# Masonic Education Frequency



## crono782 (Sep 17, 2013)

How often does your lodge present something of a Masonic Educational nature?


----------



## coachn (Sep 17, 2013)

crono782 said:


> How often does your lodge present something of a Masonic Educational nature?


That truly depends upon how you define "Masonic Education".


----------



## crono782 (Sep 17, 2013)

Anything that could deepen your Masonic knowledge. Poems, music, history, esoterica, etc but really a emphasis on papers and/or talks. Any sort of presentation, not counting non-Masonic related ones.


----------



## coachn (Sep 17, 2013)

In that case, not a stitch!


----------



## devlin (Sep 17, 2013)

Our new GM said he will not consider a lodge having held a stated meeting unless there is at minimum 15 minutes dedicated to Masonic talk or other masonic  presentation.


My Freemasonry HD Pro


----------



## Brother JC (Sep 17, 2013)

I voted "every month," though it only counts for one of my home lodges. The other one thinks having a raffle discussion is an educational moment. *rolleyes*


----------



## Rick Clifton (Sep 17, 2013)

Could Not Vote, as  "NEVER" was Not a Choice.


----------



## Blake Bowden (Sep 18, 2013)

Never, unless I'm there.


----------



## Benjamin Baxter (Sep 18, 2013)

Never at stated meetings I quess. The last installation had a pretty good presentation\talk, though.


----------



## JJones (Sep 18, 2013)

Monthly unless something else is planned.  I generally keep it short and sweet so I don't dread it like the minutes and communications.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Freemason Connect HD mobile app


----------



## dfreybur (Sep 18, 2013)

devlin said:


> Our new GM said he will not consider a lodge having held a stated meeting unless there is at minimum 15 minutes dedicated to Masonic talk or other masonic  presentation.



In Illinois the GM who insisted on that is close to finishing his 2 year term.  I don't know if the next GM in line will insist as well.  I expect that he will.

My talks tend to run under 5 minutes.  Figure out what you're going to say.  Organize the thoughts on the topic.  Say it.  Thank the brothers for the attention.  Sit down.  I figure if I take 15 minutes I haven't organized my thoughts on the topic enough to be ready to present on it.

Bro Blake wrote - Never, unless I'm there.

Plenty of brothers on this forum have that teeshirt!  We're a club.


----------



## Brother JC (Sep 18, 2013)

Rick Clifton said:


> Could Not Vote, as  "NEVER" was Not a Choice.


Actually, it's last on the list, just worded differently.

Brother Doug has a point, though there are many subjects you can barely graze in five minutes. Fifteen isn't long, allows for images, and is within most men's attention span.

The Lodge I'm considering Petitioning here has a separate meeting specifically for educational discussion.


----------



## devlin (Sep 18, 2013)

I like the mandate we dedicate at least 15 mins to it because if it was only the bills being read and the minutes of last months bills being read I would not have gotten in line or cared to continue up.
 I wish I was able to organize my thoughts well enough to write a cohearent talk so I could contribute in the mini-lectures, but I can't even get across my ideas on getting masonic decorations for our lodge..... :SNC:


----------



## dfreybur (Sep 18, 2013)

trysquare said:


> Brother Doug has a point, though there are many subjects you can barely graze in five minutes. Fifteen isn't long, allows for images, and is within most men's attention span.



In another thread I did mention I have the symptoms of ADHD with hyperfocus.  For me fifteen minutes can pass in a flash or it can seem like it took forever.  I need to be able to fit a topic in 5 minutes or I might not be able to handle it.  It's also my fussing about organizing my thoughts.  I'm not well organized so for me if that's not done I know for sure I'll end up rambling.  My bias and my reasons for it.


----------



## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Sep 18, 2013)

crono782 said:


> How often does your lodge present something of a Masonic Educational nature?



We present some form of educational piece at each of our Stated Meetings.


----------



## Blake Bowden (Sep 18, 2013)

devlin said:


> Our new GM said he will not consider a lodge having held a stated meeting unless there is at minimum 15 minutes dedicated to Masonic talk or other masonic  presentation.
> 
> 
> My Freemasonry HD Pro



That's how it should be done.


----------



## Benjamin Baxter (Sep 19, 2013)

I am going to see if my home lodge can support or start this up. It sounds like it could help invigorate the troops.


----------



## Texan92 (Sep 19, 2013)

We have practice twice a week which is good for me.


My Freemasonry HD Pro


----------



## dfreybur (Sep 19, 2013)

Texan92 said:


> We have practice twice a week which is good for me.



The way the term "Masonic education" is normally used, ritual practice does not count.  Education includes what ritual means plus many other topics.  Instruction is on the content of the ritual.  Memorizing the proficiencies isn't it.  Explaining what the words of the proficiency mean is.


----------



## crono782 (Sep 19, 2013)

dfreybur said:


> The way the term "Masonic education" is normally used, ritual practice does not count. Education includes what ritual means plus many other topics. Instruction is on the content of the ritual. Memorizing the proficiencies isn't it. Explaining what the words of the proficiency mean is.



Spot on. Many lodges would do well to remember/learn that.


----------



## Billy Jones (Sep 19, 2013)

my lodge is nearly dead and only has just a handful of older members so we really don't do anything other just regular old stated meetings. BUT I am confident enough to say that come elections in Dec I will be elected to the East and I have on trying to chance that. The hard part will be getting enough men behind my ideas like contacting each of our local members. I heard it said... well I did that when I was in the East and it didn't work...so this is the attitude that I have to fight to try to changes a few things. In the WM installation charge it says to cause the law book to be read in open lodge but Ive never seen it done before except once when there was a specific subject brought up


----------



## crono782 (Sep 19, 2013)

Billy Jones said:


> my lodge is nearly dead and only has just a handful of older members so we really don't do anything other just regular old stated meetings. BUT I am confident enough to say that come elections in Dec I will be elected to the East and I have on trying to chance that. The hard part will be getting enough men behind my ideas like contacting each of our local members. I heard it said... well I did that when I was in the East and it didn't work...so this is the attitude that I have to fight to try to changes a few things. In the WM installation charge it says to cause the law book to be read in open lodge but Ive never seen it done before except once when there was a specific subject brought up



Kudos to you brother. You know, at least if change does not get effected, you will know that you gave it your all and tried (though I wish you success!). I like the idea of sending out "masonic birthday" cards as discussed in another thread, also sending out a newsletter with a short talk maybe to drum up interest. The way I see it, you've got to give them a reason to come back/stay!


----------



## cog41 (Sep 19, 2013)

Agreed.


----------



## dfreybur (Sep 19, 2013)

Billy Jones said:


> In the WM installation charge it says to cause the law book to be read in open lodge but Ive never seen it done before except once when there was a specific subject brought up



One WM of one of my lodges did "Read a code" monthly.  He usually managed to pick something applicable.  Code about balloting the night of a ballot.  Some that were just entertaining to read because of the way they were phrased.  Something cool a sitting WM can chose to do that few decide to.


----------



## Billy Jones (Sep 19, 2013)

Thanks for the support bros I really to some things different in my lodge and it would really awesome to see some changes in th GL as well. We have no requirement for ritual wrk not any officer programs but changing things in GL is like a drop of water on a boulder everyday it takes a LONG time. I would love for MS to immolate TX GA SC and a whole hosts of others


My Freemasonry HD Pro


----------



## Billy Jones (Sep 19, 2013)

Lol let me try this spell thing again ***emulate***


My Freemasonry HD Pro


----------

