Another Past Grand Master, MWB Mike Sanders, noted that when "bad" things happens to a lodge in most cases the lodge will recover to become even stronger. It might take time and a lot of effort but the lodge will become stronger. It reminds me of Fredrick Nietzsche concept of out of chaos comes order.
I think that's right, if a Lodge can survive a huge challenge, it will end up stronger in the end. They don't always survive though, and as near as I can determine, when they don't it has more to do with mindset than anything else. The Brothers get down and depressed, so don't look for the path forward.
Oh, these can be anything really, depending on the Lodge and its circumstances.
The sudden and untimely death of a young Lodge member believed by all to be the future of the Lodge. Theft of funds from the Lodge. An inadequately insured Temple burned down. Any kind of serious and severe harmful event.
We often hear about the human reaction in potentially dangerous situations where the focus is on fight or flight. We don't often think about the human reaction to lesser situations that don't involve danger to life. As you mention, there is despair and resignation, the desire to "fix it" without the resources, and the action of managing it and getting things back on track.
A key aspect of the latter two are the human resources. You need the entire team on board and with the same resolve. If any one of them are still in the despair stage, they need to be brought out of it or asked to step aside so that the "team" can be fully functional and heading in the same direction.
I recall many years ago, my now, late wife, and I, were on our way back home from visiting friends. It was late evening, early night time. As we drove past a small row of houses, out of the corner of my eye, I saw what I thought was smoke coming from the roof of one small house. I slowed down and took a look back at the house, and sure enough, there was.
I immediately turned the car around and drove back to the house, parked the car, and started running toward the house. My wife was screaming at me to stop what I was doing. Asking if I was crazy.
I told her to go the neighboring house and call the fire department. No cell phones at that time.
She was stuck there watching me instead.
By this time, more people are stopping and the neighbors are aware now, and someone has called the fire department. I asked one of the neighbors if they knew whether the people were home or not. They didn't know for sure.
So, understanding and knowing the dangers of opening a door to a house that has smoke coming out of it, I was not about to enter the house.
Instead, another person and I want around to the doors and windows, banging loudly, to see if we could get the attention of anyone in the house.
The fire department arrived and went to work on the fire. As suspected, once the door was opened, the flames erupted. But as they were battling that aspect of the fire, the other person who had gone around the back of the house, was able to arouse the occupants and they crawled out that back bedroom window.
Outside of smoke inhalation, nobody was seriously injured, and nobody died in the fire.
I'm still not sure what made me run toward the house with a thought of helping in any way I can, but there it was.
In another surprise to me, on how I reacted to something, happened a few months ago.
For two weeks, I was having digestive issues. Bloating, gas, even at one point, vomiting. It made no sense to me at all.
I started to research the symptoms and they all pointed to colorectal cancer. I knew that my father had cancer of the bowel. He had surgery to remove that portion and then some chemo, and survived it. I knew that my last colonoscopy required removal of a few "items" but nothing too serious. I am due for my next "inspection" and need to get it scheduled.
So, here I am thinking that I might be facing a challenge ahead with one of our leading causes of death. What did I do? Well, at first of course was the thought that I need to get it verified before jumping to any conclusions, but the part that surprised the heck out of me was my calm and rational thoughts about "what now"?
What did I focus on? How do I set my wife up to handle the potential outcome? How do I help my son deal with the potential loss, when I am the only family he has here in U.S.? All of our family is 3000 miles away on the atlantic coast of Canada. He lost his mother when he was 18 (he's now 33), so losing his father would be a big blow.
How do I help my new grandson? I want him to have the best of opportunities in life, so I need to find a way to make that happen for him.
In all, my mind was going through the immediate liquidation of items that my wife and son would not need, to get some cash reserves for various things. My will is already done and clearly outlines the division of assets.
But my mind goes to how best to get that started, with the sale of the house, management of the 401(k), setting up a sizeable deposit into a guaranteed education trust for my grandson, etc.
