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Potential Answer to Lodge Dues Administration? Part 2

June 1, 2009 by Dean Kennedy

It has occurred to me since writing the post entitled “Potential Answer to Lodge Dues Administration? FreshBooks” that perhaps I did not touch on various issues. I know I only posted that last post this morning but it’s been a long day in my mental head-space.

The number one thing people will say is, “well we only collect money from everyone once a year; We don’t need a system like this”. My response is simple. If you don’t need this system then good for your lodge, you should pat yourself on the back. Many lodges are constantly after their lodge members to pay dues and follow-up on them. An online system such as FreshBooks or the even more comprehensive MORI system Mark is considering for individual lodges, would automate much of the work and not allow for as many dropped balls. It would make the job of tracking dues and other invoice-able requests less of a nightmare and more like “fun”. (Yes, I put fun in quotations as it may not be everyone’s definition of fun.)

Furthermore, these online solutions allow lodges to link up dues payments with paypal or other payment gateways and allow members to pay online from their bank accounts or even from their credit cards. No postage stamps or printing at all. Insteaad of looking at the cost of the software, imagine the savings in printing and postage, not to mention quicker collections and less fuss. Take the Secretary out of the collections business and treat him with a program that will do it for him, equitably and systematically.

Give your secretary a break… Hire a computer program to help them. How much do you pay them anyway? Don’t they deserve it? Just asking…

Next week, I will review computer programs to automate the Tyler position. (Joking! Just checking if you were still reading and paying attention.) Although a lodge computer tracking membership status across the jurisdiction, in the hands of a Tyler, would be useful wouldn’t it? Hmmm…..

Conspiracies’ R Us Sunday on Masonic Central!

May 14, 2009 by Greg Stewart

Is it the Illuminati? What about Skull and Bones? I’ve heard about those Bilderbergs, and what’s up with the owl on the dollar bill? Its that Bohemian Grove isn’t it? Its those Freemasons isn’t it?

This Sunday, we are going to get to the bottom of all those conspiracy theories, as only the Freemason’s know how, buy diving in feet first and taking them on one buy one.

Join us this Sunday, May 17th, for “THE TRUTH” on conspiracy theories with past guest and “mysterious shadow master” Brother Chris Hodapp, author of Freemasons For Dummies, and Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies, and the “Masonic tin foil cap wearing Grand Hierophant of Denver Airport” Tom Acousti.

With the Illuminati back in the news with the release of Angels and Demons, we wanted to get to the bottom of all of these pervasive conspiracy theories that seem to keep popping up, and what better way to do it than on a Masonic Interweb show!

Were not just going to take Geronimo’s skull out of the closet, we really want to get to the bottom of why these ideas exist, who their greatest proponents are, and if in the information age they can stand the test of common sense.

The Freemasons, the Illuminati, Skull and Bones, Trilateral Commission, The Bilderberg Group, Bohemian Grove…

Well, we all know that the Freemasons are behind it, right?

Are there really any conspiracies out there that are seriously bent on control of the world?

Missed the live show? Listen here:

Download the pod cast

Non-Masonic Education

March 19, 2009 by The Euphrates

A hot topic in the on-line Masonic community is lodge education. Many ideas are presented for educational subjects or how to implement educational programs. Most of this discussion is limited to Masonic topics such as Masonic symbolism or history. There is no shortage of information on these subjects available through the Internet or in hard copy. However, I was asked an interesting question about preparing an educational presentation a couple of weeks ago. A Brother had been tasked with developing an educational segment for the next lodge meeting. The Brother was a relatively new Mason and was not particularly comfortable about presenting on a Masonic topic. Unsure of what subjects he could or should address, he asked the lodge “What should I talk about?”

At this point, every member of the lodge could have given him an idea. He could have presented on the symbolism of the square and compasses or read a short story about George Washington. These are all very predictable subjects. Throughout a Mason’s fraternal experience, he will doubtlessly hear several anecdotes about Mr. Washington and will probably see several extemporaneous speeches given on various symbols taken verbatim from the ritual with a little bit of discussion. The problem with these options is that they are viewing lodge education as a course of instruction which must be exclusively Masonic in its nature. This can make lodge education a redundant process which constantly covers one subject. Imagine going back to high school and discovering that every single class that you were taking was on the subject of geometry. That curriculum would bore anyone to death.

Luckily, we don’t have to limit our lodge education to Masonic symbolism, history, and ritual. If we look at the charge of the Fellowcraft degree, we discover that we are admonished to study the liberal arts. The seven liberal arts consist of grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. In other words, the Mason is taught to study a wide array of subjects in order to improve himself. As one of my previous columns suggested, balance is an essential concept to a Mason’s life. Therefore, it is important that a Mason balances his education so that he gains knowledge in all areas of the arts and sciences and what better place to promote this idea than within the lodge? If you take a look at your lodge’s membership, you will probably be surprised to discover that the Brethren have expertise in a variety of subjects.

What we can develop using these individual talents is non-Masonic education. This is as important to a lodge’s growth as Masonic education. Our lodges are populated with men from a variety of backgrounds. Freemasonry is home to doctors, lawyers, engineers, historians, clergy, mechanics, farmers, and construction workers. All of these men have the ability to impart useful knowledge on one another. For instance, perhaps one of your lodge’s Brothers is a mechanical engineer which has just patented a new invention. A presentation on the purpose and development of that invention would provide an interesting topic for an educational session.

Likewise, you may have a Brother who is a mechanic trained to maintain hybrid or fuel-cell vehicles and could discuss the challenges facing the automotive industry to provide service to these new alternative fuel models. Everyone in the lodge would benefit from these subjects and an educational program utilizing the knowledge of individual Brothers can develop the same enthusiasm as a well planned lecture circuit.

The main character of the Brother mentioned at the beginning of this article turned out to be a middle school teacher and it was suggested that he present on educational techniques currently being used at that age level. The entire lodge was surprised to discover that current educational techniques differed significantly from those used in the past. Several questions were asked on subjects ranging from how teachers were currently disciplining children to the effectiveness of these new educational methods. Every Brother gained a new understanding from the lesson and left the lodge more enriched than when they had entered. Of course, there is always a place for education pertaining to the ritual, furniture, and customs of the lodge. However, properly supplementing traditional Masonic education with non-Masonic subjects will provide a more well- balanced education program and keep lodge members engaged.