Joseph_OConnor
Registered User
Good Afternoon Brothers,
I don't post a ton on in MoT, but I do read them quite a bit. Over the last year or so I it has been an invaluable resource in my own personal journey towards the Light because someone, somewhere, has had the same questions as I have and fortunately for me, they have posted them to this great group of brethren. I would like to post a request for aid, if you all can give me some opinion/ideas.
I am a young M.M. and was raised in January 2012. I love the craft and very much enjoy the brethren here in my local community in Fairbanks, AK. There are a couple of issues that I would like to help fix up here if I can, and from reading these forums, they seem to be quite common: Attendance and Communication. I was reading an article by Bro. Blake Bodwen, "The Definitive Guide On Improving Lodge Attendance" and there is a TON of great suggestions here. While I personally cannot take them all on, one of the ideas in the guide that immediately posed some real opportunity was the idea of a news letter.
We have three lodges in a fairly small area, Tanana No. 3, Fairbanks No. 12, and North Pole No 16, all filled with some really great folks. Although we all same the same work from the Grand Lodge of Alaska, they are definitely different when it comes to culture and environment (not in a bad way, just different). As you all notice in your own lodges, there is a variety of personalities, from all walks of life, experiences, talents, and all valuable members of the Masonic community. There also exists the various appending bodies (Shrine, SR, YR, Amaranth, etc) that many members from all three lodges are a part of. What I hope to accomplish is to have some coordination for events, communication for news and happenings, as well as to provide an outlet for the various appending bodies to let folks know what is going on with them as well. The attendance for events and meetings I feel will be a natural result of getting people more involved.
Chiefly I want to facilitate this communication for the three Blue Lodges. I have spoken with my WM about this and he thinks it is a great idea and will call a meeting with the other two WMs in the area. Before I get this meeting going, I want to have a very well flushed out template of a newsletter which I want to call "The Level". The title is meant to convey that while we all have our own (individual lodge) things going on, we are all brethren, and together, we are greater as a group. Many stories from some of the older members of my lodge about how in the past at this event or that, there was a huge attendance, or on the weekend, it was not uncommon for the shrine folks to go out to the lake, grill up some steaks etc and how we just don't do it anymore. I have always asked why don't we do this anymore? The answer is usually something to the effect of "Well it just stopped x amount of years ago". I don't presume that this newsletter will change everything but it is an effort that I feel over time can make a material difference. For myself, I want to get all these folks together and just get out and have good times with my brothers for no other reason that having a good time. I want to know when special events are going on at the other two lodges that I can help with, or someone who got some recognition at another lodge that i could call up and congratulate them. I think you get the general idea of where I am going with all of this. I don't know about y'all but even within my own lodge, let alone the other two, many brothers don't really know each other for basic bits of information like how many kids they have, or their wife's name or birthday etc. So below I have listed a couple of ideas that I have and I would very sincerely appreciate any ideas that I can add as sections to the newsletter. I want to get a very well made template that I can drop information into as I get it sent to me from the other lodges.
So here it goes (section titles very rough at this point):
1. Old Business (by lodge)
2. New business (by lodge)
3. Featured members (get to know a brother from each lodge) - bios of Bros that are confortable being featured
4. Educational Articles
5. For the good of the Order
6. Appending Bodies info
7. Comunity Outreach
8. ....More ideas...place yours here
That is a very rough sketch but I think you might see where I am headed. Any and all feedback is welcome and thank you so much in advance!
Blessings!
~Bro. Joseph O'Connor
I don't post a ton on in MoT, but I do read them quite a bit. Over the last year or so I it has been an invaluable resource in my own personal journey towards the Light because someone, somewhere, has had the same questions as I have and fortunately for me, they have posted them to this great group of brethren. I would like to post a request for aid, if you all can give me some opinion/ideas.
I am a young M.M. and was raised in January 2012. I love the craft and very much enjoy the brethren here in my local community in Fairbanks, AK. There are a couple of issues that I would like to help fix up here if I can, and from reading these forums, they seem to be quite common: Attendance and Communication. I was reading an article by Bro. Blake Bodwen, "The Definitive Guide On Improving Lodge Attendance" and there is a TON of great suggestions here. While I personally cannot take them all on, one of the ideas in the guide that immediately posed some real opportunity was the idea of a news letter.
We have three lodges in a fairly small area, Tanana No. 3, Fairbanks No. 12, and North Pole No 16, all filled with some really great folks. Although we all same the same work from the Grand Lodge of Alaska, they are definitely different when it comes to culture and environment (not in a bad way, just different). As you all notice in your own lodges, there is a variety of personalities, from all walks of life, experiences, talents, and all valuable members of the Masonic community. There also exists the various appending bodies (Shrine, SR, YR, Amaranth, etc) that many members from all three lodges are a part of. What I hope to accomplish is to have some coordination for events, communication for news and happenings, as well as to provide an outlet for the various appending bodies to let folks know what is going on with them as well. The attendance for events and meetings I feel will be a natural result of getting people more involved.
Chiefly I want to facilitate this communication for the three Blue Lodges. I have spoken with my WM about this and he thinks it is a great idea and will call a meeting with the other two WMs in the area. Before I get this meeting going, I want to have a very well flushed out template of a newsletter which I want to call "The Level". The title is meant to convey that while we all have our own (individual lodge) things going on, we are all brethren, and together, we are greater as a group. Many stories from some of the older members of my lodge about how in the past at this event or that, there was a huge attendance, or on the weekend, it was not uncommon for the shrine folks to go out to the lake, grill up some steaks etc and how we just don't do it anymore. I have always asked why don't we do this anymore? The answer is usually something to the effect of "Well it just stopped x amount of years ago". I don't presume that this newsletter will change everything but it is an effort that I feel over time can make a material difference. For myself, I want to get all these folks together and just get out and have good times with my brothers for no other reason that having a good time. I want to know when special events are going on at the other two lodges that I can help with, or someone who got some recognition at another lodge that i could call up and congratulate them. I think you get the general idea of where I am going with all of this. I don't know about y'all but even within my own lodge, let alone the other two, many brothers don't really know each other for basic bits of information like how many kids they have, or their wife's name or birthday etc. So below I have listed a couple of ideas that I have and I would very sincerely appreciate any ideas that I can add as sections to the newsletter. I want to get a very well made template that I can drop information into as I get it sent to me from the other lodges.
So here it goes (section titles very rough at this point):
1. Old Business (by lodge)
2. New business (by lodge)
3. Featured members (get to know a brother from each lodge) - bios of Bros that are confortable being featured
4. Educational Articles
5. For the good of the Order
6. Appending Bodies info
7. Comunity Outreach
8. ....More ideas...place yours here
That is a very rough sketch but I think you might see where I am headed. Any and all feedback is welcome and thank you so much in advance!
Blessings!
~Bro. Joseph O'Connor