Some Meetings Sneak Up On You

As last week came to an end I finally got around to looking at the calendar for the following month. After filling in a few other plans I surveyed my schedule which is when I realized how quickly the next stated meeting was approaching… I really don’t like it when the stated meeting is on the first of the month. So, after a long summer respite, I found myself behind on preparations for the lodge. To say that I kicked things into overdrive would be an understatement as the notice was yet to be completed, the minutes were in shambles, and the bill summaries had yet to be completed.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I have been in this situation many times before and getting some of these things done quickly has become a somewhat regular occurrence. So, first thing on the list was to get the notice done. I know where to look for all of the information and the messages are pretty cut and dry so this was completed quickly.

Since there was little time to spare I had to forego my usual submission to Staples so the printer at the office was working overtime. Address labels were next which just take time even when working at a fast pace. Stuffing everything made for a long night but it was finally done. Of course, the completion of the notice also coincided with updating both online databases. Yes, we are still dealing with this issue.

The minutes and bill summaries are simply a matter of recording all of the notifications and occurrences which are then put into a specific format. While it takes a little time making sure that everything is done correctly, it is a rather painless process that can be accomplished quickly. By the time the weekend had descended upon us, all of the necessary items were either completed or updated. Last night, a few more updates were made and a call-em-all was scheduled. All caught up… for now.

Now it is simply a matter of pulling together the other materials that I need for the meeting and making sure that everything is ready and in order for when I have to speak to the brethren. All the petitions, communications, and various other pieces of paper are ready to go. All that remains is to reconnect with many of the brethren tomorrow night and beginning planning for the October stated meeting. After all, I don’t want to find myself in the same position next month!

Unable To Commute To Lodge

While I usually am at the lodge on the Tuesday before a stated meeting, this month it was impossible to maintain that routine as I was in Atlanta for the first half of the week. However, unlike those nights of preparation in the past, it is a great feeling knowing that there really isn’t much that I have to concern myself with for Thursday night. The notice is out, the notes are typed, and all the documents, communications, petitions, etc. are neatly organized in my folder. The only thing that is lacking is the usual stack of bills that need to be read… this is an ongoing issue with the post office to which we are working on a solution.

This year, for the first time in a while, I have been consistently looking forward to being at the lodge. Of course, there are minor things here and there that still have to be worked out and the work load seems to be growing exponentially as of late but it is a different feeling at the meetings and there is a different overall demeanor to those in attendance. With many things smoothed out and petitions once again coming in, there is an optimism present that was hard to find at times in the past.

With next month being our official visitation, I am looking forward to welcoming the brethren from around the district to our lodge. We have made progress since the last substantial gathering and I am proud of the work that we have done to improve the lodge and the building. It really is a testament to those men that I am fortunate enough to call brother as there have been countless hours devoted to improving our small part of the fraternity. This is all due to the brothers who have taken on additional responsibilities and made the effort to thrive in their new roles.

Of course, this would not have been possible without those masons who have at time held the lodge together and in other periods, such as we are experiencing now, encouraged the growth of the lodge and the initiatives of motivated brothers. All of these brothers have made this a worry free business trip for me and I am thankful for this sense of freedom between meetings. I just hope that we can continue this growth and involvement not only this year but for years to come and but the looks of things that will be a reality, our new reality.

Delayed Notice

With all the preparations that I have had to work on the last couple of weeks for my business trip, the lodge notice kept getting pushed back further and further toward the time of departure. Of course, all of the car and insurance calls the past few weeks haven’t helped with my productivity either. However, while I was definitely cutting it close, the lodge notice will get done and sent out some time this week…. It may be really close to the time of my departure this weekend but they will be sent out.

So far, the main issue that I am having is the sheer volume of information that needs to be included on the two pages inside. Please note that adding pages is not something that can simply be done on a whim. There are new petitions, a transfer, two degrees, grand lodge communications, a busy calendar, and two deaths that need to me included on what is the equivalent of a single sheet of paper (one side). Add on top of this the attendance and membership tables as well as two messages from the Worshipful Master and myself, respectively, and there is an issue finding the space on the limited canvass.

