Transition of Power

I have been actively involved with a wide variety of nonprofit volunteer organizations over the years, everything from professional trade groups, to local sports organizations, homeowner associations, and fraternal/civic organizations. There is one common denominator shared by such groups, namely, membership is dwindling. The idea of participating in a volunteer organization appears to be a foreign concept to young people. They are simply not joining in the numbers they did years ago. I’m not sure why this is, perhaps it is caused by time constraints or maybe just simple apathy. Consequently, such groups are either closing their doors or making do with less, much less.

Inevitably, as fewer younger people join, older members must stay in charge until someone can take their place. If the same people remain in control for too long, the nonprofit becomes prone to stagnation due to the lack of fresh ideas from new blood. Those few younger people who join feel somewhat intimidated by the old guard still in charge. They shouldn’t as the old guard, in most cases, is looking for some relief and are more than willing to pass the torch assuming the youngster is responsible and competent to fulfill the role. Such organizations need true workers, not just someone trying to make a name for himself. The young member, therefore, needs to prove him/herself in order to gain credibility and trust with the old guard. Assuming the young person can do this, the old guard should be wise enough to step aside and allow the young person to assume their duty.

Consider this though, what happens when the young person doesn’t demonstrate they are capable of doing the job, yet expect to move up the officer chain of command; should they move up? It depends. The obvious answer is, No, the person is not ready and shouldn’t advance. In reality, the young person has become dependent on letting the elders perform the work, and is content to let them do so. Under this scenario, if the elders can hold on until someone else can come forward with the right attitude, they should hang on until then. However, if the old guard is growing weary and it appears the youngsters are taking the elders for granted, you might just want to step aside and let the weight of the office fall squarely on their head of the youngster. In other words, they won’t take responsibility until they are forced to do so and when this happens, they will either sink or swim, and this is the danger of such an approach. If the person fails, the organization may very well suffer for it.

So, we basically have a Catch-22 whereby the younger people develop a general distrust of the elders and vice versa and the nonprofit suffers while everyone jockeys for position. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer to overcome this problem. Then again, maybe there is, namely “communications.” For any transfer of power there has to be some open communications between the old and the new. They should not be viewed as adversaries as much as allies who think of what is best for the organization overall. The elders should be ready and willing to train their replacements, review policies and procedures with them, along with the various tools and techniques used to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. In turn, the youngsters need to ask a lot of questions. They may very well modify and improve how the job is implemented, but they must first understand the existing system before implementing any changes. Although the elders should monitor the young worker’s activity, they should avoid the temptation of covering for the youngster’s mistakes, otherwise this will create a dependency that is difficult to break. Give the person instruction and advice, but let the younger worker perform the work. It’s not a bad idea to follow-up and review the person’s work as well.

The ideal situation is to appoint younger people as assistants to key officers, thereby learning the roles. After the young person has assumed the role, keep the elder on in an advisory capacity. In other words, one stint as assistant, one stint as the actual officer, and one stint as an adviser. This would greatly facility the transition of power and bring a satisfactory level of conformity to the job. Unfortunately, not enough nonprofit groups do this.

When you discuss the old guard versus the new in nonprofit groups, it can be described as the immovable object meets the irresistible force. The young people think the elders are maintaining a stranglehold on the organization, and the elders think the youngsters are reckless who will ultimately destroy the group. No organization can survive with such deadlock. The two groups must seek common ground for the betterment of the organization overall. One thing is for certain, the old guard cannot do the job forever. At some point they must relinquish control to the younger members who must acclimate into the organization’s culture and assume their responsibilities. If they do not, the organization will slowly grind to a halt. Bottom-line, it is a matter of building trust between young and old and this can only happen through an effective dialog of communications. Only by communicating can we come to understand the strengths and weaknesses of our people.

Keep the Faith!

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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

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Copyright © 2011 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

A History Making Grand Session

A Grand Session in Prince Hall is a very special, interesting and motivating experience especially when the female Orders meet at the same time.  Texas is no exception where Eastern Star and the Heroines of Jericho meet simultaneously separately but attend the luncheons, social events, banquets and prayerful times with the Master Masons.  It is rightfully billed a Prince Hall family event.

I don’t know how the women run their sessions but on the men’s side, often tedious and boring business is mixed well with awards and celebrations.  We have annual awards for the Master Mason of the year, the District of the year, the District Deputy of the year and a special meritorious service of the year award. We have an awards luncheon with the whole Prince Hall family and a family night dinner open to the spouses and friends of members. The highlight of the awards luncheon was the presentation of scholarship awards from each House. And family night, as always, carried with it a prominent guest speaker who always delivers us an inspiring message.

