I've been asked to join the Freemasons

I've been asked to join the Freemasons

Author
Discussion

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
quotequote all
Fer said:
Our lodge you go WM, IPM and then Tyler. I continued to come to LoI, and took up Assistant Secretary. This year I have been handed Secretary, which is a load of work and responsibility, but useful to see how everything works... I haven't had a chance to get bored yet.
I'm not expecting to be without something to do, I just feel that whatever comes next won't be quite as fulfilling. All of the ritual I've learned was the build up to being WM, and at best I'll be using it to provide the odd prompt.

I know I really shouldn't care, as it isn't all about me, but I do wonder.

Perhaps it might be time to step onto the ladder in Chapter. Already up to MO in the Mark, so only a couple more years before I get to WM there, I guess.

welsh blackbird

690 posts

244 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
quotequote all
WRumbled said:
I'm not expecting to be without something to do, I just feel that whatever comes next won't be quite as fulfilling. All of the ritual I've learned was the build up to being WM, and at best I'll be using it to provide the odd prompt.

I know I really shouldn't care, as it isn't all about me, but I do wonder.

Perhaps it might be time to step onto the ladder in Chapter. Already up to MO in the Mark, so only a couple more years before I get to WM there, I guess.
I went through the chair in my lodge twice, then to ADC then DC, which is where I am now. It can be hard work, but knowing the ritual will stand you in good stead when you have to prompt without the book! In out lodge, the IPM prompts the WM; everybody else is down to me.

I found that once I'd done PS in Chapter, it started to get interesting and I really enjoyed the chairs. I'm ADC at the moment, but it'll probably be at least four years before I get to DC.

Good luck as DC in your lodge.

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. I'll enjoy this year in the chair then hopefully enjoy what follows!

rednotdead

1,215 posts

226 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
WRumbled said:
I'm not expecting to be without something to do, I just feel that whatever comes next won't be quite as fulfilling. All of the ritual I've learned was the build up to being WM, and at best I'll be using it to provide the odd prompt.
What about having a bash at some of the longer pieces - the 1st and 2nd TBs, the charges etc.

Just done my second meeting as MWS of my Rose Croix - can't say I'm really enjoying it as much as I did some of the other orders. Now gearing up for our Craft meeting on the 21st, a double 2nd. If you're close to Farnborough and want to come then drop me a line. Tyle at 4pm, Burns Supper FB.

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
rednotdead said:
What about having a bash at some of the longer pieces - the 1st and 2nd TBs, the charges etc.

Just done my second meeting as MWS of my Rose Croix - can't say I'm really enjoying it as much as I did some of the other orders. Now gearing up for our Craft meeting on the 21st, a double 2nd. If you're close to Farnborough and want to come then drop me a line. Tyle at 4pm, Burns Supper FB.
In our lodge the JW normally does the 1st degree charge, and the SW the 2nd degree charge, so I know them both from my time in those chairs. I'm initiating a friend tonight and our JW is away with work, so there is a good chance I'll be doing the charge tonight, too.

2nd TB is next on my list. Going to try and learn it before our March meeting, which is the date pencilled in for my mate's 2nd.

Intentionally saving the 1st TB for when I'm out of the chair. It looks to be the longest piece of work in our book, so should keep me occupied. I've never actually seen it delivered.

RC hasn't really appealed to me. I've been asked to join the RAM and KT. Might join RAM, but KT unlikely.

I'm up in Sunderland, so quite some distance from you. If I'm ever down that way... Likewise if you're ever up here. Second Thursday, tyle at 7pm.

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
rednotdead said:
What about having a bash at some of the longer pieces - the 1st and 2nd TBs, the charges etc.

Just done my second meeting as MWS of my Rose Croix - can't say I'm really enjoying it as much as I did some of the other orders. Now gearing up for our Craft meeting on the 21st, a double 2nd. If you're close to Farnborough and want to come then drop me a line. Tyle at 4pm, Burns Supper FB.
Just noticed our lodges follow each other on twitter. Are you involved in that side of things?

rednotdead

1,215 posts

226 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
WRumbled said:
Just noticed our lodges follow each other on twitter. Are you involved in that side of things?
Yes - web and social media is me, with a couple of assistants.

Re the 1st TB - it's something we do at every 1st. One of the old boys does it as his party piece, it's impressive at c20minutes. Quite a feat.

And RAM - do it. Lovely little ceremony, and some of the best inner workings I've experienced in 11 orders.

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
rednotdead said:
Yes - web and social media is me, with a couple of assistants.

Re the 1st TB - it's something we do at every 1st. One of the old boys does it as his party piece, it's impressive at c20minutes. Quite a feat.

And RAM - do it. Lovely little ceremony, and some of the best inner workings I've experienced in 11 orders.
Same here, no active assistants yet, but working on it.

