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What to do at the lodge when there are no degrees to perform?

sdh0158

Registered User
Our lodge is very active and meets every week. There has been a tremendous slowdown in petitions and brothers advancing through the degrees so figuring out what to fill the time with has been difficult. There is only so many Masonic education events a lodge can do before it gets boring and redundant. Any ideas what else to fill the time with?
 

jjjjjggggg

Premium Member
We meet every week, which I think is great. I look forward to that one day a week to meet with brothers and don't think once a month would be enough.

We "fill the time" by not only using it as opportunities for masonic education, but we work on floor work and memorization. But I wouldn't short change the need for solid yet interesting education. A brother is selected in our lodge to come up with something and present it, and there is just so much stuff out there to cover. If I come away from a meeting feeling like I've learned something, especially something that helps me be not only a better mason, but a better man, I feel satisfied.
 

Zack

Registered User
We have one business (stated) meeting per month. We meet each week for practice for up coming degrees and next years officers practice. All our degrees are done on "called" meetings.
 

JJones

Moderator
I'd re-evaluate our masonic education program and see if I could determine what's making it boring and redundant. If our mission statement is to take good men and make them better then that should be the focus of our meetings should it not?

Masonic education is so broad that there should be enough variety to keep it interesting. It doesn't have to -directly- do with any of the symbolism or degree work either, so long as we leave the lodge better men than we were before we entered.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
The classic name is "practice charity" where the word charity is taken to mean love.

My mother lodge hosts a family dinner social on the second Tuesday of every month. Some sort of entertainment is booked. We've done everything from a swing band through a travelogue. Some are educational for most entertainment for some. Others are entertainment for most, educational for some.

Other good events are social meetings that do fundraising for charity, social meetings that do community service, social meetings at the orphans homes, bowling social events, golf social events, cigar smoker social events. By now you will have noticed that the word "social" is common to all of them. Fellowship is implicit in all of them as well.
 

sdh0158

Registered User
We do practice degrees and memorization work on Thursdays too. I believe the problem is that the guys want more variety than just this. We had 3 months of Masonic education and degree practice. I think they are wanting something different to do. All the petition seeking men that visit see that all we do is educational nights. Anyone have variety in mind?


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jjjjjggggg

Premium Member
I'd say spend some time visiting different lodge websites and see what they offer and what works for them. Then go back and kick the ideas around with your lodge brothers. Keep the focus of regular meetings and get your business done, and use the others times to get out and do social stuff that builds relationships.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
There is only so many Masonic education events a lodge can do before it gets boring and redundant.
Okay, I challenge. Have you:
given the one about the Masonic Lodge chartered on the Moon?
given the one about how the jewel of the JW is used to tell time?
given a brief Masonic biography of Brother Rudyard Kipling and then read his poem "If"?
given a brief Masonic biography of Brother Edgar Guest and then read his poem "Show Me"

I was able to put together the talks listed above with little more then an internet search and two large spheres of a copper and zinc alloy. If I had asked the Lodge beforehand if they "qualified" as "proper Masonic instruction" I probably would have been told no. Fortunately I didn't ask.

I talked about these topics because they interested and inspired me. What interests and inspires you? Maybe it is time something did.
 
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JJones

Moderator
Also, check out http://freemasonuniversity.com/

They have several courses over various subjects. All of which are FREE(!) and many include handouts you can print. Best of all, you don't have to present anything yourself if you don't like, just project the 15-20 minute video and cut the lights. These courses were pretty well received in my Chapter and Council bodies.
 

KSigMason

Traveling Templar
Site Benefactor
We do outings sometimes, practice ritual work, or do lectures/educational presentations in my Lodge.
 

Pscyclepath

Premium Member
We have our stated meetings once a month, on the first Thursdays. But then, there is something going on at the Lodge just about every day of ever week, except Sundays and some Fridays.

Monday evenings are the stated meetings and sisterhood gatherings for the Rainbow Girls, alternating with a meeting or a sisterhood every other week.

Tuesday evenings are set aside for the Eastern Star. They meet formally on the first Tuesday, and have priority on the lodge on subsequent Tuesdays for degrees, practice, or simple social evenings. They may not use every single Tuesday, but they are a fairly active bunch and the Rainbow Girls are glad to soak up any of the extra evenings when the Star isn't in session.

Wednesday nights are for Lodge practice and social gathering, with an equal measure of both. While the older brethren gather around the Table of Brotherly Love in the fellowship hall to drink coffee, make popgun & other light snacks, and swap lies and tall tales, some of us younger bucks retire to the lodge room or prep room to work on candidate proficiency or other ritual practice. Somewhere around 7:30 or so the Director of Work, one of our crusty old PMs, will break up the game and insist that it's time to practice opening and closing the lodge with the officers in their assigned chairs.

Thursdays, when there are no meetings, are set aside for degrees, and when there's no degree scheduled, we use it as a practice night, the same as Wedns. The 4th Thursday is set aside for Family Night, a social gathering and meal for all the Lodge family, as well as a monthly open house for anyone who might be interested in one of the various bodies.

Fridays are fairly quiet... as some of us need to spend at least one night a week at home with the family or whoever ;-)

Saturday mornings at 7:00 a.m. are set up for practice sessions for candidate education, or we junior guys use it for ritual instruction and practice while the older brethren trend toward coffee and doughnuts or sweet rolls. The Second Saturday is an open house, community breakfast for anyone, sort of like Family Night.

At any rate, we keep a pretty active schedule, and do our best to try to keep folks involved and entertained...
 

Levelhead

Premium Member
We practice degrees. We need to have a cleanup day once a month in my opinion.


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