Becoming the Worshipful Master

• Introductions• Preparing for your Year in the

East• Authority vs. Leadership• Training your Officers• Eight Step Planning Process• Workshop Topics

• Your Masonic Leadership Training Team

• Honored Guests• Attendees

• Name• Lodge & Location• Title and Position, if any

• Restrooms• Cell phones/PDA’s• Sign-In Sheets

• Florida Digest of Masonic Law• Lodge Officers Handbook• Masonic Leadership Training Manual• Lodge Secretary Administrative

Guide (GL215)• Worshipful Master’s Program

Notebook (GL218)

• Plan your year early and recheck frequently

• Ask for advice and help early• Plan your meetings and follow your

plan• Educate, train and meet with your

Officers• Be worthy of the honor which your

Brethren have conferred upon you

• Select Installation Team• Plan Installation Dinner• Officer & Committee Appointments• Calendar for Ensuing Year• Trestle Board Notification• Officers Meeting• Rehearsal• Select/Purchase Worshipful Master’s hat

• Open in MM Degree• Close Funeral Lodge• Dinner• Installation

• Use Past Masters in Installing Seats• Thank Installing Officers & Past Masters in seats• Introduce Wife & Family• Worshipful Masters Message • Introduce Lodge Officers & their family/guests

• Presentations• Closing Prayer• Refreshments & Excuse non-Masons• Close Lodge & Reopen Funeral

Lodge

• You’re Now the Worshipful Master!

• Does your Lodge reflect the beauty our rituals dictate

• Is every Brother and their family greeted in a manner that promotes brotherly love

• Are you and your Lodge fulfilling the needs and aspirations of every member

• One Worshipful Master per Lodge• A Lodge of volunteers willing to do everything

they can to assist, even wield the unseen gavel• The buck stops with you!

• Build your team• First string– installed Officers• Active reserves – capable Brothers on the

sidelines• Inactive reserves – Brothers not in Lodge

• Delegation – you can’t do it all• Authority & responsibility• KISS – don’t micro-manage• Provide resources needed• Stay in touch• Praise & recognition

• Provide duties & descriptions to all your filled positions

• Hold frequent Officer’s meetings• Each position is responsible to train

their follower• Require each seat to explain their

duties to you• Allow junior officers to perform the

duties of the next higher seat

• Use Grand Lodge materials & training sessions

• Plan a trip to Grand Lodge• Train your Officers to the next

position• Communicate training opportunities

to the craft

• The Lodge is yours for 365 days, 8760 hours and 585,600 minutes• Master your own schedule or let it master you• Schedule a portion of each day for Lodge business• No phones, visitors, distractions (ask wife to

watch kids)…• Pass schedule to your Officers so they know• Keep updated priority list of things to do each day• Keep any calls during this time short and to the

point• Don’t procrastinate & follow your set times

• Waiting for perfection can cause missed timeframes, you may never have all the information

• Learn to say No – you can’t accomplish everything everyone wants to do

• Be decisive – delaying causes waste of valuable time, don’t revisit past decisions

• Delegate, you can’t do everything• Make and keep appointments – your time is

important and those you spend it with• Cross examine and re-evaluate your time

management

• Four ways to help your Lodge• Enlist the commitment and participation of

your Brothers and Officers• There are many activities outside that

compete for the attention of today’s men, how many can you fulfill at your Lodge

• Plan activities and events that are rewarding to your members

• Involving your Officers ensures consistency over the years and leaves the Lodge in good shape when you leave the East

• 1 - Worshipful Master’s direction• When I have completed serving as Worshipful

Master, I want the year to be remembered for…• 2 - Every member has something to

offer and in return, they desire:• To meet new friends• To have fun• To feel proud• To be well led• A role for their family• A Lodge active in the community

• 3 - Identify key areas of work• Meet with your incoming Wardens and identify key

areas• Each of the Senior Officers individually plans their year

in the East• Ensues continuity• Promotes long term goals

• Create a Planning Team• Effective Past Master• Businessman or Owner• Recently-joined, young Mason• Effective committee chairman• Skilled financial planner• Experienced planner• Good communicator• Interested member

• Brainstorming• Strengths & weaknesses• Meetings• Work• Fellowship• Membership• Community service• Communications with Members• Fundraising

• Prioritize results & identify current and out years

• 4 - Refining the plan• This planning team consists of key members

excited and committed to achieve their goals• The members of the planning team will make

excellent members of committees to implement the plans

• Involving your Wardens (especially the items marked for future years) ensures a long range plan for success of your Lodge

• 5 - Preparing the initial calendar• Have Wardens draft their own as guidelines

for their term• Add top priority items from Planning Team• Add historical Lodge activities (meetings,

dinners…)• Add Grand Lodge activities & events• Add Masonic charities (MMRL, Child ID, etc)• Additional items PRN (civic, military, etc)

• 6 – The final plan• Bring the three calendars into one document

(Incoming WM & Wardens) to present to the craft• Enlist assistance to head or sit on committees in

support of the calendar• 7 – The big announcement

• Present your plan to the craft• Make copies for the members• Print out a one page calendar on the back of the

trestleboard• Hand it out at installation• Place it on the Lodge’s web site• Send in an e-mail to the members

• 8 – Launch the plan• Appoint committees to support the plan• Talent and abilities of the member• Interest in the committee• Responsibility• Willingness and ability to devote the time necessary• Ambition for leadership, teamwork

• Only one event per night (no widow’s & PM night)• Allow sufficient lead time to organize the event• Plan event around purpose (widow’s lunch vs.

dinner as many do not like to be out at night)

• Food – type and style (hint – work closely with your JW)

• Location (how accessible for widow’s night)• Plan the theme for the event• Invitations & coordination for attendees• Entertainment• Call & remind guests a week (or less) in advance

of the event• Logistics (supplies purchased, Bldg opened early,

greeters placed)• Make the guests feel welcome• Send thank-you letters after the event

• Grand Lodge planning publications• GL-218 Worshipful Master’s program book• GL-215 Lodge Secretary’s administration guide

• Masonic Renewal Committee of North America (MRC) www.masonic-renewal.org• Masonic Leaders planning guide• Getting set for success• 101+ Ways to Improve Interest and Attendance in your

Lodge• 75 Ways to Attract and Retain New Members