Becoming a Catechism Instructor

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Rob Walk Jr.

As I turned onto Orville Road via Eastern Avenue I was only a tad bit nervous. Just enough to grab the shifter of my bean can of a car with three white knuckles tightly clenched around it. As I rounded that corner I felt the caffeine stimulating my hyper-sensitive nerves to the point where I could feel my heart nearly beat out of my chest. At least it was pretty outside. Today is the day that I would return all three degrees' catechisms, in a row, to the Deputy Grand Lecturer, Past Master Gus Vorvoulas.

I always saw him as sort of a mythical creature. Not dissimilar to a jade Buddha statue in the deep thick of a middle-of-nowhere forest. I only saw him during officer line practices, and maybe one stated meeting every two months. Somehow everyone always spoke of this Past Master. One Brother that I met far and away from our lodge even told me to tell him, "hi Deputy" in his name! Who was this man, really? And just the fact that the first time we would have a serious one-on-one would be a very brain-tingling return of the degrees was nerve-wracking!

Up until now I was highly dedicated to the catechisms. Word-for-word I would repeat the answers to the questions during my breaks and downtime at work. I knew them like I knew my own face. What would save me on this day, however, was the fact that I also memorized the questions preceding them. I was able to go through the whole series, open to close, on my drives to and from work…but then I was Raised.

I became proficient in the 3rd Degree and more or less dropped the work. I became dedicated to what was happening within the walls of our building. The socializing, prepping for dinners, and learning the floor work for Senior Steward became my primary focus. The catechisms were, in so few words, behind me. I was then approached by the Worshipful Master to do catechism instruction. I had confidence I could completely it, but several weeks went by before I could meet with the Deputy Grand Lecturer to "certify" with him. By the time I was able to schedule our appointment with Past Master Gus, I very hurriedly had to look over my ritual monitor again. His only chance to meet would be -- you guessed it -- that very day.

I panicked inside, heart trembling, because I knew that enough time had gone by that I wouldn't remember all three 100%. I sat in the parking lot of the high school, waiting for my wife to come out. It was nearly the end of her day. I enjoy taking her to work on my days off. Today however I must have texted her four times trying to figure out if she was on her way. I nearly flew home and scarfed down my dinner in anticipation of my meeting with Gus. I drove down I-95 onto Eastern Avenue and right onto Orville Road. This was it. I came around the turn, eyes wide open staring at the rather ornate square and compasses that adorn our lodge hall. And as soon as I saw that I also saw the front end of Past Master Gus's car. He was outside waiting on me. ::Gulp::

We both stood up out of our cars, gave a rather "healthy" grip, and he finagled the door of the lodge open with his very "janitorial" looking key. This really could not have gone any slower. I felt the beads of sweat drip down my chest under my windbreaker. We took three steps into the lodge as he said, "would you lock that door behind you?" And his words reverberated through my skull like a judge telling a thief he would be sent to prison for the next 10 years. "Past Master, I'll be honest with you. I'm really nervous." He laughed a little bit and told me not to worry about it. He asked me about how I was enjoying my experience. Did I enjoy the 3rd Degree? And the topic at the forefront of my mind lately: Masonic Education. We must have sat there for 25 or 30 minutes simply bantering and bickering back and forth! And I'll be darned if that didn't near-immediately calm me down.

"Well, are you ready," he asked.
"Am now. Let's do it."

Now I'm sure you think I'm going to tell some fib about going straight through them without stopping. Well, I didn't. I had to eat some humble pie that day, because the latter half of the 2nd Degree was nearly lost to me.

I did the Entered Apprentice. "Good."
I did the Master Mason. "Good."

I tripped over the Fellowcraft, but I called him the very next day and we did it over a phone call. I finally found myself able to do the work that was so generously passed onto me. This Thursday evening I'll visit another lodge with Past Master Gus to witness the Knights of Mecca Raise a Brother to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. There he'll serve as the Worshipful Master. It will undoubtedly be a sight to behold.

~RW

Bro. Robert Walk Jr. is the creator and sole writer for On Freemasonry and Humble Pie: a Wordpress blog dedicated to his experiences and journey from being a petitioner, to Initiation, Passing, and to being Raised. A dialysis technician being his main work, he enjoys writing, rock climbing, drumming and craft beer in his free time. He is a Master Mason at Jephthah Lodge No. 222, A.F.&A.M. in Essex, MD.

