Official Visit Strong Lodge #423 – Nov. 13, 2007
By R.W. Bro. Harold J. Johnson, DDGM

To Be Or Not To Be

My brethren, I am going to attempt to define this evening the roles, requirements and responsibilities of a mason who is an officer of a Lodge.

Let me start by saying that the role of an officer is one of progressively taking on the mantle of leadership and committing your time and energies to that task. It should never be taken on lightly or indifferently as a strong commitment is required of both time and talent.

Before anyone considers taking on this responsibility he should contemplate the following;  1: Does he have the support of his family? There are times when he will be required to be away from them to complete his tasks and this time will increase each step of the way through the chairs.

2: Does he have the time to commit? Is he so tied up in his occupation or with his family that he can not commit to practices, Lodge nights, workshops and visitations?

3: Does he have good organizational skills and is he well accomplished at memory work? He will be expected to be a leader in this role and will have to prove and hone those skills many times as an officer.

4: Does he have good administration skills? A leader must organize, plan, delegate, and arrange a variety of events that will educate, stimulate, challenge, and entertain the brethren.

If you can answer yes to these four questions my brother then you have the potential to be a good officer and should consider accepting the responsibility of offering your leadership skills to your lodge.

If you do not have all of these skills but have the ability to learn them then you also are a member who should consider an officers position.

Quite often in this day and age positions as an officer are forced on someone who can not meet these qualifications simply because the Lodge has a need to fill a position and any warm body will do. This however leads to problems for both the lodge and individual as he will either do a poor job and not enjoy the journey or he will simply drop out at a later date and open up another gap in the officer line.

If you choose to be an officer, be prepared to commit to Lodge practices as well as meeting nights. Many Lodges practice weekly to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn not only parts assigned to them for the upcoming meeting, but to obtain a good knowledge of what the fundamental skills and requirements are of their current office and future offices they will eventually be expected to fill. It is an opportunity for the officer to communicate with the brethren who have been in that position and to learn the proper methods and procedures required of them.

As a junior officer of a Lodge you will need to be attentive to how ceremonies are conducted, how and when to move about the Lodge. What ceremonies are regularly used but are not in the ritual, and the accepted standards and protocols for the performance of the work.

An intermediate officer will find that you have an increasing role in the memorization and performance of the ritual. If you have not already done so, you should be ready to travel and visit other lodges occasionally and be aware of the greater community of Masonry and the potential to expand the group of friendships you have established in  your mother lodge to include masons throughout your district.

A senior officer is expected to display those skills he has acquired in his roles as an officer and to direct his energies toward planning for the year in which he will lead the lodge. He must actively participate in the ceremonies and employ his organizational skills to assist the Master in his efforts to rule the Lodge. A senior officer should also expand his Masonic horizons by actively participating in district functions such as Official visits, Installations, and district meetings. This is his opportunity to get to know the brethren with whom he will be sharing his year as master and with whom he can exchange  ideas and develop working relationships that can make his year as master run more smoothly.

He should attend grand Lodge at least once prior to his year as master and participate in the seminars that can assist him to better understand the programs and objectives that he will be expected to promote with the brethren.

Finally my brethren the time arrives when he is installed as master of the Lodge. He is expected not only to demonstrate leadership and great skill, but he is now the ambassador of your Lodge throughout the district and the province of Ontario. He should attend all district functions and actively participate in the discussions brought to the floor. He should also during his term seek opportunities to pay fraternal visits outside of his district once again expanding his horizons and developing more friendships.

But what is there after his year is a question often posed. Your role will change again to that of an advisor, someone who has been there and is experienced enough to act as a mentor to those brethren still working there way through the chairs of office. This is the time when you should consider learning some of those longer and more complex lectures and participating in the presentation of the ritual using the skills and knowledge you have acquired as an officer. You can take on that lecture that you found difficult to find enough brethren in your lodge to portray when you needed someone in your year. 

Still however for those who have exemplified well developed administration skills throughout their years as an officer, there are other avenues that can be pursued that will provide you with an opportunity to serve masonry even further. You can take on the challenge of becoming an officer of Grand Lodge. Two diverse paths are there for you to pursue, the first being the office of District Deputy Grand Master for your district. In this district you would be required to show your own Lodge that you have the interest in such an opportunity by traveling extensively throughout the district and supporting your sister lodges. This enables you to get to know the brethren of the district and allows them to get familiar with you thus making your job of communication so much easier should you be successful in your attempt to obtain the position. You will need to fully support your own Lodge and exemplify the skills needed for the work you are trying to obtain.

You need to ask yourself the following questions;

1: Do I have the support of my family for the multitude of evenings when I will be absent pursuing the many and varied tasks required. 

2: Am I prepared to accept the financial obligations and outlays that are not all covered in the budget.

3: Do I have a reliable vehicle for the many road trips in and outside of the district boundaries some of which are mandatory and others voluntary.

4: Do I have the support of my Lodge and the many brethren who will be a part of my district team.

But above all am I prepared to serve my district any way I can and not just pursue the position for the prestige and title bestowed. A good leader must be selfless and a servant of all.

The other way to serve as a grand Lodge Officer is to run for office (such as Grand Registrar.

This method requires the ultimate in commitment and a strong financially secure base as there is no budget and the traveling required is frequent and to the far most reaches of the province in your attempts to become familiar with your brethren provincially and to become well enough known to them to secure your election at the Grand lodge communication. (And just a note here brethren, politicking is not allowed or appreciated by Grand Lodge when running for office and there are strict rules of conduct governing this). Offices can be for more than one year and the same travel commitment would be required throughout your term if successful. Many good men try to obtain these positions but not all are successful.

How far you go brethren depends on your commitment to masonry your qualifications for the job, and the effort you expend. I have not obviously touched on every aspect and requirement to be an officer due to time constraints but I sincerely hope these points provide you food for thought in considering being a leader in this gentle craft.