Lodge E-mail notifications.

DavisB

Member
Tonight I had the second....frustrating incident with my lodge involving notification (or lack there of) that a meeting had been moved to a different date. I once again arrived at the lodge sharply dressed only to find it with the doors locked and lights out. Both times it seems like everyone but me knew of the change of date.

I contacted the brother who notified me of the called meeting that was supposed to take place tonight (an EA degree) and he informed me that the meeting had been moved due to a death in the candidate's family and that he had forgotten to inform me.

I asked if there was an email list I could be put on that would prevent this from happening again. He said that there was but that I had to first be a MM. Do your lodges have such a system? and if yes, are they MM only?


Just to clarify, I am not upset about the situation. I'm not sure if that came across in my writing.
 

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
Tonight I had the second....frustrating incident with my lodge involving notification [snip] He said that there was but that I had to first be a MM. Do your lodges have such a system? and if yes, are they MM only?

Just to clarify, I am not upset about the situation. I'm not sure if that came across in my writing.
I hear your frustration, I too can only get on that email list after my MM. I was told that they talk about the EAs & FCs progress and other things that are not proper for someone without an MM to see.
I signed up for the GLs newsletter and that is okay.. :confused:
 

DavisB

Member
I hear your frustration, I too can only get on that email list after my MM. I was told that they talk about the EAs & FCs progress and other things that are not proper for someone without an MM to see.
I signed up for the GLs newsletter and that is okay.. :confused:
That makes sense. I can understand the talk about the EAs and FCs but the I would think notifications like that could be sent to everyone.
 

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
That makes sense. I can understand the talk about the EAs and FCs but the I would think notifications like that could be sent to everyone.
I too would like to be a some sort of formalized notification list and as the Lodge's new webmaster I'll be sure to update the site when stuff change.

I have my mentor, a Brother that is working with me on my postings, and another that I work with to keep me updated. But I do miss out of stuff that I could take part in.

The easiest resolution to this situation is to get your MM ;).

How is your EA posting going?
 

DavisB

Member
I too would like to be a some sort of formalized notification list and as the Lodge's new webmaster I'll be sure to update the site when stuff change.

I have my mentor, a Brother that is working with me on my postings, and another that I work with to keep me updated. But I do miss out of stuff that I could take part in.

The easiest resolution to this situation is to get your MM ;).

How is your EA posting going?
Yes getting my MM would seem to solve most problems. I turned in my on Dec. 20th. I still have not heard about my FC. I think they are waiting for more of the 4 other brothers who were entered in late Nov. early Dec. to turn theirs in this month. Then they will schedule us together. Makes economic sense. But it makes me have to wait longer. Though it does give me more time to reflect on the degree I have recieved and make sure I am ready for the next one.
 

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
Yes getting my MM would seem to solve most problems. I turned in my on Dec. 20th. I still have not heard about my FC. I think they are waiting for more of the 4 other brothers who were entered in late Nov. early Dec. to turn theirs in this month. Then they will schedule us together. Makes economic sense. But it makes me have to wait longer. Though it does give me more time to reflect on the degree I have recieved and make sure I am ready for the next one.
When I gave back my EA I was scheduled for my FC at the next Stated meeting. I spent those two weeks getting antsy, knowing that I could read ahead and not doing it because I wanted the wonder of the ritual to unfold for me. The FC initiation was cool, now I am posting so I can give it back and then on to my MM and giving it back. There is one other petitioner who will have his EA conferred on 1/17, I get to attend Lodge as an FC and watch, looking forward to it.
Also, the Lodge's Installation is open and my wife and I are going on Sat.
 

DavisB

Member
When I gave back my EA I was scheduled for my FC at the next Stated meeting. I spent those two weeks getting antsy, knowing that I could read ahead and not doing it because I wanted the wonder of the ritual to unfold for me. The FC initiation was cool, now I am posting so I can give it back and then on to my MM and giving it back. There is one other petitioner who will have his EA conferred on 1/17, I get to attend Lodge as an FC and watch, looking forward to it.
Also, the Lodge's Installation is open and my wife and I are going on Sat.
I saw 3 EAs the week after mine. It was a very different experience getting to see it. I really enjoyed it.
 
