As you can see below, we are required under GLoTX Law to read the minutes of previous meetings at our stated meetings. As over half of our membership doesn't do email, there's no point in sending the minutes to those who do- we'd still have to read them regardless. As the requirement to read them is listed first in the Order of Business, I take it that they're serious about it.
Art. 333. Order of Business. At stated meetings after opening of the Lodge in due and ancient form, a quorum being present, the Order of Business, unless otherwise ordered by the Lodge or the Worshipful Master, shall be as follows:
1. Reading, correcting and approval of Minutes of previous meetings.
The order of business, unless otherwise ordered... hmm.. as WM I would give a
order that the minutes be circulated by email or by post where necessary and taken as read. On my summons I'd have "Minutes". In in the minutes we would record "The minutes as circulated were adopted"
.....As over half of our membership doesn't do email, there's no point in sending the minutes to those who do- we'd still have to read them regardless......
Does that mean you have to post your summons ? Expensive.... and very wasteful....
People used to say that here... in a lodge of 40, we only have 3 without email.. we've lost a few older members in recent years, but every one of them had email. In my other lodge of about 45 - there is only one member without email. It is amazing how quickly people who "do not have email" will give you none when you explain it is costing the lodge $x to send it out OR a recent departure of a young brother(s) was because they didn't join Freemasonry to hear minutes and we can easily remove one obstacle in our way to success by you giving me an email address... Incentivize them in some way; 100 members x 50 cents = $50 x 11 meetings = $550 you could give to charity. 2 mins every meeting x 11 meetings = a 22 minute lecture on masonic education. It's boring... etc etc You need to look for the right levers to change this. I'm 44 year old. Nothing upsets me more than folk wasting my time. Every lodge renewal program says they same, don't waste members time on minutes... If my GL made me read minutes I'd have a motion in there so fast my head would spin.... but I would test rule 333 above, but you would need the support of the members to do that....
I hope your secretary reads at breakneck speed. Our business is already bad enough without adding such a useless waste of time to it... It also does not allow members to consider the minutes or have a personal record of what went on.
God. Sorry to say, but thank the GAOTU I am no longer subjected to Sec's reading minutes, reading minutes basically died out about 10 years ago here, and the lodges which kept reading their minutes tend to die.
Darwinism is not survival of the fittest, it's survival of the most adaptable and adapting means change...
(you have no idea how the idea of listening to minutes has got my goat LOL).