Financial Prioritization

Our Lodge's funds are not unlimited

Through the years that I’ve been a Mason, I’ve sat in more Lodge meetings than I can possibly count or remember. Even now, when I proudly declare myself a sideliner, I still attend a lot more meetings than average.

As such, I’ve seen Lodges spend great sums of money.

And pretty clear patterns have developed in my mind regarding that spending. Lodge spending generally falls into a few categories.

It is in my view, important that we prioritize those categories. That we as a Lodge decide what is most important, and what is least important. Given that our Lodge does not have unlimited funds, and given that we have a duty to manage the funds we do have properly, prioritization is vital.

Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

Removing any and all Temple related expenses from the equation (in my Jurisdiction Temple Board funds and Lodge funds are kept separate.) In my opinion, the priorities should be, in descending order of importance:

-Lodge members and the Lodge

-Internal Masonic charity

-External charity

-Community Boosterism

In my view, a Lodge’s top spending priority should be on those things that either improve the Lodge experience for its members, or are needed for proper Lodge operation.

An example of this are weekend retreats. These are extremely helpful in building excitement for Masonry within the Lodge, go a long way towards building sold bonds of Brotherhood, and are super attractive to new Members. But, depending on how they are organized, they can be expensive. I would argue that spending on them should be a top priority.

Another example of this is Candidate/Degree supplies. To do a Degree justice, we should have everything we need, and it should all be in good shape. If we need to replace the clothing, well, doing so should be a top financial priority.

Internal Masonic Charity should be a Lodge’s second financial priority. And I fear that it is a priority that the Lodges I’m familiar with don’t pay enough attention to. If we know that a good Brother is struggling, we should reach out to help, not wait for him to ask. As Grand Master I often received requests for financial assistance sent in by Lodges for one of their members. One question on the short form I would receive was something along the lines of ‘how much has the Lodge been able to contribute to this Brother’s relief?’ Far too often the answer to that question was zero.

Assisting our Brothers in their times of need must be a priority for our Lodge.

Next in the line of priority, in my view, is external charity. Giving money to non Masons as a form of relief, or other charitable groups in support of their programs. It’s important that we do these things, and all of the Lodges I’m familiar with do these things. But they should never be done unless and until we are assured that the Brothers of our Lodge, their windows, and their orphans who are in need of our charity have received it first.

Last on the list, I think, is community boosterism. My Lodge here in my little City does quite a lot of that. And it’s a good thing. Flower baskets downtown are pretty. Parades build community spirit. Local associations do good work. We financially support all of these things. And that’s good an important. But only after we have paid for an excellent Masonic experience, taken care of our members in need (and their families) and given to charitable endeavors that our Lodge finds important.

It would undoubtedly be wonderful if a Lodge could spend large sums of money on everything that anyone thought was important.

But to do so we’d have to become the federal government with unlimited borrowing power, and the ability to print money on a whim.

We are not.

We have limited funds.

So we must prioritize our spending.