I find it odd that they won't put you on the email distribution??? We want to encourage our EA's and FC's to participate as much as possible, and if we have one come to a stated communication, we'll open on that degree. In MN we can conduct business on any level. If there's a vote, they can be in lodge, but not vote. There's very rarely business that can't be discussed in the presence of a FC or EA. If there is, (and I've never seen it) we'd go to refreshment, ask the FC or EA to retire, and call back to labor on the 3rd. Under most situations in our lodge, we seperate the degrees by a month, and would have one communication between degrees, which we strongly encourage our new brothers to attend.
 

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
Why in the world would it be a Master Masons only E-mail list ? There is no reason for it , everyone should be on the notification list as soon as they become a member .
 

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
I find it odd that they won't put you on the email distribution??? We want to encourage our EA's and FC's to participate as much as possible, and if we have one come to a stated communication, we'll open on that degree. In MN we can conduct business on any level. If there's a vote, they can be in lodge, but not vote. There's very rarely business that can't be discussed in the presence of a FC or EA. If there is, (and I've never seen it) we'd go to refreshment, ask the FC or EA to retire, and call back to labor on the 3rd. Under most situations in our lodge, we seperate the degrees by a month, and would have one communication between degrees, which we strongly encourage our new brothers to attend.
In my Lodge (& in Wisconsin with one expection (Winter's Lodge)), they only open in MM and only open in EA/FC to confer the degree and then off the newbies go. I have been told it is to encourage a Brother to get his MM. What it does is make new Brothers, me included, feel isolated. I know 2 Brothers very well, 2-3 more from non-lodge associations, and a couple by face. Kinda a bummer when one of our core values is brotherly love.:confused:
 

jason

Seanchaí
Staff member
They should setup two lists. One for notifications like that for all to join. And then if they want a MM one to discuss certain topics, then have a list for that.

Our Lodge has a Facebook page. Not all members are on it, as many people do not want to be on facebook. We also have a website, but to be honest, I got tired of coping the trestle board to it, so it is more of a static site now, although I update the calendar when I learn of things. But little have shown interest in that too. Many members still want everything mailed to them.
 

Brother Liberty

Service Officer
We use facebook with fantastic results. You can create events and send mass messages to all the invitees. As soon as someone is voted on, I friend them and keep them informed of the things they can attend.
 

Winter

I've been here before
In this day and age of rapid communication via multiple methods there is no reason for Brothers not to be able to be kept up to date on gatherings.

Not allowing a new Mason onto an email list seems silly. We don't discuss Masonic secrets on the list and my opinion is that any discussion concerning a candidate should be done in the Lodgeroom. Email isn't secure and any comments made concerning a potential candidate could easily get into improper hands and be taken out of context.

I have dealt with the issue of Brothers who only want paper mailings. We are at a watershed technologically and many of our members have eagerly embraced the multimedia world and rapid two way communicating. Others are perfectly happy not knowing the difference between a mouse and a rodent!

I'm happy to say that both my Lodges have embraced the tech age, although for one it was a bit of a battle. Both Lodges also have Facebook pages and both have about 20 members. Roughly, the active participants. Although, in the case of Ben Franklin Lodge, that represents over half of our members! LOL

It's funny, considering how many of our posts revolve around a more traditional type of Masonry, that so many of the same people (me included) are adamant proponents of using the latest technology!
 

Windrider

Plus-sized tuxedo model
There's a very simple solution to this... A MM list and a general list. Everybody gets on the general list and you are put on the super-secret private MM list when you are Raised.

But that goes back to the old joke:

How many Masons does it take to change a light bulb?
Masons don't like change. ;)
 

DavisB

Member
I agree that two lists would make the most sense. The meeting was posted on our lodge's website after last months' stated when it was scheduled. But when it was cancelled, no change was made. I'm personally not too upset about the incident, I did take off work to go, but I ended up getting a lot done at home instead. The part that frustrated me was that it was the second time. (the first was when I was still a candidate. the meeting was for my interview).
 
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