Grand East

[bupton52]

Do restrictions on how long a GM can hold his seat help or hurt the fraternity? What say you?

 

[jwhoff]

I consider it helpful in the GLoTx. Both for the craft and the individual.

Looks to be a four-year grind to the end.

On second thought: that's one hell of a lot of barbecue!

 

[chrmc]

I think that for both Grand Lodge officers and local officers a year in the chair is not very long. Before you know what you're doing you are almost gone.
The positions are serious and important ones, much like being an officer in a company, and there you'd never see someone only sit for a year (unless they mess up of course).

The positive side of is if you get a poor master you only have to endure him a year, but I think that if we had people in the chairs 2-3 years you'd see more continuity and possibly also more projects getting completed.
I know in several countries in Europe the WM will sit for a term of 3-4 years, and GM's for even longer. They rely much more on their subordinate officers in order to do this of course, but in the long run I think it is beneficial for the craft.

 

[Blake Bowden]

I don't think one year is enough, but I wouldn't support a life long tenure either. Maybe somewhere between 2-5 years. Great post!

 

[Bill Lins]

For some Grand Masters, 10 years would be too short. For others 10 minutes is too long.

 

[MarkR]

Based on what I see in Minnesota, I don't know how someone could survive more than one year in the Big East. They are somewhere doing something Masonic pretty much every evening of the year, and often out of state. It's got to be hard on the family. And that's not even mentioning the increasing demands on their time each year as they move through the Grand Line.

 

[Blake Bowden]

For some Grand Masters, 10 years would be too short. For others 10 minutes is too long.

LOL...good point!

 

[chrmc]

Based on what I see in Minnesota, I don't know how someone could survive more than one year in the Big East. They are somewhere doing something Masonic pretty much every evening of the year, and often out of state. It's got to be hard on the family. And that's not even mentioning the increasing demands on their time each year as they move through the Grand Line.

I agree with this. In the European jurisdictions I know of where people sit for a longer term, they usually always have a good setup with assistants, deputies, proxies etc. that cover many duties. I think that is required to make it work.

 

[Brother JC]

In NM we have a "progressive" line, and the GM only serves one year. They have five years of prep work to accomplish before they get there, but only actually serve the one.

One GM, during a visit to our Lodge, noted that being GM is the "farewell tour" of your time in the Grand Line, and you pretty much just give speeches; the Deputy Grand Master is the one doing the most work.