Fraternal Greetings Brothers!  We had a great set of First Degrees in December, which brought in over 10 new candidates into our wonderful fraternity.  Please join me in welcoming them to the fraternity.

With the holidays now behind us this New Year brings, for me, a time of reflection.  So I thought this month, I would share a few of the lessons and observations that I’ve gathered from my time in the East.  These observations are just my opinions to those who may govern our lodges in the future:

1. Leading individuals who depend on a paycheck that you have control over is not nearly as difficult as leading individuals who can say “kiss my ***” when they don’t want to do something that needs to get done.
2. Running a lodge requires a multitude of people doing different jobs.  No one man, master or not, can do it successfully.
3. To the Masters – Keep your Senior Warden in the loop and give him some leadership responsibilities so that he is prepared to take the east.  Additionally, your offers are their to help run the lodge’s operation so that you, as master, can concentrate on running your programs and making meetings interesting.
4. To the Senior Wardens – You are the second in command.  While it is still the Master’s year, your wisdom, decisions and insights are extremely valuable and sought after from those all around you.  A Master looks to you to stay on top of committees and make sure that they are functioning and can report on their findings in acceptable time.
5. To the Junior Wardens – It is often described that this is the hardest chair to serve as an elected position.  The Junior Warden has to manage his stewards and manage events.  It should be the Stewards who you teach to secure and implement meals while you oversee the event.  Stewards should not be treated as “cabin boys” whose sole purpose is to clean up after an event.
6. To the Deacons – Your management skills lie in making sure the lodge room is set up properly for the meeting.  Additionally, as individuals come into the lodge room – you should be shaking hands and saying hello to them – to make sure they feel welcomed and appreciate being there.
7. To the Masters of Ceremonies – You prepare the candidates and brothers for taking the degrees.  While everyone else is dressed in suits and other formal wear – you assist individuals in getting duly and truly prepared.  You need to assure and explain the reasoning behind the costume and assure the candidates that what they are wearing is not a form of hazing.

Stay tuned for further updates here in The Word.  Also, check us out on the web at www.SyracuseMasons.com.  You can also find updates on what is going on in the Lodge by checking out our Facebook page which can be accessed directly off our website or by going to www.facebook.com/SyracuseMasons.  There are also many interesting new pages on our companion Historical website at www.omdhs.SyracuseMasons.com.

W.’. Kevin L. Razawich
Master