more light #80
membership/Leadership
by Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Minnesota
by Brother Russ Meister 33° Membership Chair
Are you
committed to excellence? If you can dream it,
you can do it! Do not take shortcuts, and
do not forget where you come from. Do
not accept compromise. Excellence
leads to elegance!
Entitlements, lead to ownership. What's in it for us? Can we connect with Brothers
of like values? Yes, we can! Be open and
receptive to a new vision of yourself! If you can dream it, you can do
it! Go back to basics. Why did we become
members of the Scottish Rite?
We took
all three degrees that all Brothers take. We
went through the Scottish Rite. We pay our
dues to these bodies, so we are qualified to be one of them. But
are we? Do we really understand and live
Masonic values and principles? Why
don't we attend meetings, gather new
Brothers of like mind to the Scottish Rite
where they as well can have some input?
There are
more and more questions to be asked. But the answers are what are important. Be
sure to answer your questions positively. You
will be surprised at the answers.
My Brothers, agreeable to an
ancient custom in all regular and well-governed
lodges, it is now necessary that you deposit
something of yourself, into your fraternity. You certainly did not join the
Scottish Rite to pay your dues, and hide
in the shadows. How do you answer
someone who says, "What is the Scottish
Rite all about?
Do not be lost for answers. It is
your duty to be active in the Scottish Rite, the
"Further Light in Masonry" we all said
we would seek when we became Masons.
Your participation is what makes the
Scottish Rite work. When you are elected, or appointed to an office, you
make a pledge to work for the betterment of
that office. Do not accept that appointment if you will not fulfill the
obligation. If you do accept, do it with
great confidence, and follow these values. These values are a blueprint for
success.
BE
OPPORTUNISTIC -
Look for projects or events
that allow you to learn something beyond the
scope of where you are now. Consider how
your work looks from someone else's perspective. Ask the Brothers in
your Lodge to join you in seeking more
light by becoming members of "The University of
Freemasonry." The St. Paul Scottish Rite
is a campus of that University.
BE
PROACTIVE -
Examine the one aspect about yourself in
which you excel, and think about how
to add new challenges. Can you improve?
Yes!
TAKE
INTELLIGENT RISKS -
Learning is taking risks, and
it comes at the
boundary between being stretched to the limit, and going over the edge.
And finally....
BE
ACCOUNTABLE -
Stay on top of your projects
by setting manageable goals. Do not procrastinate,
or stay stuck in the old system of our changing
times. We all must communicate with our
Blue Lodges, whether by E-Mail, or face to face conversation. To be
a success, you must be able to change!
Ask the new and older member to become
part of our University. It is for good men and all good men are welcome to
become better men!
Our fraternity is great, but just
look at how much more would be added, if
every one of us made just one small
accomplishment. We simply need to communicate more information to each
and every brother. All are important and if
each one adds something of
themselves we will succeed. Think about that, the answer is
amazing. "Become a viable part of the
Scottish Rite
back to top | 
