tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post1734119960370748118..comments2024-03-26T12:05:58.591-04:00Comments on Freemasons For Dummies: AMD Presents John Bizzack: 'Sins of Our Masonic Fathers' Friday 5/8Christopher Hodapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-74250434940716018642020-05-13T20:06:20.747-04:002020-05-13T20:06:20.747-04:00I dunno. It only takes seven Masons to open a lodg...I dunno. It only takes seven Masons to open a lodge of Master Masons in due and ancient form. The Grand Lodge of Indiana dropped from 50 to 25 to 20 and now down to 10 to obtain a charter to encourage more and smaller new lodges. We know full well that no lodge is destined to live forever, so the feeling here is to encourage a solid, small core of Masons to try something different and then attract new interest.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-721443430800373402020-05-13T11:51:35.908-04:002020-05-13T11:51:35.908-04:00Considering the typical American jurisdiction has ...Considering the typical American jurisdiction has at least 11 officers, your suggestion leaves 9 sideliners.<br /><br />While I appreciate the idea of a smaller Lodge, I think that's too small to sustain itself.<br /><br />My jurisdiction requires 25 Master Masons to charter a new Lodge.<br /><br />Given such a Lodge, focusing on whatever gets members to show up and maintain friendship and connection even when the Lodge is not opened, would likely attract more members, both as applicants for the degrees, and as affiliates.<br /><br />My ideal Lodge would be a Lodge similar to the Traditional Observance style, with a bylaw that says once they reach a set number (50 plus an arbitrary number, but for sake of argument, 26, thus 76 members), the Lodge should hive off - that is, split into two Lodges, with roughly equal number of Brothers.<br /><br />This ensures that the minimum number of members are present for a charter, but that it is not left mostly on the shoulders of an officer line to make things work.<br /><br />One caveat, or maybe a stipulation of that bylaw, is that none of the charter members of the first Lodge may be charter members of the second.MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15904412888243979076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-23354049986066280612020-05-08T23:34:15.770-04:002020-05-08T23:34:15.770-04:00I've often wondered if the individual Lodge, a...I've often wondered if the individual Lodge, and Freemasonry by extension, would be strengthened by having a membership limit. That number would be set by each Lodge itself, but 20 active members feels right. Members who became inactive might be removed annually and a waiting list maintained; keeping the Lodge vibrant and active by exclusivity; trimming the uncommitted and keeping members involved by knowledge another is waiting to take their place should they fail to apply themselves to the Craft. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02739269395270531634noreply@blogger.com