This meeting was the first of its kind for me and a very impressive turnout was on hand.  Brighton Lodge does their work in a beautiful building and is one of the classiest I’ve traveled to.   We met a patchwork of all the Lodges in the tri-county area and north of here.  After many Cokes and choice brownies were consumed, the Brethren on hand were handily amped up for the presentation.

The Most Worshipful Grand Master of the State of Michigan Frederick E. Kaiser Jr, PM was the key speaker.

• First discussion was to address the per capita dues increases.  He assured us that the request at the Grand Lodge meeting to increase dues was warranted and will be put to best use.  We will continue to see the benefits of this investment in many areas some of which are already successful such as the Beacon Project, The Ed Program and the C.H.I.P. Program.
• MORI.  Lodge Secretaries are implored to fill out and to the best of their ability fully populate all the fields in the MORI program for individual Brothers.  The Grand Lodge wants as much information as possible about the Brothers for statistical and demographic data.  Just as important is the fact that the MORI database mirrors with the database for the Grand Lodge’s new Social Network.
• The Social Network is a new venture by the Grand Lodge.  It is essentially a social network for Michigan Freemasons.  Masons may go to the Grand Lodge website and log in with their credentials and access the Social Network, which may be found in the ‘Masons’ tab in the main navigation, under Social Access.  Lodges are supposed to also be able to make a profile so all Lodges in the state will have a web presence through this service.
• There is an increase in new membership and a loss in membership retention.  Why?  No, they’re really asking us why because they don’t know and are looking to the Lodges for ideas.  Why are we getting new members who don’t come back?  If you had an idea that came to mind, you’re probably right and that’s part of it.

  “When you are spoon fed something, all you remember is the shape of the spoon.”  One Worshipful Brother said that after watching so many young new Masons never come back that things in his Lodge had perhaps gotten too easy; requiring unsatisfying  little application or efforts of the mind.  ”Young people have many outlets for instant gratification and they are not knocking in the door of a 1000 year old fraternity for instant gratification” he said.  It takes 6 months from EA to MM on average in his Lodge now, he engages and puts the candidates to work, both ritually and even mopping floors or helping in cleanup, and they’re staying he reported.  Something to think about.

• The Beacon Project is a huge success, and surpassed the initial goal of 200,000 volunteer hours already!
• The Michigan Masons radio promotions have been met with a good reception and have been renewed.  Thank the Maker we’ll continue to “Live Better” for the foreseeable future.
• We have revamped and modernized our publicity and promotions campaign.  Booklets come with a USB web key that potentials can put in the computer and be whisked away on a magical journey to the internets learning about all that is good in the world with Freemasonry.
• The Alma Masonic retirement home is being looked at for improvements.  They’re not just talking about that specific brick and mortar building but as a concept as a whole.  Not every elder Mason wants to live in Alma.  Grand Lodge is exploring retirement home expansion to local markets with satellite retirement home centers.
• The Ed Program.  This is the Grand Lodge Masonic education program.  Too much vital knowledge is not being passed on concerning many aspects of Freemasonry including our work, history and symbolism.  Grand Lodge is continuing to grow the Ed Program to assist Lodges in this process.  We have 2 years left of being allowed to have ritual books in the Lodge room, after that  there will be no books in the room except for the Chaplain and only one person will prompt anybody who stumbles in the ritual work.
• These next two final points are the most important and stressed topics of the event.  Guarding the West Gate and diversity.  Let’s begin with guarding the West Gate.  The Grand Lodge feels that guarding the West Gate has become a BIG PROBLEM and a GROWING PROBLEM.  On a state level as a whole were are letting in too many cowans and unqualified souls.  The proper and prudent precautions are not being taken at the beginning stages of a petitioner approaching the Lodge in evaluating the nature of their true character.  In other cases these individuals do not prove to be sour until many years later.  In either circumstance the Lodge has failed.

  One part of the newer problems we are facing is publicity through TV and movies.  The History or Discovery Channel’s respectively show constant documentaries about our Order.  Freemasonry is experiencing a precarious and pressing new high in exposure and we are not as concealed as we once were.  All Lodges in this state are to brace for a membership influx from the new Dan Brown film coming out about Freemasonry titled “The Lost Symbol.”  Many members are coming in cold off the internet without the conventional affiliations of already knowing a Brother in the Lodge.   Some of these people are not being turned away for all the right reasons because they want entry to our Order for the wrong reasons.  They are being advanced to Master Masons too quickly to stop them in their path before they learn too much and become a drain on Lodge resources when necessity to purge them from the rolls arises.  Guarding the West Gate will be a priority of the state’s Lodges as we move into the future.

• Speaking of moving into the future this brings us to the final topic which was diversity.  Grand Lodge is committed to the diversity of the Lodges in this state.  Diversity is the only way to ensure the progressive strength of our institution in Michigan into the next several hundred years.  No candidates will be turned away for any discriminatory reasons except by gender alone.  Race, color, creed or national origin is not a factor in the qualifications into the membership fabric of any Lodge in this state and any discrimination or redirecting of candidates to other organizations for these reasons will not be tolerated.  The Most Worshipful Grand Master could not stress this enough.

Grand Lodges of the United States of America

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