Stated meeting was held at Urania on April 11th, 2017. The goal of the meeting was to familiarize the newest members and serve as a refresher for our regular members about the protocols of the Lodge and to hold a discussion on what a stated meeting could be. It is easy to get a Mason to attend their first meeting, but what is it that keeps them returning to lodge for the second and subsequent meetings?
The lodge education program started with a brief welcome to the newest members and overview of the various offerings of the Masonic Fraternity. Brethren should arrive early enough to be properly clothed with aprons on the outside of their jacket so the lodge can open promptly at 7pm. The raps of the gavel were demonstrated and how a brother should traverse through the lodge during business. The due guards and signs are very significant to Freemasonry in their meaning and symbology and should always be given in a respectable manner with sharp and purposeful actions. The business of the lodge should always be conducted with respect to each other and rise at your seat to be addressed by the Master of the lodge prior to speaking upon any topic. In order to keep the discussion to a reasonable hour, the various Masonic rituals and appendant bodies were briefly described and the decorum that should be maintained during each. Lastly, we briefly mentioned traveling between lodges in Ohio and throughout the world. While the later topics were discussed briefly, we will discuss them further in future education meetings. For completeness, following is a few added points that should be mentioned.
Blue Lodge meetings can vary from the business of the lodge to educational programs or the portraying the Masonic Ritual. There are appendant bodies of Freemasonry that offer additional allegories and moral plays to further a brothers experiences. There are also fun unofficial rituals that various Lodges can provide that prove to bring brethren together in a more light hearted experience. Freemasonry does not always have to be business suits and rules, we can come together in a respectable and exciting atmosphere to learn more about ourselves and the brethren of other Lodges.
At the end of our meeting, the Master of the Lodge challenged the brethren to think about why they joined the Lodge, what they expect from their experience and how can we improve the time we spend together to encourage future attendance. While an answer was not necessary a couple brethren did offer up insight as to what their expectations might be. One brother did convey that his goal was to learn how he can strive to be a better man by learning from each other, learning from the structure of Freemasonry and learning more of what the Masonic Rituals can bring into his life.
The questions should be asked again soon and often in order to gauge if the lodge experience is indeed assisting the brethren in their goals. Travel safe brothers!