Issues with Communication regarding our Petitions

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Jim Stapleton

When I submitted my petition to become a Freemason, I was filled with excitement. Personally, I didn’t know much about Freemasonry. Some Brothers are fortunate enough to have close friends or familial relationships that serve as their introduction to the Fraternity. Most of what I knew I had read online, and I wasn’t sure how much of it was even true. I was truly in the dark about the Fraternity, but I was eager to get started!

I went online and requested information through my Grand Lodge. I was referred to a local Lodge for further assistance. I promptly asked the Lodge Secretary what I needed to do to join. We arranged a time for me to pick up a petition. I enthusiastically completed the petition and proceeded to hand it in. I couldn’t wait for what would come next.

A week went by and I didn’t hear anything from the Lodge. Another week went by without any news. Weeks turned into months and still nothing. I began to wonder if there was something wrong with my application. Perhaps I gave an answer they didn’t like? Maybe one of my references said something bad about me? Did the Lodge just look at the petition and decide that I wasn’t worthy to join?

I finally received a call from the Lodge Secretary about two and a half months after I submitted my petition. He asked if I would be available to go through the Entered Apprentice Degree a couple of weeks later. I was thrilled that I heard back and that I was going to begin the journey. 

When I handed in my petition, I had no idea how long the process could take. Now, my time in Freemasonry has given me more insight. Petitions need to be read in Lodge, investigations need to happen, and ballots need to be held. The time of the year when a petition is received by a Lodge can certainly delay the process. For example, many Lodges do not hold business in July and August, and there are limits on what can be done to move a petition forward. Through the lens of an experienced Mason, I can understand why it took a while before I was able to be initiated. However, I have spoken with Brothers from other Lodges over the years and discovered that some of them waited far longer to hear back after submitting their petitions. This causes me to wonder if more could be done to develop relationships with potential members while they wait for initiation?

I believe that Lodges should make a concerted effort to engage with prospective members. Communication is vitally important. Checking in periodically with a petitioner can help to show that the Lodge is still interested, and provide an opportunity to answer any questions that arise. If your Lodge has dinner before meetings and Degrees, you can invite petitioners to dine with the Brethren. This is an excellent way to get acquainted with petitioners in a relaxed setting. If your Lodge has community service events, invite prospective members to attend. In addition to lending a hand, the opportunity will help them feel involved. We should be trying to strengthen connections between the petitioner and the Lodge to make them feel valued. Reaching out to a potential member does not take a lot of time or effort, but it could mean a world of difference to them.

(It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention that our Lodge’s current Secretary is outstanding and I am not directing any negativity towards him.)

Jim Stapleton is the Senior Warden of USS New Jersey Lodge No. 62. He is also a member of the New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Jim received the Distinguished White Apron Award from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. He was awarded the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award. Jim is also a member of the Society of King Solomon.

Recharge!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Adam Thayer

I, like many of you, am a nerd. Now, let’s not fight it, we’re on a website devoted entirely to education on a relatively obscure topic. You probably have at least half a dozen other tabs open in your browser right now, unless you’re reading this on your phone or tablet, in which case you’re using precious battery power to further your education. There is nothing wrong with being nerdy! The 1980’s, where we were skewered by pop culture, are far behind us.

Being a nerd, one of the most satisfying feelings in the world is seeing my cellphone and tablet batteries at 100% charge. Now, I know from a technical standpoint, this isn’t the best way to prolong my battery’s life, but I also know it makes me unexplainably happy to hit the power button on my phone and see that it’s fully charged and ready to go.

I forgot to charge my tablet last night. It was an incredibly long day, after an incredibly long week, and I just simply forgot to plug it in. When I woke up this morning and realized what I had done, there was definitely a moment of disappointment in myself; even though I will be spending the day with my wife and daughter, and will probably barely touch my tablet, it’s still nice to know it’s fully charged and ready to go. Right now, at roughly 7 am on a Saturday morning, my battery sits at 79%. (As a side note, yes I do get up stupidly early on the weekend, it’s the only time I have to write, due to the aforementioned beautiful wife and daughter.)

79%. That is plenty of battery left to get me through the whole weekend, and yet it feels like I need to conserve every bit of power it has. I have no idea why my mind works that way, but I’m willing to stake my writing career that at least one or two of you feel the same way. It’s especially silly, considering I could put it on the charger right now and solve the problem, but it is the wrong time of day to recharge; devices should be charged at night, not in the middle of the day. (This may be a whole other issue I have, that you don’t necessarily share.)

So here I am, on my third cup of coffee, staring at this tablet with 78% battery power, cursing myself for forgetting to charge it, and even more so for being crazy enough that I can’t charge it during the day, watching a terrible 80’s horror movie (one of my other guilty pleasures, and another reason I get up so early on the weekends), wondering if I’ve got enough power to get through the day if maybe I only read books on the tablet instead of watching videos and surfing the net, and I find myself asking this important question: how is my Masonic battery?