As has been the case in previous months, it is a matter of finding the time to write, formatting, and making sure I have all the pieces of information necessary to complete the project. It has been a piecemeal effort thus far with a few minutes squirreled away here and there. Not the most efficient way to get it done but it is getting done nevertheless. Even with pouring so many hours into my annual business trip, I can see how this notice needs to be put together and sometimes that is the most difficult part of the process.

I know it is going to be long and there will be numerous complaints about the small font size but, in the end, I will gladly accept those small critiques knowing that the brethren are fully informed of all that is going on at the lodge. In the end, that is what really matters. There is always going to be something going on in life as you try to get projects done and the notice is no different. The important thing is that all of the information is in there, it is sent out in enough time, and it looks at least halfway decent. The situation in getting the notice done is rarely ideal but it will be done before my plane leaves this weekend!

Between Two Worlds

On a daily basis at work I deal with the digital world and many times the same can be said when conducting business for the lodge between meetings as many of the records, correspondences, and other tasks are largely completed on the computer. However, paper still prevails in the world of Freemasonry. That is the way it has always been and that is the way that things will remain in the future. And, unlike some people I know, I am perfectly fine with this.

Actually it is a rather nice respite from many of my daily tasks to revert back to the physical world. After all, there is a reality to paper that I still don’t get from the words and forms that shuffle across my desktop. And this is the world that I lived in for a few hours this week as I got caught up on many of the letters, forms, and cards that I have been meaning to complete and hand to the postman.

While there is usually a lot of catch up that needs to be done in the updating of records and other digital endeavors, there are times when things need to be done by hand. Even many of the things that I do complete on the computer need to exist in the physical world. This is especially true during weeks when I know there is a lodge meeting quickly approaching. After all, dues cards are still actual cards, many members still prefer to receive their notice in the mail, and because of fact that we don’t have computers or cell phones on during the meetings, all information must be present in black and white organized on my desk for easy access.

I know that there is now an entire generation that doesn’t understand this concept but there is something relaxing about turning off all those distractions from the outside world and focusing on what is going on within the walls of the lodge. However, in speaking with some of the recent petitioners this is actually appealing to them as well. Seems as though more and more people are noticing the information overload that exists just below our thumbs as we flip through the apps, pages, and emails on our cell phones. It has become an addictive habit rather than a convenience.

It is this dichotomy that helps me to appreciate the time during which I grew up and the way that I was raised. While exposed to computers (and typing) early on, I was given the option of writing all of my assignments by hand for about 95% of the classes during grade school. Even in college I would write early drafts and edit both creative and academic assignments by hand before typing the final draft. I have always lived between the physical and digital worlds and I am now at a point in life when I am really starting to appreciate both ways of life. Even if I still prefer pulling out a fountain pen, I definitely appreciate the conveniences of technology. After all, you are reading this on my blog.

The Progress Is Palpable

With a full notices comes a busy meeting and our stated meeting this month certainly lived up to that. It was a long night, both the meeting itself and the conversations after, but there was a heck of a lot accomplished during the night. It actually made me wish that I had been in attendance last month as there is a palpable difference in the way that the meeting flowed from beginning to end. This year is certainly a welcomed change and I am looking forward to many of the issues that we faced in the past to completely evaporate.

The evening was also full of information of which I was previously unaware. I knew about many of the items discussed but there are always details that are absent from discussions that happen outside of the meetings. Actually, I am not really used to this being the case. Many times, I am the one with the details which usually leads to the dozens of brief conversations before and after the sound of the gavel.

It was obvious that there are things that we still need to work on with regard to the memorization and actual mechanics but there was a huge amount of progress that was on display for both the other members of the lodge as well as a roster of guests in attendance. It is a testament to the work and outright effort that has been put forth by many of the officers between the meetings and I am looking forward to seeing and experiencing the progression of ritual throughout the year.

For the first time in a while, I found myself interested again in learning more about the lodge and some of the other offices… I can only sit as Secretary for so long before I want to start progressing through the chairs and I might as well be prepared for when the time comes because I don’t want to have to cram in order to move throughout the lodge room. And I also know that my memory is not my strength so it might take a while to get everything down cold or at least good enough to pass. But, for now, I have a job to do.

