Back In The East

2013 finds me back in the East for my fifth term as Master in my third lodge. A rare achievement in the craft or one that most brothers would simply not want to try.....  I however like to remain challenged by the unique issues that each lodge faces. My new lodge faces financial challenges like many lodges across the state but one I have not faced before in my other two lodges. One of my goals for the upcoming year is to increase membership to generate more dues to fund the lodge. My track record shows that I am capable of doing this having added twenty two new members to my home lodge during my two years in office. I was always proud of this and yet I was recently told by a Grand Lodge officer that I had failed as Master since now five years later, seven have been dropped NPD. First if I had been in charge for the last five years he would have a valid statistic but lodges ebb and flow with the change of each new Master and you can only really judge a Master by his term in office. I received the Masters Achievement award by the Grand Lodge each of my years in office so by their standards.......I looked at the seven brothers dropped and I my conclusion was typical of what all lodges see: one joined for the wrong reason, three were a father and his sons who once the father unfortunately took ill their priorities shifted, the three others were co-workers who joined but could not attend because of the shift nature of their work changed.  So basically life has a tendency to shift peoples priorities. 

My home lodge rarely has repeat Masters so management changes on a frequent basis as a lot of lodges do. All new Masters have their strengths and weaknesses as we are all individuals. We all gasp at the compensation packages given to top notch CEO's but history has shown great leadership usually gives great results.  Yet we change leaders like socks and expect great results from some men who have never managed in their lives.  Yes we can set up customs and structure to support these brothers but the Master is still "the man in charge".  So back to the NPD issue, you can't judge a manager but what a team does years after he no longer manages. It does beg the question, does our system of management still work.....or is it as old as the fraternity and needs to change.