Today I received an email from the Scottish Rite SJ, reminding me that I might want to include the Scottish Rite in my will, and offering free assistance in creating that will. It is, I think a good program, and a very good service. If you happen to need a will, you can get that help here.
I don’t need a new will, and I have made some provision for my Lodge in my existing will, so won’t be taking advantage of the offer, but I do think it is really valuable. Wills are important, and hiring an attorney to create one can be quite expensive.
But, it has me thinking…
Do you feel it is important to make provision for your Lodge, Chapter, Valley, or other Masonic organization in your will?
What about your favorite Masonic Charitable program?
I know that my Lodge has greatly benefited from provisions made to it in the wills of Brothers who have passed into the celestial temple.
But, if one has close heirs, it might well be a difficult course to take.
Is it unfair to our children or grandchildren if we leave some portion of our estate to Freemasonry? Or would they understand and be supportive of that decision?
Stepping away from Freemasonry, over the past couple of months I’ve been collecting the very finest essays I’ve encountered on this platform.
Yesterday I put out a list of five of the best of the very best.
I’m including them here on Emeth because we are charged as Fellowcraft Masons to be lifelong students. To study and to learn. There is, I think, much to consider and learn in these five brief essays.
That short list can be found at the link below, I hope that you find something truly wonderful to read within it:
I think that my own kids will be just fine with a part of the estate going to the Lodge. For the reason you mention. They know how involved their mother and I both are with Masonry writ large, and indeed they themselves have been fairly involved. I think that they will view it as going to a good cause.
The only way to leave a legacy that would matter is if it was a significant enough amount that could fund something in perpetuity, such as a scholarship.
Recently a brother left $10k each for the three lodges he belonged to. No strings attached, just a check. I don't know about the other lodges, but my lodge we simply put it in the checking account and used it to pay bills for the year. While the funds were appreciated, and it showed how much the brother loved the fraternity, it was just a blip on the screen. True, the lodge didn't have to withdraw funds from it's own investments so you could argue that it did help the lodge in the long run, I guess for me it's a question of optics.
Another lodge had four different piles of cash sitting in CDs earning shit interest. Two of the accounts were supposed to be earmarked for scholarships but were not used for anything. When I took over as treasurer, I gathered up all of those CDs, cashed them out, and combined them into one pile, then trotted down to an investment firm and created a single large scholarship named after the biggest donor of the four. That scholarship today annually funds about $5k to students and continues to grow every year. That is an investment that leaves a lasting legacy.
A legacy should be an investment into the organization significant enough and managed well enough to grow year to year that some day will be that seed that grows into a mighty tree. The moneys the lodges have now is built off the brothers that came before that had the foresight to invest into their futures and we should be eternally grateful for that.
Yeah, if I was the Brother who passed, I'd be fairly pissed if the Lodge just used my money to pay its bills. I would expect instead that it be invested to do good into the long term.
But, as you say, it has to be enough.
But, beyond that, I think maybe you solved the 'not enough' problem with your actions as Treasurer.
If a guy left a small amount of money, and others were encouraged to do the same, the Lodge could begin investing that first small amount, and then add the other small amounts as they came in. Eventually those would add up to a significant amount, and good could be done with it. Much as you did when you were treasurer and created that permanent fund.
Honestly, I have had to do some fundraising from private brothers in our lodge, to fix roofs, capital projects. Many men get pulled away from the lodge due to businesses or work requirements and I remind them that attendance is not the only way to contribute. While I agree bequeathing the lodge funds helps. Doing it while you are alive solves several things:
1. A gift while you are healthy and alive means at your end of life these funds are not available for poaching by our broken medical system.
2. It is an investment that you can see realized while you live and help direct its application.
3. Your investment can be immediately leveraged.
4. You are not worried about children being angry at the gift. You did it of your on accord.
5. Others in the lodge will see the gift and hopefully be encouraged to do the same.
Waiting untill death just makes no sense to me. Do it early, do it often. Start a fund.
I've often wondered about the wisdom of financing our operations through dues. Because dues implies a maximum. Some guys might find $300 per year a stretch, but others might find $300 per month to be pocket change. That's just the nature of any institution that appeals to men of all economic stations.
By not creating a feeling of an artificial set maximum amount per year, and cultivating a culture of giving to the Lodge we may well could solve many of the problems that plague us.
