Thank you for the link to the article. It was very interesting reading. I found many of the ideas presented thought-provoking. However, I do not think a complete conversion to this style would be well taken in our lodge (Overland Park, KS #436) nor in many American Lodges.

I believe some of the problems presented are very wide spread, but the solutions will need to vary according to the culture of the area in which the lodge resides. If this model works for your lodge, then I say go for it. It will take a near 100% approval and participation rate of your current membership to make it work.

As a reference, our lodge holds regular stated meetings twice each month on 1st & 3rd Thursdays and study club meetings on the alternate Thursdays. The study club is designed to increase ritual and ceremony proficiency. We also incorporate special nights into our regular stated meetings such as "Past Masters Night" (where all seats are taken by past masters for the evening), "Quarterly Masonic Birthday Celebration" (to celebrate all brothers who were raised in that quarter), and a few other special nights here and there.

We hold "degree work" on Tuesdays or in place of a Study Club meeting, depending on how much work there is to do that month. Lately, we have not had much time for Study Club as we have done close to 60 degrees this year.

At each of the stated meetings we usually have a quick dessert afterwards, such as pie and ice cream. On special occassions, or after degree work, we will have full dinners (ranging from pizza to steaks). This is paid for from monetary donations after each meeting (our members are fairly generous) or from direct donations by brothers or area businesses.

We have been using a mentoring program for the last couple of years and the Kansas Grand Lodge just last month decreed that a mentor program will be implemented in all Kansas lodges. The mentor will be assigned to a new brother for a period of one year from his initiation. The mentor is usually a past master, but we have assigned a particularly proficient brother as well.

Our normal attendance at stated meetings is more than sufficient to do a proper ceremony of whatever degree or any degree work that might come up. In fact, we have quite a few brothers who are more than proficient at many different offices so we rotate duties sometimes to keep them in practice and to allow practice in proficiencies for newer brothers.

Our dues are only $35.00/year, but not because we want to let in "just anyone." Our lodge doesn't need the money. We were endowed with close to $1 million (USD) a few years ago by a deceased brother and so have been able to be frugal, yet not worry about necessities. We have owned the lodge building for 75 years, so only have annual taxes and monthly utilities to pay plus regular upkeep. Most of the maintenance is performed by brothers (mowing lawns, property repairs, computer work, etc.).

I am proud of the quality of our ritual and work. And that is not just because I am a part of it, but because I know we do a great job with it. I've studied the ciphers, manuals of floorwork, etc. in an effort to learn as much as I can. As such, I know when a brother needs prompting and that comes up very seldom - usually during a very long lecture. We have also recently had letters written to us from former visitors who had attended during work nights. They stated they were quite impressed with the quality we presented. One SW stated he was going back to his lodge to "kick some butts" because after seeing our lodge in a 3rd degree he was ashamed of his own lodge. A past GM of KS stated we were among the best, if not the best, at such work in the state. And a past master who has held multiple memberships around the country (he travels a lot for his job) stated he would put us up with any other lodge he'd ever visited. And we have a member who just transferred in from South Africa who stated he wished his old lodge made him feel the quality of work he found in our lodge.

Our current WM stated in our latest newsletter, "Regardless how long you are involved or to what level you may achieve, there is always more you can learn and things that are old can become new again. Our attendance at lodge does more than just provide support. While we may not be aware of it, we are continuing our Masonic education. I constantly find myself realizing that I 'suddenly' know a new and different part of our ritual! Those of you who have not attended lodge lately have missed a blending of the old with the new. Our newer Masons have embraced the old while bringing with them an energy that serves to benefit our Lodge and Masonry in general. It now becomes our job to continue to mentor and encourage their efforts."

Most all the brethren I have met in our lodge take the same pride in our lodge and strive to make the newer members feel a part of things from the first time they are greeted as brothers. They are active in the lodge and set a nice example of fraternity and brotherly love that is quite infectious.

We don't proclaim our existence to the general public, but we do not hide either. The newer members we have are mostly brought in by current members (usually our newer members), although we do get a few that have just done some research and visited our website, or been referred by other lodges or the GLKS.

Overall, I'm happy with our lodge. There is always room for improvement, and we are not perfect. But we reward effort, congratulate proficiency and try to assist where and when it is needed. Maybe that is all we need do...for now.

