# Once or Twice a Month?



## Mac (Aug 5, 2013)

Brethren,

In your home lodges, do you hold stated meetings once or twice a month?  Which would you prefer?

I see a distinct benefit to holding one meeting a month. You get the work done, you still have another night free for floor school or visiting other lodges, AND you only read one set of minutes each month!  

(Excluding degree minutes, etc)




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## relapse98 (Aug 5, 2013)

We have stated meetings once a month. I prefer that, its all I've ever known.

But the past year, we have had a called meeting (usually for a degree), the remaining Tuesdays. One downside to being busy with degrees is that you get no time to ever practice them unless you do practice on another night and I am not generally willing to 'give up' another night for practice.


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## Brother JC (Aug 5, 2013)

Once a month in most New Mexico Lodges.
The Lodge I want to visit here in my new home actually meets three times; the School of Perfection (educational meeting, often open to visitors, depending upon the subject), the actual Stated Communication (a quick business meeting), and the Agape (their formal dinner).


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## otherstar (Aug 5, 2013)

My lodge (Humble Lodge #979) has a stated meeting once a month, but is open nearly every Monday and Tuesday for study, fellowship, practice, or degree work. For example, tonight there is a MM turn in, and an EA degree tomorrow night. Last Monday there was an EA degree, and a practice night on Tuesday.

My home lodge (Oak Forest #1398) is open nearly every Monday night for practice, degree work, etc., with a stated meeting once a month.


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## JTM (Aug 5, 2013)

we meet once a month, but i tend to prefer quarterly stated meetings.


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## kaveman (Aug 5, 2013)

Ours in Spirit Lake Idaho is every 2nd and 4th Tuesday 


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## mesickd (Aug 5, 2013)

Both the lodges I am a member of hold two meetings a month except when in the dark I personally enjoy getting out four times a month personally if they had more I would attend the only downfall is that I prepare the food with no stewards

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## barryguitar (Aug 5, 2013)

We meet every Tuesday. There is always a hot meal and some brothers hanging at the building whether we have work or not. The e.a.s have someone there to work with or we help each other learn parts of the degrees or work on the lectures. This keeps the lodge active and cars in the lot. It can be tough on the Stewards but each officer takes a month to prepare the meals for all non-stated meetings and the stewards are really responsible for only the stated meals. But usually our Stewards take the job seriously as a stepping stone to the progressive line.


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## Benjamin Baxter (Aug 5, 2013)

In my home lodge, once a month. We try to squeeze a practice in too when we can. In my other lodge one stated and four called meetings per month. I have close family members in other area lodges. I love the craft, but I dont think I could handle any more meetings in a given month without getting burntout eventually. 

Senior Steward - Granbury #392
Junior Deacon - Glen Rose #525


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## Bill Lins (Aug 5, 2013)

We have our stated meeting on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Every other Tuesday we either have practice sessions or confer degrees. If it's a Tuesday, we're at Lodge!  :wink:


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## MarkR (Aug 6, 2013)

Second and fourth Tuesdays, dark in July and August, only second Tuesday in December due to holidays.  We do business and lodge education on second Tuesday, degree work on fourth Tuesday.  We've been fortunate enough to always have candidates for the last five years or so.


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## bupton52 (Aug 6, 2013)

How long do your meetings usually last?


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## Jericho2013 (Aug 6, 2013)

We have stated meetings the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month.  We are also there every Monday and Wednesday for practice and fellowship.  We have a degree team that goes out to other lodges to put on degrees if needed.  This Saturday we are putting on certification exams for whoever wants to come to our lodge and get certified.  And we never go dark.


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## rpbrown (Aug 6, 2013)

We have Stated meetings once per month but due to the new masons coming in we have had to have called meetings for degrees in some cases every week of the month


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## robert leachman (Aug 6, 2013)

Stated meeting 2nd and 4th Tuesdays


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## marcfortuna (Aug 6, 2013)

My Lodge (Cavaleiros de Lancaster # 04) in SP Brazil has stated meeting quarterly on Sundays. Every Monday we have practice sessions.


http://www.cavaleirosdelancaster.mvu.com.br


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## Brother_Steve (Aug 7, 2013)

Stated meetings every 2nd and 4th monday.

I have yet to attend one though as I was raised on an emergent communication and then the lodge went dark for summer break.


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## dfreybur (Aug 7, 2013)

bupton52 said:


> How long do your meetings usually last?



Not consistent enough for me to claim a pattern.  I've been to Stated meetings that lasted under an hour and we were downstairs enjoying a meal and fellowship.  I've been to Stated meetings that lasted from 7PM until 11PM there was so much business to conduct.  Most are closer to 2 hours but the exceptions are so many.


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## dfreybur (Aug 7, 2013)

I prefer monthly meetings.  It's easier for the less involved brethren to schedule being at the Stated meeting that often.

The active members are there more often whether the meetings are in the bylaws or not so I don't see the benefit of more listed int he bylaws.  If it's "stated" in the bylaws it's a Stated meeting.  What happens at extra ones monthly, bulldozing a candidate through a ballot when fewer members are present?  Not to my tastes.


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## Mac (Aug 7, 2013)

It's easy to get busy quickly when you're young and involved with your family. One stated meeting a month with extra nights for degrees, social gatherings, etc, seems like plenty. Once you add in the appendant bodies, oi!


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## Brother JC (Aug 7, 2013)

Mac said:


> Once you add in the appendant bodies, oi!


Add two, no three or more appendant and concordant bodies! Oy VEY!


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## Dow Mathis (Aug 9, 2013)

My Lodge has stated on the third Monday. The rest of the Mondays are either degrees or practice. We also have Saturday and Wednesday morning practice or round table. Occasionally we do a degree on Saturday as well. Last month we had three EA degrees back to back on a Saturday morning with different degree teams for each. Wish I could have been here for it, but we were out of town visiting family. 

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## Tony Uzzell (Aug 9, 2013)

Gurley meets on 4th Tuesdays and we don't go dark unless we happen to coincide with a St. John's Day (as we will in June 2014) or with Christmas (as we will this December, it being December 24th). We have practice/Degree called meeting nights on Wednesdays.

And I much prefer one Stated meeting a month. Ours usually last for about 60 - 90 minutes. My DeMolay Chapter met twice a month for Stated Meetings (as most do). The ironic thing is that those meetings always seemed to last two hours and we had less business on a monthly basis to do. I guess that's teenagers for you.

If you're in Waco, you're welcome to come visit.

TU


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