This year’s guest speaker was Dr. Bro. Osiefield Anderson, a PHD in mathematics and a college professor.  His theme was it is time to get up off our butts and do something about society that is crumbling and decaying all around us. A master of inspiring poetry he motivated us all to action. His motto is, “It is not how long a man lives that matters, but how well he lives.”

Out of Session any member of the Prince Hall family could participate in a gospel festival, a church service, a dance-social party and a Lodge of Sorrow for those who have traveled to the Celestial Lodge above.

And if that was all there was we would all go home happy, well fed and fired up. But when you throw in an extra special event in the middle of all this you fashion a Grand Session that will go down in history. Such was the June 2011 four day Grand Session of Prince Hall, Texas.

That history making event was the opening of the Wilbert M. Curtis Texas Prince Hall Library Museum.  After more than a year in the making, the Library Museum was opened with a special ribbon cutting ceremony that included representatives from six jurisdictions, mostly Grand Masters, civic leaders and the head of the Fort Worth Black Historical & Genealogical Society. The Deputy Grand Master and Wardens consecrated the occasion with corn, wine and oil. Speeches were made and prayers raised up, the ribbon cut and finally it was time to go inside and see what treasures were in store for us.

And we were not disappointed.  There were pictures, plaques, paintings and actual early uniforms, dress and jewels. There were also rare books and the records and minutes of Texas Prince Hall Grand Lodge dating back to the 1870’s. Copies of early Grand Lodge publications were in abundance.  At one end of the Library Museum you opened a door into a well furnished Lodge Room. Before your eyes was a beautiful hand crafted wooden altar and stations made by a Brother who received one of this year’s Grand Lodge awards.

The Heroines of Jericho and Eastern Star are well represented in the Library Museum with early dress, pictures and presentations. One thing that distinguishes Prince Hall Masonry is how closely the men’s and women’s Orders work together. It is truly one big family.

There is much more to come. Contributions to the Library Museum are still coming in and in the years that follow much will be added. The Library Museum welcomes gifts of books, papers, manuscripts, photographs, artwork, records, audio tapes, video tapes, maps, pamphlets, scrapbooks, oral history, memorabilia and other archival records of historical value which will enhance the teaching, learning, research and service of the members affiliated with the MWPHGLTX and or is interested in the advancement of knowledge related to Free Masonry.

Now the Prince Hall family of Texas has a place to deposit its archives and to tell its own story, a story it will continuously share with others.

The Lodge as a Sanctum Sanctorum

Recently, I asked the members of The Euphrates‘ mailing list to send me any subjects that they would like me to cover in my articles. I received a number of great ideas and am going to work my way through them over the next few months. This week, I’m going to cover a subject that really captured my attention. One Brother asked me to cover the subject of “how to use the lodge as a true sanctum sanctorum and treat it as such.”

In order to discuss this subject, we must first examine the term ‘sanctum sanctorum’ and what it means in Freemasonry. ‘Sanctum sanctorum’ is a Latin term that may be literally translated translated as “Holy of Holies.” This term is used to describe the innermost chamber of King Solomon’s Temple. It was here in this most sacred place that the Ark of the Covenant was placed during the dedication of the temple. Masons are taught in the third degree that when the lodge is opened in the Master Mason degree that it represents the sanctum sanctorum of King Solomon’s Temple.

I’m sure that any Freemason that takes a moment to consider this will realize that we do not treat the tyled lodge room as a sanctum sanctorum. It is true that there are certain regulations and protocol that we follow while in the lodge room. Most lodges make sure that general order is kept, that proper courtesies are given to officers, and that particular parts of the ritual are done correctly, but often the lodge room is simply a place to discuss business.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with discussing the business inside a tyled lodge. In fact, a little bit of research into the protocol of Freemasonry in its earliest days reveals that this is where business was intended to be conducted. Whether it is a discussion about paying the lodge’s bills, conducting a charitable event, or electing officers, it is perfectly acceptable to discuss business within the sanctum sanctorum of today’s Masonic lodges. However, it is the reverence with which the Brethren treat the forms for opening and closing the lodge and the pursuit of Masonic knowledge that can really make the lodge feel like a sanctuary.

