Happy New Year!

From all of us at the Midnight Freemasons!

New Year’s Resolutions For Masonic Lodges?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bill Hosler, PM

For as long as I can remember people have looked at the beginning of a new year as a time to” Turn over a new leaf”, a chance to start anew.  Losing weight, quitting a bad habit, or trying to better themselves have always been popular resolutions on the new year. While many of these resolutions fall to the wayside by February, many people are able to make life-altering changes to themselves by sticking to their resolution and either prolong their life or give themselves a better quality of life. 

I know the thought of creating new year’s resolutions for a Masonic lodge at first blush, might seem to be a bit crazy. Under normal circumstances, the words ”lodge” and ”change” go together like ”ice cream” and ”mustard” but the events of this previous year may have possibly given us the ability to consider the possibilities. 

I’m sure each one of us was, if we were honest, we could think of some issues our lodge could resolve to change in the upcoming year. Just like a human could develop bad habits over its life or there are practices the lodge could adopt that would prolong its life. These issues could be anything from resolving to getting your membership to learn the ritual well enough to perform your own degree work instead of relying on outside degree teams to assist you or to clean and repair your building. As much as I can’t tell you what you should resolve to do for yourself in the next coming year in like manner only you and your Brethren know what your local lodge needs to resolve to work on. It might be worth a discussion. 

It won’t be easy and we all know there might be pushback among some members but it’s worth a try. If you get one thing corrected you are on your way to improving your lodge. Stay positive and don’t give up! We are in this for the long hall. Just like it may take a person several attempts to quit smoking when they finally do drop the habit it changes their life. The same thing applies to your lodge. Just keep trying. 

It may sound silly but I believe that if each lodge locally were to resolve to improve itself there would be no issues in Freemasonry. We all look to grand lodges to resolve our issues like they are some kind of lifestyle guru when actually we are the ones that hold the keys to our future. Individually we are the ones that affect change for ourselves and I feel it is the same for our lodges. Take advantage of the new year and make things happen! 

I wish you and your lodge members nothing but success and prosperity in the upcoming year.  

~BH

WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco, Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this, he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

Life's Gonna Cash That Check, Now

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Today's the day you've been dreading, or maybe it isn't. But all those promises you made about the new year? Well...life just cashed that check, so you better have the balance to cover it.

As Freemasons, we're told we should use the working tools of the Craft to better our psyche. That's literally what we do. That's what those tools tell us to do and it's how we're supposed to use them. So, why don't we?

It's hard, that's why. Thinking different to change our realities is harder than it looks. A lot harder. Nevertheless here we are, celebrating a cosmic event that is sure to happen, whether humans are here or not. This pile of rock, dirt, water and stardust is going to circle the sun, one way or another. I've seen a lot of posts over the last week, particularly on social meme-ia, err..media regarding new years resolutions. Some joking about our failures of last year and others dropping the truth, plain as day.

You didn't have to wait until the new year to start a change for the better. Hell, Erik Marks told us just last week, we get a fresh start every second we're here. But if the arbitrary cosmic marker of another year around the flaming fusion reactor is what it takes, then let's get on it.

Todd E. Creason said on a post just recently that he finished writing his resolutions for 2020. He said, "Same as last year, I just changed the date." People laughed, and I'm sure Todd laughed too. But the truth is, there's just nothing wrong with having those same resolutions.

You ever hear your coach, or your teacher say, "Yep! You got it. Now do it again, only better this time." Well, I have. Let's be Freemasons. Let's be smarter, be nicer, be more logical, more civil, and let's read more. Let's all pretend we're running for political office when we decide to post something on social media...you get my drift? Let's do one more trash clean up day, give one more dollar, do one more push up. Whatever it is, you can do it. We can do it together.

Happy New Year, everyone!

~RHJ

RWB, Robert Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatrewhich focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry" and is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.