I stopped and wondered for a bit, why was this my reaction? Why was I not feeling sorrow for myself and the fact that I might be facing some difficult health issues and the side effects in the coming months? I've seen so many people sink into depression or despair over what was happening to them. But for me, I didn't care about that part. I truly had no care at all about my outcome. Never entered my mind. It was all about my immediate family and how do I help them.
I am still wondering how that can be. Why did I behave in that manner?
At any rate, I'm happy to say that the symptoms were a result of the GLP-1 medication that I was using. I stopped it for a bit and things settled down and went back to normal. I am still scheduling my video inspection just in case.
I guess the point I am making is that what you state, in your post, is pretty much spot on. There are those of us who act or react in certain ways when difficult situations present themselves to us. How we react can be based a lot on our upbringing or our experiences as we grow. I know the reaction to the house fire was partly driven by my military experience. But I am still at a loss for my complete focus on others when I thought I was facing a dire situation for myself.
We don't know how we will act, until the situation presents itself, but I hope that we will always have level-headed leaders in our lodges that can take the reigns and provide the leadership necessary to move in the right direction.
Once again, I have written a novel as a response, sorry for that.
Thank you for this, Brother. I always enjoy your thoughts.
I'm very pleased to know that you are OK. While that form of cancer doesn't run in my family, it does in my wife's and it took both her mother and her grandmother. Her brother is fighting it now. (I will say that none of the three of them ever went in for routine screenings, pointing out just how important those tests are.)
You say:
>>>We don't know how we will act, until the situation presents itself
And I think that is absolutely correct. We just can't know how we will react in any given situation until it presents itself.
You deserve much praise for saving those people from their house fire.
“I watched a Lodge get hit with a very serious shock. The men who composed the Lodge went from being very excited about the future, to utterly depressed about the future. Not just some men, the entire Lodge. They focused exclusively on what they had lost, turning away from what they still retained.” While what you’re saying is construed as an example, I think you’re talking about a Lodge where the WM was 34 years old and had excellent leadership skills. His untimely passing at that incredibly young age was a shocker to all, but I think the key problem is that the members who were leaders were tired. They wanted to return to the support role, where they could still contribute to the Lodge, but not have the added stress of the decision making, organizing, etc. of the leadership role that the new MW had plenty of energy for. So when he passed, the Lodge was effectively leaderless. Sure, there were some (including me) that had fuel left in the tank, but I was WM of the neighboring Lodge. The others who could step up and lead the Lodge were like me, in that they were occupied with leadership of other areas, including the Grand Lodge itself. There is such thing as a Cable Tow, and without solid, dedicated leadership, the Lodge tanked. Fortunately, the Lodge did gain a member in its death throes, and that new member is now the Junior Warden of the Lodge that the dead lodge consolidated into.
“The third reaction is jumping right back up, grabbing control of things, and keeping right on going.” My home Lodge in Tenino would be a good example of that, again, as a result of the passing of a very influential member. VWB John Shull joined the Lodge in 2003 and was its WM in 2007. His insight, debate and conflict resolution skills and his vision really put Tenino Lodge on the map, and it made things easier for me to expand when I assumed the East for the 2nd time two years later, and when I became the District 17 Deputy. John followed me as the Deputy for two years, but during his term he developed a nasty cancer which eventually took him a few months after his term as Deputy concluded. He was only 58 years old. It was a severe loss for not only Tenino Lodge, but the entire District, and even beyond, as many were anticipating him eventually becoming our Grand Master. But as you note, the Lodge, as well as the District, stepped up to the plate and kept VWB John’s legacy alive. During MWB Charles Wood’s term as Grand Master, only one elected Grand Lodge officer was NOT from VWB John’s District, and the Assistant Grand Secretary was also from John’s District. Charles was a fellow Deputy of a District next to John’s. I can say with reasonable confidence that VWB John Shull had a notable influence on the Brothers who presided over our Craft in that time span, and the Craft benefitted greatly from that leadership. THAT is a good example of a Brother who lived respected and died regretted.