In NC our constitution requires dues to sustain OPex of the lodge. With a shrinking population and an aging building you can see how this is going to become problematic. Especially with 25% of our population, at least in NC, past the average age of death for a American man, add to that a growing attrition rate of 10% annually. (it was 6% 10 years ago). It was like I told my lodge finance committee. Take 25% of our revenue and remove it. Now make a balanced budget. Can’t? Well, that's the problem with a zero sum budget if you have not been investing for the last 70 years. We like to imagine that we would sustain or grow indefinitely. It’s just not going to happen. This mirrors churches, and other civic orgs and to add to this a general expected decline in birth rates decreasing 2% annually, we are looking at a unsustainable distant future for a lot of organizations in western society. One but has to look to see that we are projected to cross a threshold in the next 20 years where birth rates will be surpassed by deaths as the baby boom generation comes to EOL. SO we should be preparing for this, or some sort of intervention or major shrinkage as there will be fewer working age(30-65yo) men to sustain and support institutions and the elderly in the next decade. Following a decade or so ahead of the meeting of the death rate and birth rate. We should be thinking now, what will Freemasonry look like 20 years from now when we can not sustain lodges in towns that are empty of people, or full of people replacing the current demographic perhaps without the same value system currently being enjoyed by our western esoteric/philosophic/ philanthropic order.
In this coming world no amount of dues will sustain these large temples, much less buildings. IMHO
In north Seattle we have 12 Lodges meeting in 5 buildings.
There has been much discussion about this being unsustainable into the future, for the reasons you mention, and others.
One solution that is being discussed is selling those 5 buildings, and constructing a single new building for all 12 Lodges to meet in. A mixed use building with parking, retail, offices, housing, and Masonry up on top. The idea being that enough income generating space is built in order to sustain the building indefinitely.
And that does seem to be the key. Two of my Lodges have very significant commercial spaces on lower floors, and the income from those commercial spaces keep everything going.
But, without that income, neither Lodge would be able to sustain itself, or keep the building up to snuff.
The other solution is to no longer own buildings. I can't deny that in general, in my Jurisdiction, Lodges that do not own real estate seem to be markedly more successful than those that do. Because the energy needed to sustain real estate holdings is instead directed into the Lodge itself.
Two case studies there are Myrtle and Redmond Lodges, They both operate in those opposite manners.
I do like the way they do it in england. 1 building, with a bar and dining hall, 15-20 lodges/chapters meeting almost nightly with membership caps of 30 men. If you exceed that, you start another lodge/chapter. All paying in to a building fund that keeps the grounds tended, and staff operating the building. The meetings I attended would start around 5 with people finally going home around 11-12. I could see a commercial building serving something like this, with a kitchen staff, allso hosting catering services and renting out rooms for events.
Lets not also forget the origin of many 18-19th century lodges, which operated above pubs. Many of the masters were the pub owners. They served as a community center and as a function of the community, they were funded by the pub owner. Perhaps we should look back to history to find where we were relevant and apply that logic to today.
I think that history will show our building fad to have been very badly misguided. As you rightly point out, Lodges for hundreds of years met in pubs and other places. There is no reason for Lodges to have to own real estate, and frankly Lodges are extremely unsuited to the management of real estate.
But, if we are going to own it, we have to do so in such a way that we can pay for it. The English model you mention is a good one, and I think similar to what is being considered in Seattle. With a dozen Lodges (I'm sure how many appendant/concordant bodies) it would certainly be used.
I am dealing with this "WILL:" situation right now
I keep hearing this month is "Free Will month"
As far as my kingdom here the only way I would leave it to Masonry is if they made my 5 acres and house and all the rest is if it became the new Port Ludlow Blue Lodge
I don't have actual relatives to leave it to so it depends on who lasts the longest between the Mrs and I and her kid is 50 and several grandkids.
Somebody sure is going to be lucky since I did all the work myself for the last 43 years here and no help ever.
I made my own private 5 acre park
Already paid for my final resting place 3 miles from here since I sure didn't think anyone would do more than put me in that cardboard box and into that pizza oven.
We don't actually get to watch our funerals so who knows if my Lodge will do more than a rose at the Lodge since at 66 I don't see myself as a GM.........only a 2 time WM if I survive a few more years.
My park is like something a rich guy would do except I did all the work and if this world is still here in 2000 years I hope my Giant Sequoia forest is still here and Masons stop by to visit.
......and that by then they will actually have a decent internet connection here.....ok let me see if this gets sent
I do occasionally threaten the children that if they are overly ornery, I'm leaving everything to Coop Dog. Alas though, I don't imagine he'll survive me, he seems to be taking more pills than Joe Biden now.