You see, we all have a limited amount of energy to put into our efforts; work, family, friends, civic efforts, Freemasonry… all of these things eat away at our batteries, leaving us worn down, sapped of strength, not even wanting to go outside and see other people. We all have to determine where our energy is best spent; how much time do I dedicate to work, how much time to my friends and family, et cetera, et cetera.

In a perfect world, we would be able to keep up with everything, without needing to worry about running out of strength, but in reality we all realize that we need to maintain our strength, and put our efforts into where they will be most valuable. We have to metaphorically (and, in some cases, literally) stop watching the tenth cat video, so we can spend some time studying our ritual work instead.

In the past, I have said that going to lodge helps recharge my batteries, and while that was true in the past, and surely will be true again once I’m through being an officer, right now it’s a significant drain on my energy and patience. I’m not complaining, I am beyond honored at being asked to serve my lodge in this way, but the reality of the situation is that being an officer in an especially active lodge will age you very quickly. Brother Robert Johnson has said in the past that being an officer is a full time job, and that is definitely true in my lodge; we meet nearly every week, and always have something going on to keep us occupied. It can get exhausting!

In the recent past, we have featured a few articles about Masonic burnout, and you don’t need to see another one to know it’s an issue we all face. Instead, let’s just use the reminder about how important it is to keep your battery fully charged, so you don’t get too worn down to continue perfecting your ashlar.

I’m now on five cups of coffee, midway through a second movie, my daughter is awake and ready to take on the world, and my battery is at 75%. Having spent this past hour or so writing to you, knowing that these words will help someone out there who is struggling, my Masonic battery is fully charged, so I have to ask you: how is YOUR Masonic battery?

~AT

WB. Bro. Adam Thayer is the Senior Warden of Lancaster Lodge No. 54 in Lincoln (NE) and a past master of Oliver Lodge No. 38 in Seward (NE). He’s an active member in the Knights of Saint Andrew, and on occasion remembers to visit the Scottish and York Rites as well. He continues to be reappointed to the Grand Lodge of Nebraska Education Committee, and serves with fervency and zeal. He is a sub-host on The Whence Came You podcast, and may be reached at adam@wcypodcast.com. He will not help you get your whites whiter or your brights brighter, but he does enjoy conversing with brothers from around the world!

Grudge-match: TV Versus The Lodge

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Tech

Lodges are interesting things. They can do anything or they can do nothing. It is upon the members to proactively and willfully engage in activities to better the communities in which the lodge resides. I have heard it said that Monday Night Football (or more generally, television) killed the Lodge. I know of folks who, during football season, are never found in lodge. Even in the age of Tivo, watching a game live is somehow more important than Lodge. I can't hold it against them, as it is upon each person to place the importance of Lodge in their own lives. We might each have our opinions, and may be able to justify them well, but in the end it is upon each person to make their own choices.

But I provide a different angle. While we might, all too often, get upset or annoyed with people who place television on a higher level than attending Lodge and engaging with the brethren. Perhaps it isn't as much their fault as we might think. Sure, they could assign more value to Freemasonry to the point that they show up and record the game (Though not a sports fan, that's what I do to shows I enjoy that come on Monday evenings). However, what are we, as a lodge, providing to gain and hold that value judgment? Who are we to offer a dwindling and degraded product and demand they prefer it because of some things said in a ritual years or decades ago? Lodges have largely gone from being a vital and integral part of the community, with great and important fellowship, to arguing about bills twice a month after eating a rather dull thrown-together-at-the-last-moment meal (In fairness, the brother who cooks at my lodge does a wonderful job, probably the best I eat all week).

My point is, who are we to complain about a lack of attendance when what we provide is of immensely little value? We are to build one another up and give support while we develop ourselves into what God wants us to be, yet too often we complain about what to do with money and shoot down any ideas that involve helping in the community, bowing before the stereotypical cranky past master.

It is one thing to complain about problems, but another to provide a solution. Put another way: Simple people whine, leaders solve. Here is my solution: Be the fix. In the cartoon-movie Robots, a common theme was “See a need, fill a need.” Be the solution to the problems you find. Are people not coming to your lodge? Engage them directly, but not in an accusatory way, to find out why. What is missing from the Lodge experience that they sought? What would it take for them to come back? Then, when you have compiled your list of what is missing (I would wager you find the same 5-10 items repeated), find a way to make them happen. Then make sure these brothers know that it is happening. At that point, if they return you have made a great work better. If they do not, then they were being dishonest and their lack of involvement is upon them, not you. You won't help everyone, but that is never cause to not help anyone.


~BT

Brother Tech is the author of A Christian's Perspective on Masonic Symbols: The Square and Compasses. He is an active member in the craft, loves motorcycles and prefers to remain anonymous.