The rituals that we use to open and close are lodge are more than just an elaborate form of parliamentary procedure. These ceremonies remind us of the very lessons and symbols that are taught in the degrees. Every time that we open or close a lodge we can be reminded of our obligations and the solemn duty that we must perform as Freemasons. I think that all Masons will agree that a degree conferral should be conducted with reverence and professionalism and the process of opening and closing a lodge should be treated no differently. In order to assist the Brethren in feeling the need to treat these rituals appropriately, a lodge can adopt a dress code that is representative of the desired atmosphere. The way that Masons conduct themselves in lodge can change almost instantaneously when they go from wearing blue jeans to wearing a suit.

Additionally, we can treat our lodges as a true sanctum sanctorum by conducting Masonic education. Every single lodge meeting should have some form of Masonic education as a part of the agenda. I personally believe that a lodge should start with requiring 15 minutes of education and adding time as the educational program improves. Unfortunately, most Masons have never seen true Masonic education. Masonic education is not reading from the Short Talk Bulletin. Masonic education is not giving a short biography of a famous Mason or telling an amusing anecdote. Masonic education is having a discussion about the symbolism of the degrees, explaining how to properly perform the ritual, learning about Masonic history, or even discussing the sciences or liberal arts. Some of the best examples of Masonic education that I have seen conducted are an explanation of the difference between the Antients and Moderns, a new program for educating kids in a local school, and a demonstration of how to properly conduct a candidate during a degree.

Using these simple suggestions can help any lodge to seem like a true sanctum sanctorum. If our Brethren feel like the lodge is a sanctuary to be treated with reverence, they will conduct themselves accordingly. A lodge that treats the tyled lodge room appropriately just might be surprised at the positive effect it can have on the organization.

I hope that these ideas can help you to improve your lodge and treat it as a sanctum sanctorum.

Like what you are reading at The Euphrates? Email me at euphratesblog@gmail.com.

Made a Mason at sight

Two new brothers were added at sight in the last week, and Chris Hodapp at the Freemasons for Dummies blog gave them both a terrific introduction to the fold. Welcome to the newly made brothers Shaquille O’Neal and Brother Richard Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss, Hodapp reported, was made by M:.W:. Grand Master Jesse Villarreal of the Grand Lodge of D.C., and O’Neal by M:.W:. Grand Master Frederick B. Summer of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts F&AM.

With the at sight making coming with some contention, I thought it interesting to look at what other notables have been made at sight n the last 100 years.

The following list was composed from the terrific website of Brother Paul Bessel which you can find here.

Men Made Masons at sight.

Apr. 28, 1863 – Joseph A. Gilmore, an American railroad superintendent from Concord, New Hampshire, member of the state senate, and served two terms as Governor during the Civil War.

1897 – Samuel W. Pennypacker, Governor of Pennsylvania. Most notable, during Pennypacker’s term in office, he signed into law the Child Labor Act of 1905, which set a minimum and standard for young workers. He also created the Pennsylvania State Police and the State Museum, overseeing the completion of the new state capitol building.

1897 – Lloyd Lowndes, former Senator and Governor of Maryland.

1898 – John Wanamaker, the father of “Modern Advertising” and a pioneer in marketing. In his role as a businessmen he reportedly in the 1890′s gave to his employees free medical care, education, recreational facilities, pensions and profit-sharing plans.

1902 – Cyrus A. Dolph, businessman and financial counselor and promoter of the railway enterprise in to the Pacific Northwest. He was variously a Bank President, surveying company director, attorney, and seated judge. his greatest focus, it could be said, was to build and bolster the young Pacific Northwest.

1902 – Solomon Hirsch, active civic builder, Hirsch was a lifelong member of the Portland, Oregon, Library association belonging to several community organizations as well as the Chamber of Commerce. Early in his career he served as the presidential appointed Ambassador of Turkey in 1889.

Feb. 1909 – William H. Taft, then President Elect of the United States.

1921 – Bishop William A. Guerry was the discoverer of the grave of General William Moultrie, hero of the American Revolution for his repulse of the British fleet at the battle at Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina on June 28, 1776.

1923 – Tasker G. Lowndes, Chairman of the Maryland State Board of Education

1924 – Dr. Robert Wilson, whom no information is available on the web.

1928 – Andrew and Richard Mellon, were civic builders, industrialists, bankers , and philanthropist’s from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1930 – George A. White, U.S. Army Major General in command of the 42st Infantry Division in World War II and founder of the American Legion.

May 12, 1933 – Frank P. Carter, businessman and philanthropist.

1934 – Gen. Charles P. Summerall, Army Chief of Staff 1926 – 1930, later to become president of The Citidal, The Military College of South Carolina, from 1931 to 1953. Summerall was also decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star for his command of the 1st Division in World War II.

Jan. 17, 1936 – Douglas MacArthur, Chief of Staff to the U.S. Army, MacArthur was the American General and field marshal of the Philippine Army.

