So you have been asked to sit as a Steward or some other appointed office in the Lodge. Before you say yes, there are a few things you should know. First, there is really no such thing as a trivial office in a Masonic Lodge. But there is more to it than dressing up in a tuxedo and marching around in the Lodge room, there are certain duties and responsibilities associated with each chair which you will be expected to perform. In other words, there is more to being a Masonic officer than pomp and circumstance, you will be expected to work. If you are agreeing to become an officer simply as an excuse to buy a tux or to have some sort of Masonic title, than you are getting into it for the wrong reasons. Lodges need working officers, not facade.

More importantly, understand that becoming a Lodge officer requires considerable commitment. It means attending additional meetings, classes, workshops, and more memorization work. Further, once you are in the chairs (aka "in line") it will be expected that you stay in the rotation until you have become Worshipful Master, and this can take as long as seven years depending on where you enter the line. Although I am not necessarily a fan of our custom of rotating through the chairs, I do concede each chair teaches us a different set of responsibilities and skills. (As far as I am concerned, the Senior Deacon is the best seat in the house). If you are willing to accept the commitment and have something to offer the Lodge, great. If not, forget it.

Too often I see smaller lodges, who are desperate to fill chairs, raise new Brothers and immediately appoint them as officers (sometimes on the same night). The newbies are, of course, flattered and accept the position without question. Only later do they realize the commitment expected of them and balk at advancing through the line. Yes, we need to get our newly raised Brothers active in the Lodge, but this should not include putting them in the officers line right away. Instead, they should be allowed to sit on the sidelines, observe what is going on, then allow them to make a conscious decision to go into the line. By going in with both eyes wide open, they are more likely to accept the commitment required to properly serve as a Lodge officer.

I am most definitely not poo-pooing becoming a Lodge officer. Masonry teaches us a lot of lessons in life, becoming a Lodge officer kicks it up a notch and teaches us some basic management and people skills which are invaluable in both our personal and professional development. I just believe people should know what they are getting into, and are getting into it for the right reasons. For example, there are those shallow individuals who are only interested in having a Masonic title, and accomplish nothing for the Lodge. It chafes me when I see a "puppet" Worshipful Master who is led by his officers as opposed to the other way around. If they are only interested in chasing a Past Master's apron, I say let's give them the apron and get them the heck out of the way..

Editor's Note; Don't waste time searching for the Pine Island Masonic Lodge. It is a fiction. The picture below was originally my Great Grandfather John Wesley Pennington's one story store, post office and home in Pine Island in 1903. Through the magic of computers, I added a second story to the building to create a home for my Pine Island Lodge hall

It was Tuesday and a full moon night, so it was the stated meeting night for the Pine Island Masonic Lodge. Pine Island Lodge is old fashion and one of the few “Moon Lodges” left in Texas.

Old John Wesley Pennington settled in Pine Island in 1893. He had bought a small house and a couple of acres at the corner of Cochran Rd. and the Houston Highway where he built the Pine Island Mercantile beside the house. There was a good number of farmers in the area who had emigrated to Texas after the Civil War from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Many of them including Brother Pennington were Freemasons so he built a second story over the store and a group of them petitioned the Grand Lodge Of Texas and Pine Island Masonic #99 was born..

Now, in 2010, the Lodge still meets over the old Mercantile building they had acquired back in the 50’s and the ground floor, no longer a store in the age of Wal Mart, was used as the dinning room and for local events.

Brother Pete Smith took a bite of the meatloaf the Stewards had provided and looked across the table at Brother Wilson, “You know, John, we are gonna vote on that Haddison boy’s petition tonight. I just can’t believe we might let him be a member of this Lodge. I don’t like him at all and his daddy is as crooked as a snake. I reckon I am gonna drop a black one on him. How about you?”

“Well,” Brother Wilson replied, I don’t like him and his daddy cheated me on that old truck he sold me, so I’ll drop one on him too. How about you William?” He said to the Brother on his right, “You wanta drop one on him to and we can keep people like him outta our Lodge?”

“I disagree with both of y’all, I’m for him. I don’t like old man Haddison either, but his son Bob is a good man, he works hard, don’t drink and is a good husband and father.” Charley Brown replied.

