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Solicitation of funds from Grand Lodge of Texas AF & AM

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
It was located in Waco as it was considered the most neutral of the large cities in the state at that time - Houston would not have tolerated a GL in Dallas (or Fort Worth) or vice versa.
Previous to being moved to Waco, GL was in Houston.
 

Bro_Vick

Moderator
Premium Member
Just relaying what some elderly masons from back in the day told me many years ago (take it for what it's worth).

Yeah, it was based off access to the train, and all trains at the time went through Waco. Even the oldest member agrees, unless they are projecting some grudge...

Sent from my Desire HD using Freemasonry mobile app
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
These days taking a train is like taking a ship. The transportation itself *is* the destination. Cruises on ships and scenic lines on trains. I've taken Amtrak to get from point A to point B but it was less convenient and slower then even taking a bus. But looking out of the windows the train went through beautiful regions. The idea that I might take a train to Waco nowadays is like the idea that I would have a party line on my phone.

On the one hand Waco is centrally located. On the other hand it's tiny even compared to a small city like San Antonio. It's too small to justify as a destination itself. We went to Waco a couple of weekends ago. We saw the GL building and then started searching out other touristy places. The Dr Pepper Museum was small but fun. Then we went to Austin for dinner. Austin is small compared to Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles,etc but it's much larger than Waco. I am not convinced that for Texas being centrally located is worth it. That barely works for Springfield in Illinois and then only because it's the state capitol and we don't own a large building.
 

JJones

Moderator
The problem is that Texas is so big that even a centrally located city is still a long ways for some people.

BTW, if you like Mexican food then you should try out Chewie's next time you're in Waco. ;)
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
At latest calculation, the center of population for Texas is very close to the Center Lake Cemetery between Little River and Holland. It is within 10 miles of the Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan statistical area (~400,000 population). It is almost equidistant between Waco and Austin, proper. Round Rock is a bit closer to the center of population than is Waco. Given historical trends, it will continue to move in a line trending toward Houston, passing through Milam, Burleson, Washington, etc. counties. The trend says "Houston". Given Houston's economic vs. Waco and its less dysfunctional "growth" policies vs. Austin, this trend will likely continue. Waco is the past.
 

jaanthony

Registered User
Rumor has it that TGLoT is going to ask the Lodges of Texas to donate $2,000.00 to help with the building fund.

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Mac

Moderator
Premium Member
I second the notion of selling the GL building, moving into a smaller more appropriate venue in Austin, and rotating the state convention each year. A historic library/ management office in Austin would require far less in upkeep, and would be endowed for quite the length of time via the funds from the sale of the first building.
 

Roy Vance

Certified
Premium Member
Rumor has it that TGLoT is going to ask the Lodges of Texas to donate $2,000.00 to help with the building fund.

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I, for one, have not seen or heard this rumor. My lodges, neither of them, that I know of, have received any kind of solicitation to that effect. Being a principle officer in both lodges, I would have been made aware of such, or so I would think.
 

Roy Vance

Certified
Premium Member
I second the notion of selling the GL building, moving into a smaller more appropriate venue in Austin, and rotating the state convention each year. A historic library/ management office in Austin would require far less in upkeep, and would be endowed for quite the length of time via the funds from the sale of the first building.

I quite agree with you on this one. The cost of maintenance and such for the dinosaur in Waco, in my estimation, has gotten out of hand. The location, as others have mentioned, is no longer central to anything in the state, and also, other states have their Grand Lodge Communications in different locations every year. New Mexico is one of them. The city chosen for the Communiction could have the local lodge sponser it and make arrangements with the convention centers or whatever. It would sure spread some revenue around the state and let some of the other Master Masons attend from time to time.
 

Plustax

Registered User
Why not make the GLoT mobile in that it's held at different locations every December? The museum & other permanent artifacts could be placed in a much smaller place (or even build one). Annual meeting could be held in convention centers in different cities. The savings woud be awesome. Kind of like the way Tranquility Lodge is done throughout the year. Or why not rent a much smaller place if office space is needed? If I can manage multi million dollar projects remotely from home & work with teams all over the world, then surely it can be done throughout Texas. We have the tools and technology to maintain the GLoT from different areas. OR is it that people want to continue using old methods? This is a "do-able" solution, we just need to accept & get with "the times". I'm not asking to dilute Masonry... Just manage the GLoT more efficiently & smarter. Face it.... Financial times are not getting better in our State for many reasons.. Immigration, population growth, education, longer life expectancy, Medicare/Medicaid cuts, VA cuts, etc... We need to work/manage more efficiently.
 

RedTemplar

Johnny Joe Combs
Premium Member
Instead of bricks and mortar, Masons everywhere should be more concerned about the needs of the Temple that is taught in the Northeast Corner of the EA Degree.
 

relapse98

Registered User
I second the notion of selling the GL building, moving into a smaller more appropriate venue in Austin, and rotating the state convention each year. A historic library/ management office in Austin would require far less in upkeep, and would be endowed for quite the length of time via the funds from the sale of the first building.

The only problem I have with this, and otherwise I completely love it and think we could build a nice looking building for the museum, library, archive and offices, is that who on earth would buy it?
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Why not make the GLoT mobile in that it's held at different locations every December?

States that rotate locations have a tendency to settle on one city for a while. I suspect if you look over a long enough time scale it becomes a cycle of wandering, settling, then wandering again.
 

relapse98

Registered User
States that rotate locations have a tendency to settle on one city for a while.

Have Texas OES and Rainbow run into that problem?

(I kind of know the answer, OES seems to move all the time, never staying in 1 place more than 2 years from what I can find and Rainbow the same thing although that might be changing here soon for them)
 

Plustax

Registered User
Here... Here.... I second that. Well said brother.

Several years ago, I realized that I needed to make some radical decisions in order to secure my financial future. I sold a beloved automobile, several firearms, paid off all my bills, downsized into a smaller home, and improved my career options. Thankfully, I now enjoy the benefit of having made the effort.

If a man, a country, or an organization of any kind does not do the same, what is the destiny that can be expected?

Regardless of what side of the fence you are on, this cannot end well if GLoT cannot get it together. If that means downsizing into smaller accommodations, then that is what we need to do……not to save the Grand Lodge, or money, but Masonry in Texas.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Several years ago, I realized that I needed to make some radical decisions in order to secure my financial future. I sold a beloved automobile, several firearms, paid off all my bills, downsized into a smaller home, and improved my career options. Thankfully, I now enjoy the benefit of having made the effort.

If a man, a country, or an organization of any kind does not do the same, what is the destiny that can be expected?

Regardless of what side of the fence you are on, this cannot end well if GLoT cannot get it together. If that means downsizing into smaller accommodations, then that is what we need to do……not to save the Grand Lodge, or money, but Masonry in Texas.
While I agree with your sentiment, history has proved over and over what large corporations and governments have done.

Politics are not to play a part in Masonry but you're seeing what politicking does in the organization and it is not limited to masonry.
 
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