For a while I was filling in some of the holes in the East and, honestly, it really tired me out. The last couple of months have remained hectic but in a completely different way as there have been brethren removing the weight on my shoulders and bags from my eyes. If anything, the way we have started the year has served us well as it immediately brought us together to square everything back to level. There is still work to be done but we are all pulling in the same direction and we are slowly gaining ground.

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.

It All Begins With A Discussion

Since I had to leave the lodge earlier than expected last Thursday I was unable to sit down and get to know a petitioner that I had arranged to meet with during dinner. Thankfully things have since calmed down and the evening worked in everyone’s schedule so I was able to set aside the time last night and finally have a great conversation with our new petitioner. This is the first step, the most important step in my opinion, which is too often overlooked which is a shame because for me it is the most enjoyable part of the process. There is nothing like seeing that fascination and anticipation in the eyes of a candidate.

That was only the first of many productive conversation that I was able to have last night with various brothers as attendance at this particular fellowship was the highest that it has been in some time and a welcome sight for sure. Once the candidate was on his way, I soon transitioned to coordinating a few items with the Worshipful Master. There are a number of additional items that need to be included in the notice and some paperwork that needs to be prepared for the next meeting that I really don’t want to fall behind on. Ten minutes of productive dialogue is sometimes all it take to ensure that projects will be done on time.

And while it was great to meet with a candidate and have a petition in hand to read at the next stated meeting, I was greeted with an additional surprise when a seconded completed petition was discovered in my folder. However, this one came with a few questions and so my next conversation was with the first line signer of the petition. There are a few questions that still remain but there is a plan in place to address any and all concerns that I have moving forward so while there may be an additional step in the process it is a rather simple solution.

My final interjections for the evening was with a few of the other brothers who had convened to discuss the upcoming building committee meeting. There are a lot of projects that need to be undertaken both immediately as well as a few years from now and the list that was reviewed reflected exactly that dilemma. It will actually be interesting to see how this upcoming meeting is run as the roles overlap significantly with some of the other responsibilities of other brothers in the lodge namely the Trustees. I am hoping that this can be resolved quickly so that each can move in the right direction… the same positive direction that the membership is moving in.

So, while I may have missed the stated meeting last week and there are undoubtedly a number of things that I am still missing, I managed to get up to speed on just about everything that needed to be taken care of this week. It won’t be long now before the next meeting is upon us and then it will be back to the monthly routine. In the meantime, I am sure that there will be plenty of discussions, debates, and projects started. It is going to be a busy year but the good kind of bust this time around.

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.

Changes Still Pending

Another month has already passed and I am finding myself in a slightly better situation than before the last stated meeting. The notice is just about done and should be out in a day or two, the minutes will be completed by the end of the week, and various communications have already been taken care of. Of course, there are always the lingering items, emails, and letters that will surely persist up until the moment we all converge upon the lodge but that is just part of the routine.

However, there is a pattern that has carried over from the summer. One that I am not too happy about and will have to be addressed again. The bills remain unpaid and checks still need to be drafted. We didn’t have a full roster of officers at the last stated which prevented us from taking care of these essential items in a timely manner and now, later in the month, our schedules are completely out of sync and the communication which we rely so heavily upon has dwindled.

There are moments when I really don’t know what else to do. Time is something that I have very little of and the lack of consistency from month to month is wreaking havoc on my calendar. After a long day at the office I just want to get home and spend time with my wife and son. This is why I have all of my meetings at the lodge and other gatherings scheduled well in advance. It would be one thing to have our meetings on some other consistent night during the month but the jumping from block to block on the calendar is not something that works for me.

We have addressed this exact issue in the past, several times actually, and have put forth a plan to get things done on time but, as of today, there is no change. It won’t be long before I once again have to field numerous calls from the brethren regarding this issue. It may seem like a minor glitch to some and it was at first but not it is a major problem and one that has at time had me seriously considering stepping down at the end of the year. The only things that have stopped me have been the encouragement of other brothers and the simple fact that there are many more aspects of this office that I enjoy compared to those that bother me.

