Yesterday VW Priddy left a comment here that I think needs to be highlighted.
He wrote:
I think that the use of things like incense and candles add to the sense of liminal space, and if the meeting will have a spiritual focus, definitely the addition of these elements within reason (taking into account health concerns) would be a good thing. If however it's just a business meeting, maybe not. The unconscious association that already exists in many men, of incense and candles being symbolic of spiritual space should be reinforced and not diluted by associating these elements with contentious business meetings. The more I think about Lodge and the total experience, the more I think we should have two types of stated meetings, Business and Masonic. Business, the work of running the physical lodge and Masonic, making good men better.
Undoubtedly Lodges have business matters to attend to, and if the Lodge is to thrive, those must be done. Preferably, done with knowledge and wisdom.
But the Lodge also has Masonry to accomplish. As our VW Brother says, the work of ‘making good men better.’ And this as well should be done with knowledge and wisdom.
But I’ve often wondered, are these two things essentially incompatible?
Why would we open a sacred space and then fill it with business?
In some ways they are separated. A special communication, in Washington anyways, can only conduct the business for which it was called and that is usually degrees (making good men better). The stated communication consists of the business of running the lodge and should also have masonic education.
But, wouldn't it be nice if those two purposes could be split and the education be conducted in a manner in which we conduct degrees? I am not sure how, maybe conduct masonic education first then reset the lodge and do the business portion.
Along the same lines, W.L. Wilmshurst, in one of his books (I forget which), argues for holding business meetings only on the EA Degree because that is the right state of consciousness for addressing the mundane and material necessities.
I agree completely. I have long said that when I form the Matthew J. Appel Lodge of Excellence I will have in the bylaws that there will be 2 classes of meetings. If you want to vote on what color to paint the walls and how much to spend on dinners, come to the business meetings. If you want Masonic Education and spirituality and self-improvement, come to the education meetings. I think keeping them separate would improve both.
I think we as Masons overthink things and look for ways to cloud the way things have been done for years. I'm not saying we can't improve, but keep it as simple as possessable.
In my jurisdiction on degrees nights the business portion is the last on the agenda. That sets the lodge in what our principle goal of giving the candidate the tools to improve his live and any visiting Brother the chance to leave at the end of the degree.
Although most of us have buildings to maintain we lose sight of the fact that a lodge is a certain number of Masons with a warrant or charter empowering them to work. What I would like to see enacted is that the top five officers be empowered to pay all bills for the building. I know it's with the consent of the lodge in our work, but how many times have you seen bills for the building not approved.
Sorry to say I don't think we even come close to making good men better, but the opportunity to see other men trying to live by our rules of conduct. Far to often we don't practice what we preach. The sorry fact is we don't educate our members and wonder why the sidelines are empty.
@90% of Lodge business can be done outside of stated meetings, committee reports, Temple Board issues, upcoming events, announcements, Sunshine, budget discussions, etc. The effective use of electronic (ZOOM, email, text messaging) and print communication can reduce the time in meetings to only the essential and necessary business. Empower & requires committees to communicate and make decisions.
Why do we sully the sacred space created by our ritual with mundane and perhaps contentious issues? Perhaps we need a new sample agenda in the Lodge Officers Handbook and a new section explaining how & what business should take place outside of stated meetings.
I have heard the argument that not all members use electronic communications, my guess is that more members get emails than attend meetings. For those not connected, call or send a letter.
For the Fraternity to grow and keep its membership, we must return to the purpose of Freemasonry and that does not include filling our meetings with minutes, jokes, discussing & paying bills or all the other stuff that we too often see in meetings.
For many of our brothers the Masonic Temple is in fact a Temple. It's a spiritual experience they show up for. For others it's a place to work on their fundamental nature, refining and transmuting themselves into better men. For those two sets, consider the effects of a business meeting. How would you be affected by your Church, Synagogue, Mosque or Temple service being interrupted for a headed debate about building maintenance? On the other hand, for those of us with good spiritual experiences, don't you feel your spirit sliding into a more wholesome, relaxed and receptive space as you enter a spiritual Temple knowing you will be spiritually focused? Thats how I want my Lodge to feel. Business meetings need to happen, and some brethren show up for the fellowship alone, and those are all great and needed. I think separating the business from the developmental, while not necessary, biases the outcome of those meeting toward success in improving the brethren.
The content and particulars are less important than the goals and motivations of the meeting, and a lack of vision is more concerning than a lack of incense.
If we don't know what right looks like, how can we develop the men to lead our Lodges in the future? I think this excerpt from William Preston, circa 1796, is germane to the discussion.
