In Washington we need to ensure that the Elected positions are such that people can do them while being either retired or employed. We need to ensure that they are something that people can afford to do.
What I'm saying is that before we can chose to elect a good man for the job, we have to ensure that we have a pool of good candidates. …
In Washington we need to ensure that the Elected positions are such that people can do them while being either retired or employed. We need to ensure that they are something that people can afford to do.
What I'm saying is that before we can chose to elect a good man for the job, we have to ensure that we have a pool of good candidates. To do that, we have to ensure that people can do the job. We are there now. Out of your 4 elected officers (not counting the GS) three are still working. I'm not sure that we were always there. There certainly seemed to be a tradition of various meetings and such during working hours. All of that has been changing, and I think that will in time, increase the number of men who make themselves available.
Outside of Washington, I should point out that actual contested elections, such as Washington has for JGW each year, are not necessarily the norm. As I understand it, in many GL's it is more of an appointment followed by a rubber stamp election process.
Most Grand Lodge line positions are determined years in advance as we all know. There is very little new ideas or freshness brought in each year. If Masonry is to survive and advance we need to figure out ways to get 40 year olds who are still working into the line. We desperately need those youthful ideas. Kind of like our own national political scene, I am tired of seeing 70 plus year old guys making decisions that affect the national interests.
In Washington we need to ensure that the Elected positions are such that people can do them while being either retired or employed. We need to ensure that they are something that people can afford to do.
What I'm saying is that before we can chose to elect a good man for the job, we have to ensure that we have a pool of good candidates. To do that, we have to ensure that people can do the job. We are there now. Out of your 4 elected officers (not counting the GS) three are still working. I'm not sure that we were always there. There certainly seemed to be a tradition of various meetings and such during working hours. All of that has been changing, and I think that will in time, increase the number of men who make themselves available.
Outside of Washington, I should point out that actual contested elections, such as Washington has for JGW each year, are not necessarily the norm. As I understand it, in many GL's it is more of an appointment followed by a rubber stamp election process.
Most Grand Lodge line positions are determined years in advance as we all know. There is very little new ideas or freshness brought in each year. If Masonry is to survive and advance we need to figure out ways to get 40 year olds who are still working into the line. We desperately need those youthful ideas. Kind of like our own national political scene, I am tired of seeing 70 plus year old guys making decisions that affect the national interests.