Don't Waste His Time
That dude is busy!
I spend a lot of time reading here on Substack. I rather consider that time like mining for gold. You have to dig through a lot of sand, but once in awhile you find a great nugget, making the entire process worthwhile.
And I don’t really limit that reading. I read whatever might catch my fancy. And of course, I read everything Masonic that I come across.
But one thing I never read are the countless essays about “How To Succeed On Substack!” “Growth Hacks For Substack!” “Get Rich Quick With Substack!” There’s an awful lot of that drek here, and I never read it because it is all nothing but a grift. Scammers gotta scam and all that.
But what I do read, whenever I find them, are essays about the craft of writing.
Why?
Because when you read my words, you are giving me your time and attention. It is really important to me that in turn, I actually earn your time and attention. I don’t want to flood your inbox with junk, I want to give you things that will help in your own Masonic life, and that you can use to make a difference in your Lodge.
I want to be worthy.
So, I read about how to become a better writer.
Today, I ran across this post:
It’s excellent, and I’m very pleased to recommend it to you. Please take a few minutes to read it, there is much wisdom within it.
If you don't want to read it though, let me give you the highlight. Vonnegut’s First Rule:
“Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.”
Excellent advice for a writer!
But is it also not excellent advice for a Worshipful Master?
We ask our Brothers to come, members and visitors alike, to sit in our Lodge with us. To give up an evening that could otherwise be spent in the comfort of home. We ask that they step away from their wife, children, video game, television, podcast, beer, easy chair, or whatever they might be into.
When they do that, it becomes our duty as Worshipful Master to see that they do not return home feeling that their time was wasted.
If we fail, and our Brothers feel like the meeting was a waste, well, they will be less likely to come next time. If that happens long enough, our Lodge will die.
But, if we succeed, and our Brothers feel like they left the meeting with something of value, well then our Lodge will be set on a track to thrive.
That’s really all that matters, when it comes down to it.
There is so much to do when we are elected into the East, we could easily get lost in the details. But as with everything in life, sometimes we just need to take a step back, get grounded, and remember what really matters.
What really matters in our Lodge is that we don’t make a Mason feel that he has wasted his time.
Wonderfully said. People who come to lodge spend time in traffic, gas money, (or time charging their car) when they could be doing any of the 10,000 things that we have told ourselves are important in our life, and often that lodge night that was so eagerly attended 75 years ago by masons who didn't have the internet and a lot more common sense now has stiff competition for family or job events, especially with the way the current job market is working. Americans cheerfully to death ( my opinion).
People that come to lodge want to be engaged as well. It's a two-way street. They want to feel recognised. They want to feel empowered. They want to feel a part of something and they want to take away something important that they can go back into the profane world with like a vitamin to sustain them until the next time they need that masonic fix. It is perhaps stated unkindly but truthfully that all relationships have transactional value and requirements to them.
You get something, I get something. You, the worshipful master get people coming to the lodge, hopefully your message is a good one and the comments that you hear from people that receive it inspire you for the next one and the people receiving the message. They hopefully Enjoy what you have put into it and maybe even take something away that you had never thought of before. In turn, they appreciate you entertaining them and helping them with their ritual for example. Or maybe getting something out of a particular prayer that the chaplain decided to spontaneously deliver because someone was ill and they felt inspired by a Divine urge for this stricken person.
It all boils down to the same thing like you said, we want to be a part of something greater and these days there is a challenge competing with bright lights and blinking entertainment for something more organic and something I feel more meaningful.
I stress in my class "How to run a successful meeting" at the lodge leadership retreat that each meeting should be treated as an event. Not just within the meeting, but before and after as well.
I also talk about time management, and being mindful of a brother's time. Don't waste it on stupid and unnecessary things.
No one wants to sit through a 2+ hour meeting of business matters that lacks any education or engagement.