2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
2001 Grand Lodge of Minnesota Annual Communication Proceedings
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20 GRAND LODGE OF MINNESOTA<br />
thls ovor many years tlmo and what ls neoded lo alloct th€ corroct changos can not be<br />
accompllshed ovornlght. W6 probably dld not cr6at€ th€ problem but allowad lt to happcn<br />
b&au66 wo wors unwllllng to add€ss tt€ probl€ms.<br />
liembgrshlp ls an ar€a tral wg ha\€ agonlzed over lor many y6ars and no on€ has come up wlth<br />
trat maglc bullot to chango the down hlll trond. Th€ro probably 16 nol ono out th6re. Howowr<br />
Urgr6 at€ <strong>Lodge</strong>s tlat ar6 havlng gr€at euc66ss In brlnglng In n€w memb6]5. You rnay have h€ad<br />
ll botoro and wlll pobably h€ar lt agaln before lh€s€ sosslons ar€ o\€r about Monlgom€ry Lodga<br />
In St. Paul havlng ral8€d thlrty n€w mamb€r8 thls year and affrllal€d anothor ton. Thls ls a groat<br />
r8cord tor any Lodg6 bul what makes lt oven b€ttsr ls hat ls6s han two !€a]B pdor to thls, 0|oy<br />
worB on tho ropes. A new s€t ot problems has ads€n tor thom b6caus6 now they have to llnd tsbB<br />
tor the86 ne$, rtombers. Slbloy Lodg€ In Wlnthrop, Helios <strong>Lodge</strong> in Cambridge, Lake Hardot<br />
<strong>Lodge</strong> h Mhn€apollo, F€d Rhror Lodg6 In Ea6t <strong>Grand</strong> Forks, and Accacia L0dO6 in C0ttao6<br />
Oov€ at€ €rygrlenclng slmlhr growh. Thes€ are Dot the only on6s.t'r,6nty Lodg€s ln Mlnn€sota<br />
had a net Incftras€ In m6mb€rshlp thls past year. lt ha6 app€a€d as I hav6 travel€d aound lhet<br />
the€ ls a dlllgront l€€llng loward encouraglng m€n to Joln. lt 16 my conlontion tral a p66on has a<br />
betbr l€elhg wt€n lr|\4tod b Joln somohlng rath€r tMng to Invlt€ lh€mselvos In. I mw tiat lhlg<br />
may be In contllct wlth tho rltual but thore ar6 many way6 to Invltg s<strong>of</strong>irqrne wlthout asklng. ll lg<br />
overyon€'s l€spon6lblllty to always bo awar€ ot sonreone who may be Interosted In shadng out<br />
gr€art <strong>of</strong>t wiih us. <strong>Lodge</strong>s wlth actvlty In bls aft}a will t6ll you that lt ls a comblnaton ot good<br />
'<br />
had wod(, vlslto/s nlghb, and communlty actMtles lhat ha\€ aid6d thelr success. A menD€r <strong>of</strong><br />
0{€ LodgE slat€d that thelr communlty agaln loorrs rvho d16 Ma6on6 are. I'm suro 0rat you can<br />
hear morg eboul lhls h thls afiemoons M6mb6rshiD b€akout s€ssion.<br />
lrdgo Acdvlo3r<br />
Masons ere a chadlable oqanlzatlon. What charities? Ot coursa w6 ha,6 the Ug thr6e. Th€<br />
Mlnnesola Masonic Cancer Fund, Th€ Mlnnosota Masonic Foundation, and the Mlnnesota<br />
MasonG l-hrnes. Thes€ ar6 otatowl(b chaills suppon€d by all Masons. But what about he l@l<br />
chedt€s? The KIOS lD program has app€acd In all parts ol tha state. Care Boars hav6 b€6n<br />
appgarlng all acto66 tho stato. Thls ha6 b66n a good activily tor <strong>Lodge</strong>s and ls a charltabl€<br />
prooram. Bell ringlng for ths Salvatlon Amy, ral6lng mon€y lor food shelv6, volunteering In<br />
sch@ls, volunt€€dng to holp lhe youth organlzatlons and the list ls only limlt€d by your own<br />
haglnatlon. Thls 16 who we a€; a chadty.<br />
I am sugg€stng lo you a nsu, cfiarlty. You wlll hear about lt thls atbmoon. lt is call€d lhE Masodc<br />
Model gludent Asslstanco Tralnlng PDgram. lt is now in 36 Norlh Am€rican iurisdiction$. lt ls<br />
deolgned to bach school personnel tc ldontlfy clrildt€n al risk and thoge that al€ havlng problems<br />
In school t|st atlbcts thelr schoolwork. My p66onal b€liel ls that his is a program that has he<br />
po€slblllty ot being t0 th6 Blue <strong>Lodge</strong>s what tr6 chlldftrn's Hospltal ls lo lhe shdne. we all know<br />
E|at childGn at school ar€ &ilnltely b€lng put ln to bugh sltuations.<br />
8t9Ld @mmunlcetonr<br />
Masonlc business m€€tlngs aro bonng. Tho business <strong>of</strong> th€ <strong>Lodge</strong> mosl <strong>of</strong> he lim€ nould b€<br />
bethr taken care ot in commltt€€s. That is what they arE ticr. Readlng hs minulgs lsn'l much fun,<br />
lf thel€ is somethlng In the mlnutos that ne€ds to be addr€ssed it should b€ laken ca€ ol by<br />
commit@ during the lnlo]val b€tw€al rfi€€tings. Paying bills is €qually boring. Adopt a hJdget al<br />
he b€ginnlng ol tho year and rrcst normal bills should b€ automatically takgn care ot. Talk aboul<br />
chadty during r|e meling. What broh6r, ldend, or acqualntsnce ls in n6ed <strong>of</strong> assislance. Talk<br />
ebout Masonlc educathn. Talk about helplng th€ rvldovrs or talk about heldng the Boy scouts bul<br />
don't read lhg minutes, pay tho bills, drink c<strong>of</strong>le€ and go horng. As altemative havE e lighl msal<br />
bslors ths meeting shtts. Soup and sand"viches would be easier on the stomach, Havs siatsd<br />
meslings onc€ a month aM ha'r'e a soclal or educatlonal €vent on the alt€mativ€ rn€€ting nlght.<br />
Have a fiFetng where mom and the klds can come bo and havg sorne entgrtainment br all.<br />
Rlturl<br />
Th€re are many thhgs hat may ne€d changlng in Magonry but this is not one <strong>of</strong> them. WE may<br />
nssd to lmpmve the way that th€ work ls put on but th€ cont€nt is rock solid. The rilual wlll tell us<br />
who w9 ars and what we should b€ doing. We always need h llsten lo what il ls saying. Th€ fitual<br />
has so many pdncipl€s to llve by and we need to s€E lhat th€ new candldales get the full b€neflt<br />
ol hat ilual. TherE aft) some lhat say we should elimlnale he ritual <strong>of</strong> opening and closln$ hat lt<br />
bkes too much tme. My r€spons€ to that is lhat five nlnutes el th€ b€ginning ol the m€€Ung snd
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