What do you have to share? Over the last several years, after I joined the blue lodge, I have had the pleasure of doing one thing that intrigues me, observe people, in particular fellow Masons. The blue lodge was very eager to raise me. After that, I waited for all of the things, I called exciting, Masonry had to offer. And, I waited! My curiosity lead me to the York Rite first. I observed a whole new set of issues. I then traveled through the sands gaining yet, different experiences. Next I ended up in the Scottish Rite, where I heard they had a larger participation. From this trip, I saw numerous needs similar to mine that were not getting fulfilled. Among them, I saw the loss of membership through attrition. Lodges are out there begging for help because they do not have enough available officers. I saw lodges with waiting lines for officers. Yet, I talked to brothers who were dropping out, or were dissatisfied with their lodge, and about to drop out. How could some lodges be thriving, while others could barely hold meetings. I asked myself, what could I do?
The good news is apparently, I am not alone. I see other brothers in the same vein, offering numerous ideas. Have we gotten to the root cause? What is the root cause? In this day and age, time is precious. The cable tow is often stretched so tight. We don't have much time. No one is asking you to do it all, only what you can do! For some that might be going through the chairs. For others that might be serving on a committee. Have you thought about being a "mentor"?
The Masonic Experience starts in the blue lodge. Do we have a higher level of Masonry? I have heard brothers say, I belong to the York Rite, or the Scottish Rite. I have seen brothers bypass the Rites and become Shriners. They try to suggest one body is better than another. Seriously? What did you have to do to become a member of that body? You then joined that body to enhance your own Masonic Experience, but not because it was itself a higher experience. We should encourage our entered apprentices to gain their own experience for a better understanding by becoming members in all the bodies they can handle. We need to not forget if it wasn't for the blue lodge we wouldn't have our own Masonic Experience to talk about. We can share our experience with new brothers.
Before the candidate becomes an entered apprentice, he has to be investigated. Often, the wife leaves the room, the kids are not home or they to go to their rooms. The family does not share in the information given the new candidate. After a year the wife feels abandoned(divorced), the brother doesn't want his wife upset, so he stops attending lodge. We do him a disservice and Masonry because we failed to offer the whole Masonic package. The buzz is killed!
This next year, my passion is to change this. Through the Triangle Masonic Report, membership drives, presentations, Ambassadors, mentors, phone trees, etc. the intent is to make the information from all of the lodges, Rites, and Temples available to all Masons. Tthrough mass communication via the numerous links in the report into the many social networks, websites, and phone calls we can handle, this will be accomplished. This will provide all brothers equal access to all Masonry has to offer for the entire family. By being informed, each brother has the opportunity to go to any event he has rightful access to. The end result will be a better unified group of Masons as the brother gains new friendships. Another result will be more involvement. The ultimate goal is to increase numbers in all the lodges, Rites, and Temples. This is MY vision. I CAN do this. Will you share in this recrudescence?
