A comment I have often used to describe a lodge meeting is that it should be remarkable. I got this from one of my favorite comedians, Steve Martin. Steve once said, "Be so remarkable they can't ignore you." I applied this to a lodge meeting in this post. https://masonsleadbetter.com/be-remarkable-you-wont-be-ignored/
MWPGM Bailey, Thanks for this great essay. You made me think back of reading in books to find historic messages to present in 10 minutes in my Masonic Lodge meetings. I once walked into a Bookseller's Convention in Washington DC to find my father (WV Past Grand Master Brown)! I got a flimsy vinyl recording by the Guest Presenter, musician "Al _____"!
The lyrics went "Low overhead, undercut, paperback Pest, With a Blond on the Cover, Exposing Her Breast! So here's to ______, Putnam, and Brown, and all the Booksellers, who've come into Town"!
Ooops, Burl Ives was the recording artist singing at the National Bookseller's Convention. I remember that Burl Ives was one of the very famous people who lived in Anacortes Washington!
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.
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 always enjoy reading your post, and will be reading the recommendations as I need all the help I can get to become a better writter. I left out a part in my last post because I'm am trying to not add too much info in one post or digress. One of the best maps we have of Palistine and the Temple is from an archeologist named Charles Warren. Innocently he was also the police commissioner in London during the Jack the Ripper murders. But most importantly of all, he was the founder of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076- the world's premier Masonic research and education lodge. Adding to your last comment, and seed for thought- what if - we had such masonic lodges to choose from. If we had a masonic lodge, open to all, for research and education?
Spot on. I find it hard not to enjoy a meeting where it's obvious that the WM and lodge officers have thought through my experience. Proficient ritual, making business discussions interesting and relevant, introducing music and visuals to masonic presentations, overall brevity and concisely stepping through the agenda. It's obvious when at least a part of the officer's internal discussions revolved around the member experience. That shows my time is valuable to them, and makes me want to donate more of it to support the lodge.
MW Brother, I think this is far and away one of my favorite posts that you have written to date.
Time is one of our most valuable and finite resources. I imagine why it is one of the things so heavily impressed upon us as new Brethren. Also, due to personal circumstances, it is a topic I probably spend more time considering than I likely should, though it weighs heavily just the same.
As one who is often running all over the place, I cannot begin to express the level of energy, excitement, and gratitude I feel when a Brother has clearly put a lot of effort and thought into their agenda or a well written post.
When Masonry and our Lodges uphold their obligation of helping the Brethren build happier lives, their families and loved ones also stand to see benefit. This is something that my wife keys in on, pretty heavily I might add, and I imagine others likely do to. The more rejuvenated I am when I get home, the more likely she is to let me back out the door for the 2+ events a week I usually have the privilege of attending.
Life is a precious resource, and as such, too short to practice bad Masonry.
I think the question we really need to solve is how to get the Brethren engaged and involved in discussions that lead us to finding those topics of interest so each Brother finds that value in every meeting. Making sure that we arrive to find full tables and pews at every meeting, rather than empty rooms echoing into the late hours of the evening. Stated Meeting or otherwise.
I would argue that no Brother desires to present to an empty Lodge. The only way that we can avoid this reality, is to help our Brethren ensure the educational discussions are meaningful with useful feedback and constructive criticism.
I hope that we can find the Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to aid our Brethren in meeting those goals. If we fail to communicate the things we need, how can they be offered? Ask, and it shall be open to you comes to mind...
Thank you for linking the writing article, it has given me some things to consider integrating into my next piece. Have a Blessed one!
Quite, and thank you for pointing me at someone who actually gets it.
A comment I have often used to describe a lodge meeting is that it should be remarkable. I got this from one of my favorite comedians, Steve Martin. Steve once said, "Be so remarkable they can't ignore you." I applied this to a lodge meeting in this post. https://masonsleadbetter.com/be-remarkable-you-wont-be-ignored/
MWPGM Bailey, Thanks for this great essay. You made me think back of reading in books to find historic messages to present in 10 minutes in my Masonic Lodge meetings. I once walked into a Bookseller's Convention in Washington DC to find my father (WV Past Grand Master Brown)! I got a flimsy vinyl recording by the Guest Presenter, musician "Al _____"!
The lyrics went "Low overhead, undercut, paperback Pest, With a Blond on the Cover, Exposing Her Breast! So here's to ______, Putnam, and Brown, and all the Booksellers, who've come into Town"!
Ooops, Burl Ives was the recording artist singing at the National Bookseller's Convention. I remember that Burl Ives was one of the very famous people who lived in Anacortes Washington!
Burl Ives was inducted into the "DeMolay International Hall of Fame" in June 1994.
"So here's to Macmillan, Putnam, and Brown, And all the Booksellers who've come into Town"!
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.
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 always enjoy reading your post, and will be reading the recommendations as I need all the help I can get to become a better writter. I left out a part in my last post because I'm am trying to not add too much info in one post or digress. One of the best maps we have of Palistine and the Temple is from an archeologist named Charles Warren. Innocently he was also the police commissioner in London during the Jack the Ripper murders. But most importantly of all, he was the founder of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076- the world's premier Masonic research and education lodge. Adding to your last comment, and seed for thought- what if - we had such masonic lodges to choose from. If we had a masonic lodge, open to all, for research and education?
Spot on. I find it hard not to enjoy a meeting where it's obvious that the WM and lodge officers have thought through my experience. Proficient ritual, making business discussions interesting and relevant, introducing music and visuals to masonic presentations, overall brevity and concisely stepping through the agenda. It's obvious when at least a part of the officer's internal discussions revolved around the member experience. That shows my time is valuable to them, and makes me want to donate more of it to support the lodge.
You definitely didn’t waste my time with that sexy typewriter pic.
Amen brother!
MW Brother, I think this is far and away one of my favorite posts that you have written to date.
Time is one of our most valuable and finite resources. I imagine why it is one of the things so heavily impressed upon us as new Brethren. Also, due to personal circumstances, it is a topic I probably spend more time considering than I likely should, though it weighs heavily just the same.
As one who is often running all over the place, I cannot begin to express the level of energy, excitement, and gratitude I feel when a Brother has clearly put a lot of effort and thought into their agenda or a well written post.
When Masonry and our Lodges uphold their obligation of helping the Brethren build happier lives, their families and loved ones also stand to see benefit. This is something that my wife keys in on, pretty heavily I might add, and I imagine others likely do to. The more rejuvenated I am when I get home, the more likely she is to let me back out the door for the 2+ events a week I usually have the privilege of attending.
Life is a precious resource, and as such, too short to practice bad Masonry.
I think the question we really need to solve is how to get the Brethren engaged and involved in discussions that lead us to finding those topics of interest so each Brother finds that value in every meeting. Making sure that we arrive to find full tables and pews at every meeting, rather than empty rooms echoing into the late hours of the evening. Stated Meeting or otherwise.
I would argue that no Brother desires to present to an empty Lodge. The only way that we can avoid this reality, is to help our Brethren ensure the educational discussions are meaningful with useful feedback and constructive criticism.
I hope that we can find the Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to aid our Brethren in meeting those goals. If we fail to communicate the things we need, how can they be offered? Ask, and it shall be open to you comes to mind...
Thank you for linking the writing article, it has given me some things to consider integrating into my next piece. Have a Blessed one!