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Lodge Newsletters

david918

Premium Member
I have no idea if we can have them here in Texas but the newsletter from my new lodge in Minnesota has ads.
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
I do not know about the Newsletters, but I know that in the Internet Committee Standards for website, "linking to a non-Masonic entity should not be permitted". So I would probably say no, but I do not know if there are any standards for Lodge Newsletters for sure.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
What about selling adds to near by lodges advertising their meetings or an upcoming event? I have kicked that around.
 

nick1368

Registered User
That is a good question. We used to have a newsletter and I really would like to start a quarterly one up again this year. But with money being tight I am just not sure how to sell the idea to the members. I strongly feel that if the 90% of members who don't attend a regular meeting knew more about what was going on, maybe we could get just 20% more of our members active. I am starting my year with 302 members on the roll and we have about 25-30 at a stated meeting, there has to be away to get more of our members involved. I thought that bringing a web-site online would help, but I honestly don't know how many actually know about it. Okay, I have ranted enough.....
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Sorry, guys. Grand Master's Decision 2003-#1 answers the question "Is it permissible for a Lodge to include advertisements in its newsletter to defray the cost of the publication?" thus: "No. Article 505.3 prohibits such advertisements."

Here's the text of Art. 505.3 (4):

"4. Publish or print, or participate in the publishing or printing, or advertise in, subscribe for or, solicit advertisement or subscriptions for, or otherwise knowingly aid, any publication not authorized under the Laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas and approved by the Grand Master, which publication uses the word “Masonry,” “Masons,” or any derivations of such word, in the title, slogan, catch word or advertisements of such publication, or any insignia, emblems, hieroglyphs, or Masonic picturization as a part of the format of such publication or which purports to be for or in the interest of Masons or Masonry, except as permitted under the immediately preceding subparagraph."
 
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Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
That is a good question. We used to have a newsletter and I really would like to start a quarterly one up again this year. But with money being tight I am just not sure how to sell the idea to the members.

We produce a quarterly newsletter as one of the qualifying elements for the Vanguard Award. We distribute it via email, which costs nothing. For those few Brethren who do not have email, we print it on one sheet & distribute it at the stated meetings. The cost for that is minimal. Something to consider.
 

nick1368

Registered User
Good Idea Bro. Bill. I guess the intial one we could mail out to all members with an email address to subscribe that way EVERYONE knows about it and if they want to know what is going they can and we are just wasting paper. Thanks!
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Sorry, guys. Grand Master's Decision 2003-#1 answers the question "Is it permissible for a Lodge to include advertisements in its newsletter to defray the cost of the publication?" thus: "No. Article 505.3 prohibits such advertisements."

Here's the text of Art. 505.3 (4):

"4. Publish or print, or participate in the publishing or printing, or advertise in, subscribe for or, solicit advertisement or subscriptions for, or otherwise knowingly aid, any publication not authorized under the Laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas and approved by the Grand Master, which publication uses the word “Masonry,†“Masons,†or any derivations of such word, in the title, slogan, catch word or advertisements of such publication, or any insignia, emblems, hieroglyphs, or Masonic picturization as a part of the format of such publication or which purports to be for or in the interest of Masons or Masonry, except as permitted under the immediately preceding subparagraph."

Seems like in my Texas Mason Magazine there were all kinds of advertisements.... HMMMMM :7:
 

Ashton Lawson

Premium Member
Exactly what I had been thinking. In fact, it seems like my "magazine" consisted of a brief but reasonable admonishment from the MWGM, something else that was so useful I forgot what it was, and then the rest was full page ads.

Very valuable magazine for certain. I can sure see why we'd need to keep it coming... :42:
 
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