Rediscovering The Lost Treasures Of Homer Lodge No. 199

by Midnight Freemasons Contributors

Gregory J. Knott

&

Todd E. Creason

The attic access at Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL)

Remember Geraldo Rivera when he was on live TV to open Al Capone’s vault to reveal all that treasure?  Homer Masonic Lodge No. 199 (IL) recently had our own version of this show.  We all knew there were a lot of things in the attic of the Homer Masonic Lodge.  The building was constructed in 1892 and has been used continually by the lodge since that time.  But what was exactly up there was generally a mystery.

Homer Historical Society Member Molly Shoaf and Homer
Secretary Denver Phelps look over some of the treasurers

On a Saturday morning, with the help of the Homer Historical Society, members of the lodge decided to bring down all the treasures from the attic and see what they were.  We had much better luck than Geraldo did!  It was like opening a time capsule from the past with items from 1856 to 1950.

There were Lodge by-laws from the 1850’s, copies of the Homer Enterprise newspaper from the late 1800s and early 1900s, petitions, old Christmas decorations and a large library of Illinois Grand Lodge Proceedings.

Some of the old papers and lodge items found stored upstairs in crates and cubby holes

Homer was also was home to Royal Arch Chapter No. 94 that finally gave up its charter in 2009 and the attic held a large amount of amount of Royal Arch petitions, annual proceedings and minute books.  An Eastern Star chapter was also at Homer and there were treasurers from these years as well.

Through the careful guidance of the Homer Historical Society, we are now going through all of the papers to get them organized and to be stored in manner that will preserve them for future generations.

1857 Lodge By-Laws

Homer Lodge No. 199 is now in the process of converting a spare room into a museum so that some of these items can be displayed in glass cases.  There were many interesting relics found in the attic that will be featured in this collection, including glass degree slides, phonograph records, a very old top hat worn by one of the Masters, several collections of officer jewels and regalia, old movie posters, etc.

We found more than one set of beautiful glass degree slides

There are also some unique lodge furnishings that will be displayed.  Ogden Lodge No. 754 recently donated an old altar that belonged to Broadlands Lodge (no longer in existence) that will be set up on display in the museum.

Entered Apprentice Degree music by the Sousa Band

Homer Lodge is going to have the music on this old phonograph record, one of several discovered, digitally mastered and preserved by the University of Illinois Library.

What was most likely the original collar worn by the Master of Homer Lodge

Like Homer Lodge No. 199, many of our old Masonic buildings have been around for a long time, and very few probably know all the hidden treasures they contain hidden away in desks, attics, basements, and cupboards.  So take a little time, and have a look at what your lodge may have tucked away in boxes and file cabinets.  And if you're not sure what you have, contact your local Historical Society, and I'm sure they'll be anxious to help you go through what you find.  What looks like junk to many people may contain very important lost pieces of history.  The Homer Historical Society has already found a number of newspapers and documents that were up in the attic that they didn't have in their collection.  Some of those items may very well shed new light on what life was like in our part of Illinois more than a century ago.

GJK/TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33°  is the founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is member of Homer Lodge No. 199, and a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL). He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, and Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL).  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC.  He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana.  He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees.  Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society.  Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

How Many Freemasons Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison, 33°, FMLR

Q: How many Freemasons does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None. Freemasons never change anything.

Oh, how we laugh when we hear that one, and how we lament hearing, "we've never done it that way," or "in my day, we..." or "the bylaws prevent it." That last one, of course, usually comes from someone who's never read the bylaws. It's true — we gather in our meetings and leadership conferences and vow we will change, or at least accelerate from our usual glacial pace to the breakneck speed of an aging snail.  Then we go back to our daily routines and, seemingly, nothing happens.  We're in a rut; and many of us... sometimes I think most of us... like our little rut.  Here are a couple of examples I've seen in my time in the advancing line of the Missouri Lodge of Research:

Brother Tom ended his tenure as a Grand Lodge official. Instead of sitting back and taking it easy, he became passionate about a longstanding project.  He wasn't "put in charge;" he took charge.  He spearheaded an effort to produce something that has become an important part of the Grand Lodge of Missouri.  He would be the first to tell you he didn't do it alone.  I'm not talking about that... I'm talking about leadership.