All of my pets are wild critters so I suppose they would watch over the place and the deer could eat the apples but I don't think I can teach the 100 yearly hummingbirds how to mix the sugar water or go to Walmart to buy the 40lb bags of sugar several times a year and I don't think the deer would understand if I told them about the property taxes.........maybe I could stash my silver collection under a Sequoia tree and see if any of the wild critters can figure that out
I would hope a brother who integrated Freemasonry into his family life, and vice versa, would have no trouble with bequeathing a sum to his lodge.
Those who keep Freemasonry a secret from their families? That probably would be very different.
Jay
I think that my own kids will be just fine with a part of the estate going to the Lodge. For the reason you mention. They know how involved their mother and I both are with Masonry writ large, and indeed they themselves have been fairly involved. I think that they will view it as going to a good cause.
The only way to leave a legacy that would matter is if it was a significant enough amount that could fund something in perpetuity, such as a scholarship.
Recently a brother left $10k each for the three lodges he belonged to. No strings attached, just a check. I don't know about the other lodges, but my lodge we simply put it in the checking account and used it to pay bills for the year. While the funds were appreciated, and it showed how much the brother loved the fraternity, it was just a blip on the screen. True, the lodge didn't have to withdraw funds from it's own investments so you could argue that it did help the lodge in the long run, I guess for me it's a question of optics.
Another lodge had four different piles of cash sitting in CDs earning shit interest. Two of the accounts were supposed to be earmarked for scholarships but were not used for anything. When I took over as treasurer, I gathered up all of those CDs, cashed them out, and combined them into one pile, then trotted down to an investment firm and created a single large scholarship named after the biggest donor of the four. That scholarship today annually funds about $5k to students and continues to grow every year. That is an investment that leaves a lasting legacy.
A legacy should be an investment into the organization significant enough and managed well enough to grow year to year that some day will be that seed that grows into a mighty tree. The moneys the lodges have now is built off the brothers that came before that had the foresight to invest into their futures and we should be eternally grateful for that.
A couple of thoughts:
Yeah, if I was the Brother who passed, I'd be fairly pissed if the Lodge just used my money to pay its bills. I would expect instead that it be invested to do good into the long term.
But, as you say, it has to be enough.
But, beyond that, I think maybe you solved the 'not enough' problem with your actions as Treasurer.
If a guy left a small amount of money, and others were encouraged to do the same, the Lodge could begin investing that first small amount, and then add the other small amounts as they came in. Eventually those would add up to a significant amount, and good could be done with it. Much as you did when you were treasurer and created that permanent fund.
Honestly, I have had to do some fundraising from private brothers in our lodge, to fix roofs, capital projects. Many men get pulled away from the lodge due to businesses or work requirements and I remind them that attendance is not the only way to contribute. While I agree bequeathing the lodge funds helps. Doing it while you are alive solves several things:
1. A gift while you are healthy and alive means at your end of life these funds are not available for poaching by our broken medical system.
2. It is an investment that you can see realized while you live and help direct its application.
3. Your investment can be immediately leveraged.
4. You are not worried about children being angry at the gift. You did it of your on accord.
5. Others in the lodge will see the gift and hopefully be encouraged to do the same.
Waiting untill death just makes no sense to me. Do it early, do it often. Start a fund.
This is a fine idea. Thank you.
I've often wondered about the wisdom of financing our operations through dues. Because dues implies a maximum. Some guys might find $300 per year a stretch, but others might find $300 per month to be pocket change. That's just the nature of any institution that appeals to men of all economic stations.
By not creating a feeling of an artificial set maximum amount per year, and cultivating a culture of giving to the Lodge we may well could solve many of the problems that plague us.
In NC our constitution requires dues to sustain OPex of the lodge. With a shrinking population and an aging building you can see how this is going to become problematic. Especially with 25% of our population, at least in NC, past the average age of death for a American man, add to that a growing attrition rate of 10% annually. (it was 6% 10 years ago). It was like I told my lodge finance committee. Take 25% of our revenue and remove it. Now make a balanced budget. Can’t? Well, that's the problem with a zero sum budget if you have not been investing for the last 70 years. We like to imagine that we would sustain or grow indefinitely. It’s just not going to happen. This mirrors churches, and other civic orgs and to add to this a general expected decline in birth rates decreasing 2% annually, we are looking at a unsustainable distant future for a lot of organizations in western society. One but has to look to see that we are projected to cross a threshold in the next 20 years where birth rates will be surpassed by deaths as the baby boom generation comes to EOL. SO we should be preparing for this, or some sort of intervention or major shrinkage as there will be fewer working age(30-65yo) men to sustain and support institutions and the elderly in the next decade. Following a decade or so ahead of the meeting of the death rate and birth rate. We should be thinking now, what will Freemasonry look like 20 years from now when we can not sustain lodges in towns that are empty of people, or full of people replacing the current demographic perhaps without the same value system currently being enjoyed by our western esoteric/philosophic/ philanthropic order.