I think your Tenino Lodge example is indeed a perfect example. It has had a fair share of downturns through the years, and probably the one you mention was the worst of all, but the Brothers always jump back up and keep it thriving. That's important, and it shows clearly, that it can be done.
Not directly related but.. I've always wondered why many Masons do not keep a masonic resume. Officer positions or the opportunity to serve should be considered a privilege. People should know who and what they are voting for. We need leadership not an officer line. For instance if a man can not keep his house in order, how can he keep order in the lodge? I've seen too often than not men sit in the oriental chair lacking conviction, needed skill, or the time to properly do the job. Leader's are needed, and those people who are leaders should be in the position of leadership or supporting as officers.
I shouldn't be a Lodge Treasurer, because I'm amazed I can actually manage to reconcile my own checkbook.
I shouldn't be a Lodge Secretary, because I'm the world's most unorganized man.
And a guy who's wife and kids don't like him shouldn't be a Worshipful Master, because he obviously lacks essential people skills.
But far too often, we don't choose the man who is best for the job, rather we choose the next guy in line. And that does immeasurable harm to our Lodges.
In cyber and the military we learn it is always a matter of when. This way we are never taken by surprise and are taught to look for and expect the signs. I think it helps to desensitize and prepare for whatever might come your way.
In many cases when something significant occurs there are usually signs, just they often get overlooked in favor of some other factor known to those involved.
It reminds me of the phrase, "Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war."
You are right, we should anticipate shocks, so that we can better deal with them when they do come. And they will indeed come to every Lodge eventually.
Another Past Grand Master, MWB Mike Sanders, noted that when "bad" things happens to a lodge in most cases the lodge will recover to become even stronger. It might take time and a lot of effort but the lodge will become stronger. It reminds me of Fredrick Nietzsche concept of out of chaos comes order.
I think that's right, if a Lodge can survive a huge challenge, it will end up stronger in the end. They don't always survive though, and as near as I can determine, when they don't it has more to do with mindset than anything else. The Brothers get down and depressed, so don't look for the path forward.
Can you generically and without identifying anyone, describe the kinds of shocks you're talking about?
Oh, these can be anything really, depending on the Lodge and its circumstances.
The sudden and untimely death of a young Lodge member believed by all to be the future of the Lodge. Theft of funds from the Lodge. An inadequately insured Temple burned down. Any kind of serious and severe harmful event.
Mortal frailties are part of the price of the dance.
I think you're right about how resilience shows itself.
Yes, moral as well, unfortunately.
We often hear about the human reaction in potentially dangerous situations where the focus is on fight or flight. We don't often think about the human reaction to lesser situations that don't involve danger to life. As you mention, there is despair and resignation, the desire to "fix it" without the resources, and the action of managing it and getting things back on track.
A key aspect of the latter two are the human resources. You need the entire team on board and with the same resolve. If any one of them are still in the despair stage, they need to be brought out of it or asked to step aside so that the "team" can be fully functional and heading in the same direction.
I recall many years ago, my now, late wife, and I, were on our way back home from visiting friends. It was late evening, early night time. As we drove past a small row of houses, out of the corner of my eye, I saw what I thought was smoke coming from the roof of one small house. I slowed down and took a look back at the house, and sure enough, there was.
I immediately turned the car around and drove back to the house, parked the car, and started running toward the house. My wife was screaming at me to stop what I was doing. Asking if I was crazy.
I told her to go the neighboring house and call the fire department. No cell phones at that time.
She was stuck there watching me instead.
By this time, more people are stopping and the neighbors are aware now, and someone has called the fire department. I asked one of the neighbors if they knew whether the people were home or not. They didn't know for sure.
So, understanding and knowing the dangers of opening a door to a house that has smoke coming out of it, I was not about to enter the house.