Brother Bill was a Past Master of a failing... well, faltering... Lodge.  During his year as Master he managed a complete turnaround.  At one point during his term I attended an event there with hundreds — hundreds — of Brothers in attendance.  I watched as he turned that Lodge into what another Brother called, "a shining star of Missouri Freemasonry."  Given his demonstrated leadership ability, the Lodge of Research called on Bill to coordinate a project.  That project succeeded beyond my expectations; and like Tom, Bill will insist he did none of it alone.  He's just a guy who knows how to get things done.

Kudos to Tom and Bill, right? 

Wrong!  Both were criticized relentlessly.  Tom "overstepped his bounds."  He "moved too fast."  He didn't "do things the right way."  Bill "bullied his way in" and "attempted to take over the Lodge of Research." (Not on my watch, Brothers. You can take that to the bank).

We can't have it both ways, guys.  We can't change, we can't get things done, we can't increase our visibility and attract members by turning key players into pariahs; but in a lot of instances, we do.  It makes it difficult to work within the system.

I'm not advocating us all becoming loose cannons.  Rather, I'm suggesting we recognize we have a lot of work to do to realize some of the goals we have all set for the fraternity; not the least of which is to mold the organization into something that will attract young men.  We don't have to give up our core values to do that.  We do, however, have to take action and honor, not vilify, the Brothers who step up as leaders.

~SLH

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33°, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Worshipful Master. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. His latest book, Freemasons: Tales From the Craft, will be released later this year.

What I learned at the Heartland Tournament of Champions

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

R.W.B. Michael H. Shirley

I don’t much care for long car trips, but sometimes they’re necessary. In November, my son, Jacob, quite to his surprise, came in first in Illinois DeMolay’s Fall Fest competition in Preceptor Five, Junior Division. He was, of course, delighted and proud, as were his mother and I. As state champion, he became eligible for Heartland Tournament of Champions, which was held on April 25 in Michigan. So, on Friday, Jacob and I, with his sister Kate and four of her stuffed animals, drove about eight hours to the hotel where the tournament was to be held, checked in with the Michigan DeMolay advisors, and found our room. The kids spent some time in the hotel pool, we had dinner, and then went to bed. The next morning, we found a Panera, had breakfast, got Jacob into his suit and robe, and went to the room where the individual Preceptors were to compete. Jacob was the first one there, and, after the judges explained the rules to him, he performed his ritual. We couldn’t stay till the awards ceremony, since I had another meeting on Sunday back in Illinois, so we hit the DeMolay store, bought a few things, packed up, and hit the road for the return trip, arriving back in Tuscola at 5:30, with a stop at a Bass Pro Shops store in Indiana, where the kids had a wonderful time without buying anything (although Kate begged). Jacob was happy it was over, and both kids were glad to be home.

I found out the next evening that he’d placed second, which he thought was just great, and he was ready to tackle some more ritual for the next Fall Fest. I figure he’ll be ready for the Magnificent Three (three Preceptors, recited  one after the other), and he agrees. He’s looking forward to it, and he’s learned a lot. So have I. I’ve learned that I probably need an attendant chiropractor if I’m going to drive more than about 400 miles in a day. I’ve been reminded that Bass Pro Shops has a toy section that Kate has demanded that we visit again, with money. I’ve learned that Jacob is capable of amazing things. I’ve discovered again that DeMolay is the best organization for young men I can imagine. And I know without question that my own Masonic career is a pale second place to what I can help my children accomplish. I drove nearly 900 miles in the space of thirty-three hours so that Jacob could do something for five minutes. With any luck, I’ll get to do it again.

~MHS

R. W. B. Michael H. Shirley is Assistant Area Deputy Grand Master for the Eastern Area for the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M, as well as a Certified Lodge Instructor and Leadership Development Chairman for the Grand Lodge of Illinois. A Past Master and Life Member of Tuscola Lodge No. 332, a plural member of Island City Lodge No. 330, F & AM, in Minocqua Wisconsin and he is also a member of the Illinois Lodge of Research, the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. The author of several articles on British history, he teaches at Eastern Illinois University.

The Critical Challenges Facing Masonic Leadership

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Edward A. Rund

Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of the State of Illinois April 27, 1996 (Revised April 24, 2014)

INTRODUCTION

The challenges facing leaders of any organization today are particularly daunting and, given the scope and accelerating pace of changes impacting everyone, these challenges are likely to become even more demanding in the years ahead. And yet, both leaders and organization theorists continue to struggle with issues such as:

• What is leadership and how is it to be distinguished from management?
• How do we best define the purposes of an organization?
• What draws people to particular products and services?
• How is a good following to be achieved?

