"The best surprise is no surprise."
- old adage
Ever notice some Craft Lodge meetings seem to run better than other Lodges?
True, they may have some good people sitting in the right chairs, but the secret to
a good Stated Communications is just some good old-fashioned planning. This can
probably best be accomplished by holding a Lodge Officer meeting prior to the
communications, such as a week before.
There are quite a few Lodges where the officers rarely, if ever, meet to
plan activities and discuss the general business of the Lodge. Such Lodges
can typically be characterized as reactive in nature and not in control of
their destiny. However, those that meet on a regular basis tend to be more
proactive with very few surprises.
Unlike scheduled Lodge meetings, an officer meeting can be held just about
anywhere and at any time, whatever is convenient for the officers. Although
agendas will vary, it is not uncommon to discuss the following items at such
meetings:
- Officer and committee reports.
- Review of the last Lodge communications; what worked and what didn't.
- Review agenda for next Lodge communications and discuss required preparations for it.
- Review pending motions, resolutions, and any pertinent legislation to come before the Craft.
- Review assignments and schedules.
- If a degree is planned, perhaps time can be devoted for rehearsals.
The idea is to get the Lodge officers on the same page before the next Lodge
Communications so that it goes off smoothly and professionally, thereby saving
time and confusion during the meeting. In particular, there should be little, if any,
arguments during a regular communications by the officers over legislation and committee
reports as this should have been resolved in the officer meeting. Inevitably, a smooth
meeting makes the Lodge officers look like a cohesive team which is appreciated and
admired by just about everyone, members and visitors alike. It also adds to their
credibility as effective managers of the Lodge.
It is not uncommon for the Secretary to record the minutes of officer meetings
which can be helpful for continuity. Such minutes are normally reviewed only at
officer meetings and not the regular communications of the Lodge unless directed by
the Worshipful Master.
In addition to reviewing the business and communications of the Lodge, officer
meetings provide a convenient venue to also conduct some training of the
officers, either by tests or lectures.
The only concern about holding officer meetings is not to make them a burden on
the officers. Yes, they should be performed on a regular basis, such as biweekly
or monthly, but if you do it too much, you might just burn out your officers.
Always remember the objective of officer meetings is to make your officers
more proactive, not reactive; and a lot more professional in how they run the
Lodge. Instead of playing catch-up and fumbling through Lodge communications,
a polished officer corps instills confidence in the Craft and allows you to
control your own destiny.
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. |