1938 – Dr. J. Ryan McKissick, of whom no information is on the web.

Dr. Henry N. Snyder was the president of Wofford college and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in whose capacity he argued in favor of racial segregation, publishing an autobiography, An Educational Odyssey, in 1947.

Dec. 16, 1941 – General George C. Marshall, called the organizer of Victory by Winston Churchill for the Allied victory in World War II, Marshall was the Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of state, and the Secretary of Defense. In 1953 Marshall was awarded the Nobel Prize for the post war European Recovery Program given his name and dubbed the Marshall Plan.

Jesse H. Jones, Texas politician and entrepreneur. Jones served as Secretary of Commerce from 1940 to 1950 and after he headed the Reconstruction Finance Corporation from 1932 to 1945 which worked to fight the Great Depression financing the industrial expansion of World War II.

1949 – Gen. George H. Decker was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962. Decker was made commanding general of the 5th Infantry Division in 1948, later to be assigned to the Office of the Comptroller of the Army as Chief of the Budget Division.

1951 – Milton S. Eisenhower was president of Kansas State University, 1943, then Pennsylvania State University, 1950-56, and the Johns Hopkins University between 1956 to 1967 and again in 1971 – 1972. He was also brother of President Dwight Eisenhower.

1955 – Gen. Jacob E. Smart was a U.S. Army Air Force Colonel in World War II and Cold War era Air Force General who became Deputy Commander of the U.S. European Command in July 1964 when he later became an administrator at NASA.

1955 – George M. Leader, was an active social and economic conscious Governor of Pennsylvania.

1965 – Robert J. Lamont, whom little information is available on the web.

John S. Campbell, Jr, whom little information is available on the web.

Nov. 4, 1967 – Wallace M. (Wally) Shirra, Jr., American test pilot, Navy Captain, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, flying in the first three space programs logging more than 295 hours of space flight.

Dec. 13, 1975 – Admiral John C. McCain, Jr was a U.S. Navy Admiral who later became Commander, United States Pacific Command. McCain was decorated with the Silver and Bronze Star and because of his strong advocacy of naval sea power came to be called Mr. Seapower.

1976 – Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr., was the American sportsman who variously became an owner and investor of every Philadelphia professional sports franchise, including the Eagles, the Phillies, the Flyers, and the Wings. His most notable but his most sports investment was the Philadelphia 76ers where he served as Vice Chairman when they won the Stanley Cup in 1974, 1975. In 1976. Dixon was also a philanthropist know most for his purchase of the Love Sculpture in 1976.

Mar. 8, 1976 – Robert Shevin was a member of the Florida House of Representatives in 1964 and a member of the Florida State Senate in 1966. He was elected 1970 to the position of Attorney General a position he served until 1979 when he ran an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Florida in 1978.

Bert Thomas, President of Winn Dixie stores who championed the stores growth into 135 new stores into the 1980′s.

1982 – John E. Rakar, whom little information is available on the web.

1983 – Carl J. Finney, whom little information is available on the web.

1983 – Sen. George D. Aiken who was the Governor of Vermont from 1937 to 1941 and U.S. Senator of the state from 1941 to 1975. Of his many accomplishments Aiken was known for his work to break monopolies of major industries such as: banks, railroads, marble companies, and granite companies. He also is known for encouraging suffering farmers in rural Vermont to form co-ops to get crops to market and to get better access to electricity.

March 15, 1984 Muzyad Yakhoob, better known as Danny Thomas who was a consummate American performer of stage, television, and film. His most notable work was in the show of his same name, The Danny Thomas Show, as well as in Make Room for Daddy. Probably of greatest memory is Thomas’s founding of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1962.

1997 – James Rees, Executive Director of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate and Museum center. Rees was formerly worked on the nationwide properties program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as Public Relations Director for The College of William and Mary and the Virginia Shakespeare Festival, and as a reporter for the Daily Press newspaper in Tidewater, Virginia.

1998 – Col. Paul J. Evanko served as Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police overseeing the command of more than 4,100 enlisted members. He is the recipient of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Award for Distinguished and Meritorious Service, the U. S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Humanitarian Award.

Colonel Joseph H. Westcott, Deputy Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Trooper Roberto Soto, is a distinguished member of the Pennsylvania State Police who is the recipient of numerous commendations and awards for his work in drug law enforcement. Soto is most noted for his letter of commendation from the Mayor of the City of Reading.

2001 – Larry Christenson is a major league baseball player who notably played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1973 to 1983.

Walter Dunkle, was the vice-president and general manager for Westinghouse Electric.

