Bloke
Premium Member
I guess for many of us, it might be a bit early to answer this question... but we can take stock as at now..
Firstly, we have have a build up of applicants. One of my friends lodges here has 11 applications. We only get a few per year normally. Both my lodges have at least 4. Many have 4 to 8 - which is a busy year for a lodge here - we meet monthly and try to focus on qualify over quantity. One of my lodges has a joining member, the other has two; both reaffilating after having resigned years ago from other lodges, one interstate. We've had no resignations in either lodge. My mother Lodge reduced our dues from $250 to $70 (to cover the meetings we expected early this year). At the end of the day, we only collect dues to meet expenses and we've had very few (no rent, no catering). 62% of members are paid in full. 2 of them on payment plans. We've got 42 members. (I'm the Sec). That payment rate is slightly below average for this point in the year - I'd expect it to be around 70%. Last year we closed with 81% with zero balances, 2018/19 was 85% paid at 30 June (our year end).
We've stayed connected via ZOOM on the regular night we meet each month. Attendance has varied. The objectors were not the old, but technophobes and also men who spend all day on ZOOM for work. Our oldest ZOOMIE was 87 years of age, but he is cluey. We had applicants attend. Some were reluctant to do so, but after the first, they embraced it. They have been talk fests with drinks and snacks and meals. The latest one I was at (a Sat) finished at 4 am with the usual hanger-on-ers. Starting at 8 pm, many have gone past midnight. They were more akin to a virtual pub social than a virtual South.
GL and lodges have facilitated a lot of masonic education via ZOOM. It became the rage. It developed a Virtual Ritual (no signs) but gave the option of using it or not. No lodges I am a member of used it, and no lodges I "visited" via ZOOM used it, but I hear some lodges did employ it. The words were changed slightly and we should it would confuse newer Brothers.
Restrictions here have eased (we've been in two hard and long lockdowns with only essential workers able to go to work). We have WhatsApp Groups which have been busy. In Dec 2020, restrictions eased and my mother lodge went to the pub, had a BBQ with families and in Jan a working bee to ready out building. GL has encouraged all these things, but banned use of Masonic Buildings until Feb (with working bees allowed in Jan).
Feb has seen a return to meetings at the option of the lodges. Some have come back, some have not. On Sat my second Lodge meet, balloted and did business (We cannot work degrees until March, no thirds).
Members have done a lot of work via phone to keep connected. Members have dropped food into the needy/old/inform. We have distributed $6K to feed the needy during the Pandemic.
One of the best things we did, was at our second virtual meeting in April, passed a motion that decisions in ZOOM meetings would bind the lodge if properly summoned. That has allowed us to keep operating.
I am also in Chapter. They did a roll call every second month via email with reply all. (We meet every Second Month). In August and Oct we ran ZOOM meetings. Issue with my Chapter is it is full of older men, and some say they will not come back until after a vaccine.
How about your Craft Lodge or Other Order ?
Firstly, we have have a build up of applicants. One of my friends lodges here has 11 applications. We only get a few per year normally. Both my lodges have at least 4. Many have 4 to 8 - which is a busy year for a lodge here - we meet monthly and try to focus on qualify over quantity. One of my lodges has a joining member, the other has two; both reaffilating after having resigned years ago from other lodges, one interstate. We've had no resignations in either lodge. My mother Lodge reduced our dues from $250 to $70 (to cover the meetings we expected early this year). At the end of the day, we only collect dues to meet expenses and we've had very few (no rent, no catering). 62% of members are paid in full. 2 of them on payment plans. We've got 42 members. (I'm the Sec). That payment rate is slightly below average for this point in the year - I'd expect it to be around 70%. Last year we closed with 81% with zero balances, 2018/19 was 85% paid at 30 June (our year end).
We've stayed connected via ZOOM on the regular night we meet each month. Attendance has varied. The objectors were not the old, but technophobes and also men who spend all day on ZOOM for work. Our oldest ZOOMIE was 87 years of age, but he is cluey. We had applicants attend. Some were reluctant to do so, but after the first, they embraced it. They have been talk fests with drinks and snacks and meals. The latest one I was at (a Sat) finished at 4 am with the usual hanger-on-ers. Starting at 8 pm, many have gone past midnight. They were more akin to a virtual pub social than a virtual South.
GL and lodges have facilitated a lot of masonic education via ZOOM. It became the rage. It developed a Virtual Ritual (no signs) but gave the option of using it or not. No lodges I am a member of used it, and no lodges I "visited" via ZOOM used it, but I hear some lodges did employ it. The words were changed slightly and we should it would confuse newer Brothers.
Restrictions here have eased (we've been in two hard and long lockdowns with only essential workers able to go to work). We have WhatsApp Groups which have been busy. In Dec 2020, restrictions eased and my mother lodge went to the pub, had a BBQ with families and in Jan a working bee to ready out building. GL has encouraged all these things, but banned use of Masonic Buildings until Feb (with working bees allowed in Jan).
Feb has seen a return to meetings at the option of the lodges. Some have come back, some have not. On Sat my second Lodge meet, balloted and did business (We cannot work degrees until March, no thirds).
Members have done a lot of work via phone to keep connected. Members have dropped food into the needy/old/inform. We have distributed $6K to feed the needy during the Pandemic.
One of the best things we did, was at our second virtual meeting in April, passed a motion that decisions in ZOOM meetings would bind the lodge if properly summoned. That has allowed us to keep operating.
I am also in Chapter. They did a roll call every second month via email with reply all. (We meet every Second Month). In August and Oct we ran ZOOM meetings. Issue with my Chapter is it is full of older men, and some say they will not come back until after a vaccine.
How about your Craft Lodge or Other Order ?
