What did you guys think about the whole thing?
I thought it wasn't much more than a fundraiser for Grand Lodge. A lot of GL officers and staff were very happy to pat themselves on the back for what I thought was one of the most poorly organized, inefficient educational seminars I'd ever been to. The material presented on screen rarely matched the workbook, and it barely scratched the surface of many of the topics that were covered. There were a few decent topics such as Risk Management, but most of it wasn't really all that useful if you've pciked up a law book or a monitor before.
Was it worth the $125 of the Lodge's money to send you?
No. There was nothing whatsoever taught the entire weekend that I hadn't already read in the Law Book, Monitor, A.L.L. or other programs. The presenters were good speakers, but most of the material was fairly worthless and outdated, and worse, the take home material only loosely matched the presented material.
Are you going back?
Absolutely. The exposure to a concentrated number of current and past Grand Lodge officials is worth twice what the retreat cost. I was able to put my finger directly on the pulse of Grand Lodge and learn everything I needed to know to understand where Texas Masonry is today, and exactly what the people running it are trying to accomplish. Add in the ability to hear directly from other lodges, speak to other brothers, and witness the repetitive nature of easily answered questions from the group and the trip has more than paid for itself.
What would you like to see different next time?
LOL
Did you enjoy the Q&A at the end?
Immensely. I asked some questions that not many people liked being asked, and the answers I got back confirmed a lot for me.