I often see threads on this site about the future of Masonry. I see questions about how to keep new Masons interested, how to make meetings more interesting, how to get "dues paying" Masons to attend Lodge, how to increase community awareness, how to make the Lodge financially secure. And there are always answers; answers, answers, answers!
Now personally I am not good at doing all the things that make a Lodge better, I know this. But I can do something. What I am good at is showing off. I don't mind standing up in Lodge and making a presentation. Below is a quote from something that I wrote in another thread that shows what I am good at.
But there are lots of ways to contribute. Every Lodge has Masons who do not attend anymore. If you have been a Mason for a while I'll bet that you can think of someone you haven't seen in Lodge in a while. If you are a new Mason I will bet that your secretary has a list of members and phone numbers and would be happy to point out some members who haven't been around in a while. You can call and ask them to ride with you to the next meeting.
I used these two examples because they are things that one Mason can do by himself. If you are an organizer (I'm not) maybe you can get others to help you. My point is that all of us are good at something. All of us can make a contribution. I challenge everyone reading this thread to think of some way that they can make a contribution, to make that contribution, and to write about it. I gave some examples of what I did. What will you do? Post your story here.
Now personally I am not good at doing all the things that make a Lodge better, I know this. But I can do something. What I am good at is showing off. I don't mind standing up in Lodge and making a presentation. Below is a quote from something that I wrote in another thread that shows what I am good at.
If you want your next Lodge meeting to be more entertaining try giving a presentation, use one of mine if you like.Conquering ones fear is a Masonic thing to do. Brother Rudyard Kipling wrote about this in his poem "If". Which is available here: http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_if.htm This poem was the first thing I ever presented during open Lodge. I also included a brief Masonic biography of Kipling from information I got here: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/kipling.html
Once I told the story of which Grand Lodge claims Masonic jurisdiction over the moon and of the first Masonic Lodge chartered on the moon.
Story here: http://tl2k.org/history.htm
Next time I go to Lodge I intend to read the poem "Sermons We See" by Brother Edgar Guest. Which is the second poem on this page: http://www.silverberch.com/guest.html A biography of Brother Guest can be found here: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/guest_e/guest_e.htm
But there are lots of ways to contribute. Every Lodge has Masons who do not attend anymore. If you have been a Mason for a while I'll bet that you can think of someone you haven't seen in Lodge in a while. If you are a new Mason I will bet that your secretary has a list of members and phone numbers and would be happy to point out some members who haven't been around in a while. You can call and ask them to ride with you to the next meeting.
I used these two examples because they are things that one Mason can do by himself. If you are an organizer (I'm not) maybe you can get others to help you. My point is that all of us are good at something. All of us can make a contribution. I challenge everyone reading this thread to think of some way that they can make a contribution, to make that contribution, and to write about it. I gave some examples of what I did. What will you do? Post your story here.
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