At
the beginning of the year the lodge basically conducted an overhaul of the
building committee with some help from the District Deputy Grand Master. More
than anything else, it was done as a means to both streamline the process and
add some additional transparency to the decisions being made and options
explored. It is an undertaking to say the least and I am grateful to the
brothers that are making this happen and getting things in line for the
improvements that need to be made to the building.
This
past week was the first meeting of this relaunched committee and given the fact
that I haven’t heard anything over the past few days, I am glad that this process
is under way. But, this new endeavor brings to light an important lesson for
the lodge as a whole. Each and every one of us needs to be involved on some
level. Some will be officers, committee members, and mentors while others need
to be involved by just showing up. It all begins with the stated and extra meetings
of course but we also need brothers to be present at committee meetings such as
the one that was just held.
And
we also need to take things a step further and simply communicate with one
another. The lodge needs to communicate with members and members should talk
with one another. Not just about the business at hand but also enjoy the
company and fellowship offered to you by your brothers. We are a fraternal
family and we should take a vested interest in our fellow brothers, help them, work
with them (inside the lodge and professionally), support them always, and, when
needed, protect one another.
The
recently thwarted attack in Milwaukee is something of which we should all be
aware. A radical Muslim man was planning on attacking the Humphrey Scottish
Rite Masonic Center believing that he would be doing G-d’s work. And the sad
thing is that there are many in this world that believe that they would be doing
G-d’s work should they cause harm to freemasonry. While not as extreme as this
recent threat, there are many groups, predominantly “Christian”, that wish to
see the demise of freemasonry. It is odd to me not just because of the venomous
nature of their words and planned actions but because we, as brothers, welcome
all faiths with the common bond of a belief in a Supreme Being, a belief in G-d.
But,
rest assured, there is more light in a single lodge than darkness in this world
spewing hate in our direction. And, for me, I can promise that I will defend my
faith, my family, my fraternity, and myself against such evil not with violence
but by continuing to make good men better including myself. By supporting one
another, the lodge, our fraternity, and the community as a whole we can ensure
our success and that the light of freemasonry remains bright in this word. This
is how we win.
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