Are Charitable Contributions only for the well to do?

We often hear about large sums of money left by big business owners to certain foundations.  Have you ever thought that could be you, and the organization could be your lodge, church, or other desired organization?  

The Bible teaches us to be good stewards.  Just what is a good steward?  A steward according to http://www.dictionary.com is 

a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

So, a  "good" steward is someone who is good at managing the affairs of another person, or business entity.  Therefore, a husband is the steward of his wife, while a brother, noble, companion, night, etc is  a steward of his lodge, temple, rite, etc.  Is it logical to be one and not the other?

We all know a good family plan includes covering the loss of income should you die.  It should also include the payoff of cars, credit cards, provisions for burial expenses, school, and various other things depending upon ones age. The younger you are the more of these to cover.  Whereas the older one is chances are these have all over time been cared for.  But what about your lodge, church, or other interest?  

Daily operations of any business continue.  Utilities have to be paid. In some cases mortgages still have to be paid.  Then there is property insurance, salaries, maintenance, heating and air conditioners, plumbing, and electrical issues.  From where does this money come? The lodges savings, of course! Sometimes isolated incidences can drastically deplete these funds.  Do you have a plan in place to replace these funds?

Without increasing the fund raisers, let me suggest another solution.  We all have various accounts to cover various situations.  Savings accounts are set up to cover what insurance doesn't cover, ie replacing a refrigerator, or covering air conditioner and stove repairs.  Then we have a longer term savings accounts such as CD's, or money market accounts.  Plans like 529 plans cover college education.  Auto and health insurance cover their respective places. Up another notch so to speak are retirement plans.  Finally insurance covers sudden unexpected loss.

For less than the cost of a soft drink at lunch, depending upon your age, you could affordably donate to your lodge, church, or other organization.  What's more, after a few years you could have money built up to contribute to a building/maintenance project or emergency without dipping into either your own funds or making a special contribution.  Why should your lodge have to borrow money ever again?  

For more information, and a private consultation, call:  9195234910

Spread the word

After the coffee started to kick in this morning, I realized I hadn't added to my blog in a while, and the idea of spreading the word in this weeks issue of the TMR inspired me.  Simply put, it's all about how you market your lodge, Masonry, events, fund raisers, etc.

Now I don't have a degree in marketing, but I have been the opening manager for a couple of hotel groups. Most of you who know me also know I became the Membership Chairman for the Rites, the Amran Temple, and now my own lodge, and I LOVE it!

I believe in my heart, we are seeing a new generation of men looking for Masonry.  The television is full of shows like "the Curse of Oak Island", which traces Masonic history.  I look around my own lodge and see brothers eyes widen from interest as you mention the light.  So how do we reach them?

First, we DON'T reach them talking about  our past issues!  That's water under the bridge as my mom would say.  No one cares anymore!  Today's group is different!  The problems, or should I say problem people, have died off.  We need to learn from the past and move on!!!

So listen up OLD GUYS!  By the way that is not a reference to age, but longevity in the craft.  You should be COACHING the new brothers.  If you are talking about the past, unless you are using it to teach what not to do, YOU ARE NOT BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE!!!

Today's generation of Masons are daily reminded of community involvement especially if they work for a corporation.  Food banks, blood banks, rescue missions, etc are the types of groups they are referred to.  What comes to mind when I say children's hospital?  ST. JUDE'S right?  Why not Shriner's Hospitals?  To be a Shriner, one has to be a Mason.  So why do you not hear about the work of Shriner's Hospitals?  Because Masonry is not being marketed!  Ask any person under say 40 years of age and their response will be, "oh yeah, my granddad used to ..."

To be marketed, it has to be public!  Why was Masonry so popular years ago?  It was the talk of many small towns due to parades, fish fries, the circus, bake sales, etc.  Do you see work here, or do you see opportunity?  While work was involved the opportunity was benevolence.  We are a humanitarian philanthropy helping children with eye problems, spinal problem, burn issues, cleft palates, and numerous other medical issues.  Is that what you think of when you plan your fund raiser or are called upon to serve? 

But, I can't recruit due to the restrictions?  What restrictions?  2B1ASK1?  NONSENSE!!!  This is why it  is important for your spouse to be involved.  She can engage the conversation about you to elicit the question.  OR, you can go another route on the web, http://beashrinernow.com.  But, I am not a Shriner.  YOU NEED TO GO TO THE SITE!  First to be a Shriner, you have to be a Mason.  For those who respond, a MASON will reach out to the petitioner to discuss the next step.  Get the picture?  If you are not a Shriner, you are missing several opportunities here.  First,  you are missing the opportunity to recruit for your lodge!.  Second, you are missing the benevolence for the children, the parades, community response at fish fries, or the look in the eyes of hurting children.  So why would you not want to join?  

Brothers who JUST COME TO LODGE don't get to see the big picture, unless the OLD GUYS are willing to show them.  For this reason, my goal this year is to get a display table in EVERY lodge which displays ALL of the materials for our numerous groups.  Then they can choose their level of participation, based on the length of their cabletow.  

This brings me finally to the purpose of the TRIANGLE MASONIC REPORT which takes all of this one step higher by providing your lodge, Rite, Shrine, or other Masonic body (including women's functions) information to every Mason (to include the O.E.S. AND OTHERS).  The goal is to show them you are out there!  Then, they will come.  What do we need more of?  It starts in the lodge!