Here are some things you can try in you Lodge!

What do you think? – Sit down around coffee and snacks and go through each line of an Obligation (especially the Master) and discuss why it was put in there and what does it mean to you.  You will find out some fascinating things about how your Brothers interpret the obligation. (Thanks to Mid-West Lodge #317 for this idea)

Habitat for Humanity Masonic Style – With Fall nearly upon us, now is a good time to get a few Brothers together and help some of your less fortunate or older Brothers with preparing their houses for Fall and Winter.  A few dollars of weather stripping, some caulk and a little elbow grease and you can help a Brother save money on those upcoming heating bills.  Plus it will be a great bonding experience for the Lodge.  Might even want to partner with several other Lodges.  Great way to get some press from the local paper too!

Masonic Radio Night – Remember the good old days when people would sit around the radio and enjoy their favorite programs and news?  Well, now you can do that every Sunday night live or any other time for the weeks Masonic news.  Brothers Greg Stuart and Dean Kennedy (not of Nebraska’s Jurisdiction) are producing a free online podcast of Masonic news, interviews and call in comments every Sunday night.  You can listen directly on the web site or download past programs to listen to later.  They have great guests, encourage your participation and generally produce a great show.  You can find it at www.freemasoninformation.com

Here are some things you can try in you Lodge!

Masonic News Report – Have one or more of your  Internet savvy members deliver a short 5 to 10 minute report on news from around the world of Masonry.  There are many good sources of news items of interest on the Internet.  It's fun and interesting to hear about our Brothers around the World.

Back to School Drive – With the coming of August, we are closing in on the start of another school year.  Many families and schools could use help in providing the basics for the children.  Backpacks, crayons, paper, pencils, pens, etc.  Contact your local school and ask about donating needed items.  Makes a great public relations story for the local paper as well.  It's win – win!  The children get the stuff they need and Masonry gets some positive exposure!

Another School Idea - Those first few days of school can be scary for youngsters; contact your local school and volunteer to serve as crossing guards, read stories in the library, or any other help that the school is short on.

The Masonic Relief fund continues to need your help!  These tough economic times are taking their toll on our Brother Masons.  One way you can help is to go to the Grand Lodge web site, click on the store banner and either purchase product or just make a donation outright to Masonic Relief.  All you need is a credit card and the willingness to donate.  We've also put up some new items from the 250^th anniversary.

Please send me your ideas for Masonic branded products you'd like to see in the Masonic Relief Store.  remember, 100% of the profits go to Masonic Relief. This makes it a great project for your Lodge as well.  Send you ideas to me at tomshop1@me.com.  And I'll do my best to get stuff in stock!

Grand Master Initiatives - July 2009

   The Grand Master has set a very aggressive schedule of events for himself, the Grand Lodge and the subordinate Lodges for 2009.  The GM has done so because experience tells us that an active Lodge is a healthy Lodge!  The more things you offer, the wider the variety of things you offer, the better off you Lodge will be. 

Let's review what is coming up the next 3 months on the Calendar for your suggested Lodge Activities:

1. July – Study Masonry – We all took an obligation to improve ourselves through the study of Masonry.  In July the Grand Lodge will launch a web site full of information for you to study.  There will be articles and other resources for all levels of study.  See the article below for more.

2. August – The Blood Drive-  This will be the first time ever for a state wide blood drive.  If your Lodge isn't big enough, get together with several other Lodges and hold a drive. Every pint you donate will save at least 3 lives!  How can you pass that up?

3. September – Appendant bodies' Back to Lodge Night – a night for all of us to go back to our Blue Lodges and share what we've been doing in the appendant bodies and renew old friendships.

4. October - Ladies Festival Weekend - In appreciation for all that your wife or significant other means to you, a Ladies Festival Weekend will be held October 9-11 in Omaha. The weekend will include site seeing, shopping in the Old Market and finishing with an elegant dinner and a new Ladies at the Table ceremony, followed by a concert by the UNL symphony orchestra featuring music by composers who were Masons.

If you missed an earlier activity, it can still be done, just check the GL.org web site for more details.

