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Update: I'm to be installed as Junior Warden mid-December!

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I've taken the advice of the outgoing master and have already started planning my year as master in 2020.

I have 8 programs I'd like to do if I get to the East.

My question is: Do I save the ideas for myself or do I present my ideas to the incoming master for him to potentially fill in any gaps he may have?

I want to go with the latter, but then I'd have to brainstorm again to come up with something fresh for my year.

Also, if I go with the latter, I would have to do same for the master in 2019.

What say you?
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
Present them to the new WM and see what he thinks. Depending on the programs you won't be able to get everything done in your year. Many times accomplishing certain goals is a multi-year endeavor. I started some things during my year and they will be carried on by my successor next year. Trying to accomplish too much may, in fact, lead to accomplishing nothing.

I would sit down and look at what you want to do and set certain goals. Can what you are planning be done in a year? Will what you want to do benefit the Lodge and Brethren as a whole? You will find that being Master will also be a time consuming position and you will have to deal with things that may derail others.

Congrats on moving to the South. Learn as much as you can from those in the East while you can.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
All of the pedestal officers should share their plans. That includes prospective pedestal officers so the JW should inform the SD and JD.

The problem with keeping it to yourself is what the cartoon Dilbert called "bungee management". Each new manager would say "Hello. I'm new. Let's change everything." Then get pulled back out of the group. While every WM should have a program, those programs should flow together. Both unity and change together in a compromise.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
It sounds like you have a Lodge that supports multiple programs readily. Just out of curiosity, what kind of programs are we talking about?

2017 saw:

Each "-" represents an individual stated meeting

January:
- We went over how investigations and balloting works.
-EA degree
February
- You can't do that!
- EA Degree
March
- Explanation of EA degree
- Official Visit from DDGM
April
- FC Degree
- Explanation of FC degree
May
- Rainbow Girls and what they do for our children.
- MM Degree.
June (One stated meeting)
- Hawaiian Shirt Night
July
- Dark
August
- Dark
September
- Visit from GM and discussed Charity // Masonic home // A R.Worshipful also discussed his time on the fire department during 9-11 in NYC.
- yet another EA degree
October
- Officer Nominations
- Regular Stated. I think we did some balloting on candidates iirc
November
- Elections
- (Next meeting is yet another EA degree.)
December
- Suspensions for NPD
- Open installation on the 17th (with dispensation to do it on a Sunday)

I would like to do:
  • Masonry in the Civil War
  • Masonry in the 13 colonies
  • History of P2 Lodge: Fact v. Fiction!
  • An educational Rite Worshipful from PHAoNJ to speak about PHA Masonry
  • The History of Allaire State Park in New Jersey. It was once owned by a Brother who was a Loyalist.
  • Duties of the DDGM. We "know" what he does, but what does he really do?
I have a few others on my excel sheet, but the above is what I'm forwarding to the SW and WM Elect.
 
Last edited:

Keith C

Registered User
I am in the same position as you are. On December 13th I should be elected JW and officially take the office on St. John's Day. Myself, the current JW and SW (SW & WM next year) have a meeting next Monday to go over in detail the plans for next year, review the 5 year plan for the lodge from last year and revise it going forward. I attended the last district board of governors meeting, where all the WMs presented the plans for next year and submitted them to the DDGM. We also learned some of the expectations of our incoming GM, part of which is to include a Masonic Education topic at every Stated Meeting, and the exclusion of topics that amount to "how to do this bit of ritual" as topics, as they are already covered at District School. So in my Jurisdiction it sounds like your plan is getting there.

I think it is very important to get the input from your WM and SW as to your plans and also seek the advice of the last few PMs as well as you DDGM.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I've taken the advice of the outgoing master and have already started planning my year as master in 2020.

I have 8 programs I'd like to do if I get to the East.

My question is: Do I save the ideas for myself or do I present my ideas to the incoming master for him to potentially fill in any gaps he may have?

I want to go with the latter, but then I'd have to brainstorm again to come up with something fresh for my year.

Also, if I go with the latter, I would have to do same for the master in 2019.

What say you?
A three year plan is better than a 1 year plan. We'd had some good success with our WM, SW and JW develping strategic 3 year plans rather than just one for a single year.

I would not be "saving them up "
 

David Duke

Premium Member
My question is: Do I save the ideas for myself or do I present my ideas to the incoming master for him to potentially fill in any gaps he may have?

I want to go with the latter, but then I'd have to brainstorm again to come up with something fresh for my year........

What say you?

It looks like you have already answered your own question but I will still give you my thoughts.

You should be doing this for the Lodge not yourself, if a program is ready and will benefit the Lodge and the sitting WM is willing to put in place why “save” it? By saving or holding back something you would be doing this to make yourself look good and not looking out for the best interests of the Lodge or your Brothers. Besides a good program may lead to ideas to an even better one during your year.

My main point is do what is best for the Lodge and your Brothers, not what would be more convenient for yourself.


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
You should be doing this for the Lodge not yourself, if a program is ready and will benefit the Lodge and the sitting WM is willing to put in place why “save” it? By saving or holding back something you would be doing this to make yourself look good and not looking out for the best interests of the Lodge or your Brothers. Besides a good program may lead to ideas to an even better one during your year.

My main point is do what is best for the Lodge and your Brothers, not what would be more convenient for yourself.
Makes sense.
 
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