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DE_BATES.TXT

The Masonic Lodge
From Another Point of View!

by James R. De Bates, MPS

Most Masonic literature now states
that membership is declining! Every
member should get a new member to
replace himself! As you proceed on the
trail of toplining a new member, you find
that this is getting harder and harder to
accomplish. You begin to feel there is a
problem because the men out there are
not all that impressed with joining a fra-
ternal organization. So what's to be
done? I think there are two changes that
need to be worked on!

First, the public image of the Lodge
needs to be upgraded. Perhaps the best
way to achieve this is to become part of
your community activities. If the com-
munity hosts a parade, enter a float or a
marching unit, or if they have any type
of celebration, join in and do your part
as a Lodge. To be sure that the people
recognize the Lodge's efforts, caps,
shirts, or jackets that have your Lodge
name and number on them can be worn.
In other words, the Lodge members
need to become visible to the community
by the good works and support they give
to the community activities at
large.Along with being visible, your
Lodge needs a member or two who will
take the responsibility of insuring that
the Lodge and member activities are
publicized. The publicity in words and
pictures can be published in the local
newspaper or on the loca, TV or radio
newscasts. Along with the news cover-
age of the Lodge's activities, an effort
needs to be made to be sure the Lodge
building has an outward identifica-
tion. This identification needs to show
everyone exactly where the Lodge is lo-
cated and what the Lodge hall contains.

Secondly, the activities inside the Lodge
need to develop a renewing of member
interest.The stated meetings should be
more than the reading of the minutes of
the last meeting, announcements, ad-
journment, and coffee. When the first
Lodges originated and the members
were operative Masons, the main reason
for meeting and belonging was educa-
tion and the benefits from additional ed-
ucation. The apprentices and fellowcraft
could improve their skills and knowledge
and finally become Master Ma-
sons.When they attained the sublime de-
gree of Master Mason, they could travel
in foreign countries, work and receive
Master's wages. They could also accept
apprentices and teach and nurture them
to become Master Masons. This process
created a relationship where the mem-
bers could fulfill their needs. So...our
current Masonic meetings should also
include some Masonic education. We
need to spend time in our meetings im-
proving the Masonic knowledge of our
membership, thus presenting an oppor-
tunity for individual needs to be met.

Unfortunately, at the present time most
Masonic meetings evidently do not fulfill
member needs, thus the members are
beginning to choose other things of inter-
est. somehow this trend needs to be
reversed .

The non-attender needs to be encour-
aged to return to regular attendance by
the inclusion of interesting and educa-
tiona, programs and activities. Caution
should be exercised here because we
need the non-attenders who are dues
paying and card carrying! They are a
blessing for our Lodges in that they sup-
port the Lodge and help to keep some
control on dues increases and mainte-
nance of membership numbers. So, we
should not discourage them, but encour-
age them.

For the faithful members who attend
regularly, we should ensure that they
have a job to do and are encouraged to
do it. Every Grand Lodge mandates the
officers needed for a true Lodge to exist
and to operate, and this basic structure
cannot be changed. However, there are
additional officers that can be added,
such as a Master of Ceremonies, Organ-
ist, Lodge Lecturer, or Instructor. Com-
mittee assignments, beyond the regular
committee format given by the Grand
Lodge, can be expanded to include
things like: Publicity Committee, Com-
mittee of Local Lodge History, Local
Lodge Library Committee, Hospitaler
Committee, Ladies Activity Committee,
or any other committee that can contrib-
ute to the Lodge's welfare. Members
should be assigned to the various com-
mittees by their interests, and then en-
couraged to do their jobs. Committee
reports should be requested by the Wor-
shipful Master at each Lodge business
meeting. The general idea that Commit-
tees are working groups and are expected
to report their progress to the member-
ship at stated business meetings on a
regular basis needs to be instilled in our
members. If the Lodge meets twice a
month, one meeting can be business and
the other educational. If the Lodge
meets only once a month, a balance on
the meeting agenda must be reached be-
tween business and education.

All of the above sounds nice, but whose
job is it to make these changes? Do you
think the top three officers are mainly
responsible? Yes they are, but it is the
responsibility of all the of ficers and mem-
bers to develop and build a successful
working Lodge. Every Lodge member
has some responsibilities toward viable
and interesting meetings. The Worship-
ful Master is the leader of the Lodge and
bears the responsibility for guiding the
Lodge on the path to further light, broth-
erhood, and enjoyment of life and hu-
man relationships. The man who is Wor-
shipful Master needs to begin planning
his year(s) when he is appointed Junior
Steward, as well as supporting the cur-
rent Master. He needs to begin keeping
notes on what Lodge programs are suc-
cessful, which are not, what can be done
to improve the programs, and what pos-
sible new programs may be added.

Becoming a good listener is an art the
appointed officers need to cultivate. If
they do their homework as appointed
officers, they can begin to complete plans
for their year as Worshipful Master when
they are elected Junior and/or Senior
Warden.

The Senior Warden needs to complete
his plans and commit them to paper and
give copies to the members. This written
plan needs to include information about
insta,lation, names of the line officers
elected and appointed, committee ap-
pointments, and last, but not least, a
calendar of events. This calendar should
include Lodge meeting dates, district
meeting dates and locations, standard
club meeting dates and locations, Grand
Lodge meeting dates and locations, and
socia, meeting dates for the members,
ladies, and friends.

In planning a successful Lodge year,
the Senior Warden needs to include the
ladies of the members in some activities.
By including the ladies in several very
enjoyable social activities, the image of
the Lodge will be raised. It has been said
that the ladies of the Lodge are some of
the best recruiters. The ladies may en-
courage their female friends to encour-
age their husbands to join your Lodge,
so the couples can attend social events
together. Lady involvement is good for
the Lodge in general, as the members
need this type of togetherness. Some of
the ladies' activities that might be in-
cluded are: attending Church as a group
on a religious holiday, attending dinner
theater, having a catered dinner in the
Lodge dining room to celebrate some
special event, having a holiday party or
dance, hosting a local High School or
Junior High School Student recognition
dinner, having open installations, orga-
nizing a ladies' auxiliary, organizing
card parties, or any other activity that
will fit your particular Lodge commu-
nity. Activities could be funded by the
Lodge treasury, or be dutch treat for the
members.

It is indeed our choice right now! We
can die, survive, or thrive. You, as a
member of Freemasonry, are going to be
a party to that choice whether you want
to be or not. By carefully organizing and
planning your Masonic program, you
will ensure success and new growth in
our beloved fraternity.


The Philalethes, April, 1991
