope to change one of these months is bin able to sit down and enjoy dinner with my brothers. At this point I can’t remember the last time that I was able to grab a plate and sit at a table before a stated meeting. It has been so long that the Steward was ready to make a plate for me to take home after the night was over. He is just one of the many brothers that has taken the time and gone out of there was to make things just a little bit easier for me month after month.

Before and after the meeting, in-between conversations and other duties, I was also turning to many of the brothers in attendance asking for their dues which were now long overdue. And, not surprisingly, the requests continued from various brothers for a variety of reasons which added a number of things to my Masonic to do list. This is something I both dread and look forward to as it allows me to look into some of the things in freemasonry that I may have previously neglected.

Because of all the aforementioned reasons, and the fact that he attended the Secretary’s Seminar last month, my assistant is still astounded that I am able to juggle all of these things. However, I do agree with him that the pay could be better. But no one takes on the responsibilities of this office for financial gain… we enjoy the work and take pride in the role we play in the history of our lodge and the Masonic lives of our fellow brothers.

The meeting itself was the quickest that I have ever experienced and while we may have postponed a lot of the usual business, it was still amazing how fast we were able to move through the night and how much we were able to accomplish. By the time the lodge was closed, I was heading back home as if we had only had one meeting rather than two. My wife still wasn’t happy (mostly because my son insists on waiting up for me) but it could have been a lot worse.

Filling The Chairs

No, we did not have to turn to our plastic brethren.

When I left work yesterday, I did so with some trepidation. While I had a few brothers reach out to me letting me know that they would be at the meeting, I still had not heard from enough to fill the chairs. With everything that has been going on lately, I was concerned that the meeting got lost in the deluge of communications. However, I also held out hope and took solace in the fact that every time that I have asked the brethren for their assistance they have come through.

Pulling into the parking lot there were a few cars that I recognized and I could see that the windows were open and already circulating the autumnal air throughout the building. These were both welcomed sights which allowed me to take a deep breath, grab my bag and tux, and make my way to the front door. Walking into the foyer, I could see a small collection of brothers. A modest group that was sure to grow as the minutes passed and the meeting time approached.

Per my usual routine, I immediately turned around the corner and made my way to my office in the back of the basement. With everything else that had to be done leaving up to the evening, there were a few last minute items that needed to be taken care of before the meeting. So, while waiting for the computer to boot and, later, the web pages to load I filled out dues cards, inscribed the Bibles, and changed into my tux. It may seem hectic but it was actually pretty close to a normal night.

With the former secretary lending a hand with a couple of items, I was able to heading up the stairs and into the hall where I found enough brothers to ensure a successful evening. Knowing that the evening was to begin momentarily, I did my best to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that each brother knew what chair they would be sitting in, what role they would play that night. It was a long night with a few rough spots but we were successful.  

What has been a bit of a trying time for us has not stopped us from being successful in our endeavors. I have had my doubts at times and there were moments when I questioned whether things were going to happen but those concerns were proven to be unfounded. Once again, we pulled together as a lodge and by the end of the night we were rewarded by having the privilege to welcome two new Master Masons.

The Quiet Time Never Lasts…

I got to the lodge a little earlier than expected last night anticipating an early evening. When I opened up the doors I had the entire building to myself and I looked forward to knocking out a variety of small projects that have been lingering since the state meeting earlier in the month. This is how the night started but after toiling away in the office for about an hour I knew that my night would not end in the same way.

With so much interest in the lodge from those wanting to join as well as a full slate of activities coming up later I the fall, it is a busy time of year for me. Add to that the fact that there are a few bugs making their way around and it has already struck down a couple of officers. I guess I am going to have to step up and get those items done as well.

While I entered the lodge alone, I locked the door behind me having three other brothers joining me as I exited. During the course of the two hours behind those doors I jumped from task to task doing my best to juggle the various requests that were being thrown in my direction (including via email). Of course, with the drastic shift in the evening, I still had a few items left unfinished but, fortunately, they were the ones that could hold off another night.

Walking out the door, while in conversation with the brothers around me, my mind was still running through the various things that need to be accomplished over the next few days as well as the next couple of weeks. From dues and petitions to awards and event coordination/planning, things seem to all be converging in the last few days of summer and the first few moments of the fall. Maybe this is why we are cutting back on a few items because things would most certainly be lost in the shuffle had the calendar not been paired down.

