The following are just a few of the more than 400 ideas in the Lodge Leadership Manual. To review the manual and to start planning the year you’ll serve as Master, or for ideas this year, go to:  http://glne.org/fileDownload.aspx.

Activity ideas are suggested in these areas of lodge performance.

·  Lodge Meetings - Nothing kills a meeting quicker than a Master who doesn’t have a clue about the business for the meeting. He needs to be in charge while involving everyone. That means creating an agenda for every meeting. Before arriving, he should discuss the agenda with the Secretary and talk with committee chairmen about their progress and what must be reported and decided at the meeting.

·  Ritual Work – Repetition of degree parts, partially or in full, at stated meetings helps all brothers review the work or familiarizes them with the work and could possibly interest them in learning it. Including explanations of where the presented work occurs in the degree and what it means adds interest. In addition, understanding the meaning eases comprehension and memorization..

·   Fellowship – Include the names of new Master Masons in lodge communications with a brief summary of their interests and the names of their wives and children.

·  Community Service – Adopt a local school and work with the administration to identify one, year-long effort for which the lodge would be responsible. (Grooming the play area, supervising evening events, work as library aids, work with teachers, go on field trips with classes and handle special projects or events. Reading assistance was most often mentioned.)

·  Membership – Become familiar with well-known men in world history who also were Masons. Learn about local celebrities and officials and foreign dignitaries so you can bring them up in conversations. Armed with good background information, you are ready to start identifying and getting prospects.

·  Communication – News releases help you get the word out about Masonry in your town. Prepare a news release about community service activities and special events at your lodge. The Lodge Leadership Manual has sample news releases you can use for the following lodge activities: installation of officers; Masonic educational scholarships, Masonic All-Star Marching Band scholarships; and Bronze Jordan Medal and year-pin presentations. Download them from the Lodge Leadership Manual on the Grand Lodge Web site at the Downloads tab under the Publications category: http://www.glne.org/.

The following are just a few of the more than 400 ideas in the Lodge Leadership Manual. To review the manual and to start planning the year you’ll serve as Master, or for ideas this year, go to:  http://glne.org/fileDownload.aspx.

Activity ideas are suggested in these areas of lodge performance.

• Ritual Work – For the ongoing health of your Lodge, more than one brother should be able to perform each part of our work. Provide for additional brothers to perform the work so there is a backup for each part. No one should “own” a part and be the only one to deliver it. Brothers who learn new parts should be scheduled to alternate the performance of the work so they maintain what they’ve learned.

• Grand Lodge Programs – The Masonic All-Star Marching Band Clinic starts Tuesday, July 15, and boasts the involvement of more than 200 high school students from across the state in performances at the Shrine Bowl Parade and during halftime of the Shrine Bowl Game. Consider sponsoring one or more local students to the camp, and serve as a chaperone for the camp.

• Fellowship – Appoint a committee to identify and contact widows of Lodge brethren. Maintain a list of widows, their addresses and telephone numbers, and call them on a regular basis to make sure their needs are being met, if they need handiwork done around the house and inform them of special lodge activities. Serve as helpers to the widows we have obligated ourselves to aid and protect.

• Community Service – Volunteer a few hours a month to work with teachers to read to children, listen to them in small groups and work with them on special assignments.

• Membership – Teach members what to say when a prospective member gives a reason why he can’t join your lodge. For good explanations to frequently used excuses, go to page 11 of Section 7 - Membership of the Lodge Leadership Manual. Download it from the Grand Lodge Web site at the Downloads tab under the Publications category:  http://www.glne.org/  

• Communication – A lodge newsletter can be as simple as a typed letter or a full-fledged publication. Either one can effectively communicate information to your members. For tips on how to produce a newsletter, refer to page 7 in Section 8 – Communication of the Lodge Leadership Manual. Download it from the Grand Lodge Web site at the Downloads tab under the Publications category: http://www.glne.org/

• Finances – Include in your lodge budget a line item for maintenance of your building. Many lodge buildings have become unsightly, both inside and out, due primarily to neglect. Each Lodge should establish a long-range preventive maintenance program to steadily improve the usability and appearance of their building. Much preventive maintenance could be performed simply by cleaning, caulking and painting.

The following ideas are just a few of the more than 400 ideas listed in the Lodge Leadership Manual. To review the manual and to start planning the year you’ll serve as Master, go to:  http://glne.org/fileDownload.aspx.

Activity ideas are suggested in these areas of lodge performance.

• Meetings – Save time in monthly meetings by summarizing minutes, correspondence and communications. Post the minutes and the report of the treasurer instead of reading them, or make copies to hand out.

• Ritual Work – It is wise to not only ensure your officers are proficient, but to also build a backup of brothers proficient in the parts who can perform the work for your Lodge. Rotate presentation of the parts so all have the opportunity to reinforce what they’ve memorized.

• Grand Lodge Programs – Provide a valued community service and increase awareness of your Lodge by holding a CHild Identification Program (CHIP) in your community.

• Fellowship – Charge officers to welcome all members and visitors before and after every meeting.

• Community Service – Hold an event with a local school to raise funds for a specific need, such as computers.

• Membership – Target men who would make good Masons. Ask members to list men who are relatives, neighbors, work associates, professionals, coaches, business owners, teachers, service providers, community leaders, and members of civic groups and your church. See chapter 7 in the manual for a form to use.

• Communication – Refer to the form news releases in the manual or your secretary’s binder to help promote your lodge’s activities.

• Finances – Prepare a budget for your lodge by referring to previous expenditures and income.