In this coming world no amount of dues will sustain these large temples, much less buildings. IMHO
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2024/20240525.htm
https://www.bradley.com/insights/publications/2023/12/anticipated-us-population-decline-and-the-risks-ahead
In north Seattle we have 12 Lodges meeting in 5 buildings.
There has been much discussion about this being unsustainable into the future, for the reasons you mention, and others.
One solution that is being discussed is selling those 5 buildings, and constructing a single new building for all 12 Lodges to meet in. A mixed use building with parking, retail, offices, housing, and Masonry up on top. The idea being that enough income generating space is built in order to sustain the building indefinitely.
And that does seem to be the key. Two of my Lodges have very significant commercial spaces on lower floors, and the income from those commercial spaces keep everything going.
But, without that income, neither Lodge would be able to sustain itself, or keep the building up to snuff.
The other solution is to no longer own buildings. I can't deny that in general, in my Jurisdiction, Lodges that do not own real estate seem to be markedly more successful than those that do. Because the energy needed to sustain real estate holdings is instead directed into the Lodge itself.
Two case studies there are Myrtle and Redmond Lodges, They both operate in those opposite manners.
I do like the way they do it in england. 1 building, with a bar and dining hall, 15-20 lodges/chapters meeting almost nightly with membership caps of 30 men. If you exceed that, you start another lodge/chapter. All paying in to a building fund that keeps the grounds tended, and staff operating the building. The meetings I attended would start around 5 with people finally going home around 11-12. I could see a commercial building serving something like this, with a kitchen staff, allso hosting catering services and renting out rooms for events.
Lets not also forget the origin of many 18-19th century lodges, which operated above pubs. Many of the masters were the pub owners. They served as a community center and as a function of the community, they were funded by the pub owner. Perhaps we should look back to history to find where we were relevant and apply that logic to today.
https://www.facebook.com/masonictemplephiladelphia/videos/from-taverns-to-temples/421603025648857/
I think that history will show our building fad to have been very badly misguided. As you rightly point out, Lodges for hundreds of years met in pubs and other places. There is no reason for Lodges to have to own real estate, and frankly Lodges are extremely unsuited to the management of real estate.
But, if we are going to own it, we have to do so in such a way that we can pay for it. The English model you mention is a good one, and I think similar to what is being considered in Seattle. With a dozen Lodges (I'm sure how many appendant/concordant bodies) it would certainly be used.
I am dealing with this "WILL:" situation right now
I keep hearing this month is "Free Will month"
As far as my kingdom here the only way I would leave it to Masonry is if they made my 5 acres and house and all the rest is if it became the new Port Ludlow Blue Lodge
I don't have actual relatives to leave it to so it depends on who lasts the longest between the Mrs and I and her kid is 50 and several grandkids.
Somebody sure is going to be lucky since I did all the work myself for the last 43 years here and no help ever.
I made my own private 5 acre park
Already paid for my final resting place 3 miles from here since I sure didn't think anyone would do more than put me in that cardboard box and into that pizza oven.
We don't actually get to watch our funerals so who knows if my Lodge will do more than a rose at the Lodge since at 66 I don't see myself as a GM.........only a 2 time WM if I survive a few more years.
My park is like something a rich guy would do except I did all the work and if this world is still here in 2000 years I hope my Giant Sequoia forest is still here and Masons stop by to visit.
......and that by then they will actually have a decent internet connection here.....ok let me see if this gets sent
I do occasionally threaten the children that if they are overly ornery, I'm leaving everything to Coop Dog. Alas though, I don't imagine he'll survive me, he seems to be taking more pills than Joe Biden now.
All of my pets are wild critters so I suppose they would watch over the place and the deer could eat the apples but I don't think I can teach the 100 yearly hummingbirds how to mix the sugar water or go to Walmart to buy the 40lb bags of sugar several times a year and I don't think the deer would understand if I told them about the property taxes.........maybe I could stash my silver collection under a Sequoia tree and see if any of the wild critters can figure that out
>:-D
Maybe hire them an attorney in perpetuity?