The much dreaded tempest involving the Charity Committee was nothing more than a few clouds last night, and I am pleased to report that harmony prevailed in the lodge. Those brothers concerned about lodge finances spoke their peace, and were heard, and the previous vote (See below) was amended with amity and a spirit of togetherness. This all sounds prosaic, I'm sure, but the degree to which factions formed in the lodge - and I do not count myself exempt from that - startled me. Yet even more startling was the resolve of the members to nip the factionalization in the bud and to seek a harmonious resolution. Perhaps it sounds silly to describe it so, but it was a magic moment when I realized that no fracas was at hand, and that all present were determined to work for the betterment of the lodge, without regard to individual agendas. It was rejuvenating, actually.
In other news, I was contacted by an EA today via email who told me that he had found Duncan's Masonic Monitor online, something which astonished me greatly. Most of the EA's we've seen of late have been intent on one thing, and one thing only: The Shrine. To find one who is actually delving into Masonic research is frankly pretty damn cool.
So after a gloomy two weeks about the Lodge, things are definitely looking up.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Harmony , inter alia.
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1 comments:
"How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity!"
How nice to read about a peaceful resolution to what's probably one of the more common problems lodges are facing as younger members start to take the reins.
I haven't been active in my own lodge for very long, but things seem fairly harmonious between the generations; the same handful of older men who have been running the lodge by themselves for years seem happy to have new people taking chairs.
I've only been asked once, and that was casually, if I was planning on joining the Shrine... I know a lot of the Brothers in my lodge are Shriners, but I haven't been approached by a "recruiter", as you've described - Of course, the nearest Shrine is an hour plus away from our lodge. It's not hard to imagine lodges in a close radius around Springfield or Wilmington, MA getting more men joining as a stepping stone to the Shrine, but the three other Brothers who joined with me were all primarily interested in the local experience.
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