As I have grappled with these questions over the years, both in theory and practice, I have come to develop an image of what I believe to be the essence of good leader behavior. If you will imagine a large sheet of plate glass floating horizontally before you, upon which I toss a handful of iron filings, you can see how these filings would fall upon the glass in every conceivable direction. This is similar to the manner in which people work together in most organizations, each attempting to achieve his or her own agenda. However, if we were to take a strong magnet and pass it under the glass from one side to the other, we would observe how each of those filings, polarized by the force of the magnet, would all orient in one direction along the path of the magnet. To me, good leadership comprises those magnetic attitudes and behaviors which cause followers to orient all of their efforts in the chosen direction. Those combined energies then move the organization progressively toward accomplishing its mission and goals.

But what leader practices will accomplish such a feat? My research over the past few years suggests that it must begin with the clarification of purpose or mission, and the creation of a shared vision. A vision that stands clearly before all members of the organization such that they are powerfully drawn toward it and are willing to work diligently to bring it to fruition. Is it easy, certainly not or there would be a lot more successful leaders. This is not easy, but it is do-able with patience, persistence, and continuity over time.

As Burt Nanus states in his book entitled, Visionary Leadership, “There is no more powerful engine driving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than an attractive, worthwhile, and achievable vision of the future, widely shared.”

Societal Forces and Change

Few aspects of modern society seem more pervasive and persistent than change. It has been well documented that the pace of change that we experience in both our personal and work lives is accelerating. The scope and pace of this change, although progressing at different degrees in both developed and developing nations around the globe, has reached a level and an interconnectedness that can best be described as turbulent. Formal organizations, such as ours in particular, are subject to the effects of frequent changes in our environment, whether they appear as threats or as opportunities. Almost everyone is affected by the changes occurring all around him. Just consider the explosive energy released in the past few years related to the Internet. All of a sudden people who would never have thought of owning a home computer are clambering to figure out how many megs of this and how many mega-hertz of that they will need.

Forces of change are often perceived as coming from the job, the community, the market place or even the government; however, many of these forces are societal or cultural in origin. Emil Durkheim, a nineteenth century French sociologist was one of the first to recognize, for example, that suicide which was always believed to be an individually triggered response was in fact a societally determined behavior. That's right; given a particular time period and nation, it was possible to statistically estimate the number of suicides that would occur based upon the turmoil faced by that nation. Closer to home, consider the effect that demographics of our aging population is having on American society, or the preoccupation we have all experienced with the entertainment revolution. Whatever one's particular preference, it can become an addictive escape from life's problems. Raised on video games, our young .adults find baseball and probably Freemasonry a bit too slow moving.

In response to this pervasive change, businesses and service organizations, as well as associations are findin g they must continually adapt to a multiplicity of the socio-technical, economic, and political changes if they are to survive and thrive. As Richard Beckhard suggests, "This 'white water' turbulence is forcing most leaders to examine the very essence of their organizations. They must examine their basic purposes, their identities, and their relationships with customers or members, competitors, and communities.

The most prevalent way for organizations to adapt is through a process of planned change. When that process includes a time perspective of four to six years, and assesses both internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external threats and opportunities, it is called strategic planning.

Current Problems and Issues

In examining current problems and issues, I thought it might be instructive to use a “force field analysis” approach, whereby we determine some of the forces that are keeping men from joining and other forces that are promoting their candidacy in our Fraternity. As mentioned earlier, changing demographics in regard to age distribution; life spans; gender ratios; milestone ages such as entering marriage, becoming a parent, career moves, and retiring are having a powerful impact on American society and the way we are evolving. Increasing ethnic and cultural diversity, single person child rearing, as well as breakdowns in such developmental institutions as schools and churches are generating significant changes in our system of values. Many of these changes are producing forces which work against becoming a Mason.

There is the growing pressure of time-demands as seen in the following examples:

1. Two wage-earner families that must share in housekeeping and child rearing
   
2. Pressure to become a careerist, sacrificing many life activities for the job, and even returning to school for
   advanced education in order to achieve promotions
   
3. Increasing competition for a person's attention coming from the need or interest in joining certain organizations, the
   drive for personal fitness, or the allure of entertainment in its all forms.
   

