How long do masonic meetings last

Normally, it takes three or more months for you to pass all three degrees and get a good understanding of your obligations necessary to becoming a better man. What would change in one's life after becoming a Mason? One reason to become a Mason is to become a better man. You become a better man by becoming more confident, by living by the rules of your God, by treating all on the level with justice and compassion, and by helping others become wiser and better.

This takes effort on your part. The symbols of Masonry: the Plumb, Square, and Level continually remind a Brother to live an upright life, be square with your fellow man, and treat all equally. Nothing realized without effort is truly cherished. It is a life-long task to become better than you were each day. How much effort that takes is up to you.

What if any financial commitment is to be expected? You should be financially secure and be able to support your family. How long do meetings last and what is the purpose? Lodge meetings, days, and times are listed at the website at: findalodge.

These meetings typically take about two hours and include business and educational content. Typically there is a social hour before or after the meeting that may include dinner. Start immediately and your chances of success are greatly enhanced.

As you plan your term, preparation of a calendar of events for the entire year is mandatory to properly schedule and notify members of your activities. Prior to the beginning of your year, you have formed your committees, designated your chairmen and appointed officers. Now is the appropriate time to schedule the dates and times of the your meetings of each committee. It is certainly easier to cancel a pre-scheduled meeting than to hurriedly assemble the brethren for an unscheduled and unplanned meeting.

Some committees must meet frequently and others only on a periodic basis. Determine beforehand the frequency you wish each committee to meet and designate firm dates and times on your master schedule for the entire year.

Notify each member of each committee, in writing, to calendar the date, time and location of each scheduled meeting. Never forget that last minute scheduling will result in low attendance, little interest and a poor product. You may not be able to guarantee full attendance at these meetings, but you surely can increase your odds by utilizing the following system of reminders:.

Publish your committee meetings in the trestleboard in sequence with your other Masonic events. Routinely publish small articles in the trestleboard on the results of past meetings and items presently under discussion. Order and supply each of your committee chairmen with a quantity of pre-printed post cards and stamps that allow them to fill in the blanks on committee meeting dates and times.

Delegate to them the responsibility of mailing a card to each committee member at least two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. A follow up telephone call, by the committee chairman, the weekend prior to the meeting, will reinforce the importance of their participation. You have now done everything possible to insure full participation.

If unsuccessful, your only other alternative is to replace those not attending with others who will. A committee member who does not attend is of no value to your ad ministration. Committee meetings can be short, to the point and very productive if your committee chairmen follow a few easy rules. Hold a planning meeting with each committee chairman and discuss the manner in which all meetings will be held.

Share with them the ideas following contained within this chapter and attempt to get everyone off on the right foot and the same format. Committee chairmen should, at a minimum, accomplish the following:. Be familiar with your goals and objectives for the committee. Meet with you a few days before the scheduled meeting and prepare an agenda of the work to be accomplished. Arrive at least 45 minutes before the scheduled meeting time. Arrange the furniture, distribute the agendas, plug in the coffee pot, set the table and be ready to greet the brethren and start your meeting.

Do not consume the valuable time of the committee with extraneous nonsense or housekeeping arrangements. Start on time. Waiting for stragglers will certainly agitate those who arrive on time. The informal message that is being conveyed is that there is no need to arrive on time because meetings never start as scheduled. If delays are allowed to begin, they will compound themselves at future meetings.

Begin each meeting with a short overview of the agenda, what business you wish to transact and the goals you wish to achieve at the conclusion of the meeting. Designate a Brother to take minutes and prepare final resolutions to be presented, when required, for consideration by the Lodge. Stick to the agenda. Do not allow any side discussions to occur until all the planned business has been transacted.

Follow the established rules of order. A brief discussion on Rules of Order can be found in Appendix A. If time has elapsed and business remains, then you have only three options schedule an additional meeting, hold the business over until the next scheduled meeting or extend the meeting for a specified time. Planning a Stated Meeting Prior to every Stated Meeting, plan your agenda for the business that must be transacted. The following are some helpful hints that can assist you in achieving successful degree nights: 1.

Orientation The orientation of a candidate starts before he is initiated into our fraternity. Consistent Scheduling Attending Lodge is a duty that must be ingrained into the membership. Although it is not always possible in each Lodge, an example of such a system is as follows: 1st Thursday Stated Meeting 2nd Thursday 1st Degree 3rd Thursday 2nd Degree 4th Thursday 3rd Degree If a certain degree is not scheduled for a particular month, leave the night vacant or schedule an additional practice.

Have Your Act Together The number one order you must give to each officer concerning degree nights is that arrive they must notify you, in advance, if they will be unable to attend a specific degree. Greet Your New Brethren Special care must be made to assure that the new candidate is personally greeted and introduced to each member in attendance.

Keep on Schedule Degrees can be as short as the ritual requires or as long as you allow them to drag out. Have a Supper Take the necessary time and make the necessary effort to make the refreshment time an enjoyable occasion.

At a minimum, the following standards should be met: a. The tables should be arranged in an orderly fashion, properly covered, set and ready for use.

Scheduling As you plan your term, preparation of a calendar of events for the entire year is mandatory to properly schedule and notify members of your activities. You may not be able to guarantee full attendance at these meetings, but you surely can increase your odds by utilizing the following system of reminders: a. Committee Meeting Procedures Committee meetings can be short, to the point and very productive if your committee chairmen follow a few easy rules.

Anna is a confident, intelligent woman who neither looks nor sounds like someone who would want to join an organisation often thought of as a stuffy, elitist boys' club. So why did she? Michael, a man in his late forties who has been a member for six years, says, like Anna, he joined on the recommendation of somebody close to him. That's what it is all about. Unsurprisingly, many Freemasons are vague when discussing the fraternity's purpose, but two things crop up repeatedly when you ask why they enjoy being members.

Anna, too, lists the charitable side of membership as something she enjoys. Admirable though charity may be, people donate all the time without joining secretive societies. What else, then, compels people to not only join but remain committed members?

You will come across people you've met in the past, certainly if you've lived in the area for a number of years. But what is a network for if it does not operate for the benefit of those involved?

It is not to be used for your own personal benefit. It really is for others. Anna adds: "I don't know a single other woman who's worked in [my industry]. I know people think there is but that's true of any society, isn't it? Each lodge meets four times a year officially to welcome new members in ceremonies, the contents of which have always been a closely-guarded secret.