Personal attendance

[jharmon79]

My lodge meets on the second Tuesday of each month. However, my job requires me to work late on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday's. I have not been to my lodge for a meeting since the night I was raised. I don't know what to do. I don't want the brothers to feel like I've just abandoned everything, I don't want to be a mason that just pays his dues yearly. I want to be involved! I typically am not able to leave work on those days until 7:30. I just really don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Bro. John S. Harmon

 

[Browncoat]

Find another Lodge that meets on a different night or arrange your work schedule so that you can attend. I don't really see a third option.

 

[Bro. Stewart P.M.]

My lodge meets on the second Tuesday of each month. However, my job requires me to work late on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday's. I have not been to my lodge for a meeting since the night I was raised. I don't know what to do. I don't want the brothers to feel like I've just abandoned everything, I don't want to be a mason that just pays his dues yearly. I want to be involved! I typically am not able to leave work on those days until 7:30. I just really don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Bro. John S. Harmon

Call the Secretary and let him know what is going on... I bet that they are curious as to where you have been, etc. If the situation does not improve, it may not be a bad idea to look for a second Lodge that meets on nights that you do not have to work.

 

[Brother_Steve]

My lodge meets on the second Tuesday of each month. However, my job requires me to work late on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday's. I have not been to my lodge for a meeting since the night I was raised. I don't know what to do. I don't want the brothers to feel like I've just abandoned everything, I don't want to be a mason that just pays his dues yearly. I want to be involved! I typically am not able to leave work on those days until 7:30. I just really don't know what to do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Bro. John S. Harmon

remember your cabletow. Your brethren should understand. Does your Lodge have any official functions such as square and compass clubs or craftsmans clubs? We have members who come out to our open dinners but miss the started meetings. I always look forward to seeing them when I can.

Was this an issue while you were coming up through the degrees?

 

[jharmon79]

Yes, it was an issue during my degrees. But my coach rearranged his schedule to very graciously accommodate me. Again they wanted to coach on Tuesdays and Thursdays but rearranged it for me to Mondays and Wednesdays.

Again, I really appreciate all of the info and have learned so much from this site.

Bro. John S. Harmon

 

[rfuller]

Well, just looking at your Location on here, I was able to find this information for you: http://www.scgrandlodgeafm.org/18th-district.html I'm not sure how many of these are reasonably close to you, but it looks like you have a lot of options inside of your district. Yours is a fairly common problem. I would let your secretary know what's going, on, make sure your dues are current, and do some traveling. We frequently have visiting brethren from nearby lodges. Don't look at it as abandoning your mother lodge as much as you are just expanding your circle of friendship and brotherly love. Best of luck!

 

[Companion Joe]

I have to agree with the rest; if the working on meeting nights is a perpetual thing, and you want to be active, I don't see any other option other than finding a lodge that meets on nights you can attend. I know in my case, within a 30-minute drive there are lodges that meet Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

I went through a long stretch of my Masonic career where I couldn't hold office or attend more than 3-4 meetings a year because of my job. Changing lodges (even if I had wanted to) wouldn't have made a difference because I could randomly have to work at night any night of the week. Thankfully, I got off that sinking ship.

Life would be so much better if work didn't get in the way of what we wanted to do!

 

[john76]

I also work nights but help out on the weekends and before work.