BACK UP AND RUNNING

The first month of the masonic fall season is now almost over and the batteries are recharged. Two CHIP programs, a major construction project, a degree and a Blue Lodge council, busy, busy month but that is what gets the old fires burning. I now have five meetings as Master before I head off to my affiliate lodge and serve there. I had the pleasure of serving for two years as Master of my home lodge and I feel my term was very successful. We will have raised twenty two new brothers and did some major construction projects around the lodge. The construction projects showed me that there are some great leaders coming through the line behind me so I am confident that the lodge will continue to be a leader in our district.

My affiliate lodge continues to make progress as the new young officers continue to develop. There s much work ahead of us but slow steady progress shall prevail.

CORNERSTONES

Unfortunately every once in a while we get a call, letter or an e-mail regarding the passing of one of our brothers. The fraternity is full of so many brothers that have been members for decades and of these brothers there are a select few brothers who have been cornerstones for their respective lodges. The brother that you know will always be there and does all the little things behind the scenes. I received an e-mail this past week regarding one such brother from a lodge in my district. Even though this brother was not a member of my lodge I felt obligated to attend his masonic service. The brothers from his lodge were truly saddened by his sudden passing and appreciated the support.

On the way home my SW and I discussed this topic and it was clear based on the age of a few of our cornerstones that we were in for some sad occasions of our own in the coming years. The dedication and devotion to the craft by some of these brothers is simply amazing. Although I feel I make an impact, I ask myself if I can sustain the effort as many of these brothers have.

So I ask, are you a cornerstone ?

ONE LUMP OR TWO

As we have now reached the point of summer break and I am now preparing my fall Trestle Board I have been reflecting on being Master for a second year. Our lodge has had a progressive line for ten years however last year we had an officer who was unable to continue so we held the top three officers the same and moved everyone else up a chair. This gave me the unique opportunity to serve a second year.

Any one who has ever been Master probably will agree that as much as you plan and anticipate your year as Master nothing can truly prepare you for the task at hand. The year goes by so fast that next thing you know it is over and you say to yourself I wish I had another year knowing what I know now. Well I have had that chance and it has been much more relaxing than my first year. I think I have learned to expect the unexpected in a volunteer organization and to go with the flow better. I know also that there are many Masters that are happy when their year is over, one lump is fine by them

Next year I will move up the street as we say to my affiliate lodge and serve as Master for that lodge, if elected of course. I will face new challenges and hopefully provide steady leadership as they develop their junior officers. Being Master is a privilege and I only hope that I do well by the brethren and I don't mind taking a few lumps for the good of the craft.

ANSWERING THE CALL

In my last post I recalled how I was asked to join the officer line and how I answered the call. Having not been active in the lodge I knew nothing about lodge function or the ritual, it might as well been my first year in the lodge. Each year in the line I did a little extra, I learned extra ritual parts and eventually the charges as well. Now in my second year as Master I think most brothers would agree that I am a solid ritualist. I can also say that my time in the line has been one of the most positive expriences of my life.

Once again I have been asked to answer the call and under very similar circumstances. After I became active in the officer line of my blue lodge I decided to seek further light by joining the appendent bodies of the Scottish and York Rite as well as the Shrine. Since I have dedicated my time to my work in the blue lodge I have spent very little time in the appendent bodies. The other day I was asked to be appointed Grand Custodian which is the equivelent of DD for the blue lodge in York Rite Chapter. The brother recommending me knew that I had not been active in this body and yet felt that I was the right man for the job, despite my agruements otherwise.....so I accepted. So I laid the first stone upon which to build a new chapter in my masonic journey.

THE FIRST STONE

I joined the fraternity when I was 21 as the male members of my family were Masons for four generations and it was the thing to do. At 21 I had little interest but still respected the tradition and paid my dues and donated to the various activities of the lodge throughout the years. I came to awards nights for other family members and some dinners but never attended any degrees or regular meetings for my first fifteen years in the fraternity. After one of the awards nights I was asked if I wanted to help out on the fellowcraft team for an MM degree and I agreed. After working on the degree team I started attending once in awhile when I had the chance, Then in the fall of 2000 I was asked if I wanted to be a Steward by the incoming Master. After great personal debate I finally agreed and thus the first stone.

In our lodge it is a progressive line so you spend six years progressing through the chairs until your year as Master. So I became Master in 2007, the first of my family to do so.

MEMORIAL DAY

Today we marched in the local parade as has been the custom of our lodge for generations. This year we had a nice new banner out in front of us which seemed to make a big difference instead of a bunch of guys marching in suits they actually knew who we were and we received greater applause. We have been fortunate in that we have a nice mix of young and old so we have enough guys willing to march to look respectable. Events like the parade and Saints John Day celebrations are important since they are one of the few times that the public gets to see who the Masons in their community are which may create interest.


This memorial day I'd like to take this time to remember all the brothers of the lodge who were members of our fine lodge for centuries now. My Great Grandfather and Grandfather were members of this lodge as were many of my other relatives, long my their memory live on in the hearts of their fellow brothers.

TURNING THE TIDE

I recently did an in depth evaluation of the our lodge membership going back 50 years, yes 50 years. As an engineer by trade I tend to want to look at the numbers. What I found was that our lodge had reached its membership high of 327 members back in 1958. Since that time it has been a steady decline of about 50 to 60 members per decade until we reached a low of 127 members in 2005. Yes the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's were not kind to our lodge.

However in the last three years we have been turning the tide, 2006 we gained 9 new members, 2007 we gained 12 new members the largest single year gain since the 50's and in 2008 we will have gained 9 new members through the first half of the year. If we maintain our current pace this decade should easily be the first decade in fifty years that we have net positive growth. This is my second year as Master and it is my hope to finish my term having 25 new members in my two years.

How...........well momentum is a funny thing, again as an engineer it is all a matter of physics. it takes great energy to turn the tide. If you as Master believe, others will believe, energy is contagious, you can't just "try to make it through your year", you have to embrace it, enjoy it after all you have put in many years to get the East. Set the craft to work, most lodges are old and need maintenance, updating, painting, cleaning, etc this gives the members a chance to work side by side and get to know eachother better. Maintain the programs that work and add to the social atmosphere of the lodge and maintain good ritual practices no body enjoys watching sloppy work.

Remember things don't happen over night but as long as we keep adding one stone at a time....