[jvlighting1]

Now that summer break is upon us, does any of your lodges or districts have any events planed for next couple months? IE picnics, retreats or so on….

Plus… I think this would be a good time to explain to all non-masons why the lodges shut down for the summer..
Now and Then...

Any contributors?

[RoughAshlar]

We have a BBQ planned, and a couple of meetings for the officers. long range planning and such for the next year.

[Ashlar521]

My Lodge doesn't go dark in the summer . The York Rite bodies does , last night was our last meeting till Sept .

[mndane]

My lodge here in Minnesota is open year around. This year June and July are going to be the busies months.

[Jason]

Next monday is our last meeting before break. We will continue to do brunch on the 4th saturday of the month. Some picnics/bbq's have been discussed also.

[OwenKL]

I've never quite understood the logic for Lodges going dark in the summer. Can anyone explain it to me? Seems like if it was going to happen, wintertime, with holidays and difficult travel, would be the likelier time to do it.

[Ashlar521]

Some of it goes back to the days before A/C . It was just to hot to meet in July and August . And I take it that some GL/Lodges still keep it going because this is when families go on vacations and other summer events .

[OwenKL]

Originally Posted by Ashlar521

Some of it goes back to the days before A/C . It was just too hot to meet in July and August.
And I take it that some GL/Lodges still keep it going because this is when families go on vacations and other summer events .

Nope. I don't buy either of those. That might be an excuse for schools to let out (too hot to concentrate on lessons, plus the distraction of good weather to play in), but Lodges generally met in the cooler evenings. And it's not as if staying away from Lodge meant they could stay someplace cooler. No one had home air conditioning, either. When it first came out, the Lodges may well have had it before private homes anyway. Between winter weather, spring planting, and fall harvest, summer was probably the best time to meet in agrarian communities.
As for vacations, who takes two month vacations? Two weeks at most, and those staggered through the summer. So just because a few Brethren might be gone on any particular date, that doesn't mean that the Lodge couldn't get together a quorum. Besides, that would be when you'd want the Lodge open to welcome visiting Brethren who were vacation in your own area from somewhere else!
No, there must still be something else, and I still can't see what.

[Ashlar521]

Sorry , but that's one of the main reasons . You may not buy it , you may not believe it , but that's how it is . The lodge my York Rite bodies meet in did not have A/C so we voted to go dark in July and August . We now have A/C but kept the rule of going dark because very few showed updue to vacations, baseball games ,fishing and other summer activities . It's no fun having a meeting with sweat running in your eyes and your shirts soaking wet .

There is also the Farmers that have to wait till they get home from their regular jobs to work on their farms and that is a 7 day a week job .So summer was the worst time for Masons to meet in country lodges . I was raised on a farm and I know from experience . Not all Freemasons or their lodges are in a city .

As for the vacations and all the other reasons you don't buy . I have been to lodge in summer when there is only 3 or 4 of us there . I see know reason why bother opening lodge if no one is coming . We opened lodge as not to violate the by-laws of the GL of KY , but closed it almost as soon as we opened .

I honestly do not see why that's so hard to buy anyways . From all Masons I have talked to and have read on other boards on this subject agrees with the above explanations with the exception of you or are you just trying to be difficult ?

[Ashlar521]

Since you make it obvious that I have no idea what I'm talking about ,though I've been a Freemason for years , here's a link for you . The first paragraph give the reasons why most lodges go dark (Which is the true reason). But if you want a more estoric answer , which is nothing more than speculation then here you go.......Masonic Traveler: Why lodges go Dark…

But it all boils down to this , You are trying to find some deeper meaning in lodges going dark when it is nothing more than a convenience for it's members to take a little time off ,recharge their batteries and be with there families for the summer .

I can guarantee that you ask any other Mason and you will get the same answers that I have given .