All of these consume the limited time available in our 24-hour days. Additionally, the cultural encouragements to be self- centered and to push for immediate gratification tend to diminish the perceived values found in "joining" others or undertaking longer term development activities, especially of a moral nature. Finally, the flare-ups, as we have seen lately in anti-masonic communications or news of abuses within other philanthropic charities that clearly cast aspersions on organizations such as ours.

Should all this seem to make growth in Masonic membership appear hopeless? Let's look at the forces that might, prompt a man to join our gentle Craft. Given the hectic pace and growing pressures of modern life, many men are looking for a place of solace and relief from interpersonal politics. They are looking for the missing meaning or purpose in their lives and a way to replace the values that give guidance, values that our superficial, throw-away society didn't provide them as they were growing up. In essence, whether verbalized or not, they are searching for the means to construct a life philosophy. Surprisingly, many men describe the need to be of service to someone or some group other than themselves or their immediate family. We see this confirmed in the growing number of volunteer activities across the United States.

Remember, humans are social beings at the core of their nature. Men, especially, long for attachment and the positive affirmation that comes with “safe and dependable fellowship”. They enjoy being with like-minded people, yet having the opportunity to experience new ways of seeing things. Obviously we, as members, have come to know that Freemasonry provides an environment and opportunity to meet many of these deeper needs. As such, we can take advantage of these forces. We can propel our association if only by increasing our effectiveness in spreading the word.
Finally, given the above considerations, it would be helpful to look at just what men do with their time at difference ages and when they might be most receptive to our message. The Masonic Renewal Committee has done a fine job in identifying and presenting this data. The important point to consider is that while we cannot eliminate the forces working against us, once they are identified, we can work together to counteract them.

Freemasonry as a Partial, yet Viable Solution

Let us begin by reviewing the purposes of Freemasonry. At the heart of our Craft is the drive for moral development, i.e., building individual character. To this I would add functional development. That is first, the practice of lifelong learning, not just in Freemasonry, but across the arts and sciences and beyond. Secondly, it includes the use of critical thinking, or the capacity to regularly examine the assumptions underlying what we read and hear and question the validity of these assumptions. The next level of purpose relates to the practical methods of changing and improving behavior. This is done through regular fellowship with brethren, observing their good deportment and patterning ours thereafter. Lastly, are the purposes of applying Masonic standards of behavior in the community, being a good citizen, and extending charity and acts of kindness wherever possible. Herein lies what I believe to be one of the ultimate purposes of Freemasonry as it is practiced today: The collective good will and exemplary behavior of more and more Masons in the community, so as to raise the general level of life quality throughout the world, making it a better and better place through the leadership and inspiration of a multitude of Masons.

If we now line up these principles of behavior and the environment they create where Masons are gathered, we will find they match fairly closely with the needs of the typical fellow as outlined above. Some examples might be, when men meet on the level and enjoy the benefits of brotherly love, they no longer need to spend time and energy keeping up their protective defenses. They can relax, be themselves, and enjoy true companionship and the solace they deeply seek. Also, they can immerse themselves in a rich and meaningful life philosophy and are likely to plumb its depths throughout the remainder of their lives, thereby sustaining that guidance before them. Such guidance will assist in making so many of those life choices which we all must face.

Now, it is unrealistic to expect that Masonry can meet most of a person's needs, but it certainly can meet many of the deeper, more spiritual ones. And there is no reason why Freemasonry cannot work alongside other institutions also providing moral development and solace.

Strategic Management for Grand and Local Lodges

For Freemasonry to do its good work on an ever-increasing scale, it must survive, thrive, and become more consistently visible as a force for good. As we continue to struggle with the overall size of our membership rolls, we often hear the debate about the importance of numbers. It is quite true that we need active, committed, and increasingly exemplary members in the Craft. Without a turnaround in the number of active Masons, we may survive, but we will not thrive and will not become the positive force we need to be in the communities of our troubled world. How can we begin to achieve this turn-around, especially in light of the hindering forces presented earlier? I think one answer must be the application of a process, which has, in many ways, brought American business back to the forefront in a world of global competition. That process is strategic management. A concept that is not difficult to define or explain, but can be a challenge to successfully implement for organizations typically resistant to change.

