Ronald A. Seale, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander

Good communications improve the fraternal experience of everyone.

In the last issue of the Scottish Rite Journal, I asked members to e-mail me if they were interested in learning more about assisting membership development through technology, such as we do with our Sentinel membership software. I received one reply, in particular, that I would like to share. A Brother from Ancient Landmark Lodge No.5, A.F. & A.M. of Minnesota, described how his local lodge has already changed the way they communicate to promote involvement and awareness of membership concerns.

Two years ago, the members of Ancient Landmark felt they needed to do a better job communicating events, news, points of interest and philanthropic endeavors. Like most lodges, they sent out a regular newsletter, but the mailing wasn’t much more than a note, and it probably ended up in the garbage after sitting on the kitchen counter for a few days. They decided something must be done. The lodge redesigned the newsletter to contain noteworthy information. An official position was created in the lodge to be responsible for producing a monthly newsletter. Principal officers are required to provide articles for the newsletter, and other members contribute commentary, news, and general information.

The newsletter includes a lodge of sorrow and information on Brothers that have taken ill and may need a visit from the lodge. A calendar of events lets everybody know of upcoming lodge activities. In fact, they will be hosting “A Day at the Races” and a Backyard Bar-B-Que in the coming months! No one can say they don’t know what is happening in this lodge anymore.

To supplement the redesigned newsletter, they also created a helpful Internet site at www.ancientlandmark5.com, which has more detailed information, including an area where prospective candidates can inquire about becoming a Mason. The web site has only been up for eighteen months, and five new members have joined due to it.

According to Brother Sherman, the current Master of Ancient Landmark Lodge, the increased level of communication has had an additional benefit that they did not originally consider. It has served to bring the members closer together and has improved active participation in the lodge. In his letter to me, Brother Sherman described an event we can all relate to, and I’d like to share his words with you.

A Brother in the lodge became gravely ill and was hospitalized. Through the newsletter and web site, the members were notified of his condition. The turnout to help a Brother in need was unbelievable. He received visits in the hospital everyday. His wife and family received remarkable support. He kept saying, “What have I done to deserve this?”

What he did was to become a member of our fraternity. That was all that was necessary! The ladies lent their support to his wife through this long ordeal. In the end, when we all knew he was not going to recover, we held a lodge meeting in his hospital room and presented him with a certificate of appreciation for the work he had done in Masonry throughout his lifetime. He passed on to the Celestial Lodge the next day. That was not the end. Through our improved communication and the devotion of our Brethren, over 30 lodge members came together for a memorial service, and for the first time I saw the ladies present at the service. Our support to his family continues today.

In the short time I have been a Freemason, I have never seen Masonry work like this. We talk about the beauty of Masonry. This was a beautiful thing to behold. No thought for oneself or what one might receive in return. Only the unselfish efforts poured out for a single Brother and his family. It really was a beautiful thing to behold.”

I agree with Brother Sherman. Unselfish efforts to reach out to a Brother in need are what makes Masonry an organization I am proud to affiliate with, to participate in, and to lead. Ancient Landmark Lodge is not alone. There are hundreds of local lodges, Scottish Rite Valleys, and affiliated Masonic bodies with their own web sites, newsletters, and effective forms of communicating with their members. Brother Sherman brought to our attention the fact that no matter what systems we may have in place to improve communication among our members, it still takes the time and dedication to use the system faithfully in order for it to be an advantage for our Fraternity. Next time you are online check out their Web site and see what they are doing. You too, can reach out to your members by using new technology like this. You may even be able to join Ancient Landmark Lodge No. 5 for their annual Bar-B-Que. E-mail them and find out!