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Ideas for Scottish Rite Club President

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
At the last meeting for the Llano County Scottish Rite Club (out of Austin Valley), I was elected to serve as President for the club. I would really like to hear from anyone else that has been President of a Scottish Rite club (or anyone that has been a member of one) that has some ideas on how to gain more interest and more attendance for the meetings. Something that seems to have worked for other clubs and made them successful in actually giving to the members so that the meetings are not just another "business" meeting to attend. Any ideas or thoughts would be very much appreciated. From what I have been told, the club really hasn't had too much activity in the recent past and I would like to hopefully change some of that up. Especially for our SR Brothers that are out in our neck of the woods and making it to Valley meetings isn't the easiest thing in the world to do.
 

tomasball

Premium Member
We had our best results when we started offering continuing education nights. Once a month we gathered for supper, and the brothers took turns researching and presenting material on the SR degrees, one by one. We've been at it a couple of years, and next month we finish the 32nd.
 

Mac

Moderator
Premium Member
tomasball said:
We had our best results when we started offering continuing education nights. Once a month we gathered for supper, and the brothers took turns researching and presenting material on the SR degrees, one by one. We've been at it a couple of years, and next month we finish the 32nd.

This is exactly what I wish we had in this area. To the original poster, this is a great idea to incorporate into your plan. Honestly, without the Master Craftsman program, I never would have really looked at the non-exemplified degrees.

Continuing education nights would be a great chance to review the degrees. It also gives new brothers the opportunity to prepare the next meeting's presentation!
 

tomasball

Premium Member
Sometime in March or April your club should have (with the approval of your Valley leadership) a Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal. In our area that has always been an event the brethren looked forward to. We have usually done it as an open meeting with a nice dinner.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
We had our best results when we started offering continuing education nights

Yea, that is something that I have been kicking around. Well, more than kicking around. Been talking with the past President and trying to figure out how to work something out like that. The attendance to the Club meetings have dropped dramatically (before I started attending) and that is something that I am wanting to offer so that the members, and potential new members, can have a reason to want to attend more. The education part of it all has been a big thing for me and one of the biggest things I want the Club to start working on. The previous President also started the ball rolling on having a knowledgable Brother come out to our Club and lead a block of instruction on the degrees and help those that are particpating in the MCP. I would like to initiate a study group and all work on it together. He also got the ball rolling on our Club being able to start doing one of the degrees when the Valley has a Reunion.

What was the manner that your Club would communicate with its members? Email? Phone? Dropping by the local Blue Lodge meetings and just putting info about the Club out there?


Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal

Can you tell more about this? What was mostly on the agenda or what all ya'll did to set this up? I haven't seen or even heard about one of these, so really am curious about it. Why is it the Valley would have to approve?
 

tomasball

Premium Member
Up until 1994, it was the custom for 18th degree masons to gather on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) to observe a traditional ceremony in which candles were one by one extinguished in memory of the benefactors of mankind who have suffered and died at the hands of those they wished to help. Then they would gather on Easter Morning to relight the candles and reaffirm that good and light will eventually triumph over darkness. Very beautiful ceremony.

In 1994, a somewhat different ceremony was adopted, the Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal. It is supposed to take place as close as possible to the vernal equinox, March 21. There are several parts to the ceremony; a memorial to members who died in the previous year, a "mystic banquet" with lamb, bread, and wine, extinguishing the candles, and relighting the candles. The ritual is in the third edition of the Scottish Rite Monitor, I think. The Austin Scottish Rite website says that they will be doing it as part of their stated meeting on April 4. Since it is an official event of the Chapter of Rose Criox, it usually needs their permission for a club to do it on their own.
 

tomasball

Premium Member
In our case, we got the continuing ed project started by me talking it up amongst members when we were together at other masonic functions. When we had a nucleus of ten guys who had strongly endorsed the idea, we chose a meeting night, and got the ball rolling. A brother from San Antonio, where they were already doing it, came down and presented the first evening's program. After that, someone would volunteer to do the next month's program. And another guy volunteered to bring supper. Everyone kicked in ten bucks to cover the food and room rental.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
I appreciate all the information. It feels like the start is going to be a bit of an uphill battle when I look at the membership numbers to the club and the numbers of attendance in recent years, but thankfully I haven't gotten discouraged yet...lol Again, not saying anything to take away from prior leadership, but I believe that the members want something other than just another "business" meeting that they need to attend every quarter. I love Masonry, and I love the education and ritual side of it all. I don't think that I would be wrong in saying that the majority of the other Brothers enjoy that stuff too. I mean, what is it we were all seeking??...

I believe (and am hoping), that if I am able to bring some education and more of a purpose to the club, the membership and attendance will pick back up. I know there are several Scottish Rite Brothers that are in my area that I interact with that really want to have more of an active role with the Scottish Rite side of the house. However, being so far outside of Austin and some members out here being old or disabled, it is very hard for them to get to Austin. Not counting those that are younger but just don't have the extra time or financial means to make it to the Valley once a month for the stated meetings, much less more trips to Austin each month for something else that the Valley offers its members.

Lol then again I just may be daydreaming a lot hahah Really, though. Thansk for all the information. I will for sure be referring to what has been posted and see what it can help with in the Club.
 
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