Summer is wonderful time of year in Nebraska.  After a generally long winter and little outside activity, most people want to get out and do something!  This is the perfect spring board for Lodge activities!  Remember not all Lodge activities have to take place in a tyled Lodge.  There are many things you can do as a Lodge to build fellowship, activate the members and show Masonry to the public in a very positive light.

Let's look at just a few ideas:

1. Load up a car and go visit other area Lodges on their meeting night.

2. Request permission to move your charter and hold Lodge someplace else. Examples: Another Lodge, outside, in a restaurant (remember you still have to be able to tyle the room)

3. Go see Angles and Demons as a Lodge.  Not as Masonic as the first Dan Brown movie but a ripping good adventure.

4. Meet at the local coffee shop and hold a Socrates' Cafe Discussion. Easy to do, just pick an important Masonic topic and discuss!

5. Hold an Ice Cream Social with the Lodge and invite some other organization to join.  Fun for the whole family

6. Hold a ritual round table.  Get several members around the table and start repeating ritual whereby each person does one line.  See how many time you can go around the table before you mess up. 

7. Clean up and paint the Lodge. Summer time is a great time to put that extra shine on the Lodge.

8. Clean up and paint a senior members home that isn't able to keep up the  maintenance any longer.  Show some Brotherly love.

9. Take your wives and girlfriends out to a Ladies at the Table dinner.

10. Volunteer as a group for some community project that is understaffed.

There are tons of fun Summer things like this for a Lodge to do to stay active.  Use this list as a source of discussion to come up with what is right for your Lodge.

Last month we rolled out the online store of the Grand Lodge to support Masonic Relief (see article below).  Response has been slow, probably due to the change in weather and a lesser need for a good coat.  Well, let's get stuff in the store you can use around the Lodge or Home!  Please send me your ideas for Masonic branded products you'd like to see in the Masonic Relief Store.  remember, 100% of the profits go to Masonic Relief. This makes it a great project for your Lodge as well.  Send you ideas to me at tomshop1@me.com.  And I'll do my best to get stuff in stock!

The Grand Master designated March as Masonic Relief Month in Nebraska but the need for Masonic Relief is an ongoing issue.  The Grand Lodge maintains a fund for the relief of poor, distressed Master Masons, their widows and orphans and receives several applications per year for assistance.  This fund has been seriously drained in the last 2 years and it's time to step up to the plate and fulfill our obligations.  So how can we do that?

W. John Maxell (Grand Senior Steward) has put together a two part program that is going to really boost our funds and provide our membership with a great opportunity to show their pride in Masonry!  And the best part is how easy it is to do!  Just go to the Grand Lodge web page (www.glne.org) and click on the Masonic Relief Banner.  Then chose the item or items you want and use any major credit card or your PayPal account to order.  It's safe, easy and supports our Masonic Relief effort.

Grand Master Initiatives - June 2009

The Grand Master has set a very aggressive schedule of events for himself, the Grand Lodge and the subordinate Lodges for 2009.  The GM has done so because experience tells us that an active Lodge is a healthy Lodge!  The more things you offer, the wider the variety of things you offer, the better off you Lodge will be. 

Let's review what is coming up the next 3 months on the Calendar for your suggested Lodge Activities:

1. June – Donate time / money to a CHIP event!  This not only helps a child and their family, it gives good exposure to Masonry

2. July – Study Masonry – We all took an obligation to improve ourselves through the study of Masonry.  In July the Grand Lodge will launch a web site full of information for you to study.  There will be articles and other resources for all levels of study.

3. August – The Blood Drive-  This will be the first time ever for a state wide blood drive.  If your Lodge isn't big enough, get together with several other Lodges and hold a drive. Every pint you donate will save at least 3 lives!  How can you pass that up?

If you missed an earlier activity, it can still be done, just check the GL.org web site for more details.

Last month we rolled out the online store of the Grand Lodge to support Masonic Relief (see article below).  Response has been slow, probably due to the change in weather and a lesser need for a good coat.  Well, let's get stuff in the store you can use around the Lodge or Home!  Please send me your ideas for Masonic branded products you'd like to see in the Masonic Relief Store.  Remember, 100% of the profits go to Masonic Relief. This makes it a great project for your Lodge as well.  Send you ideas to me at tomshop1@me.com.  And I'll do my best to get stuff in stock!