Hopefully the next few days / weeks / months will bring about a change for the better and those fleeting thoughts will fly away (at least for an extended period of time). I guess we will just have to continue waiting and see what happens… hopefully my phone doesn’t start ringing again. In the meantime, there is just over a week to go before the next stated meeting and I have a job to do.   

One Week To Go!

Alright, who has been joyriding in the Delorean again? At this point I question whether June actually happened, July was more than a week long, and whether August started yesterday… however, according to this blog it, somehow, did happen. It doesn’t change the fact that it seems as though the summer lasted about a week and a half as we are already getting ready for the next stated meeting after having been adjourned from labor over the past three months. Three months to prepare and it still seems as though there is a bit of a rush to take care of some last minute items before the meeting.

With the meeting rapidly approaching it is once again time for the notice to be completed and sent out to the brethren… of all the things, this is what gets delayed? With everything else going on, projects that need to be managed, and fires that still have to be put out, it is going to be an interesting return to the lodge this fall. On one level I am looking forward to it but at the same time, I could do without some of the things that will most certainly be brought up during the night.

This time last summer, it seems as though things were much further along than they are now. It was also a time absent of some of the issues that we are now facing. But that was a different year and, sometimes, the worst thing that you can do is think about the past. This is a new year with new issues that need to be addressed and a future that is still with some uncertainty… nothing major just some questions I was hoping to have answers to by now.

Just over a week to go until the September meeting and there is a lot yet to be accomplished. At the same time, there are a number of projects in the works that will surely be great additions to the fall and a large group of dedicated new brethren that I am looking forward to seeing in action when the meetings resume next month. There are always challenges, it is one of the consistent aspects of the office, but there are always great programs, initiatives, and achievements (especially from the newer brethren) that make all the difficulties evaporate. All of these things make the lodge better in the long run and make this good men just a little better in the process as well.

Technically, I Didn’t Miss Lodge

Just some random Masonic art found on the internet. 

I was originally planning on heading over to the lodge after work yesterday but, as has become common place, those plans were changed. Fortunately, it was not my doing this time around. With another event taking place within the district, the usual fellowship meeting was replaced and the brothers that are usually at the lodge for additional training, education, and fellowship headed over to Conshohocken for a meeting.

It really would have been nice to attend with them but I can’t commit the extra hours in the evening at this point especially with my wife and son not feeling 100 percent. I was at least able to spend some time in Ardmore this weekend (at the blood drive) so my absence wasn’t as long as it could have been. However, it will be nice once we are able to arrange our schedules and get everything back on track… I miss the weekly evenings with the brethren.

Of course, there are still plenty of things that need to get done and I am slowly sifting through each of them trying not to let one or another fall too far behind the rest. There are items that need to get picked up (I should really ask my assistant for his help on that one), things that need to get ordered, checks that need to be signed, calls that need to be placed, requests that need to be made, and a notice that needs to be drafted, printed, and mailed. Oddly enough, this list is only slightly longer than my usual monthly routine.

All of these tasks are simply to prepare for the next stated meeting. And now, after a few phone and email conversations, there are a number of other things that I have to make sure get done. While not an issue in the past I seem to be struggling a bit lately and even the smallest additions are delaying other, more pressing, priorities. I guess, when you look at it, it might be a good thing that I wasn’t at the lodge last night… or it could be a really bad thing. I’m not going to know until next month.

So, right now, the plan is to be back at the lodge next week. Hopefully, there will be a few things that I can tie up in person. After that I hope to be in Ardmore a few times in May but I am not going to finalize that for now… it will all come down to how things play out the rest of this month. I guess we will just have to see what happens.

Returning To Normal

The last couple of month have been a little odd at the lodge with a rather testy meeting taking place in February and a postponement of the stated meeting in March. Thursday was a welcomed return to normalcy even if I was still running a little behind schedule in my duties… most notably in getting the monthly notice in the mail which I would much rather have sent off a week prior rather than a few days before.

Of course, I wasn’t sure if this would be the case as I was rather pointed in my message this month in the notice. It wasn’t about calling anyone out, it was simply a means to try and get everyone back on the same page so that we work together as a lodge rather each person pulling the rope in a different direction. Sometimes things need to be said and thankfully, as it turns out, it was received in the way that it was intended.

