Back to School?

No, this post has nothing to do with gold!

When I got the email on Sunday night informing me that the office was closed and that we would be working from home the following day, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to the remainder of my schedule. About halfway through the morning about half of the items on my schedule had either been cancelled or moved with a few more being altered during the first few hours of the day. Thankfully, there was one appointment that held and just as my son was waking from his afternoon nap, I was heading out the door on my way up the highway to Reading.

This was not work related. This was something extra on my calendar that I wanted to take a closer look at. After all, I have already been out of school for nearly 8 years and the academic itch is becoming unbearable once again. Not being one to rest on previous accomplishments or, in this case, degrees, I reached out to Alvernia University a few weeks ago to inquire about their PhD program focusing on Leadership. On Monday afternoon with resume in hand I met with the Chair of the department and had a great conversation about the program and why I had taken an interest in pursuing my doctorate.

Me, a doctor. Kind of a scary thought isn’t it?

Understand that this is just one of the things that I am looking at to satisfy that academic hunger that I feel. But it was a nice feeling returning to a campus and being in that atmosphere again. I actually really like the program as it was outlined, the school seems to be on the upswing, the cost is very reasonable, and the proximity to home is ideal. There are a lot of things going for it but I also hesitate knowing what the program entails.

In the end, I think it is all going to come down to the time element. This would be a five year commitment of at least 10 hours per week. That is time away from my family, my job, and the other things that I enjoying doing. You know me, I already have so much free time in my schedule to take on another long term project and I enjoy the things that I am doing now and would not want to have to sacrifice any of them. But this might be as good a time as any to start this. Time is a tricky part of the decision but also the main part of the decision that my wife and I will have to consider. Until then, I have plenty of other things that I can work on!

An Interesting Meeting

It was an interesting night at the lodge to say the least. While there was a great program to begin the evening (look for my Veterans Day post), there were also some other things that needed to be worked out. However, it was a great night for progress, planning, and discussion from the moment that I walked through the doors. In addition to the gracious assistance that was offered by a few brothers to help both with personal and lodge matters, there were a number of visitors that I had the pleasure of meeting. While I always enjoy catching up with the brethren that attend every month, it is nice to have a different mix every meeting.

In addition to terrific performances by members of the Sojourners and The Savoy Company respectively, we were also honored by the presence of our District Deputy Grand Master. After a wonderful Veterans Night program and devoting the appropriate time to take care of our monthly business, it was great to hear of all the charitable causes to which we are able to contribute. On one level, I am happy we are able to give as much as we do and, on another level, I wish that we were able to give more especially of our time.

This was followed by a discussion that was a long time coming. The remaining time that night was devoted not just to setting forth a plan for the coming year but also refocusing our efforts to ensure our success now as well as in the future. There have been times when our eyes, ears, and attention have strayed to meetings like this are essential to our continuing to build upon our successes and overcome what some may see as our mistakes. Frankly, I simply look at those moments as instances when vision and ambition has clouded our perception of the current reality.

By the time the meeting ended, there was a different energy in the room. While I could see that some were still processing what had been said, there were many of us grateful for the words spoken just moments prior. We have a clear direction, guidance, and a plan for current stability and future success. We also have a Worshipful Master heading to the east that is the perfect brother to oversee this adjustment in our operations and I am looking forward to supporting him as well as the other officers to ensure that this transition is as successful as possible. Can’t wait for the December meeting!

Pulling The Cable Tow Into The 21st Century

I was out of the apartment and on the road by 6:00 am yesterday on my way to spend the day in Elizabethtown. You know it’s early when it is still a dark August morning when you start the car. It has been oddly cool this summer so the mist on the windshield stubbornly held on for about a half hour not completely streaking off until I hit the 70 MPH zone on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. All told, including a 20 minute delay due to a nasty car fire just outside of Lancaster, it took about an hour forty five minutes to get to the Masonic Conference Center. Just in time for the day long IT training to begin.

Surrounded by what are now familiar faces, it was an interesting delve into a completely overhauled online membership ad banking system that the Grand Lodge will be rolling out in due time. While we were definitely experimenting with an early version of the site, there are a number of things that, in the end, will be a huge upgrade to a currently antiquated system. Of course, with that said, there are countless holes and many things that will need to be adopted by lodges before the new tools and be fully leveraged.

It was a nearly ten hour day fully of demonstrations and explanations of how the completely unique system and overall way that things are done in a lodge is now being integrated in what is normally a one size fits all Salesforce model. While adjustments have been made, many of us familiar with the company can see where things didn’t quite fit and take note of how various programs and allowances were changed. Needless to say, it will be interesting playing the role of IT support specialist for the district once this is rolled out to all the Masonic lodges in Pennsylvania.

It was also interesting to watch a young group of presenters get up in front of the room and do their best to explain all the systems, capabilities, and programs that they normally pitch to a large company. This was not a crowd they were used to (but handled pretty well) and many of the questions and concerns were pushed back or handed off to Grand Lodge officers. Again, we are a unique fraternity with a system that goes back hundreds of years trying to pull the rest of our brothers into the 21^st century. It is going to be a task and a half.

In the end, this is going to be much more than an IT support specialist role that we all play. We are going to basically have to sell this to our fellow brothers. We have to show them, no matter how long they have been a member of this fraternity, the benefits that this new system will bring to freemasonry in the state, the lodge, and especially to them. It is going to be a long haul with a lot of extra work, especially for Secretaries, importing, collecting, checking, and verifying all the data needed to ensure that we all get the greatest benefit possible from this new system. I guess it will just be a matter of time , most likely years, before this actually makes my job easier.

Oscars In Need Of Polishing

I don’t know about anyone else but the Oscars seem to have lost their appeal to me. I remember in the past turning on the awards program in the early evening and watching completely through until it is done. Last night, I just couldn’t keep the channel on and found myself flipping back and forth but, mostly, watching other programs especially when I was working on my computer.

Maybe the lack of the appeal is as simple as not being familiar with many of the movies that are out in the theaters (and not having seen many of the movies from the previous year). That would also explain the reason why I tend to enjoy the Golden Globes more as there are television programs honored during the night. But, even those are a little lacking as nonfiction programming is pretty limited in their exposure.

One thing I have noticed with all the programs in recent years is the effort to relax the structure and atmosphere during the long program. This year, however, things seemed forced. Even more than usual. The pizza order and the Twitter selfie while entertaining, it didn’t seem like a natural moment and somewhat interrupted the flow of the evening.

That might be the least successful aspect of the program as some of the skits pulled the program in a completely different direction making the transitions to other presentations awkward. Flow, whether in an awards show, sitcom, or ‘reality’ program, is an incredibly important factor to keep the audience engaged. Especially those on the fence such as myself. When the flow is off the channel is changed.

What seems to have been lost in many of these programs, and also talk shows when I think about it, is the use of language. Too much focus is now being placed on the skits and antics of the hosts and the use of words is lacking. This may be the biggest hindrance to the ability to transition. The turn of phrase, introduction, and intelligent quips are all but absent from the scripts. Having a great script also enhances the natural spontaneity of the acceptance speeches.

Of course, the awards are the focus of the night but the dialogues, monologues, and exchanges between presenters shouldn’t be afterthoughts. Writing can and should carry a show. Why should the Oscars be any different? Why should any awards show be any different? Personally, I would be more apt to watch all the way through if they invested the time and energy into writing a strong ‘script’ which carried the program from beginning to end. Even if the performances aren’t the best, the writing should make up for it not antics and skits.