As WM in my lodge I spoke about newer Brothers being open to learning from a mentor. I have had the same mentor for 9 years he has helped me to learn every job from IG to Master. So I know that having a Mentor does work but only if you put the time and effort in. We in the UK are now into our summer break I am still waiting for someone to phone me up to ask me to find them a mentor!.
In addition to mentoring these young masons through the degrees and recommending reading materials, it is a ripe opportunity to guide these men towards restoring masonry back to what it should be. To one day be able to achieve goals of, for example, becoming an observant lodge. Showing them what a real masonic experience they should be having and comparing it to the boring business meetings most lodges find themselves stuck in. The evolution of masonry will take years to overcome the inertia of the way we’ve always done things mentality and will only be accomplished by the next generation.
Before I was the Master of my Lodge I was a member of a local Zen community that was affiliated with a monastery in Oregon. We met a couple times a week in a zendo (the place Zen Buddhists meditate) that was in the home of our leader. She would prepare the Zendo before we arrived, make tea, and have refreshments ready. One week, by coincidence no one showed up for a meeting. When I found out, at our next meeting, I felt badly she had done that work and no one showed up, and I expressed this to her. She said, it was part of the ‘practice’, and was referred to as “maintaining the vessel”. She explained that maintaining the vessel meant ensuring there was a place to meditate, should anyone need it. It’s important that aspirants KNOW that the space where they do their work is prepared for them whenever they need it.
When I was master of my Lodge I took that lesson to heart. I made sure there was an educational program each week, which meant that the burden of that fell on me. In my year we NEVER had a meeting without education. I wanted the maintain the vessel. I wanted each brother to KNOW that the Lodge was a place of Masonic education and if he decided to show up, the Masonic space would be waiting for him. About halfway through my year I was approached by a PM who said, “ I like coming to Lodge again.’ That was the greatest reward I could have gotten. Attendance rose, participation increased and new initiates continued attending and being involved after the being raised. We mentor best when we lead through action and example. A zeal for Masonic education is best developed by Lodge leadership demonstrating a zeal for Masonic education.
Further, as experienced Masons it’s our primary responsibility to create a safe space where a man can risk becoming a better man, a Mason. One of the ways we do that is through encouraging them to learn, and to practice Masonic ritual, philosophy and even on some cases Masonic spirituality and to let them see us participate in these activities ourselves. We have to also recognize that each man, young or old, has his own Masonic path, and we have to allow space for them to pursue their path even if we would not pursue that path ourselves, as long as it is within the precepts of our order. In short, it has to be safe to make a mistake on their path, and know that the fellowship that underpins our fraternity is not contingent on them agreeing with us. In short if you want the brethren you mentor to become good Masons, be a good Mason.
"The way we have always done it", "if it works, don't fix it" These two phrases are some of the most toxic phrases know to man.
They both tie back to allowing what's good enough (or not quite) to get in the way of what's best. They breed apathy and discontent. This creates mediocrity and eventually this mediocrity becomes normalized deviance.
I believe this is where we are right now in many aspects of our craft.
I have taken over the coordination of a long standing event. As I talked to a seasoned, past coordinator of this event, I brought new ideas and each was met with an immediate no, that is not the way we have done it. Or with, we tired it that way once and it did not work.
This Brother went as far to say that he does not want to be that guy who says, "that's not the way we've always done it". He uttered those words in the very same breath as he was shooting down the suggestions I am making.
This is also what happened in my career as I left nuclear power generation in NC to work for a public utility district in WA.
Cameron is spot on with the idea of incremental change. Once I could adapt my leadership style to the culture of eastern WA and implement my vision is phases as to not overwhelm and crush the district under the rigor of we applied in a nuclear power generation operation, I was all of a sudden easy to work with.
I see a parallel in my leadership role in Masonry as well. We coordinated this event I mentioned and stayed within the constraint of the "way we have always done it", with one difference, we took the experience up a level in every way we could without breaching the tradition. For next year, i the coming weeks we will begin to solicit feedback from my lodge and from the brothers we were present from other lodges, apply this feedback in a most thoughtful manner and gently move away from "the way we have always done it". Finally!