The meeting itself ran smoothly with the agenda run through quickly and the discussions limited to updates and information. There weren’t any of the unpleasant tones that existed in previous meetings. Progress is being made on most fronts and the projects that at one point looked like they might be stymied, are once again moving forward.

However, there is one area where we seemed to have stalled. With no petitions having been received so far this year, we will not be having an extra meeting until September at the earliest. This is the complete opposite of last year when the petitions were plentiful and the extra meetings frequently consisted of multiple candidates. Not a good time to hit a lull but it happens.

Thankfully, the new brothers that have made up the most recent wave are continuing to remain active and we are continuing to move forward with award applications for those first year masons. While I may not have been able to make it to the lodge every week, each one of them has been present and has learned both from one another and from the more experienced masons that join them for the evening. While the petitions may not be flowing in like they once were, the quality of the new brothers that have joined us is outstanding and their continued involvement is exactly what every lodge wants to see.

Now that we have returned to the quick and uneventful, it is time to prepare for next month as I refuse to fall behind once again. We expect a packed lodge due to it being both our official visitation as well as first responders night. It is a lot of work but, as was proven last year, it is well worth the effort and a meeting that I have been looking forward to for months. I guess I could say the same thing about most meetings.

Last Minute Notice

Sometimes we all forget about things until the last minute and we have to rush to get them done. It happens to all of us at one point or another. This was the case when I was finishing up some work on my computer late on Friday night when I realized that we had not finalized the lodge notice for the month. With all of the end of the year things that we have been working on is simply slipped our minds and was in limbo for much of the holiday season.

Thankfully the stated meeting was postponed for a week due to the holiday so we still had a little bit of time to get it done. We had both dropped the ball on this one but, fortunately, there was still enough time to pick it up and make the play. By 8am the following morning, we had a rough draft in place and I was able to edit and update the content that I needed to add. This was with no help from my lodge email which decided not to allow attachments during the process. By noon, everything had been finalized and the notices were being printed.

Of course, now that we had gotten it done and had arranged for a time to meet at the lodge to get all the mailings put together, the next bumps in the road presented themselves. On my way to Ardmore I had to take a quick detour to Staples to pick up stamps and envelopes as I have been unable to find the time to get the stamped and addresses envelopes from the post office. I guess a couple more steps won’t hurt us.

We got to the lodge in the mid afternoon and shortly after arrival I pulled out the address labels and noticed another step that we would have to take this month. Normally I go through the list beforehand and cross off all the brothers that get the notice emailed to them… when I looked at the labels it was clear that this had not been done and so I had to go by memory crossing off names that I was certain would receive the electronic version.

Even with all the extra steps we came together and got all the mailing done in under an hour. Not too bad and still faster than when I have to do it myself. Not a great way to start the New Year but at least it got done and it will make the rest of the year seem that much smoother. At least that is the hope.

Short Month

Today was one of those days when I realized, “Crap! It’s a short month!” It is not about 30 days vs. 31 days, it is all about how the calendar is situated. As it turns out, the next stated meeting of my lodge falls on Thursday, May 1^st. What this means it that instead of having another week to pull the notice and minutes together, make calls, and coordinate a few other things, I have to get it all done this week. Translation, say goodbye to any breathing room during the work day and any chance of getting things done early.

In comparison, I am actually ahead of where I was last month but that early meeting day just threw everything off balance. Somehow, I think everything might come together just in time as a number of people got back to me today and a few of the other projects got checked off my to do list. But, at this point, it is still a matter of pulling those final things together and attempting to convey a sense of calm to the brethren as I jump from one thing to another. This is particularly challenging on stated meeting nights as there is, inevitably, someone who needs a document, card, signature, etc. at the last minute and it has to be done before the meeting.

Honestly, I can’t fault them. I have done the same thing in the past and, contrary to what some people might say, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I volunteered to become Secretary. And, really, it may be hectic and a bit stressful at times, but I enjoy knowing everything that is going on in the lodge (well, maybe not everything but almost everything). But, like the constant shuffle of the calendar, it is all about timing and how you manage that time. Lately, the management of that time has been a little off but I know that it will only get better from here as I learn more and figure out better ways of getting things done.

