Do you Think Grand Masters should blog?

[rhitland]

In todays day and age newsletters and magazine are just not the same by the time you get them it is old news b/c the internet is instant should Grand Lodge hold onto their publications or go completley virtual for all members under 60 or some cut off. To me a quartley newsletter that cost an arm and a leg to print and mail is so 1990's and the GL officers have to be so vague and leave out details for lack of space and so much that could be said could be done at the click of a button. Just my thoughts, what do you think would make this idea work or not work?

 

[jonesvilletexas]

Why not?

 

[Wingnut]

I suppose like most things I would ask "to what end?" To pass on his thoughts etc sure... but not for rulings, decisions etc. Those are best left to the DDGMs or Grand Communication to pass on.

 

[drapetomaniac]

Not exclusively. Considering the age range and number of rural members, we would create another digital divide (among those it already exists for).

 

[RJS]

I think a blog would be a great idea for GL.

 

[Bill Lins]

Having seen the Grand Master's schedule, I wonder when he would find the time?

 

[4thgenPM]

Brethren,

I think that you're talking about two different things here. If a future Grand Master was to blog or post electonically in some other fashion, he would have to be just as vague as our current newsletter/magazine.

In regards to official communication with members, that is done through the communications sent to the Secretary every month, which must be in writing per Grand Lodge Law. No "official" business of the Grand Lodge can be conducted electronically unless it is through the password protected portions of the GL website (for which passwords must be authorized by the Grand Secretary's office).

While I personally understand the zeal of some of our Brethren to go to an instantaneous notification system of all things Masonic in an effort to know the "latest and greatest," there is something to be said for needing to come to Lodge on a monthly basis to get the updates that is in keeping with our traditions and the promotion of Brotherhood and fraternity. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rhitland]

My question was pretty broad in asking if GL should go virtual, the thought of total virtual records is mind numbing and just could not be done just think if we backed everything up on the 5 1/2" floppies from 1980s who has one of thos now to pull that up not including Wingnut? lol I wanted to know if GL should make there public publications virtual i.e Texas Mason, blog if they have time, maybe the occasional "atta boy" for a Lodge or district or maybe a Grand Twitter should be appointed lol the possiabilties are endless.
PGM Donny Broughton had like a 30 min radio interview posted on GL website which was pretty good at getting accross what he was trying to do as GM and seemed to add to his wisdom for to the Craft and I know I have always wanted to ask a GM what it is like presiding over a Master Masons Lodge at the Alamo, which he could easily do in a blog while eating his eggs benedict and drinking his espresso. There are many moments throughout the GM's tour of Texas that would be very inspirational to the Mason and non-Mason and if he could not find the time then all is well.

 

[4thgenPM]

PGM Donny Broughton had like a 30 min radio interview posted on GL website which was pretty good at getting accross what he was trying to do as GM...

I agree that this is a great idea, and is something that GL is already working on. I believe that they have a lot of footage of this type and are adding more every year...it's just taking time to get it on the site. I believe that if you click on the PGM names that are links on the PGM page, you are linked to their videos. The one of PGM Patterson (2003) is exceptional in my opinion as he spends quite a bit of time talking about the resistance he got to having a planning team made up of "young guys."

 

[Blake Bowden]

I would love for a Grand Master to not only blog, but to allow feedback to his posts.

 

[owls84]

Well I would say our GL is behind the curve on this. Anyone that knows about internet hosting knows that a video post is NOT that hard to do. I just think they are worried that the digital divide may grow more digital aged members. I know this was a problem in my lodge when I was trying to get the lodge to fund a new website. Thing was I had to show a study that EVERYONE "googles". There was no HUGE gap in the demographics of internet users. Look at other Grand Lodges and see how they are doing it. Ask others how their results are and use what works. I just don't know why some people are afraid of letting someone blog or twitter. The only thing I think is people think Masonry should be secret and I have found that most of the people that think that just don't know Masonry other than what another member told them. Why would the GM not want to shine his light as far and as bright as he can???