Instead, another person and I want around to the doors and windows, banging loudly, to see if we could get the attention of anyone in the house.
The fire department arrived and went to work on the fire. As suspected, once the door was opened, the flames erupted. But as they were battling that aspect of the fire, the other person who had gone around the back of the house, was able to arouse the occupants and they crawled out that back bedroom window.
Outside of smoke inhalation, nobody was seriously injured, and nobody died in the fire.
I'm still not sure what made me run toward the house with a thought of helping in any way I can, but there it was.
In another surprise to me, on how I reacted to something, happened a few months ago.
For two weeks, I was having digestive issues. Bloating, gas, even at one point, vomiting. It made no sense to me at all.
I started to research the symptoms and they all pointed to colorectal cancer. I knew that my father had cancer of the bowel. He had surgery to remove that portion and then some chemo, and survived it. I knew that my last colonoscopy required removal of a few "items" but nothing too serious. I am due for my next "inspection" and need to get it scheduled.
So, here I am thinking that I might be facing a challenge ahead with one of our leading causes of death. What did I do? Well, at first of course was the thought that I need to get it verified before jumping to any conclusions, but the part that surprised the heck out of me was my calm and rational thoughts about "what now"?
What did I focus on? How do I set my wife up to handle the potential outcome? How do I help my son deal with the potential loss, when I am the only family he has here in U.S.? All of our family is 3000 miles away on the atlantic coast of Canada. He lost his mother when he was 18 (he's now 33), so losing his father would be a big blow.
How do I help my new grandson? I want him to have the best of opportunities in life, so I need to find a way to make that happen for him.
In all, my mind was going through the immediate liquidation of items that my wife and son would not need, to get some cash reserves for various things. My will is already done and clearly outlines the division of assets.
But my mind goes to how best to get that started, with the sale of the house, management of the 401(k), setting up a sizeable deposit into a guaranteed education trust for my grandson, etc.
I stopped and wondered for a bit, why was this my reaction? Why was I not feeling sorrow for myself and the fact that I might be facing some difficult health issues and the side effects in the coming months? I've seen so many people sink into depression or despair over what was happening to them. But for me, I didn't care about that part. I truly had no care at all about my outcome. Never entered my mind. It was all about my immediate family and how do I help them.
I am still wondering how that can be. Why did I behave in that manner?
At any rate, I'm happy to say that the symptoms were a result of the GLP-1 medication that I was using. I stopped it for a bit and things settled down and went back to normal. I am still scheduling my video inspection just in case.
I guess the point I am making is that what you state, in your post, is pretty much spot on. There are those of us who act or react in certain ways when difficult situations present themselves to us. How we react can be based a lot on our upbringing or our experiences as we grow. I know the reaction to the house fire was partly driven by my military experience. But I am still at a loss for my complete focus on others when I thought I was facing a dire situation for myself.
We don't know how we will act, until the situation presents itself, but I hope that we will always have level-headed leaders in our lodges that can take the reigns and provide the leadership necessary to move in the right direction.
Once again, I have written a novel as a response, sorry for that.
Thank you for this, Brother. I always enjoy your thoughts.
I'm very pleased to know that you are OK. While that form of cancer doesn't run in my family, it does in my wife's and it took both her mother and her grandmother. Her brother is fighting it now. (I will say that none of the three of them ever went in for routine screenings, pointing out just how important those tests are.)
You say:
>>>We don't know how we will act, until the situation presents itself
And I think that is absolutely correct. We just can't know how we will react in any given situation until it presents itself.
You deserve much praise for saving those people from their house fire.
MWB I always finds your reflections very interesting because I came from a cuban masonic jurisdiction wich is one very complex for many reasons
Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad that you enjoy my thoughts about our Craft.
Someday I hope to have an opportunity to visit a Lodge or two in Cuba!