For now, I will continue scrambling knowing that there will be a slight respite this summer which should allow me to get caught up, step back, and figure a few more things out before heading into the final stretch in the fall. Until then I will continue trying to keep pace in this Masonic Marathon knowing that I can push through the wall. With that said, I am going to wrap this up and get back to work as a few things need to be wrapped up by the end of the day so that everything can stay on track despite the short month.

Breaking Even

 

One of the things that I complete every month when I pull together the lodge notice is our membership numbers since the turning of the Masonic calendar to the new year. While I would like to report that our numbers keep going up, so far this year we are breaking even. Being Secretary, putting these numbers in is both a great moment and one that I dread heading into every new month. This month has been a prime example of this particular dichotomy.

While we had someone petition the lodge, saw many degrees conferred, and even had someone’s transfer come through, we also lost two Brothers. In each of these situations I was the primary contact. I don’t mind filling out the forms and answering questions but, needless to say, it is easier to discuss the first steps or even next steps in a Masonic journey rather than discussing the final masonic request of a brother called off from labor.

Last week I found myself in a, what was for me, a unique position. I was contacted by a family that was arranging for the funeral of their grandfather. While he had been living in Florida for the past several years, he was originally from the Philadelphia area and so the family reached out to the lodge that they thought was the one this departed Brother belonged. Not having the complete member list memorized, I quickly checked our records but could not find this brother in our records.

I immediately got back to the family and let them know that I couldn’t find his record but that I would do everything I could to help them find the right lodge. This email was soon followed by a request sent to all lodges to check their records and get in touch with the family if they found this brother. About three hours later I got word that their grandfather’s lodge had been located and that arrangements were being made for a Masonic service.

It just goes to show that it is only though our collective efforts as a unified fraternity that we can accomplish many of the most important tasks. That is the real power behind tracking the lodge membership month after month. We all look after one another and we need to know the names of our brothers, young and old, whether they have been a mason for 5 days or 50 years. We are all a unified fraternity, we are brothers, this is what makes it so difficult to record the passing of a brother and also so rewarding to note the addition of a new member to our lodge.

First Words

Tonight it was time to work on the monthly lodge notice. Not a new occurrence but for me it was a first. The notice that will be sent out to the brethren in the coming week will have a message from the new officers meaning that this is my first communication to the lodge as Secretary.

I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it but once I set down and thought for a few minutes about what I was doing it was quite easy. What I found myself writing was a simple message of gratitude and of anticipation for the upcoming Masonic year. While I am still uncertain as to the ins and outs of my new position one thing I already know how to do is to be forthright in my words and honest in my message. After all, that is really all we can ask of one another and that is exactly how I will treat each and every brother regardless of office, age, or involvement.

While not the entire message, here are my first thoughts as expressed in the current notice to the Brethren:

As we welcome a new year I am humbled by the trust you have placed in me to serve you and the lodge in the coming Masonic year. Thank you for granting me the privilege to serve. I look forward to working with and for all of you in the coming year and supporting the Worshipful Master, the officers, the trustees, and all of my fellow brethren to make this coming year both memorable and one for which we can all be proud… I wish you a happy and health holiday season and a new year full of Masonic light!

This pretty much sums up my plans for the upcoming year. While there are many things that need to be worked on and many ideas floating around in my head, the basic sentiment remains the same across the board. My job is to be a resource to the lodge and to my brothers and that is exactly what I hope to be. While I may never be the most knowledgeable and I am certainly not always going to have the best ideas, I am going to do everything in my power to improve the lodge and provide an experience for my fellow brothers that will leave them wanting to do more, contribute more, and participate fully in this fraternity for which I have a growing passion.

My first words will not be my last and the hope that I have for my fellow Masons and for the loge will forever grow brighter. I am heading into this part of my journey knowing that this path is not a temporary sojourn but one that I will traverse with all the fortitude that I can muster. While some may view my pending task(s) with trepidation, I am looking forward to the challenge and the opportunities for growth that have been laid before me. This is indeed a long trek and one that I begin with great anticipation.