Solicitation from the Grand Lodge of Texas

Bro. Michael......

The GLoT has always had fund raiser doo-dads and ditties as far as I can remember.....but where the big problem started was ....and someone can correct me if I am wrong ....was a while back when it was determined that the GL building needed a complete new A/C system and the leaks in the roof fixed. Avenues to secure this were even to share the building with the Waco symphony....which the arts council decided to balk at. Somewhere in this timeline scenario was the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 that saw 401Ks and securities take a nosedive. The GL suffered as bad as everyone else when their junk bonds got buried in the rubbish heap. At GL conventions resolutions called upon the carpet all the Powers That Be for responsibility for all this financial confusion in and about the temple. The whos on first committees were examined as to why some high potentate were automatically placed on said boards and to those term limits. When all was said and done.....it was implied that all the sub-ordinate lodges and members were the life preserver Insurance Provider for the less than All Seeing Higher Echelon. Basically, GL petty cash has always been insured by what is in the bank....and Free handed dipping is not in any sort of a mis-conduct.....we got hit by the 2008 Crisis just like everyone else. We as in members of GL.

So, the issue here is accountability....finger pointing and Who was or was Not On First. Doubletalk. The constituency is still grumbling to have the players called out. I dont know.....(is on third.)

I've always wondered how much any of these "send X # $ get a whatever" really makes money for whoever sends them out.

Any idea how much GL makes off their version?

I finally quit getting them from the NRA a few years back!

First, IS there a way that we could get things changed with the way Grand Lodge (ours and any other) operates when it comes to budgeting? I mean, can we propose some sort of proposition or by-law amendment that forces the Grand Lodge to have a balanced budget? I mean, the State of Texas government itself has that requirement, why would it not be a good idea to apply to our GL's spending and budgeting habits? Or is making a proposition or resolution impacting this kind of thing not really allowed?


I believe this is a great idea. Everyday We as Americans are faced with the decision of staying within a budget, why can't grand lodge do that? I know the building needs repairs, but let's be realistic for a second. How much money did it cost for those bags? Take that money away from the donation they are asking for. Now take that th cost of the packaging, and the cost to ship those items. What's left? I am willing to bet not very much. Why not spend that money on the building, or put that money towards gaining new members so we can get that extra income. Since when did Masonry become more about the business side, ad less about spreading the teachings of the Masonic Lodge.

Star Mztyk said:

Bro. Michael......

The GLoT has always had fund raiser doo-dads and ditties as far as I can remember..... I dont know.....(is on third.)

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Thanks a lot for that bit of information. Like I said, I don't have any real dealings with anyone from the GL itself and can only go off the information that I read or even hear about from other Brothers. But that is why I do keep a position of having an open mind to these kinds of things and I ask questions. Getting info from the "telephone game" can sometimes get mixed up in the transfer. I hope that I don't come of sounding like I am playing the finger pointing game. Just expressing my opinion from the information that I have recieved. In fact, the only good that can come from actually figuring out who or what is at fault (in my opinion) is to learn the lesson and hopefully prevent it from repeating itself in the future. I don't want to see the GL or any lodges in debt. And I darn sure don't want to see either case shut down or lose out on something important just because of financial woes.

As for the fund raiser doo-dads, I gotta be honest. I have been a MM for four years now and I have not once heard about any kind of fundraiser being put on by the GL. I am only about 80 miles from Waco and so I just figured that maybe they had some local stuff going on that word didn't reach us this far away. But I also do recognize the fact that for a couple years of my four years as a MM was spent running around the country and world going where the Army told me to go. So, I could have missed out on some stuff.

All in all, thanks for that information you posted. My response was based on your whole message and not just the sentence that I left in the "quote" box... And I loved the way you ended, so I left that in there too..lol

Having personally seen the Grand Lodge Budget, I can say that there are a lot of ways to cut costs. Travel expenses for certain GL Officers could be cut by thousands of dollars. -Just saying-

I'd dig seeing at least a simplified 1-2 page version of the budget myself.

What do we use the building in Waco for other than the yearly GL hodown?

bullrack33 said:

Having personally seen the Grand Lodge Budget, I can say that there are a lot of ways to cut costs. Travel expenses for certain GL Officers could be cut by thousands of dollars. -Just saying-

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Is there a copy of the budget viewable online?

If the travel budget isn't insane, I would consider leaving it alone, if only because I don't believe GL positions should be only open to the independently wealthy. Fortunately or unfortunately, we really are a huge jurisdiction. Consider the difference in travel/costs between being GM of Rhode Island or Vermont versus being GM here.

It's one reason I'm sure some people are hesitant to run.

I was shocked when I heard about the proposed repairs to the building, including adding AC. But I was more surprised to learn that the building is otherwise empty throughout the year. Seems like it could be put to use generating some income, and I think they said that was a possible change.