"It's not what you know, it's who
you know."
- Anonymous
For those Masons chasing Masonic titles, "Grand Master" represents the epitome of
the fraternity. But becoming a GM is not for everyone. It requires a lot of time,
money, stamina, and political ambition. First, you have to understand that the
Masonic electoral system is like no other; to illustrate, campaigning is generally
frowned upon, as is advertising or articulating the issues of the day. In most
jurisdictions, it's downright backwards. As a result, the cream doesn't necessarily
rise to the top. Knowing this, here are five basic steps to guide you through
your ascent to the throne:
- Join everything - In addition to the Craft Lodge, join any and all Masonic
related bodies thereby establishing a Masonic resume. When it comes to the
York and Scottish Rites though, be careful, as one typically enjoys more
political influence in the jurisdiction than the other. Choose wisely.
- Go through the chairs of the Craft Lodge. Your goal though is to go beyond
the Craft Lodge and become a District Deputy (or its equivalent). To do so,
there are two paths, either by being active in the local Masters & Wardens
Association (such as President) or by becoming a District Instructor. Again,
all of this is being done to enhance your Masonic resume.
- Accept all appointments - As you become more visible in your area, you
will inevitably be asked to become a member or chairman of a committee
(be it on the district, zone, or state/provincial levels). Accept all such
requests unquestioningly, regardless of the subject matter. You do not
necessarily have to do anything on the committee other than to visit the
people in your area and keep them happy. The more appointments you assume,
the higher your visibility.
- Get anointed - If there is a political machine running the jurisdiction,
become a cog in it thereby attaining the approval of the machine. This is
where it becomes important to "scratch the back" of key people who will
help you in your rise. The machine will let you know when the time is right
for you to run.
- Run for office - Assuming you have been properly anointed and have the time
and money to make visits to Masonic functions throughout your jurisdiction,
you can then run for office which is usually at the bottom of the Grand Line,
such as Junior Grand Warden. The machine will now work for you and subvert
any efforts by your competitors. But understand this, when you decide to
run you must do so knowing it will be a "slam-dunk." If you do not already
know this, in all likelihood you were not preordained to get the job.
During the election, if you run unopposed there is nothing to worry about, and
the election will run its course. However, if there is one or more opponents,
make sure your machine is strategically placed in a position to count the votes.
Yep, it's that simple.
Keep the Faith.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not
necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction
or any other Masonic related body. As with all of my Masonic articles herein,
please feel free to reuse them in Masonic publications or re-post them on Masonic
web sites (except Florida). When doing so, please add the following:
Article reprinted with permission of the author and www.FreemasonInformation.com
Please forward me a copy of the publication when it is produced.
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Copyright © 2008 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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