Keith C
Registered User
My first month in the East has been exiting, stressful, frustrating, rewarding and enlightening all at the same time.
It started off well enough. Here in PA Officers officially take their positions at High Twelve on St. John the Evangelist Day (December 27.) At that time I was at Grand Lodge for the Installation of our new RWGM, Bro. Thomas Gammon. So my first day was filled with fun, celebration and fellowship.
On the following Monday I found out that my Lodge had been requested to administer a Masonic Funeral Service for a Brother who was a Member of the Grand Lodge of NJ but resided in our area. It turns out that this Brother was a retired by disability Camden, NJ Police Officer who was injured in a shoot out in years passed. So the funeral was attended by a large contingent of Police Officers as well as a Past Grand Master of the GL of NJ. I was a little worried about trying to get a sufficient number of Brothers to attend given a mid morning service on a weekday, but it all worked out.
The first acts of our new RWGM was to issue edicts that changed the way we normally do things in our Lodges. Previously we had 2 options as to how to open and close the Lodge, Ancient Form and "The short way" with "The short way" usually done in order to allow time for other things. Now we are mandated to open and close "In Ancient Form." We had also been permitted to use a voice vote on petition ballots, now we are mandated to use the Ballot Box. We have also adopted new procedures for accepting Petitions. We are no longer permitted to accept a petition simply signed by two Brothers. The Officers and several Lodge Members must meet a potential petitioner, they must attend dinners and social event and we must also meet their families before we can offer them a petition.
As you might imagine a portion of my first Stated Meeting addressed these changes. Outside of that my first Stated Meeting went very well and I was able to keep things moving, have good education and discussion and still be done in 90 minutes.
We had a couple informal social gatherings and I am trying to get the Brethren to actually come together and bond with each other. Saturday evening we are having a "Dinner and a Movie" night at the Lodge.
I also just found out that I have to get back all of the Ritual Manuals that I distributed in order to turn them in to the DDGM on Monday, as new Ritual Manuals are going to be issued next month.
Hopefully come December I can look back and be satisfied with the year, but right now I guess I just have to "keep on swimming."
It started off well enough. Here in PA Officers officially take their positions at High Twelve on St. John the Evangelist Day (December 27.) At that time I was at Grand Lodge for the Installation of our new RWGM, Bro. Thomas Gammon. So my first day was filled with fun, celebration and fellowship.
On the following Monday I found out that my Lodge had been requested to administer a Masonic Funeral Service for a Brother who was a Member of the Grand Lodge of NJ but resided in our area. It turns out that this Brother was a retired by disability Camden, NJ Police Officer who was injured in a shoot out in years passed. So the funeral was attended by a large contingent of Police Officers as well as a Past Grand Master of the GL of NJ. I was a little worried about trying to get a sufficient number of Brothers to attend given a mid morning service on a weekday, but it all worked out.
The first acts of our new RWGM was to issue edicts that changed the way we normally do things in our Lodges. Previously we had 2 options as to how to open and close the Lodge, Ancient Form and "The short way" with "The short way" usually done in order to allow time for other things. Now we are mandated to open and close "In Ancient Form." We had also been permitted to use a voice vote on petition ballots, now we are mandated to use the Ballot Box. We have also adopted new procedures for accepting Petitions. We are no longer permitted to accept a petition simply signed by two Brothers. The Officers and several Lodge Members must meet a potential petitioner, they must attend dinners and social event and we must also meet their families before we can offer them a petition.
As you might imagine a portion of my first Stated Meeting addressed these changes. Outside of that my first Stated Meeting went very well and I was able to keep things moving, have good education and discussion and still be done in 90 minutes.
We had a couple informal social gatherings and I am trying to get the Brethren to actually come together and bond with each other. Saturday evening we are having a "Dinner and a Movie" night at the Lodge.
I also just found out that I have to get back all of the Ritual Manuals that I distributed in order to turn them in to the DDGM on Monday, as new Ritual Manuals are going to be issued next month.
Hopefully come December I can look back and be satisfied with the year, but right now I guess I just have to "keep on swimming."