Later in the Lodge, Brother Pete stood up after the Investigation Committee’s reports had been read and after being recognized said, “I don’t care what the committee said, that boy ain’t no good and he shouldn’t be a member of my Lodge.” After he sat down Brother Will Milam stood up and said, I’ve known him all his life, he is a good man and he would be an asset to the Pine Island Lodge.”

When the ballot was taken, Red Haddison was elected to receive the degrees of Freemasonry

After the Lodge was closed, Brother Smith walked over to where Brother Wilson was standing on the porch with a couple of Brother Brothers and said, “Well, John, it looks like our two votes didn’t stop him”.

“Yeah, I talked to Snuffy and Bubba before the meeting about blocking him, but I guess they chickened out.” John replied. .

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This little story illustrates some things that could happen in a Lodge and could even go unnoticed.

However, all of the players in the story are guilty of one or more ‘Masonic Disciplinary Violations’ and should have charges filed against them. Brothers Pete Smith and John Wilson are guilty of breaking law #16 by disclosing to any person how he voted. And, Brothers Pete Smith, John Wilson and Will Milam are all guilty of breaking law #17 by “Canvassing (Soliciting votes) for or against a candidate.

The Laws Of the Grand Lodge Of Texas A.F. & A.M Chapter 2 – Title V - Article 505 … It is a Masonic Disciplinary Violations to…

16. Disclose to any person how he voted on any applicant for affiliation or for the degrees, or on any question decided by a secret ballot.

17. Canvass publicly for or against the admission of a candidate into Masonry. .

Back in October of 1986, Brother Doyle Sitton was the first member of Waller Lodge to buy an endowed membership. The annual Lodge dues at that time were $40.00 per year. Times were good and the selling point of paying a one time payment of $500.00 to the Grand Lodge of Texas and never having to pay Lodge dues again was a strong selling point. For the equivalent sum of twelve and a half year’s dues you were exempt from paying dues for the rest of your life and the Lodge would continue receiving payments from that investment long after you were deceased.

It appeared that the program was working well. By 2007 Waller Lodge was receiving about $1,400.00 annually from it’s endowments. However, almost overlooked was the fact that at the same time Waller Lodge was also loosing nearly $2,400.00 from dues from the endowed members for a net loss of almost $1,000.00.

Then came the recession in the late 2000’s and the program became a lose - lose situation. Waller Lodge receiving nothing from the endowed members program in 2009 and 2010 and the Lodge was still loosing $2,320.00 from these members dues..

By 2010 only 31 of the 72 Waller Lodge members were actually paying Lodge dues which would only bring in $2,480.00. This was just enough to pay about half of the Lodges annual utility bills

The official U.S. inflation rate from Jan. 1986 to Jan. 2010 was 97.71% or almost doubled. So, after 24 years and everything has at least doubled in cost, an endowed membership still costs $500.00 even though the Grand Lodge of Texas had given each Lodge permission to increase the price for it’s endowed memberships.

And now making the problem even worse, the 2011 dues have been raised to $100.00 annually and now endowed memberships are even more attractive.

For instance, Brother John Stalsby bought an endowed membership in February 2010 for $500.00, or the year 2011’s equivalent of 5 years dues. If Brother Stalsby lives to be a 50 year member he will have had 45 years of membership without being required to contribute one single penny toward the operation and maintenance of Waller Lodge.

Something about this system appears to be badly broken. If the present trend continues, indications are that within another decade or two, hardly no one will be paying dues and the funds required to operate and maintain Waller Lodge will have to come from the few Brothers who volunteer to work fundraisers and from donations.

Posted by the Masonic Traveler

The Grand Lodge of Kentucky is the latest battle ground in the fight to bring Freemasonry into the 21st century, where brothers are

The Small Town Texas Masons E-Magazine Don’t miss reading the monthly Small Town Texas Masons E-Magazine at, http://www.mastermason.com/STTM-Emag/ This Month features the Ashley Lodge, #681 A.F.& A.M. and Texas Masonic History - James Butler Bonham

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