It
has been too long since we had an extra meeting. Thanks to the work of many
brothers at the lodge, we resumed degree conferrals last night for the first
time in over a year. While we have had a few transfers and reinstatements since
the last extra meeting, I hate to admit it but it has been that long since we
welcomed a new brother to the lodge. Things are changing once again for the
better and it really is a credit to many of the brothers who have taken a
leadership role in the lodge.
While
these are my favorite kinds of meetings to attend I was, unfortunately, unable
to attend once again due to family commitments. It has been one of those
periods when other unavoidable occurrences seem to be part of the regular
routine. Actually, I haven’t been able to get completely caught up from the
last stated so I now find myself two meeting behind with an official visitation
looming in the near future. It is going to be a trying remainder of the month
for sure but I am confident that I can, with the continued support of the
lodge, make it through these tenuous weeks.
Even
though I wasn’t able to attend the meeting, I did manage to stop by the lodge
before the meeting and make sure that the candidates were present and that
everything was relatively in order for the night. It may have been the most
relaxed that I had seen the brethren before a degree conferral in a long time
and I hope that this pattern continues as more and more petitions are received
and read. Seeing this also reassured me that I was making the right decision to
be with my family last night as my only concerns were at home.
By
the end of the night, before heading off to bed, it was a great feeling adding
three brothers to our roles following the transfer of one brother and the
initiation of two others. While I don’t expect a drastic increase in
membership, I hope that we can repeat our slow and steady growth from 2014 (2015
was an off year) and build upon these additions to the lodge. At the very
least, it will be great to see new masons pursuing the Master Builder Award
again along with mentors pursuing the newly established Master Craftsman Award
(or Master Pillar Award for that matter). It will take time and effort, but we
gladly give of ourselves as these meetings and pursuits will certainly pay
dividends in the future.
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