As WM in my lodge I spoke about newer Brothers being open to learning from a mentor. I have had the same mentor for 9 years he has helped me to learn every job from IG to Master. So I know that having a Mentor does work but only if you put the time and effort in. We in the UK are now into our summer break I am still waiting for someone to phone me up to ask me to find them a mentor!.
WM.7941
In addition to mentoring these young masons through the degrees and recommending reading materials, it is a ripe opportunity to guide these men towards restoring masonry back to what it should be. To one day be able to achieve goals of, for example, becoming an observant lodge. Showing them what a real masonic experience they should be having and comparing it to the boring business meetings most lodges find themselves stuck in. The evolution of masonry will take years to overcome the inertia of the way we’ve always done things mentality and will only be accomplished by the next generation.
Before I was the Master of my Lodge I was a member of a local Zen community that was affiliated with a monastery in Oregon. We met a couple times a week in a zendo (the place Zen Buddhists meditate) that was in the home of our leader. She would prepare the Zendo before we arrived, make tea, and have refreshments ready. One week, by coincidence no one showed up for a meeting. When I found out, at our next meeting, I felt badly she had done that work and no one showed up, and I expressed this to her. She said, it was part of the ‘practice’, and was referred to as “maintaining the vessel”. She explained that maintaining the vessel meant ensuring there was a place to meditate, should anyone need it. It’s important that aspirants KNOW that the space where they do their work is prepared for them whenever they need it.
When I was master of my Lodge I took that lesson to heart. I made sure there was an educational program each week, which meant that the burden of that fell on me. In my year we NEVER had a meeting without education. I wanted the maintain the vessel. I wanted each brother to KNOW that the Lodge was a place of Masonic education and if he decided to show up, the Masonic space would be waiting for him. About halfway through my year I was approached by a PM who said, “ I like coming to Lodge again.’ That was the greatest reward I could have gotten. Attendance rose, participation increased and new initiates continued attending and being involved after the being raised. We mentor best when we lead through action and example. A zeal for Masonic education is best developed by Lodge leadership demonstrating a zeal for Masonic education.
Further, as experienced Masons it’s our primary responsibility to create a safe space where a man can risk becoming a better man, a Mason. One of the ways we do that is through encouraging them to learn, and to practice Masonic ritual, philosophy and even on some cases Masonic spirituality and to let them see us participate in these activities ourselves. We have to also recognize that each man, young or old, has his own Masonic path, and we have to allow space for them to pursue their path even if we would not pursue that path ourselves, as long as it is within the precepts of our order. In short, it has to be safe to make a mistake on their path, and know that the fellowship that underpins our fraternity is not contingent on them agreeing with us. In short if you want the brethren you mentor to become good Masons, be a good Mason.
"The way we have always done it", "if it works, don't fix it" These two phrases are some of the most toxic phrases know to man.
They both tie back to allowing what's good enough (or not quite) to get in the way of what's best. They breed apathy and discontent. This creates mediocrity and eventually this mediocrity becomes normalized deviance.
I believe this is where we are right now in many aspects of our craft.
I have taken over the coordination of a long standing event. As I talked to a seasoned, past coordinator of this event, I brought new ideas and each was met with an immediate no, that is not the way we have done it. Or with, we tired it that way once and it did not work.
This Brother went as far to say that he does not want to be that guy who says, "that's not the way we've always done it". He uttered those words in the very same breath as he was shooting down the suggestions I am making.
This is also what happened in my career as I left nuclear power generation in NC to work for a public utility district in WA.
Cameron is spot on with the idea of incremental change. Once I could adapt my leadership style to the culture of eastern WA and implement my vision is phases as to not overwhelm and crush the district under the rigor of we applied in a nuclear power generation operation, I was all of a sudden easy to work with.
I see a parallel in my leadership role in Masonry as well. We coordinated this event I mentioned and stayed within the constraint of the "way we have always done it", with one difference, we took the experience up a level in every way we could without breaching the tradition. For next year, i the coming weeks we will begin to solicit feedback from my lodge and from the brothers we were present from other lodges, apply this feedback in a most thoughtful manner and gently move away from "the way we have always done it". Finally!