If you have spent even one active year in Masonry, you know we are not adverse to borrowing ideas from one another nor from the world at large, so I suggest, "Why not explore the potential benefits of strategic management at both the local and Grand Lodge levels?" Regrettably, most of us are familiar with and quite comfortable with thinking at the operational level. We plan our Lodge year or establish an annual budget, but strategic thinking takes some added effort. We will only become comfortable with it through practice.

What makes the process strategic? First, it often incorporates a time frame of four to six years, a period even in our turbulent times that permits reasonable forecasts of coming events. Secondly, and quite importantly, it takes careful consideration of the forces and circumstances in the external environment beyond the organization's boundaries. Third, the process then compares this condition with that which is internal to the organization, its strengths and weaknesses. Fourth, the process calls for the identification or refinement of the mission and creation of a vision or a word pict ure of what the members would like to see their organization become at the end of the time period. A series of change strategies are then developed to move the current organization toward its vision. This is often done by identifying strategies that will best position the organization for the future, i.e., building on its strengths and attempting to correct its shortcomings, in order to take advantage of external opportunities or to avoid the effects of outside threats and to consistently achieve its mission. Strategic management, which combining this planning with implementation, is not a mystical rite, but simply a series of practical steps.

When leaders permit their organizations to languish and decline both in membership and effectiveness, they can har dly be considered leaders. Unfortunately, this is the all too familiar case at all levels in Masonry today. We are suffering from a critical lack of creative and results achieving leadership. I fervently believe that if both Grand Lodge and lodge- level officers diligently commit to a strategic management philosophy and practice, we would see the improvement results we all dream of. It will not be easy. Freemasonry is a volunteer organization (difficult to manage for results and usually having limited resources) and filled with apathetic and untrained leaders. Even more complicating, those leaders have a year or possible two in the "sun"; the sun of ego-inflating pomp, ceremony, and fawning flattery. But, with due diligence, it can be done. It can be done through professional leadership such as the insertion of a trained executive director for a Grand jurisdiction, or it can be done by committing your lodge to the practice of training your upcoming leaders and requiring them to carry out strategic practices.

How to get underway? Following the analysis of the jurisdiction's or lodge's environment and the internal strengths/weaknesses, it seems best to start by clarifying the mission. It should be member oriented, feasible, motivating, and specific in terms of answering such questions as:

• What is our purpose?
• Who are our current and potential members?
• What value do we bring to our members?

For improving the image, functioning, and well-being of the jurisdiction or lodge, an invigorating, achievable vision needs to be created through the participative involvement of as many active members as possible. In this way, the essential ingredients of commitment and ownership are obtained from the outset.

As with so much of life in the market place today, the jurisdiction's or lodge's orientation must be fully customer (member) driven; satisfying their needs and exceeding their expectations. We must realize we are competing for their time, dollars, attention, and commitment.

Will strategic management work for Masonry? Believe me; we need to make it work. I think Charles Darwin put this message most succinctly, “Those who adapted best, found they replaced the rest .”

~EAR

Bro. Edward A. Rund is a life member of Wilmette Lodge # 931 in Illinois, where he has served as Master in 1986, 1996 and 2006. He holds several honorary memberships of various “Blue” lodges around the area. He has worked in several areas of the Grand Lodge of Illinois including; District Deputy, Representative to the Grand lodge of Minnesota,  Committee member, Chairman and Director of Masonic Education and was awarded the Grand Masters Award of Merit in 2011. Brother Rund is also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago, the York Rite bodies including; the AMD, the Sovereign College, Knight Masons and the Red Cross of Constantine. He belongs to the OES as well. Brother Rund served as the Worshipful Master of the Illinois Lodge of Research in 2001 and is a member of numerous other Masonic related clubs and societies. 

Next Generation of Freemasonry, We Must Humble Ourselves

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Rob Walk Jr.

Brethren, we must humble ourselves.  If we do not, then we shall risk the disapproval of our Past Masters.  The Brothers of the past six decades have kept the doors open for us to practice this Great Craft, and without them we could not possibly have seen the "Light" of day.  I was Raised on February 18th of 2014 -- my Masonic birthday.  Prior to this I had been researching the fraternity since I was 20 years old -- about seven years ago now.  I had resources open to my profane eyes at that time, which are available for everyone who is interested right now.  Books like Freemasonry for Dummies, blogs like this one among a great many others, and videos on YouTube which expounded the exoteric meanings of some of the working tools, etc.  So, I had some small idea what the square and compass meant before I even petitioned the fraternity.  As I looked through these resources, I began to see that the fraternity was deeply esoteric, and taught, through initiation, some of the mystical teachings of eastern contemplative traditions.  So, at the age of 25, with the approval of my wife and family, I decided to petition the lodge that I am so incredibly proud of today.

