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Pros and Cons of Consolidation

bupton52

Moderator
Premium Member
What are your thoughts on this? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to having a single GL made up of a merger of the GL and PHGL of the respective state? What of one for the entire US modeled off of the way the UGLE is structured with provincial (state) GLs?


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Bloke

Premium Member
What are your thoughts on this? Is there any advantage or disadvantage to having a single GL made up of a merger of the GL and PHGL of the respective state? What of one for the entire US modeled off of the way the UGLE is structured with provincial (state) GLs?


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Two questions here in your post.
1 One GL per state?
Not a fan. Someone has to give up traditions and sign over assets. I like diversity in the Craft..

2 National GL?
Creates systemic risk and consolidating or regulating all GLs would be trick. You realize Sovereignty is important when someone tries to make you do something that you don't want to do...

I see economy of scale and administrative advantages, but they never outweigh the downsides.. nor the mindset it's often proposed in the context of managing decline which upsets me, stop the decline, or stop viewing it as decline....
 

Bloke

Premium Member
No, your dues would be similar, they'd just go to the UGLA instead of your province (state). Dues would also be the same nationwide.
Another problem would be the big states would swamp the small, unless you allot votes per Grand Lodge, but then a state of 1K masons has a the same vote as 100K.

Really, the only way to talk about this is what would be the advantages and a lot of people would see strengths as weaknesses..
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
You realize Sovereignty is important when someone tries to make you do something that you don't want to do...
Yep.
Can you imagine how much that would be? The pet capita alone would be outrageous!
Yep.
No, your dues would be similar, they'd just go to the UGLA instead of your province (state). Dues would also be the same nationwide.
Not necessarily.
Another problem would be the big states would swamp the small
Yep.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I am a member of a national GL. It offers no inherent benefits.

You would have one more layer between you and GL; you would be that much more detached from the decision making process.

This suggestion is sometimes driven by dislike for the policies of a particular GL. Those policies could become nationwide policies.

I am an officer in national bodies. Are you willing to travel across the country?

A national GL would require a full time GM. Either you rule out those without the means, or you pay a salary, and travel.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I am a member of a national GL. It offers no inherent benefits.

You would have one more layer between you and GL; you would be that much more detached from the decision making process.

This suggestion is sometimes driven by dislike for the policies of a particular GL. Those policies could become nationwide policies.

I am an officer in national bodies. Are you willing to travel across the country?

A national GL would require a full time GM. Either you rule out those without the means, or you pay a salary, and travel.
Excellent points!
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I didn't mean it that way, Glen, I just meant it seemed counterproductive to go back and recant.
It does bring up a question; does UGLE have "per capita?" My subscription is just a number with no breakdown.
 
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