How do support your blue lodge?

In what different ways do you support your blue lodge? Do you serve as an officer, on a committee/degree teams, or fundraisers? How did you go about getting more involved. Are there certain things you did to get to where you are at in your service?

I'm a PM and currently Tyler. I also serve on several committees and Grand Lodge committees.

I do educational and mentoring presentations in my Lodge as well.

I'm also on the Board of Directors for the Boise Masonic Temple.

"Support" is measured in many different ways. I believe that all Masons should support their lodge (and Grand Lodge). Most men just pay their dues and that is it. One idea that I have been kicking around for some time, is that all Masons should have a "calling". Each Mason should be assigned some task or assignment. Men who have a background in HVAC, could be assigned to keep the air conditioning and heating systems running. Men with an IT backgorund could be assigned to keep the lodge website current. Men with a food service background could be assigned to the kitchen krew.

I believe sincerely that all Masons should contribute some "sweat equity" to their lodge. What do you think?

Yes, I totally agree. There should be some contribution, that is not in the form of dues or money. It makes the ownership of a responsibility more rewarding and it can be well seen inside the fraternity and outside.

Ditto. Everyone stays involved and is proud of the contribution they make. That makes for a closer brotherhood. This suggestion should be acted on in every lodge, the world over.

All great points. Attendance, participating are a must. Officers automatically have a responsibility, but its truly up to the individual mason.

Your points are all very valid. But I really want to stress the importance of giving the new brothers something to do. Don't assume that they will know what needs to be done, or that they are extroverts and will ask. I was blessed to join a Lodge where they had no problems giving me small parts to play on the degree teams, asking me to serve on the scholarship committee, and really making me feel not only wanted, but needed as well.

In every organization I've ever been involved with, there are people who complain that only a few people do all the work, from Church to Little League, and I always ask, what have you asked so and so to do? And just because you ask someone to do something that they can't or won't do doesn't mean there isn't a task that could be better suited for them that they would love to embrace. I promise, if my Lodge would have apporached me about cooking meals first (they didn't) then there might have been a totally different outcome. I don't cook. I don't like to do it, and people don't like to eat what I cook. It's a win win if you keep me out of the kitchen. But I love being on the degree teams, and I love doing the website, so you have to match the brother to the task, and don't give up. If you haven't have them turn down five assignments, you can probably still get them excited and active in some form or fashion.

Attendance on stated meeting nights and as many other functions as one can come to mind first.

There are many Brothers, with many talents, that are needed to work together to make Lodge function. Some are better at degree work, some at cooking, and some at "sack dragging", some have the talent to keep up the building. Take one away and thing will fall apart.

Some Brothers will ask where they can help, some will figure it out on their own, others will do as asked and finally some will do nothing since they were not specifically asked to do anything.

Well, I am a part of the degree teams for all the Blue Lodge degrees and also the 7th, 17th, and 28th degrees of the SR. I am a Lodge officer, I serve on a couple of committees, I have recently taken over the newsletter, and do a bit of maintenance around the building. I also maintain (at least try to) the Lodge's Facebook page. I also do some instruction of candidates and do my best to do a short talk on various Masonic topics at each meeting. Needless to say I stay quite busy. It looks like next week at our District meeting I will also take an officer position for my District.

Quite the busy man!

Yeah no doubt. The great thing is that I enjoy it so it doesn't seem like I am really working on anything.

Even though I'm newly raised, I'm taking on doing some EA instruction.

crono782 said:

Even though I'm newly raised, I'm taking on doing some EA instruction.

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Even with all the other stuff I do, I find that that is the most rewarding of it all. You are laying the foundation on which the new Brother will build his Masonic career. Good for you Brother!

I too have offered my services to the mentorship program.

Currently Senior Steward and as such provide meals for all stated and called meetings and special functions. I think I'm cooking meals 3 Tuesdays this month for stated meeting and degrees, last week leveled our cornerstone and provided food for ~200 and this Saturday we are having our Widows' Observance. I try to make every meal somewhat special or if I'm taking a week 'off', at least something delicious. I tend to go all out on the food, if you're going to provide a meal, provide a meal.

I run the lodge website when I'm asked to update something or think of it, I've been slacking on that as steward is eating up a good deal amount of my time.

Presently EA degree master.

STLamb said:

But I really want to stress the importance of giving the new brothers something to do. Don't assume that they will know what needs to be done, or that they are extroverts and will ask.

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We've been blessed lately with a large group of candidates. We initiated 5 in January and there will be 1 next Tuesday and I think we have 2 or 3 more that are currently being investigated. Every one of these new brothers, and even the ones who are currently being investigated, has jumped in and made my life as a steward easier. I'm excited about the future of our lodge with guys like these.

We have had only a few brothers (maybe 4) initiated in the past year. Only two on us have been raised. Our junior deacon and senior deacon spots are always pro temed. The other brother and myself are covering those spots switching back and forth. I hope to get in the line in the next year or so. I plan on helping by learning the opening and closing of the various officer positions(working the life program, and hopefully attend the wardens retreat in August). We are a small lodge and the ritual is not as crisp and clean at every position as I would like it to be. I frequent another lodge locally and theirs is. Seeing the difference makes me want to help in this manner.

Bro. Bennylee said:

Our junior deacon and senior deacon spots are always pro temed.

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This is a problem. Who are the official JD and SD and why are they not there? Was the time/attendance requirement not fully understood or explained? We've seemingling also had this problem with about 1 chair a year but I think we are finally addressing that if you are an officer, your attendance at stated meetings should be considered mandatory and other called meetings its got to be pretty high on your list. Otherwise... don't be an officer. And if the lodge can't scare up enough men to fill the seats adequately, that's an even greater problem.

relapse98 said:

This is a problem. Who are the official JD and SD and why are they not there? Was the time/attendance requirement not fully understood or explained? We've seemingling also had this problem with about 1 chair a year but I think we are finally addressing that if you are an officer, your attendance at stated meetings should be considered mandatory and other called meetings its got to be pretty high on your list. Otherwise... don't be an officer. And if the lodge can't scare up enough men to fill the seats adequately, that's an even greater problem.

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I am a fairly new mm, I just assumed that our lodge has always pro temed these two offices. I don't even think we have stewards either. If we do I have never seen them show up. Are they always appointed or could there be something in the by laws to where they are protemed or non existent on the stewards. We have always had them pro temed when I have been to lodge. I have not however, made it to an installation. Is the installation where they would be known?

Cooked for a year, teaching candidates, strategery, starting to plan speakers, etc. I imagine I'll be in the thick of the quarry at my lodge as long as life grants me, I dig it a lot. Lots to do and learn.