The Grand Master designated March as Masonic Relief Month in Nebraska but the need for Masonic Relief is an ongoing issue.  The Grand Lodge maintains a fund for the relief of poor, distressed Master Masons, their widows and orphans and receives several applications per year for assistance.  This fund has been seriously drained in the last 2 years and it's time to step up to the plate and fulfill our obligations.  So how can we do that?

W. John Maxell (Grand Senior Steward) has put together a tw- part program that is going to really boost our funds and provide our membership with a great opportunity to show their pride in Masonry!  And the best part is how easy it is to do!  Just go to the Grand Lodge web page (www.glne.org) and click on the Masonic Relief Banner.  Then chose the item or items you want and use any major credit card or your PayPal account to order.  It's safe, easy and supports our Masonic Relief effort.

The Grand Lodge of Michigan has established a renewal program that is very well thought out and just filled to the brim with great ideas and resources that will work in any Lodge.  Point your browser at http://renewal.gl-mi.org/. There you will find explanation of their two main programs, Beacon Project and Acacia+.  While both of these programs were developed for Michigan, the concepts can certainly be scaled down for your Lodge.  The best part of the web site is the Resource Library.  Inside this part of the web site is a wealth of downloadable documents on Leadership, Membership development and activities for the Lodge!  Give a look today!

The following article was written by W.B. Patrick Barger who earned the top membership recruiting award twice, and most recently at the 2008 Annual Communication. He also was trained as a recruiter for the military. In addition, he edited and added additional useful information to Section 7 – Membership in the Lodge Leadership Manual.

By W.B. Patrick Barger

A lodge’s success in growing their membership doesn’t totally rely on a strong recruiting program. Men must be motivated to join. Before they sign a petition, they must see reasons to join, be active and to remain members.

The most effective recruiting tool available to your lodge is to build an active and enticing program of activities that meets the interests of today’s men.

Surveys show Masons want our fraternity to provide:

Better fellowship and opportunities to make new friends.

Leadership opportunities, improved leadership training and to be well led.

Greater civic involvement, public charities, pride in the accomplishments of the Craft.

Improved Masonic education and understanding of Masonry.

A higher profile for Freemasonry, more open to the public, greater visibility and more pride in the organization.

Active commitment to the needs of youth.

Higher quality degrees presented more dramatically and understandably.

Improved meetings with entertaining and interesting programs.

Opportunities for family involvement in lodge.

Self-improvement

This list of motivators could be the beginning point when planning your lodge’s year of activities. Review each bulleted item above and think of ways your lodge can answer the needs expressed here.

You can find more than 400 activity ideas in the Lodge Leadership Manual online at http://www.glne.org. Simply click on “Downloads” and scroll down to “Publications.” Work through the twelve sections of the manual and when you finish, you will have a complete plan constructed for the year you’ll be Master.

The sad fact is that on average, after the first year of membership, 80 percent of all new members do not return to lodge meetings and activities.

In 2007, Nebraska lodges raised 306 members. On the negative side of the ledger, the biggest reason for losses was 455 suspensions, which were 41 more than deaths.

Imagine if our lodges were meeting the needs expressed by Masons in this article. Suspensions would diminish, men would be attracted to join and our fraternity and your lodge would be growing.

The Grand Master designated March as Masonic Relief Month in Nebraska but the need for Masonic Relief is an ongoing issue.  The Grand Lodge maintains a fund for the relief of poor, distressed Master Masons, their widows and orphans and receives several applications per year for assistance.  This fund has been seriously drained in the last 2 years and it's time to step up to the plate and fulfill our obligations.  So how can we do that?

W. John Maxell (Grand Senior Steward) has put together a two-part program that is going to really boost our funds and provide our membership with a great opportunity to show their pride in Masonry!  And the best part is how easy it is to do!  Just go to the Grand Lodge web page (www.glne.org) and click on the Masonic Relief Banner.  Then chose the item or items you want and use any major credit card or your PayPal account to order.  It's safe, easy and supports our Masonic Relief effort.

