Jan 11 – Leadership Meeting Result

Ill. Hugh Gill hosted the third in a series of open Leadeship Meetings on Sunday, Janaury 11th.  Valleys of Topeka, Wichita, Lawrence, NEKS, and AFSR were represented.  Seven members of your own Valley were present.  Salina and Fort Scott were absent.

RITUAL – There was over 90 minutes of discussion on degrees.  The goal is to eventually have each Valley be able to exemplify all 29 degrees.  Right now we just exemplify the five pivotal degrees and communicate the rest in a group study session.  The current approach is to have Valleys put on enough degrees that a Scottish Rite Mason, who is willing to travel, could see all 29 degrees exemplified in a year or so.  Hurdles are many:  There is no strategic linkage. We do not know the estimated  level of effort required to achieve this or whether the effort would return better value in other parts of our strategic plan.  Also, there is no method for communicating and coordinating when Valleys are performing degrees.  We’re being asked to do the 5º.  We want to do the 29º.  We may end up doing both.

Also, we discussed a Grand Lodge request to provide degree teams to exemplify 1º, 2º, and 3º for lodges in SE and W KS that cannot do their own degree work.  Key issue was how this would be coordinated.  [Grand Lodge already has a coordinating body called the A/DDGM leadership team.]

EDUCATION – Bro. Kyle Ferlemann presented a thumb drive with a 1,150 text digital Masonic library and hard copy of a recommended reading list.  Need a digital library server and a digital librarian. KLOR will take on looking at digital library server proposal.

Communications discussion at the Leadership Meeting on Jan 11th

Communications discussion at the Leadership Meeting on Jan 11th

COMMUNICATION – Short discussion on who should be the target audience for Masonic awareness (and hopefully join the Blue Lodge and favorably remember Scottish Rite sponsorship).  Looking at other fraternal groups such as police, fire, responders, veterans, etc.

Also talked about:

  • Proposed a commercial/video on the ksscotishrite.org site we site for non-Masons.
  • Creating a checklist for various activities and tasks.  These would be like pre-flight pilot checklists to make sure things get done, that candidates get the full benefit for their time, and ensure all topics get covered at certain events, etc.

BROTHERHOOD BENEFITS – “Networking, social media, inter-valley visitation, visiting youth organizations, visiting blue lodges:  Need to make a pledge to visit two other bodies every month this year.  Publications, public activities, appreciation dinners, Blue Lodge support.  Providing licensed child care for meetings. New member onboarding and mentoring.  VMAP ”  Bro. Fred Lockhart

M:. W:. Jimmie Grassi talked about mentoring and educating new brothers.  If new brothers feel ignored, they will drop out.  Need mentor/friendship program.  He had a mentorship guide which I hope to post here as soon as I get an electronic copy.

LEADERSHIP – Good ideas were talked about :

Millennials think differently than their older brothers.  Need to know them because they have a different set of values and attention span.

Youth – looking at the future; we need to advertise to show that Masons are the good guys and not like the video game and movies portray.  We can take advantage of ritual-like themes to show that we have what they are looking for.  They think radically differently than their predecessors and are intertwined with their electronic communications.  Because of that, we have a challenge to meet their communications means.

Note: These are my notes and interpretation and may not represent the actual position of AFSR on these topics.