When the pandemic was first upon us, we weren’t doing anything. When the Zoom meetings were first suggested, I was very hesitant to move forward, but as we started it became a great way to socialize and interact with the brothers. I soon became distinctly aware though, that like a normal meeting, if I didn’t have a plan / program then …
When the pandemic was first upon us, we weren’t doing anything. When the Zoom meetings were first suggested, I was very hesitant to move forward, but as we started it became a great way to socialize and interact with the brothers. I soon became distinctly aware though, that like a normal meeting, if I didn’t have a plan / program then it was an empty time. We thought outside the box and were able to take our Bikes for Books program and use the funds that hadn’t been spent on bikes and purchase school supplies for the Special Needs students in the schools that participated in the Bikes for Books. We also had an in-depth conversation in December about how a social meeting platform could be integrated into Masonry from GL down through all the Lodges of the jurisdiction. Zoom has enabled me to attend educational events at different lodges that have been amazing. I feel we need to have serious conversations about the integration of Zoom type platforms in order to enhance our Masonic experiences.
Having attended so many Lodge Zoom meetings over the past year, both within the Jurisdiction, and beyond it, I think that you are exactly correct.
A Zoom meeting with a tight and focused agenda, and of a fairly short duration can be quite superb. Without those things though, they can, and do, drag horribly. And it shows with attendance. Those that keep them short, and keep them on topic seem to clearly have much better attendance than those that don't.
I agree with you that as a Fraternity, we need to have serious discussions about integrating virtual platforms into Masonry. As you point out, from the Local Lodge to the Grand Lodge. We need to have those discussions now, not after our Lodges re-open.
When the pandemic was first upon us, we weren’t doing anything. When the Zoom meetings were first suggested, I was very hesitant to move forward, but as we started it became a great way to socialize and interact with the brothers. I soon became distinctly aware though, that like a normal meeting, if I didn’t have a plan / program then it was an empty time. We thought outside the box and were able to take our Bikes for Books program and use the funds that hadn’t been spent on bikes and purchase school supplies for the Special Needs students in the schools that participated in the Bikes for Books. We also had an in-depth conversation in December about how a social meeting platform could be integrated into Masonry from GL down through all the Lodges of the jurisdiction. Zoom has enabled me to attend educational events at different lodges that have been amazing. I feel we need to have serious conversations about the integration of Zoom type platforms in order to enhance our Masonic experiences.
Having attended so many Lodge Zoom meetings over the past year, both within the Jurisdiction, and beyond it, I think that you are exactly correct.
A Zoom meeting with a tight and focused agenda, and of a fairly short duration can be quite superb. Without those things though, they can, and do, drag horribly. And it shows with attendance. Those that keep them short, and keep them on topic seem to clearly have much better attendance than those that don't.
I agree with you that as a Fraternity, we need to have serious discussions about integrating virtual platforms into Masonry. As you point out, from the Local Lodge to the Grand Lodge. We need to have those discussions now, not after our Lodges re-open.