Here is what is available so far:

Part 1:  For only a $20 donation you can receive a Masonic Relief pin.  This high quality pin shows that you care and support Masonic Relief.  For only $35, you can get two pins.  (Makes a great activity for Lodge.  See how many members you can get to donate for a pin, then take a picture of everyone wearing the pin and send it to Grand Lodge Office!)

Part 2:  John has made arraignments with a Brother Mason to provide us with a variety of casual coats with the Masonic emblem embroidered on them.  These are high quality garments at a great price!  The price includes shipping and tax and the they come in a variety of sizes and colors.  Show your pride in Masonry to the world and get one of these great items.

The Masonic Renewal Committee of North America provides monthly program ideas at:  http://www.masonic-renewal.org/ . Click on “Resource Library” to see all 19 program ideas. We will feature one each month. This month’s suggested program is Cigar Night.

One of the greatest benefits of belonging to the fraternity is that of associating with other men that we normally might not have a chance to meet. Younger men put a great deal of emphasis on gathering together to do nothing more than having conversation and enjoying each others company in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

This program is a very simple one for us to enact, while it is not for every member of your lodge, it may very well be exactly what some other members of your lodge are looking for. While we certainly understand that smoking is not necessarily to be encouraged, for those of our members who do like an occasional cigar, the opportunity to join together in friendly conversation over a good cigar is an event they very much enjoy!

Be sure that all of your members know that on the evening of your Cigar Program that there will be smoking on the premises and that those brothers who have an allergy or other issue with smoking should conduct themselves accordingly. This program is strictly voluntary and is not to be construed as encouraging our brethren to take up the habit. However, for those who enjoy a good cigar this evening is for them.

Set an evening aside this month for a Cigar Event to be held at your lodge. Perhaps if the weather is nice it can be held out of doors with a little picnic. Have each brother who wants to attend bring a cigar for himself and one for someone else. Take all the extra cigars and place them in a box or hat. Pass the hat around and have each participant remove one cigar. This will allow the brethren the opportunity to sample a cigar they might not otherwise have the chance to smoke. If any of the members are knowledgeable about cigars have them make a short presentation on this topic. Where was it made, how is its taste different from other tobacco, is it made by hand, how much does this cigar cost and how are the prices set and so on.

What supplies do we need?

Absolutely none. The members bring their own cigars and if necessary their own ashtrays and receptacles. Make sure that the building has adequate ventilation and that the rooms are properly cleaned afterward. The event can be very negatively received by other groups if it is left smelly and dirty with ashes and butts. We emphasize again, please clean up after the event!

This is also a great opportunity to have the brothers tell a little about themselves. Utilize the “Who I Am” program from April to make this event one that all will remember and look forward to attending in the future. Don’t forget that this is a great chance to let the brethren play a little cards or shoot some pool anything that allows the membership the opportunity to fellowship together is a good thing.

Be sure to have fun on your cigar night! But don't forget those who do not smoke the same opportunity for fellowship as those who do. It would appropriate to host a no smoke night at the lodge. At your no smoke night you conduct all of the same kinds of programs, such as card playing, pool shooting, storytelling and so on, just without the smoke. At this evening’s program, smoking is not allowed; period!

So, while our brothers who smoke are given their time to enjoy their pleasures, so too, our brothers who do not smoke are given the same opportunities for fellowshipping together.

That makes a great lodge. Focusing on the needs of all of its members and affording them the opportunities to join together and have fun.

Light ‘em up and enjoy!

Enjoy your cigar in moderation. Break out the cards and let the membership play a game of Euchre, Poker or Cribbage!

The Masonic Renewal Committee of North America provides monthly program ideas at:  http://www.masonic-renewal.org/ . Click on “Resource Library” to see all 19 program ideas. We will feature one each month. This month’s suggested program is Masonic Presidents Night.

“Back when I first entered the Masonic Fraternity I was struck with just how many Presidents of the United States were members of our craft.

