At the Ontario DDGM Mid Term meeting in January 2011, one of the questions asked was:
What are the characteristics of a “best” lodge in the district?
This is what the assembled DDs came up with. What do you think? How does your lodge measure up?
There are many characteristics of a ‘best lodge’ in a district, which we have determined can be ranked in order of the following six (6) priorities.
Leadership of the Worshipful Master (WM)
It is imperative that the WM plan for his year. If he simply occupies the Chair, then he is doing nothing more than keeping it warm. He must plan and prepare before he is elected and installed and, to use a phrase often used in business, her must plan his work and work his plan. He must provide meetings with substance and not simply confer degrees. If there is no substance, then there is no reason for the brethren to attend. Through planning, preparation and offering meetings of substance, a best lodge will have good attendance.
Leadership of the Past Masters (PM)
A best lodge will have PMs who are committed to mentoring the WM as well as the younger brethren in the lodge. These PMs will provide good counsel to the brethren and will NOT be negative or stand up in lodge and berate the brethren because they are not doing things “like we used to do”. Committed PMs will take younger brethren under their wing and foster their growth as Masons, which can be accomplished through general guidance of protocol, etiquette, ritual and decorum. They will encourage the younger brethren to begin to challenge themselves in learning ritual and not “hog” the work for themselves. Conversely, such committed PM need to feel needed and wanted and must be able to continue to contribute rather than take a complete back seat to “the next generation”.
Good Education
A best lodge is not a degree mill. Education must be an integral part of the program and can take the form of basic hows and whys of the work to much more esoteric studies.
Education may be the focus of an evening or it can be as little as a few minutes while the candidate is resuming his personal comforts or during the WM’s closing remarks. Regardless, offering good education is a key characteristic of a best lodge.
Visitation / Visibility
So often we pay lip service when proffering a toast to the visitors since we may not be good visitors ourselves. A best lodge truly takes the opportunity to visit within and without the district. It is not sufficient for the WM to travel alone. He must encourage his officers to join him, even on a rotating basis, in order to gain visibility and to learn. Visitation affords the Mason the opportunity to take away those aspects of other lodges he wishes to emulate and those he does not. Seeing how it is done in one’s own lodge does not provide the Mason a reason to grow and learn.
Financial Soundness
A best lodge is financially sound but simply having an impressive financial statement does not make a lodge a best one. Nonetheless, it is imperative for lodges to address their
costs and ensure that dues cover those costs. A best lodge practices sound financial management but that does not mean frugality should reign supreme. Many of our brethren are members of various and sundry professional associations to which they pay dear sums to belong. If something is offered for free or very little cost, then there is no value attached to it. Masons must truly express their value for their Masonic affiliation. Far too many lodges are giving away membership and their brethren do not respect the value of it. That does not mean that lodges should suddenly increase dues many-fold but there should be good management in ensuring that dues become commensurate, over time, with the value that a Mason sees in his lodge.
Community Awareness / Service
A best lodge does not hide from the community nor does it operate in a vacuum. The brethren of a best lodge enjoy a social aspect to their Masonry that transcends the monthly meeting. This may take the form of a monthly breakfast and “yak” session, a dinner after rehearsal or events planned around the involvement of families. Masons need to create bonds with their brethren outside the four walls of the lodge. The brethren of a best lodge continue to maintain relationships with the families and widows of brethren who have passed to the Grand Lodge above.
In summary, there are many aspects that characterize a best lodge and we believe that these six areas encompass them and point out how a lodge can become a ‘best lodge’ in its own district. It does not occur overnight; it requires hard work and commitment. Men who see that the brethren of a best lodge are enjoying their Masonry will be more inclined to seek out membership than in a lodge where the brethren are a dysfunctional group of members who may meet only once in every month.
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This article provides very sound advice and guidance on creating and maintaining a balanced Lodge. I enjoyed the topic and will be glad to recommend the article.
By Isaac Lazar — CFP
The characteristics of a "best" lodge, are a combination of structural and environment attributes. The structural attributes means, having, enough members to keep fresh masons upcoming in the chairs, active past masters to mentor and support the activities of the lodge, enough brethren to perform the degrees, enough members to man the committees in action not just title, sound and stable finances to support the annual activities and long term perpetuation of the lodge. The environmental attributes means, having an environment that inspire the brehtren to want to come out, having activities that foster participation, maintaining relationships in an open and respectful manner.
As we are all individuals and volunteers, these attributes are hard to achieve and maintain, certainly on an ongoing basis, however, when achieved, the rewards are boundless. This is certainly one of the secrets of Masonry.
By Isaac Lazar — CFP
By Christopher Douglas
I would add to what Brother Isaac said, if a lodge does not ACHIEVE all this goals, they have still better off than a lodge that doesn't even ATTEMPT these goals. As long as the membership is aware that they need to work on these items, and are taking steps to improve in these areas, they are moving in the right direction. Too many lodges are complacent; they keep doing what they have always done and occasionally grumble that they aren't bringing in new members and can't fill the chairs. If things are not working for you, you need to step back and ask, "What can I do differently?" I'm sorry if this sounds trite and obvious, but it is true. If every lodge, and every Mason, was self-examining, posts like these would be self-evident already.
What can _I_ do differently?
By Christopher Douglas