Finally back at the apartment, the emails continued to stream in as if I had never left my computer. Thankfully, the name badges were waiting for me in the mail box so I have one less thing to think about. And this morning we are continuing to push forward trying to drive attendance for this weekend and tying up the loose ends for next month’s official visitation. And, of course, there are a pile of other things that are being worked on simultaneously. But, in the end, this is the job I chose (at least one of them) and I enjoy every (well… most) chaotic moment.

A Few Degrees Before Going Dark

 

Extra meetings can become somewhat routine if you let them and in June that feeling is what keeps many brothers from turning out to lodge to witness or participate in degree conferrals. While this isn’t an issue for me (I rather enjoy being a part of a brother’s Masonic journey) I have heard of this and seen this be the case with some of the brothers that I have spoken with or seen at these fraternal milestones… I saw plenty of heavy eyes during my own degree conferral (of course it was a one day class that took up much of the day). There are times however when things are changed up and something a little different is introduced into the evening.

Last night I had the pleasure to watch the Shield & Square Degree Team confer a degree on a new brother. This dedicated group of current and retired law enforcement brothers really know their stuff and the entire degree was not only spot on but you could tell that they really put a lot of work into making the night come alive. It was especially gratifying to witness this degree as the brother who was at the center of the evening first reached out to me shortly after I took office. I have literally been a part of the process from beginning to the times that the DDGM handed him his dues card and I am incredibly proud of that fact. I know he is going to be (actually he has already proven to be) an excellent and dedicated brother.

If that wasn’t enough, we also conferred two more degrees last night. While the late hour and steamy weather (again, no air conditioning in the lodge room) made the evening seem that much longer, it was a night that seemed to end before it really got going. Actually, I don’t know if it was the night or if it was the fact that this was the final meeting before going dark for the next two months but just as I feel I am finally finding my stride it is time to take a break.

Even though there are times when I am constantly running around before heading up stairs, I am going to really miss those meeting nights at the lodge. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of work that I will be doing but the fellowship is what this job is really about. Thankfully, there are plenty of Masonic events that I will be attending and writing about over the summer and the fall looks to be particularly busy. It is for this reason that I can’t wait for the weather to cool down.  

Membership Audit

For the past two weeks I have going through the lodge membership line by line, name by name, birthday by birthday. My thought was that since we had just completed the financial audit of the lodge, why not put some effort into a membership audit. This is an important project that I have been meaning to start ever since I decided to take on the office of Secretary as there were too many instances, even a few since I took office, when it was discovered that a brother had either passed earlier within the year or, sometimes, even years ago.

This whole thing goes back to a blog I posted last week about the difficulties of keeping I touch but, in this instance, the job is ten if not one hundred times harder. We have so many brothers coming in and out and officers rotating around the lodge that sometimes we can lose sight of the people that are not around us every month. We also find that brothers move out of the area and nature gradually takes a toll on their bodies as well.

Unfortunately, we have not had a process in place for the families of individual brothers to inform the lodge of our passing. It has always been something that was conveyed by word of mouth with documentation rarely available. In recent years the communications have slowly deteriorated, Masonic funeral services becoming less and less frequent, and now here we stand trying to catch up and find all those brothers that have been called off from labor. This issue is particularly prevalent among those brothers who have been a member of the fraternity for over 50 years as they no longer pay dues and therefore our communication with them is limited even further.

However, this year we seem to have hit a turning point as we have put greater emphasis on keeping in touch with our distant and elderly brethren. While no system is perfect and I am sure that there will be the occasional oversight here and there, we are at least refocusing our efforts to ensure that those we may not see on a monthly basis are not forgotten. This may seem like an obvious thing to do but think about how many people you have lost touch with in your life and imagine having to do that for an entire lodge, even those people you have never personally met previously before.

So, with the conclusion of the audit the sad news stands that nine brothers were called off from labor in the last few years that were never reported to us. Even though the passing of these brothers was months and years ago, we will still be sure to remember them during lodge and make sure we reflect on the contributions they made to the fraternity. And every time, every month that we pause to remember, I am glad that I have my letter filled out already and ready for my wife to mail just in case anything should happen to me. You never know. I just don’t want to create more work for a future Secretary.