“I watched a Lodge get hit with a very serious shock. The men who composed the Lodge went from being very excited about the future, to utterly depressed about the future. Not just some men, the entire Lodge. They focused exclusively on what they had lost, turning away from what they still retained.” While what you’re saying is construed as an example, I think you’re talking about a Lodge where the WM was 34 years old and had excellent leadership skills. His untimely passing at that incredibly young age was a shocker to all, but I think the key problem is that the members who were leaders were tired. They wanted to return to the support role, where they could still contribute to the Lodge, but not have the added stress of the decision making, organizing, etc. of the leadership role that the new MW had plenty of energy for. So when he passed, the Lodge was effectively leaderless. Sure, there were some (including me) that had fuel left in the tank, but I was WM of the neighboring Lodge. The others who could step up and lead the Lodge were like me, in that they were occupied with leadership of other areas, including the Grand Lodge itself. There is such thing as a Cable Tow, and without solid, dedicated leadership, the Lodge tanked. Fortunately, the Lodge did gain a member in its death throes, and that new member is now the Junior Warden of the Lodge that the dead lodge consolidated into.
“The third reaction is jumping right back up, grabbing control of things, and keeping right on going.” My home Lodge in Tenino would be a good example of that, again, as a result of the passing of a very influential member. VWB John Shull joined the Lodge in 2003 and was its WM in 2007. His insight, debate and conflict resolution skills and his vision really put Tenino Lodge on the map, and it made things easier for me to expand when I assumed the East for the 2nd time two years later, and when I became the District 17 Deputy. John followed me as the Deputy for two years, but during his term he developed a nasty cancer which eventually took him a few months after his term as Deputy concluded. He was only 58 years old. It was a severe loss for not only Tenino Lodge, but the entire District, and even beyond, as many were anticipating him eventually becoming our Grand Master. But as you note, the Lodge, as well as the District, stepped up to the plate and kept VWB John’s legacy alive. During MWB Charles Wood’s term as Grand Master, only one elected Grand Lodge officer was NOT from VWB John’s District, and the Assistant Grand Secretary was also from John’s District. Charles was a fellow Deputy of a District next to John’s. I can say with reasonable confidence that VWB John Shull had a notable influence on the Brothers who presided over our Craft in that time span, and the Craft benefitted greatly from that leadership. THAT is a good example of a Brother who lived respected and died regretted.
I think your Tenino Lodge example is indeed a perfect example. It has had a fair share of downturns through the years, and probably the one you mention was the worst of all, but the Brothers always jump back up and keep it thriving. That's important, and it shows clearly, that it can be done.
Not directly related but.. I've always wondered why many Masons do not keep a masonic resume. Officer positions or the opportunity to serve should be considered a privilege. People should know who and what they are voting for. We need leadership not an officer line. For instance if a man can not keep his house in order, how can he keep order in the lodge? I've seen too often than not men sit in the oriental chair lacking conviction, needed skill, or the time to properly do the job. Leader's are needed, and those people who are leaders should be in the position of leadership or supporting as officers.
Your point is extremely well taken.
I shouldn't be a Lodge Treasurer, because I'm amazed I can actually manage to reconcile my own checkbook.
I shouldn't be a Lodge Secretary, because I'm the world's most unorganized man.
And a guy who's wife and kids don't like him shouldn't be a Worshipful Master, because he obviously lacks essential people skills.
But far too often, we don't choose the man who is best for the job, rather we choose the next guy in line. And that does immeasurable harm to our Lodges.
How do we know ourselves to be Masons?
In cyber and the military we learn it is always a matter of when. This way we are never taken by surprise and are taught to look for and expect the signs. I think it helps to desensitize and prepare for whatever might come your way.
In many cases when something significant occurs there are usually signs, just they often get overlooked in favor of some other factor known to those involved.
It reminds me of the phrase, "Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war."
Great post MWB Bailey!
You are right, we should anticipate shocks, so that we can better deal with them when they do come. And they will indeed come to every Lodge eventually.