 

[RedTemplar]

How about the Grand Master just start with a twitter?

 

[HKTidwell]

Here are my thoughts, if you take it and a few dollars with you it might buy a cup of coffee at mickey Ds'. When I go to the GLoT website it reminds of a group of people that do not update things. We have much the same issue with some lodge websites, and the GLoT lodge pages. This is not a good thing when people are visiting your site for information or your members are trying to stay up to date. When I say up to date I am not implying communication to lodge secretaries but a general update.

For an organization with the number of members which the GLoT has there should not be an issue with finding enough money to set up the Grand Master on a Labtop which has a wireless card from a cellular provider. This would allow for the ability to Twitter, blog, Facebook, and other online activities while traveling or in spare time. Twitter is a fast way to update most communication and could be also tied into the GLoT website. Little things like updates on how ideas he has laid out in his Grand Message are progressing, that he is going to be at such and such meeting/lodge/function, Things that may have been passed on to the GLoT, such as the Come and Take It function. A proactive stance could cause more people not to only learn more about what we are doing, but also cause more brethren to be active state wide.

The GLoT and the Grand Master of Texas could also comment on the amount of Scholarships as a whole were given by lodges in Texas. I've never seen this number and I think this could be something that would help the lodges. I know what we have allotted in our lodge but not state wide.

All organizations have to keep updated on technology otherwise they are left behind. I'm not saying you throw traditions to the side or that you abandon the principles which have made you but I am saying you have to keep up with the times. There is a limited amount of information which is truly not to be spoken or communicated when you look at what we do as a whole.

Just my thoughts and opinions.

 

[Blake Bowden]

Wow...now that's what I'm talking about! Actually GM Counts is pretty proficient with technology. He maintains his own facebook account and is quite active with it. I'm not sure how he or any other Grand Master would feel about twittering. It's one thing for us to make quick off the wall comments, but a GM would have to tread with extreme caution on any Masonic related posts.

 

[JTM]

i'm going to have to disagree with rhit. i'd also like to change my vote.

i'm not a fan of twitter at all.

 

[david918]

After our visit from the Minny soda brothers a couple of weeks ago they pointed this blog out to me http://www.mngrandmaster09.blogspot.com/

 

[davidterrell80]

If we are going to expect them to blog, we should expect it of all the officers in the chairs--so as to give them some years to get the hang of writing on a regular basis. I'd also consider the need for a Grand Editor to give them some tutoring and feedback. I resurrected the idea for a Trestleboard for my lodge back at the beginning of time. Here's the guidance I gave to the officers.

http://smithfieldlodge.com/TB/TB_guide.htm

If the grand officers adhered to the same CONOPS (concept of operations), we might, after a few years see some worthwhile fingerposts emerge--pointing to the East.

 

[Blake Bowden]

Well said Brother!

 

[tom268]

I suppose like most things I would ask "to what end?" To pass on his thoughts etc sure... but not for rulings, decisions etc. Those are best left to the DDGMs or Grand Communication to pass on.

When it gets to thoughts and opinions, the GM is nothing different than every other brother. So, the question should be: "Should every brother do a blog?" Should really everyone broadcast himself? Are we so vojeuristic?

And when it comes to official communications, the E-Mail to the WMs is fast enough.

So, my vote is a loud no-no-no

 

[davidterrell80]

I was thinking. The last two months, I've been using the speech recognition feature of windows to write stuff in my most recent college course. I got a tip of going through the tutorial at least two times. The tutorial has you read the text aloud and it is learning your voice as you learn the software. Once I finished that task, it was running better than 95%.

Now, grand officer's may not be much on the writin' I'm not going to speculate on the readin' or the 'rithmatic) but they can usually talk a blue streak.

Tell them to prepare a 2 minute talk or, give them a digital recorder and let them record themselves as they talk in lodges around the state. Manually or automatically transcribe the talk, brush it up and post it as a blog.