Snow Lodge

When you first hear those two works you might think of a ski lodge or some sort of getaway in the mountains. While those bucolic Norman Rockwell type images may float into the mind that is not what those two words mean to me… especially tonight. Tonight that simple combination meant much more. It represented a commitment that many brothers made to our fraternity as we all traveled to the lodge knowing full well that by the time we left it was going to be a slow and tedious drive home. For most of us this was the culmination of our day and would prolong our time away from our families.

Despite leaving work a little early (well, early for me), it was still a task just driving the thirty miles back to the main line and into the parking lot beside the lodge. When I left there was a steady gust of flurries which isn’t too back to drive in but by the time I got off the highway and began meandering through the back roads, the snow was beginning to overtake the asphalt. Pulling into the parking lot the tires were crunching the soft powder and the prospect of leaving later that night began to seem a little precarious.

Having arrived in plenty of time to knock out a few things before the gavel sounded, it was nice to take care of a couple of items beforehand to shorten my stay after the meeting. However, during the current time of year when dues are flowing into the office, my time in the office wasn’t shortened as much as one would think. Working in my favor this evening was the sound planning by Worshipful Master in his decision to condense the meeting as much as possible while remaining within guidelines.

About an hour after the rest of the brethren had departed for the evening, the former Secretary and I headed out the door and into a whitewashed world. This was not a night for one of our post meeting chats as we could see the thick blanket covering the street and noticed the lack of cars driving by on what is usually a busy street during the early evening. So, as the sounds of scraping plows and the hiss of the salt skimming the street echoed off the surrounding buildings, we parted ways and began slogging through the drifts on our way to cleaning off our cars.

After a not so quick brushing and a bit of scraping, it was time to get in the comfy confines of the warmed interior and slowly slide down the road toward my apartment building. It was a slow ride but I not an easy one as the traffic lights were conspiring with the frigid gusts to keep me one the slick roads for as long as possible. After a short thirty minute drive (normally it takes about ten minutes), I was finally pulling into the untouched parking lot of my apartment building. While there wasn’t much of an issue pulling into a spot, it will be interested getting out in the morning with a health helping of snow and temperatures that are not supposed to surpass the teens tomorrow.

To make things worse, a couple hours after getting home this is the state of my transportation…

So the question this evening before heading to bed is whether or not I will be able to get to work in the morning or is my car taking the day off?  

Applications And Dues

Tis the season to reassess my memberships, consider others, and remit dues to the ones I can’t do without. Various annual club, association, and society applications are currently stretching the binding of my day planner. Slowly but surely I am determined to get through them all and make final decisions and cuts by the end of the year. Thankfully there are a few days which I have off next week when I can really sit down and give the attention and consideration that these forms require. Of course, this pile does not include some of the more in depth applications that have to be pulled together (admittedly these are long overdue) but I hope to get those done in the same time frame as well.

Many of the applications that lay before me in a paper clipped stack will be sent off shortly but others have to be carefully weighed. Not because of the dues and fees that they require but because of a simple matter of time. As I previously mentioned, Rotary was a timing decision. Even though I have gotten a lot out of Rotary in the past and still was learning on a daily basis, it is something that I am not able to commit the time to at this point. The schedule just doesn’t work out. Fortunately, since that post a generous offer has been made, and I have accepted, for me to stay on as an Honorary Rotarian. This is not something that is done lightly and I am honored to have been on the receiving end of such a distinguished title.

Other considerations in the growing mountain of forms is the fact that I would like to have some kind of connection to my ethnic heritage, in addition to existing application work. We know the countries from which our ancestors came but that is pretty much about it. It would be interesting to learn a little more and connect with other people with the same flags draped over the branches of their family trees. It will also be an interesting group to discuss future genealogical discoveries related to those branches.

Honestly, some of the other applications are a just because kind of submission. It would be nice to be a member and I would enjoy the occasional meeting/gathering so, if the dues make sense, why the heck not. It might also provide for some interesting events for my wife and I to attend in the future as well. I guess we will just have to see with all of those. One thing I can guarantee… it is an interesting mix and should offer a tremendous variety both for the basic experience but also for blog content. I will definitely keep you all posted.