...
Many persons are deluded by the vague supposition that our mysteries are merely nominal; that the practices established among us are frivolous; and that our ceremonies may be adopted, or waved, at pleasure. On this false foundation, we find them hurrying through all the degrees of the Order, without adverting to the propriety of one step they pursue, or possessing a single qualification requisite for advancement. Passing through the usual formalities, they consider themselves entitled to rank as master of the art, solicit and accept offices, and assume the government of lodges, equally unacquainted with the rules of the institution they pretend to support, or the nature of the trust reposed in them. The consequences is obvious; anarchy and confusion ensue, and the substance is left in shadow. Hence men eminent for ability, rank, and fortune, are often led to view the honours of Masonry with such indifference, that when their patronage is solicited, they accept offices with reluctance, or reject them with disdain.
...
Were brethren who preside over Lodges, properly instructed previous to their appointment, and regularly apprized of the importance of their respective offices, a general reformation would speedily take place. This would establish the propriety of our government, and lead men to acknowledge; that our honours were deservedly conferred. Till prudent actions shall distinguish our title to the honours of Masonry, and our regular deportment display the influence and utility of our rules, the world in general will not be led to reconcile our proceedings with the tenets of the profession.
I do think a lot of business should be separated. In my jurisdiction, we are permitted executive committee structures where much of lodge business can be handled outside of the traditional stated communication so that things like paying bills don't take up valuable lodge time. My lodge utilizes this structure so that our meetings are focused on Masonry with business usually taking only a small part of the meeting as minutes are reviewed and approved and any necessary votes outside of the authority of the executive committee are taken.
If the “business” that is being referred to is the management of the building, then please, have a temple board meeting. We do not assemble as Masons to discuss what color to paint the kitchen.
Business might mean paying the bills. A huge time saver is to present an annual budget at the beginning of the year. Get that discussion wrapped up and then approve it. No need to bring up a bill before the lodge for the rest of the year unless it exceeds the approved budget. We’ve been doing this for years and it is huge time saver.
I no longer read the minutes of the previous meeting. Haven’t for years. They get posted in GrandView and everyone has access to that.
Consider conducting introductions in the dining room a bit more informally. You aren’t going to offend anyone. If your motivation for being a Mason is simply to be introduced in lodge, time to realign your motives. And let’s face it, we all know each other. Having the introductions in the dining room benefits the nonMasonic visitors who are trying to learn names.
Honestly, it’s possible to get through the necessary business of the lodge in 15 minutes if you intentionally streamline it.
What brothers really want is Masonic Labor and Masonic education. So if you have a quick 15 minutes of business before a nice 45 minutes presentation, brothers are good with that.
On the other hand, If you have a business only meeting and no education, it doesn’t really matter how short or long it is. Guys will stop coming.
In some ways they are separated. A special communication, in Washington anyways, can only conduct the business for which it was called and that is usually degrees (making good men better). The stated communication consists of the business of running the lodge and should also have masonic education.
But, wouldn't it be nice if those two purposes could be split and the education be conducted in a manner in which we conduct degrees? I am not sure how, maybe conduct masonic education first then reset the lodge and do the business portion.
Along the same lines, W.L. Wilmshurst, in one of his books (I forget which), argues for holding business meetings only on the EA Degree because that is the right state of consciousness for addressing the mundane and material necessities.
I agree completely. I have long said that when I form the Matthew J. Appel Lodge of Excellence I will have in the bylaws that there will be 2 classes of meetings. If you want to vote on what color to paint the walls and how much to spend on dinners, come to the business meetings. If you want Masonic Education and spirituality and self-improvement, come to the education meetings. I think keeping them separate would improve both.
I think we as Masons overthink things and look for ways to cloud the way things have been done for years. I'm not saying we can't improve, but keep it as simple as possessable.
In my jurisdiction on degrees nights the business portion is the last on the agenda. That sets the lodge in what our principle goal of giving the candidate the tools to improve his live and any visiting Brother the chance to leave at the end of the degree.
Although most of us have buildings to maintain we lose sight of the fact that a lodge is a certain number of Masons with a warrant or charter empowering them to work. What I would like to see enacted is that the top five officers be empowered to pay all bills for the building. I know it's with the consent of the lodge in our work, but how many times have you seen bills for the building not approved.
Sorry to say I don't think we even come close to making good men better, but the opportunity to see other men trying to live by our rules of conduct. Far to often we don't practice what we preach. The sorry fact is we don't educate our members and wonder why the sidelines are empty.
