my issue with this whole thing is you have lodges struggling to survive. The cup is empty. I see lodges having fundraisers 4-12 times a year. I feel that the grand line up needs to become less a celeb stautus and instead of at the end of the year posting your resume of how many places you have visited, post what you have done to make this grand lodge better and more stable for the future. I could care less how many days our Grand master is out traveling. Spend less time traveling and come up with ways to produce. Im not asking them to do anything i would not. Our grand lodge has the resources to do whatever they want. We could pull off any fundraiser and it would be a success. My shrine unit that has close to 50 members just brought in $40,000 at a fishing tournament. I cant imagine what the GLOT could do.
Have any of you looked at the financial report the grand lodge sends out? It is worth looking into and comparing our funds over the last few years. I know the market has taking a beating. But to leave our money in it and to let it continue to have taken the beating like it has makes me feel that it has been neglected. I know that this is not politicly what I should be saying but it needs to be said. I have seen my lodge go from financially having nothing to having something at the end of the year. Many of my close friends and brothers have spent time away from home and families and helped raise this money. Before the GLOT takes more from my lodge I want to be assured that they are doing more to help the cause. Not just holding a hand out.
I agree that we need an increase. One like this can hurt more than help. We have paid a cheap price for Masonry through the years. We still should not kick our struggling lodges to the side. These lodges are made up of our brothers hard work past and present that can use help. This should have realy gone up through the years. With all this said we need to pray for Masonry in Texas and the GLOT. There is an inexaustable source above that can help.
I don’t mind paying a few more bucks, even if it means that lodges will have to raise their dues to pay the GL per capita increase. I believe Freemasonry is too cheap anyway.
I went to Doric Lodge No. 420 stated meeting last week, and the guest speaker was R.W. Thomas W. Jackson, Past Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. His talk was about the different styles of Freemasonry around the world, and the decline of Freemasonry in North America. He said that Freemasonry has been on the decline in North America because the prominent members of society do not see any value in it anymore. He went on to say that in countries around the world, where freemasonry is thriving and growing, dues are up in the range of $1,000 to $3,000 per year. Those society’s see a perceived value, therefore they attract the prominent members of society according to his research.
I thought his speech was very interesting, and he added that we may not agree with him but says that people are starting to listen to him, as he has traveled to all four corners of the world and has research to prove it.
You can see his credentials here:
http://www.pagrandlodge.org/freemason/1299/honor.html
And Here:
http://www.pagrandlodge.org/freemason/1299/retire.html
Brethren, these are his views and not mine. I found them interesting as did the entire lodge that night. He was giving two standing ovations for expressing his views and opinions.
I don't mind the extra dollars to GL either, but it seems just a symptom of a larger issue. It seems the issue really becomes how do we change the perception of people to show the value of Masonry? What are our Europeon Brothers doing that we are not?
Bro. Dave,
You may not like his answer, but what he told us was that in the lodges that are thriving and growing, dues are high, and it is very hard to become a mason. In some countries it takes up to seven years from the day you get initiated until the day you become a Master Mason, and that's after they have been on a waiting list in some countries for years. He says that the perceived value has declined because we have made it too easy for someone to become a Freemason in North America. All this comes as Pennslyvania is now allowing one day classes for all three degrees, which Bro. Thomas says is a big mistake from his own GL.
I am trying to get his email, so I can ask him for a copy of his paper. He is quite a speaker, and even though these are his views and opinions, it stimulates your mind and gets you to think about it.
I agree, in principle. If we were to sell the property we currently have & build or buy an office building, we could rent out the space we were not using & make the building pay for itself. Why should that building in Waco? Austin is much more accessible & the seat of our state government. There is also a greater demand for office space in Austin, which would make our excess space easier to lease.
As to the Grand Communication, why not move it around to different areas of the state every year, such as other bodies do? This year- Dallas. Next year- Houston. The following year- Lubbock, and so on. This way we could have various hotels & meeting centers compete for our business, rather than be a sitting target for the Waco hotels as we have been for years. This would also let the Lodges in the area in which the Grand Communication is being held that year act as hosts & give them a chance to shine.
I don't claim that this is the best idea, but I believe it's worthy of consideration.
Curious what the "Reimb Use of Facilities" line item is for. Could we not be renovate the building for concerts and other events to be held there? I know Waco has other locations that people can use but as it grows we could capitalize on that.
At $18.52 x 60,000= $1,111,200. However we are projecting a 525000 in dues and fees. I thought our dues to the GLoTX is $14.50, if that is the case we only have 36206.90 members. I thought this number was higher in Texas.