And not just members, but active Masons. My lodge used to hold, every February an event to remember and honor those men who had distinguished themselves, the fraternity and most importantly, the Nation.

This program is designed to reignite that tradition.

If your lodge currently conducts a program to pay homage to our brethren that have been elected to the highest office in the land, by all means continue that program. If your lodge however, does not currently set aside an evening to remember these men and Masons then we heartily encourage you to do so.

To quote our most famous member George Washington who writes in a letter to Prince Georges Lodge No. 16 in Georgetown South Carolina, in response to a letter of welcome from that lodge to him: “assuring the fraternity of my esteem, I request them to believe that I shall always be ambitious of being considered a deserving brother”.

He certainly was a most deserving brother!

Learn all you can about their lives. More books are available than can possibly be listed here. Suffice it to say that an enjoyable presentation could be made with cherry pie, coffee, punch, and some wonderful insight into the minds of these distinguished and insightful men and Masons. Their impact on this nation, and on us as modern Masons is immeasurable and immensely satisfying.

Press into service a couple of brothers that would like to make a presentation to the lodge regarding one of the Presidents already mentioned. Give them 10 minutes and be sure and thank them and properly recognize them for the job they do. All of us will be.

June is nearing, and most Nebraska lodges were chartered in that month. As you look ahead to the year you’ll serve as Master, or even this year, check your charter to see when it was issued. Begin planning activities in your lodge and community now to heighten your lodge’s visibility on its anniversary.

In increments of 25 years, the following lodges will celebrate anniversaries the next three years. If your lodge isn’t listed here, consider observing your its anniversary in a shorter annual increment.

 2008

Omadi No. 5, South Sioux City (150)

Plattsmouth No. 6, Plattsmouth (150)

Oakland No. 91, Oakland (125)

Bennett No. 94, Lincoln (125)

Garfield No. 95, O’Neill (125)

Utica No. 96, Utica (125)

Euclid No. 97, Weeping Water (125)

Waterloo No. 102, Elkhorn (125)

Ord No. 103, Ord (125)

Wymore No. 104, Wymore (125)

Porter No. 106, Loup City (125)

Table Rock No. 108, Table Rock (125)

Pomegranate No. 110, Ashland (125)

DeWitt No. 111, DeWitt (125)

Springfield No. 112, Springfield (125)

Franklin No. 264, Franklin (100)

Robert W. Furnas No. 265, Scottsbluff (100)

George Lininger No. 268, Omaha (100)

2009

Wisner No. 114, Wisner (125)

North Bend No. 119, North Bend (125)

Wayne No. 120, Wayne (125)

Superior No. 121, Superior (125)

Stromsburg No. 126, Stromsburg (125)

Guide Rock No. 128, Guide Rock (125)

2010

Scribner No. 132, Scribner (125)

Solar No. 134, Clarks (125)

McCook No. 135, McCook (125)

Long Pine No. 136, Long Pine (125)

M.W. Grand Master Reg Kuhn has encouraged all Nebraska lodges to participate in the following programs this year:

·  Who Are You? Each lodge is to develop a mission statement which answers the question, “Who are you?” by considering its core values, and putting those values in words. Lodges will soon receive information to help in this process. At Annual Communication next year, the mission statements will be displayed about the lodge room.

·  Building Maintenance. Four, $1,000 grants will be presented to lodges to make improvements on their lodge buildings. To be eligible, a lodge must raise at least $750 of new funds to support either Masonic youth programs, such as CHIP, our youth groups, the band camp, or a youth program in the local community. Recipients of the grants will be selected from the applicants.

·  Ritual Work. The Grand Master challenges each lodge to ensure its ritual is done in the best possible manner. He urges everyone to double their efforts to maintain and improve the quality of the ritual.

A lodge in El Cajon, Calif., focused attention on student achievement and attracted 350 parents, educators, local dignitaries and fellow Masons at a lodge recognition event:  http://www.freemason.org/news_news.php?mselect=detail&id=2702.

A Past Master discusses his journey to revive his lodge in Mill Valley, Calif. The innovation of his lodge brought greater community recognition and many new members:  http://mill-valley.freemasonry.biz/growing_lodge.htm.