Oct. 28, 2001 – Alan M. Hantman served as Architect of the U.S. Capitol, which is a federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. He served from February 1997 until February 2007

J.P. London, CEO of CACI International, Inc., which is a professional services and information technology company headquartered in Arlington Va.

Tony Russo, CEO of InPhonics, Inc.; which was an American company which sold wireless services and devices online.

Ronald D. Schiff, Associate Justice of the 5th District of Maryland and member of many state commissions and Task Force.

John W. Springer who is a Managing Partner of Capital Asset Management Group which is a strategic planning and development institute for financial independence.

July 21, 2003 – Senator Norman B. Coleman, Jr., is an Attorney, a former mayor of St. Paul, and Minnesota state Senator from 2003 to 2009. Coleman notably was embattled in a 6 month legal battle with Al Franken over the senatorial seat.

June, 2011 – Richard Dreyfuss, who is an Oscar winning American Actor who has appeared in numerous films from the aquatic masterpiece Jaws to the touching Mr. Holland’s Opus. Dreyfuss is noted recently for his work on the Dreyfuss initiative that will “create a broadcast special that will explore and educate its audience in a unique and entertaining way.”

Shaquille O’Neal who is a 19 year career vetran of the NBA. O’Neal is also an accomplished rap star, film actor, and civic developer as he has turned his eye to help Orlando homeowners from mortgage fraud and foreclosure.

Is there anyone I’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.

One item I do find interesting is the dichotomy between the groups in the eras in which they were “Made”.  From the social barons of industry to the more modern celebrity and politician.

In the mean time, welcome to the newly “Made” brothers.

Gabonese Grand Master of Freemasons visits the White House

I caught a quick news blurb on Nightline last night about the presidential visit of Ali Bongo to the White House. The clip was from an earlier broadcast on ABC news.

The visit has touch off a bit of controversy in that the Bongo regime is fraught with government corruption and accused of robbing the country of its wealth while leaving its population in poverty. ABC reports that:

The Bongos’ lifestyle is a stark contrast to how most people live in Gabon, a French-speaking West African country the size of Colorado that is home to 1.5 million people. Oil revenues make Gabon one of Africa’s most prosperous countries, but it is also a place where some families are still forced to pick through garbage to eat. One third of the population lives on $2 per day.

What makes this interesting is that Bongo is also the grand master of Gabonese Freemasons, installed in May of 2010.

From Afrik-News: Freemason Presidents in Africa: Ali Bongo ordained Grand Master of Gabon.

Francois Stifani, the grand master of the National Grand Lodge of France (GLNF), one of the largest Masonic orders with 38 000 members, was in Libreville two weeks ago to ordain Ali Bongo, who until then occupied the rank of Assistant Grand Master, i.e.; at least three levels below the peak of the hierarchy. At age 53, Ali Bongo has become the grand master of the Grand Lodge of Gabon (GLB) and the Grand Equatorial Rite, the two predominant Freemason orders in Gabon.

A video of which appeared on YouTube shortly there after.

The sentiment, as expressed in the Afrik reporting is that the Gabon’s have ruled their country through a hierarchy of Masonic association, outing and ostracizing elected officials who were not a part of the lodge. The Afrik-News article reports:

To gain Bongo’s trust, a politician was expected to adhere to at least one of the two orders. Almost the entire Gabonese ruling political class is part of the lodge.

Those who refuse to submit to these dictates are banished or ridiculed. Interviewed by Le Nouvel Observateur, Ernest Tomo, pastor of an evangelical church and an unsuccessful presidential candidate in August, accused the Gabonese “brethren” of orchestrating his low electoral score (308 votes, or 0.09% votes).

Those two orders are the Grand Rite Equatorial — affiliated with Great Orient (GO) which is left wing oriented, and the Grand Lodge of Gabon.

The optimistic side of the fence says that Bongo will apply the teachings of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to his governance of  Gabon, but as more of the facts appear they seem to tell otherwise.

The CIA fact book reports on Gabon:

Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, over borrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform.

Ultimately, the reason for the so called African tyrant’s visit, says the UK Telegraph, is because (quoting the White House press secretary):

“the president of Gabon is making reform efforts, which we support. Secondly … Gabon has been an important partner in some of the issues that are very important to American national security.”

It makes one wonder why exactly such a partnership exists and why it’s conveyed all the way to the White House.  Most likely, the reason is that Gabon holds the UN Security Council Presidency in June.  From the press releases coming from the Council on , it seems some important work for Africa is being done despite the living conditions in Gabon.

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