You must have fairly long meetings to do a 1st and deliver the TB in one go? I'm told when it used to be delivered in our lodge it was always at a separate meeting when there were a few EAs' that hadn't seen it. As your lodge, it was done by one of the old boys, but illness forced him to stop delivering ritual a good number of years ago, before my time.

Sounds like I will enjoy RAM if it has a good ceremony. I'll get my papers sorted for next year.

GTO-3R

7,474 posts

213 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
rednotdead said:
Yes - web and social media is me, with a couple of assistants.

Re the 1st TB - it's something we do at every 1st. One of the old boys does it as his party piece, it's impressive at c20minutes. Quite a feat.

And RAM - do it. Lovely little ceremony, and some of the best inner workings I've experienced in 11 orders.
Would you be able to PM me a link to your Lodge FB page and twitter account? At our meeting last night, I put forward the idea of social media and how it can help us attract more members. Our lodge has been in a bit of a decline with numbers. The general age of members being older and not really thinking about the future of the lodge and how we can attract younger people in. If anyone has suggestions of how your lodge does this I would appreciate it. At 34 I'm the youngest in the lodge and want to bring in more people of my age so we can enjoy Masonry together for many years, as the older bretheren in my lodge have!

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Quite happy to publicly share our details.

Website is www.palatine97.org
Twitter handle is @Palatine97
FB is https://www.facebook.com/palatine97/

We've a good few followers on Twitter, and the website gets an okay amount of traffic, between 130-150 reads per article, but Facebook doesn't attract much.

There is, however, an active group on FB for Sunderland Freemasons (closed) where the local brethren share details of upcoming events, and such, so we do get visitors from there.

That said, we haven't attracted a single candidate from any of those channels yet. Still working on it. Web search for Sunderland Freemasons and we're right up there, so hopefully the efforts will pay off eventually.

I'm one of our younger members at 42. We have three guys younger than me, youngest being 27 and he's a lewis. Tonight's candidate is a school mate so same age as me. We're hopeful of an upturn.

GTO-3R

7,474 posts

213 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Excellent, thanks very much for the info and your thoughts on it smile

rednotdead

1,215 posts

226 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Here's ours:

@moremajorum7786
www.facebook.com/moremajorum7786
www.moremajorum.org

We've had enquiries through the website which have led to new members (initiates and joining members), twitter and facebook are good for promoting meetings to prospective visitors.

silverfoxcc

7,689 posts

145 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Jan has been a bad month. Lost a FC to cancer in the first week and just heard today our ex-sec and who was going in the chair in Oct, and i was looking forward to installing him, has gone to the Grand Lodge Above
Going to be a very sad Feb meeting

Fer

7,710 posts

280 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
quotequote all
Very sorry to hear that.

Davey S2

13,092 posts

254 months

Thursday 2nd February 2017
quotequote all
Well, as of last night I'm now Master Elect.

Better get learning.

Fer

7,710 posts

280 months

Friday 10th February 2017
quotequote all
We're getting ready for our Centenary meeting in October, which will be held at Sindlesham with the chain gang in attendance. I am told it's going to be a bumper event.

Tomorrow we have our first initiate since I became secretary, and I am worried I will forget something.

exelero

1,890 posts

89 months

Friday 10th February 2017
quotequote all
I would have had an interview with W. Bridgford lodge back in October but 4 days beforehand got stuck in hospital for like 10 days. Is that coincidence or just unlucky? Anyway they told me to contact them whenever I am ready, but I was told that the Greater Notts. Lodge (or smth similar) has more youngsters than the West Bridgford one, so I'm guessing I could go with that? I am 24 what do you think?

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Friday 10th February 2017
quotequote all
exelero said:
I would have had an interview with W. Bridgford lodge back in October but 4 days beforehand got stuck in hospital for like 10 days. Is that coincidence or just unlucky? Anyway they told me to contact them whenever I am ready, but I was told that the Greater Notts. Lodge (or smth similar) has more youngsters than the West Bridgford one, so I'm guessing I could go with that? I am 24 what do you think?
Why was your first contact with West Bridgford Lodge and not the Greater Notts. Lodge? If you have a connection to it, go with it. Whilst I can see why you would be attracted to head to the one with more younger people, West Bridgford will be left in a catch-22 situation, as they'll perhaps not attract younger people unless people like you join them. You can always visit the other lodge and, in turn, encourage them to visit you. Win-win.

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Friday 10th February 2017
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
Well, as of last night I'm now Master Elect.

Better get learning.
When is your installation? Good luck with it, whenever it is!

WRumbled

392 posts

227 months

Friday 10th February 2017
quotequote all
Fer said:
We're getting ready for our Centenary meeting in October, which will be held at Sindlesham with the chain gang in attendance. I am told it's going to be a bumper event.

Tomorrow we have our first initiate since I became secretary, and I am worried I will forget something.
I'm sure that will be pretty special. Good luck with it.