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Masonic Education Corner - September 2015

9/22/2015

 
PictureRWB Michael D. Smith
                        Sustainable Leadership Beyond 2020

Brethren, Before we introduce our next Masonic Education topic, let’s review the first 2 lessons in the “Lodge of the Future” series of Lesson Plans and Lodge Education Topics. 

In Lesson 1, you should have gathered your Lodge membership data and determined how your Lodge will address your Membership trends, Dues and Lodge Expenses, Membership Communication so as to determine where you are today and begin thinking about your Lodge.  At current Membership levels how long will your Lodge be sustainable.    

In Lesson 2, Membership Engagement, we raised the questions and your Lodge should had discussed how to improve Membership Value, Communication, and how to better care, one for the other as promised.  It is all about improving communication with all your members and getting them involved and engaged.

Lesson 3, Sustainable Leadership is being introduced and the Masonic Education Lesson Plan can be found at www.scgrandlodgeafm.org under the Resources Tab.

Let’s begin by asking the important question of how many new members raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason in the last 5 years are active in your Lodge today?  From the travels of our Grand Lodge officers, District Deputy Reports and discussions, it appears that most of our new members are joining us and not active in our Lodge Leadership as officers or committeemen. Is it possible we have failed to set ALL the craft to work and give good and wholesome instruction?  In discussion with new members from various Lodges, we make an impression when they receive their degrees.  Some report favorable impression, while others report less than favorable experience and voice concern. 

Sustainable Leadership is another critical item for us to consider for the Lodge of the Future.   Who will be the officers and will they be successful beyond 2020?  Will your lodge have qualified men to serve as leader of their peers or will we continue to rotate leadership roles between our Past Masters, who continue to serve the Lodge.

Sustainable Leadership, in the Lodge setting, is all about the process of selecting, engaging, and training members who will lead our Lodges by serving the membership, and consistently improving the Quality of the Lodge Membership.  This is an important task for the Past Masters and Officers to work together with an eye to the future of the Lodge.  Too many times we see a rift between the generations with one side on “That’s the way we have always done it” and “What if we tried new ways to get members involved.”  I am here to say, in my opinion both are correct!  We need structure and tradition, if and only if the tradition is good and follows our specific ritual, and also new ways to get members involved.

So our Lesson plan will offer some discussion topics to help develop our new members for future leadership.  It will come at a price.  The price is giving of ourselves, as current Leaders and Officers, to assign ritual parts to the newest members, coaching does not stop with the completion of catechism! By sharing the proper and correct way to delivering the important lesson is our great care and one that helps get members on the path to effective leadership.  It comes at a price of assigning our newest members to investigation committees with seasoned members, to teach how to work with a new candidate and his family on Lodge membership.  It comes at a price by assigning new members to committees on how to balance needs of the Lodge and the financial resources to get the job done, or to positively impact the image of the Lodge to our members, our families and our communities.  Step by step we learn and teach.  Step by step we approach the East and making a positive impact as a leader. 

Finally, Servant Leadership is about leading for a short time your peers or your brothers, and having a positive influence.  Servant Leadership is about helping others be better than themselves.  In the Scottish Rite Easter Sunday Service we close with the following charge from the Leader, “May the Peace of Our Master be with you and remain with you always.  It is always better to Love than to hate. Remember our duty is not to be better that others but to be better than ourselves, and the more we have the more we owe those around us who are in need.”  May your Lodge of the Future be filled with servant leaders, each in his turn contributing to the benefit of all the Lodge Members, Families and Communities, and by doing so with the right attitude, provide for the next generation of engaged, enlightened Servant Leaders for the Glory of God and betterment of each other.




Put George Washington back in our Schools

9/15/2015

 
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The “Put George Washington back in our Schools” Team headed up by RW Sam Turner, PDDGM and RW John King, PDDGM present the Grand Lodge with a George Washington Portrait, which will be hung in the Main Entrance Foyer of the Grand Lodge Building. Pictured above from left to right, RW Johnnie F. James, PDDGM, Grand Tiler, Edward S. Hershberger, Junior Grand Deacon, RW O. Bruce Smith, PDDGM, Senior Grand Deacon, Ronnie P. Richards, Junior Grand Deacon, RW AC Flora, PDDGM MSA Committeeman, MW Gerald L. Carver, PGM, Grand Secretary, MW William B. Rogers, Grand Master, MW Jack A. Marler, PGM, Grand Treasurer, RW Sam Turner, PDDGM, RW John King, PDDGM, RW J. W. Benny Hammond, Jr., PDDGM, Grand Marshall, and RW, James “Chico” Mathis, PDDGM, Senior Grand Deacon.  Photo by Mrs. Susan King.


New Ahiman Rezon available

9/10/2015

 
Picture2015 Ahiman Rezon
The new Ahiman Rezon 2015 is available by contacting MWB Gerald L. Carver PGM/ Grand Secretary at 803-808-4377. The new edition has improved graphics that make all of the pictures much more detailed. They are selling for $20.00 each.  Be sure you get the new edition for your lodge.

Letter from Campbell Nursing Center

9/7/2015

 
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​Letter of appreciation from the Richard Campbell Veterans Nursing Center. Click on the image to read the letter.

279th Annual Communication - April 28-29, 2016

9/5/2015

 
The 279th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina will be held April 28th and 29th, 2016, at the Embassy Suites Hotel Airport Convention Center located at 670 Verdae Blvd, Greenville, SC 29607.

The Religious Service will commence at 9:00 AM conducted by The Reverend A. Robert Nix, Grand Chaplain.

The Grand Lodge will be officially opened at 10:00 AM by the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother William B. Rogers, assisted by the other Grand Lodge Officers and Brethren.

The Annual Banquet will be held Thursday night, April 28, 2016, at 7:00 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.

The Embassy Suites Hotel (864-676-9090) will be the headquarters hotel. Those desiring rooms there should get their reservations in early as rooms will be assigned on a first come - first serve basis. Each person, including Grand Lodge Officers, will be responsible for making his own reserva­tion.

It is not likely that everyone will be able to stay at the hotel as there are a limited number of rooms. It is desirable, if at all possible, that all Grand Lodge Officers, including Past Grand Masters, District Deputy Grand Masters and Committee members, stay at the headquar­ters hotel. The telephone number of the hotel is 864-676-9090.




The Grand Lodge Banquet will be held on Thursday evening, April 28, 2016 at 7:00 pm at the Embassy Suites Hotel Convention Center, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville, SC 29607. In the near future, two tickets will be mailed to the Secretary of each Lodge. If the Lodges do not want to purchase the tickets, they may be returned to this office for credit.

IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM THE LODGE, OR IF THE TICKETS ARE NOT RETURNED, THE LODGE WILL BE CHARGED FOR THE SAME.

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