Much to my chagrin, after being Raised, I found that Stated Meetings were nothing but reading the minutes and paying the bills "as usual."  I truly believed that there would be papers presented, ideas discussed and great revelations about humanity and spirituality realized within those very walls!  Now, I was not completely wrong.  There is a facet of these Stated Meetings that I cherish deeply, and that is the feeling of Brotherhood that is to be found *nowhere* else.  It is truly something found only here within "this of ours."  All the same, many meetings passed between the time I was Entered and continue through now where not a single piece of Masonic education was presented!  For this reason I looked outside of the walls of the Masonic hall.  My first educational symposium was the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge, where presentations were made by two very prolific Freemasons -- Brother Mark Stavish and Worshipful Brother Shawn Eyer.  Both were amazing lectures; however, Bro. Stavish presented a piece on the need to "start the revolution" (my words) within Freemasonry that is so direly needed.  Many new Entered Apprentices knock on our doors expecting to be educated and amazed by what it is that is happening within our halls.  They don't get the experience, ritual or education that they expected when they came in.  The attendants at the Academy were told to go back to their lodges and present this rather "morbid" information.  So, we did, and I have.

Last month I asked my Worshipful Master if we could start a Masonic Education Committee within Jephthah Lodge.  I knew that this would make Jephthah even more special than it already was -- as we are seen as the best ritualists in Baltimore County, from what I understand.  It would give us a squarer edge, a sharper edge, which would bring Brethren to our halls to learn about Masonry what hasn't been presented in this region heretofore.  I was more or less met with a "I'll look into it," and "it should be a Masonic Square Club," and "we've never done that before" coming out many of our Brothers' mouths.  Coming up with this first wall of resistance as I have I realized something:  stay humble.  When we present this information to our lodges -- that we aren't being all that we can be -- many older Brothers feel as though they are being attacked.  I can assure you that they are not!  I have a deep, sincere respect for these Past Masters who have presided in the East over the many years that our lodges have stood so tall within our communities.  They have a wisdom and understanding of the inner workings of Freemasonry in America that the younger generation does not have.  So, when they shake their heads at our best intentions, have no fear.  They are only looking out for us as to what is in our best interest.  What must be presented to them, however, is the fact that the ten Brothers who come to our Stated Meetings twice a month are 10 out of 600.  Why did these Brethren stop coming to lodge?  I present to you that it is indeed because of those missing pieces, those holes in the wall that were so glaring at us as we Entered the lodge via the anteroom.

So please, put down your prideful swords and have a piece of humble pie in honor of the Brethren who have held the doors open for us for this very long three, four or five generations until we came in.  There is indeed something to be respected here.  Our time is fast-approaching, albeit not as quickly as we'd like.  This past weekend the First Annual Pleiades Masonic Symposium was held in Westchester, Illinois.  Speaking were some very prominent Masonic Scholars whom you have heard of before.  Some Modern Famous Freemasons:  Bro. Anthony Mongelli, author of The Craftsman's Symbology; Bro. Charles Harper, Sr, author of Freemasonry in Black and White; W. Bro. Robert Herd, author of The Initiatic Experience; and Bro. Omar Ali.  This is the very first of something like this in the area, and something that I personally traveled some thirteen hours to witness.  It was well-attended, well-spoken, well-presented and a sight to behold.  This, and other educational symposiums like it, are just the beginning.  Keep your eyes peeled, and be prepared to be shone the Light, my Brothers.  All the while, stay humble and respect your elders.

~RW

Bro. Robert Walk Jr. is the creator and sole writer forOn Freemasonry and Humble Pie: a Wordpress blog dedicated to his experiences and journey from being a petitioner, to Initiation, Passing, and to being Raised. A dialysis technician being his main work, he enjoys writing, rock climbing, drumming and craft beer in his free time. He is a Master Mason at Jephthah Lodge No. 222, A.F.&A.M. in Essex, MD.