Martinus – I agree with Jimmy – it sounds like you have a great Lodge.

I also agree with Jimmy's points on size as well. Devotion is a small lodge (less that 30 members). However this does present some threats as we occasionally have trouble filling offices as not all the members are active and some no longer deliver ritual.

There is sort of two points here..... Size and Epicurean - two separate concepts and issues....

Being small (about 25 members) offers a great deal of flexibility and inclusiveness. An Entered Apprentice does not get lost in the shuffle – but by the same token lack the support of other EA’s whose Masonic journey is at the same stage as theirs. It is natural for new masons to gravitate towards other men of the same age and with similar experience to “compare notes”, However our Past Masters are really important in such newer members lives – because our PMs (on the whole) are very supporting, encouraging and willing to share their own experience. Exposure to both groups hopefully achieves balance. It also means that there is some work for anyone who wants it.. but sometimes not enough to do the work (we network if this happens and GL has a list of men to give charges that Lodges call draw upon should the desire or need it).

Being small – if we want the whole Lodge around to dinner at a members house – this is feasible. Next meeting we are all heading off to the pub for drinks and dinner. This would be hard if we had a lot of members. Organisationally – it is much easier to keep a small group informed and to keep it organised and insure cohesion. You also build strong friendships as people don't get lost in the shuffle. (Although it must be said we have lost 4 MM's over the last 12 months due to exclusion and resignation - so it is not all roses..)

We talked about using an Epicurean Model but rejected it for two main reasons. First a little more background. Here (Victoria Australia) where Lodge Epicurean and Amalthea meet - we have always had “Dining Lodges” but many of these differ from Epicurian because the Epicurian model is closer to Americans “Traditional Observance” Lodges with a focus on smaller groups (relative to the many large lodges of inactive members that seem common in many American Jurisdictions) working to a high standard of ritual and with a focus on Education with slow progression through degrees (Worth also mentioning that we always must open in the First Degree so EA's are admitted to every meeting rather than in many American Jurisdictions where they open in the Third and hence exclude FC's and below from open Lodge.)

Most of our lodges here have a total membership of less than 50 . Often this threatens their existence. Why did Epicurean not seem a good idea to us ? Cost was a major factor. We have many pensioners and it would have been difficult for them to pay the cost involved in dinning. Also – for those who wanted the experience or environment – there was already several other lodges they could visit/join to do that.

Also any sort of “dining lodge” is often considered to be an exclusive group due to the practical existence of the financial qualification to membership. And it is worth stating that it is common to have a 2-3 course meal of reasonable standard at many Melbourne Lodges (but it will not be anywhere as good as Epicurean or Amalthea etc). If a man of good character is on a really low income – we want him to be able to operate within our lodge and feel as an equal and without threatening his sense of pride and self sufficiency. It seems contradictory (hypercritical ?) to speak of equality but then place financial obstacles in the way of joining our lodge.

Having personally spoken to members of Epicurean and Amalthea – one of their strengths is that they meet members social expectations for a fine meal - and very high standard of ritual. With slow progression and their practise of basically "auditioning for office" - there ritual is very strong and those not proficient in it will definitely not be appointed to any office - much less WM. Because it is well funded through higher dues and less frequent meetings (and hence costs) – they can buy tools and create an environment of sophistication and style. That's something we cannot afford to do. It also provides it with a point of difference to other “normal” lodges and as a consequence has a strong position to market itself from – close to a “Unique Selling Proposition”. This has got them both new candidates and also joining Master Masons. They are also not backwards coming forwards on soliciting membership and I have been asked to join Amalthea (probably because I am young and a good ritualist).

As to what works - like any group of friends - the interest and direction needs to be agreed and "ownership" for activities and the success of the lodge needs to be taken by everyone...

We have also discussed meeting only 6 times a year - but that means a long time between drinks with friends (literally). We have also observed this to be the death touch to other lodges which take that decision from a position of weakens rather than strength.

Certainly any activities which build cohesion and friendship are great especially if you can meet a charitable goal at the same time. We have had some good socials and trivia nights to raise funds. This month it is Movember www.movember.com/au/whatis...s-Movember which ties nicely into our male organisation


You might also be interested in this thread freemasons.tribe.net/thread/...79db564f which I did not read before I wrote the above - hopefully I did not contradict myself :)