@90% of Lodge business can be done outside of stated meetings, committee reports, Temple Board issues, upcoming events, announcements, Sunshine, budget discussions, etc. The effective use of electronic (ZOOM, email, text messaging) and print communication can reduce the time in meetings to only the essential and necessary business. Empower & requires committees to communicate and make decisions.
Why do we sully the sacred space created by our ritual with mundane and perhaps contentious issues? Perhaps we need a new sample agenda in the Lodge Officers Handbook and a new section explaining how & what business should take place outside of stated meetings.
I have heard the argument that not all members use electronic communications, my guess is that more members get emails than attend meetings. For those not connected, call or send a letter.
For the Fraternity to grow and keep its membership, we must return to the purpose of Freemasonry and that does not include filling our meetings with minutes, jokes, discussing & paying bills or all the other stuff that we too often see in meetings.
For many of our brothers the Masonic Temple is in fact a Temple. It's a spiritual experience they show up for. For others it's a place to work on their fundamental nature, refining and transmuting themselves into better men. For those two sets, consider the effects of a business meeting. How would you be affected by your Church, Synagogue, Mosque or Temple service being interrupted for a headed debate about building maintenance? On the other hand, for those of us with good spiritual experiences, don't you feel your spirit sliding into a more wholesome, relaxed and receptive space as you enter a spiritual Temple knowing you will be spiritually focused? Thats how I want my Lodge to feel. Business meetings need to happen, and some brethren show up for the fellowship alone, and those are all great and needed. I think separating the business from the developmental, while not necessary, biases the outcome of those meeting toward success in improving the brethren.
The content and particulars are less important than the goals and motivations of the meeting, and a lack of vision is more concerning than a lack of incense.
If we don't know what right looks like, how can we develop the men to lead our Lodges in the future? I think this excerpt from William Preston, circa 1796, is germane to the discussion.
...
Many persons are deluded by the vague supposition that our mysteries are merely nominal; that the practices established among us are frivolous; and that our ceremonies may be adopted, or waved, at pleasure. On this false foundation, we find them hurrying through all the degrees of the Order, without adverting to the propriety of one step they pursue, or possessing a single qualification requisite for advancement. Passing through the usual formalities, they consider themselves entitled to rank as master of the art, solicit and accept offices, and assume the government of lodges, equally unacquainted with the rules of the institution they pretend to support, or the nature of the trust reposed in them. The consequences is obvious; anarchy and confusion ensue, and the substance is left in shadow. Hence men eminent for ability, rank, and fortune, are often led to view the honours of Masonry with such indifference, that when their patronage is solicited, they accept offices with reluctance, or reject them with disdain.
...
Were brethren who preside over Lodges, properly instructed previous to their appointment, and regularly apprized of the importance of their respective offices, a general reformation would speedily take place. This would establish the propriety of our government, and lead men to acknowledge; that our honours were deservedly conferred. Till prudent actions shall distinguish our title to the honours of Masonry, and our regular deportment display the influence and utility of our rules, the world in general will not be led to reconcile our proceedings with the tenets of the profession.
I do think a lot of business should be separated. In my jurisdiction, we are permitted executive committee structures where much of lodge business can be handled outside of the traditional stated communication so that things like paying bills don't take up valuable lodge time. My lodge utilizes this structure so that our meetings are focused on Masonry with business usually taking only a small part of the meeting as minutes are reviewed and approved and any necessary votes outside of the authority of the executive committee are taken.
If the “business” that is being referred to is the management of the building, then please, have a temple board meeting. We do not assemble as Masons to discuss what color to paint the kitchen.
Business might mean paying the bills. A huge time saver is to present an annual budget at the beginning of the year. Get that discussion wrapped up and then approve it. No need to bring up a bill before the lodge for the rest of the year unless it exceeds the approved budget. We’ve been doing this for years and it is huge time saver.
I no longer read the minutes of the previous meeting. Haven’t for years. They get posted in GrandView and everyone has access to that.
Consider conducting introductions in the dining room a bit more informally. You aren’t going to offend anyone. If your motivation for being a Mason is simply to be introduced in lodge, time to realign your motives. And let’s face it, we all know each other. Having the introductions in the dining room benefits the nonMasonic visitors who are trying to learn names.
Honestly, it’s possible to get through the necessary business of the lodge in 15 minutes if you intentionally streamline it.
What brothers really want is Masonic Labor and Masonic education. So if you have a quick 15 minutes of business before a nice 45 minutes presentation, brothers are good with that.
On the other hand, If you have a business only meeting and no education, it doesn’t really matter how short or long it is. Guys will stop coming.
And yes…we also burn incense… 😁