SELECTING A LINE OFFICER
by Charles S. Anthony, Past Master
Paul Revere Lodge
#321 St. Louis Park, Minnesota
These remarks will follow the established
pattern of What? How? Who? and Why? It is
impractical and unreasonable to expect that
anyone can make a justifiable appointment in
the line without first considering and satisfying
these questions. We must all agree that capable
appointments are one of the basic responsibilities accepted by Lodge Masters.
Let us first consider What?
The charges and responsibilities contained in
the installation ceremony for each line officer
and those responsibilities specifically defined by
stations and places in the ritual of the several
degrees are the foundation of our analysis of
what each officer must do. Yet, brethren, these
in themselves are completely inadequate to
describe the responsibilities or the what? of
the officers today. These must be expanded and
detailed to include all responsibilities in keeping
with the lodge practice and organization.
Officer responsibilities can be conveniently classified in three groups:
Ritual, Fraternal, Administrative.
Ritual Specific responsibilities including the Lectures, Schools of
Instruction attendance, participation, Degree rehearsals.
Fraternal Welfare and Relief, Charity,
Masonic Home, Funeral Services.
Administrative Petition Investigation, Cost
Control, Committees Program & Social, Grand
Lodge, Planning and Organizing.
Each of you can add many more activities in
each group in which your line officer must take
either the lead or an active part. Brethren, the
WHAT must be answered by a complete and
detailed organization of responsibilities for each
officer equal to the level of his office!
We must know What? before we can be sure.
The Master-elect would do the lodge a grave injustice in making a line appointment without a
specific organization plan of responsibilities
and, even more so, would do a greater injustice
to the man of his choice in not laying before him
complete details of the load he will assume if he
accepts the appointment. The uninformed man
will accept because of the honor associated with
the title of Master; the informed man will accept
because of the challenge of the responsibilities
and a real desire to serve the Lodge.
Now, the HOW? of evaluating for an appointment. The element of evaluation suggested
here are based upon the assumption that the appointed officer will eventually be elected as
Master of his Lodge and must be considered in
that light. They are Acceptability, Leadership,
Organization and Planning, Responsibility, and
Judgment as related to people.
ACCEPTABILITY is defined as: The ability to get along with others and
maintain their respect and confidence. This is the ability to establish a constructive contact with people and to elicit a ready
response and desire to cooperate. The quality of
making people feel that he is always thinking,
speaking and acting in their best interests. The
quality which results in the inclination on the
part of others to want him included in any plans,
activities, opinions, etc.
Leadership is defined as: Inspiring others to a greater unity of purpose.
Leadership is the ability to inspire teamwork, with a high degree of morale, and
direct it toward an objective. The ability to get others to do, willingly, what
is to be done. Leadership evidences itself in many ways; by the frequency with
which the leader originates or facilitates new ideas and practices, by the
degree he encourages a pleasant group atmosphere, reduces conflicts between members,
by the limited amount of domination in restricting the behavior of the individuals or the group
in action, decision-making or expression of opinion and by his recognition and representation
of the group.
Organization and Planning is defined as: The
ability to arrange for the accomplishment of a
project or program in an orderly and efficient
manner. The ability to properly delegate responsibility. This also requires the proper selection
and development of people who will assume the
responsibilities delegated. The planning portion
of this element involves the ability to look ahead
and foresee the requirements of his responsibilities .
Responsibility is defined as: The willingness to assume and conscientiously
discharge the obligations of an officer. It requires that an individual have a realistic appreciation of his
obligations; it considers the manner in which he
assumes and carries out these obligations.
Judgment as related to people: This is the
ability to accurately evaluate the performance of
others. The ability to select the right people
when delegating authority and responsibility to
make maximum use of their talents, qualifications, and abilities.
We can anticipate your question on these
suggested elements because each implies proof
through performance. Your question How do we evaluate a new man for the line by
these elements with the limited knowledge of the man being considered? It has
been standard practice for the Master-elect to make public the appointment to
the line prior to his installation which is the only practical thing to do.
Technically, he announces his new appointment after he has been installed as
Master. Neither of these in themselves are satisfactory in a dynamic and
organized line of officers. Certainly the elected line officers should be aware
of the new choice as soon as the Senior Warden's decision is made and, just as
important, all line officers should have some input on all candidates being considered even though it is not their decision.
The answer to your question will be the consideration of the third fact Who?,
and we offer another question for your consideration: As Master-elect, what
appointment is your first and certainly your most critical to make? Obviously, it is the S.D.! From there you must
progress downward according to rank until one
officer's place is not filled. Granted, that selection of one of the Craft to the lowest place in
line by the elements of evaluation suggested
would be difficult but not impossible. The
other appointments must be made in order of
rank according to these elements or equivalent
standards and only after a complete and
thorough evaluation.
Let's take a look at the last factor How? The progression of appointed
officers through the several places is not usually required in the Grand Lodge Constitution or
Regulations or any Lodge By-Law. It has been
established through practice, and precedent is
more difficult to change than written regulations. Let's face one fact squarely:
In this progression system the most important offices are
filled by appointments previously made by
Masters who are now years removed from active
line work. We have all experienced or witnessed
the results of a poor choice progressing through
the line. These remarks have been directed
toward a suggested method to implement this
progression system and eliminate the problems,
headaches, and worries that are a natural result
of selecting a man for the line.
This can be simply done by adding two very
important factors to the responsibilities of the
elected officers. They are Training and Appraisal. We have yet to see any definite plan or
program that provides for specific instruction
and training of the appointed officers; even
more disappointing is the absence of any appraisal plan to measure performance.
The training program should be as specific as our present educational system,
tailored to fit the progression and experience level of each officer. If we will
recognize that we can only "learn by doing" our program will be developed on the
precept of "guided experience. "
Training program should include:
1. Ritual Delivery, expression, meaning,
etc., not only accuracy (Attendance at
Schools of Instruction)
2. Lodge By-Laws
3. Grand Lodge Constitution, Regulations, etc.
4. Investigating Petitions How'? Purpose
of question?
5. Committee Activities
6. Secretary's job Reports, Forms.
7. Treasurer's job Investments, controls,
etc.
9. Visitations other Lodges; Masonic
functions, lectures
10. Instructive reading Masonic books,
periodicals, papers
11. Attendance at Grand Lodge annual
Communication and Area conferences
There are many others that should be added
to this list in keeping with the individual Lodge
practice.
Finally, we come to the most important
phase of officer development Performance Appraisal. We are not speaking of the general
run-of-the-mill corrections or suggestions that are offered when necessary and are most often received with resentment. A true appraisal requires a
complete evaluation of the performance of preassigned tasks in accordance with the responsibilities laid down in the organizational plan.
Even this will not be adequate unless the results
are discussed completely and open-mindedly
with the officer being appraised.
The appraisal should include:
1. The elements previously discussed
2. Soundness Or decisions Judgment
3 .Constructive ideas
4. Is he self-starting?
5. Mental Alertness
6. Attitude Interest Participation
7. Personality Disposition, Tact, Appearance, etc.
8. Overall proficiency
From a frank and complete discussion of the
appraisal the appraiser will be able to determine
the training or experience required by the officer
and can set his program accordingly. The appraised will recognize and appreciate
those areas in which he must concentrate more effort to attain the level of growth required as he progresses
from year to year.
With a sound, well-developed, and complete organization of responsibilities and an effective training and appraisal plan, we can
guarantee our Lodges exceptional officers and
the "new" appointment, however selected, will
respond with vigor to the task he has accepted.
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