Lodge Plan
From South Denver Lodge No. 93
Contents |
The Master's Background:
I believe it is important to know our fellow lodge members and what their background is and will carry that belief forward into my year as Worshipful Master. I was born in Rochester, New York where I lived until I was 19 years old. I completed High School there, attended a semester of college and met the love of my life, Janet. Being the son of a Marine I decided to join the Marine Corps in 1980 and start my future with Janet where ever fate and the Marine Corps might send me. I received an Electronics Engineering equivalency while in the service and a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Telecommunications. I stayed with the Marine Corps for 21½ years and have been with Janet for 28, going on 29, years. She takes great pride is having outlasted the Marine Corps and we have three beautiful children, Justin, Trishanna and Tyler, as a result of our journey. Justin is currently serving his country in the Navy at the Defense Language Institute (DLI), Trish works for the Colorado Christian University (CCU) and Tyler is finishing his final year of college at Colorado State University (CSU). I worked for the Bureau of Land Management (a federal government position) for a short while upon arriving in Colorado. While there I received my Masters Degree in Project Management and Organizational Science. Eventually I took another federal position for the Office of Surface Mining as their Western Region Chief Information Officer, a job that I very much love doing. Janet changed career paths from Child Care to Mental Health Therapist and Counselor which she is getting certified in. Colorado has been everything we hoped it would be and we are thrilled to make this our home. Upon leaving the Marine Corps I missed the camaraderie and friendship that were common practice in the service. It was my great fortune to eventually find Masonry. I am new to Masonry, but not to leadership and management. I believe these are my forte’ and I believe looking on our lodge with “new eyes” may be of some benefit as well. Since joining the lodge I have struggled at times to see the value of membership. Not the potential which exists, but the value realized. This has been caused by poor communications, openness and focus. We seem to bring in many applicants to the lodge but do not seem to be able to maintain them. Our current methods of doing business need to be examined closely. This will undoubtedly engender trying new things, as well as retaining and reinitiating some practices that help us maintain our traditions. We need to create opportunities within the lodge that interest and challenge new applicants, so they will return to the lodge over and over again. This means offering them more than a meal and a boring meeting hoping to peak their interest. I will be interviewing all Masons, especially the Entered Apprentices, Fellow Crafts and newly made Master Masons to solicit their input in this process. Any suggestion from any member will receive due consideration. I would also like to see us increase the efficiency of how lodge business is handled. The lodge should run somewhat similar to a business, or similar to (good) government. There are templates being created which will help us achieve this. I believe our finances should be openly available for review by any Officer of the Lodge or any Past Master. This openness, and business focus, will allow us to make better decisions and educate the line officers in a more timely fashion. Finally, I believe we need to work more closely with our committees, and hear from them on a regular basis. All of the lodge committees are established to oversee the needs of various functions of the lodge. The lodge is the embodiment of the totality of the stakeholders in South Denver Lodge # 93, and the committees discharge the functions of the stakeholders. I believe we need to reassess the functioning of certain committees to see if they are well structured and beneficial. As an example, I was a member of the Raymond G. Hanson Fund committee for three years. During certain years the total funds available were at or below corpus and no scholarships were issued. Does the committee truly exist during the years there is no scholarship awarded or fund activity for a committee to engage in? This is just an example and not a recommendation, but these are the kinds of issues we might address. In closing I believe we must savor the past while relishing the future. I hope to build on the successes of my predecessors and to work with the Officers of the Line, and Past Masters, to plan for the future. I value the counsel and inputs of all individuals associated with our lodge and hope to receive sound counsel throughout the year. We all remember our year as a special time when we and our lodge were very productive. I look forward to doing the same in 2011. I also recognize that I am a very progressive and determined individual who sets goals and gets things done. I love the challenge leading our Lodge will present, and the opportunities it will create for all of us to work as a team and exercise brotherly love. I am anxiously looking forward to a fun filled, productive year as Worshipful Master. Fraternally, Dan Rivers
Specific 2010 Committees:
Membership/Mentorship Committee
This committee is tasked with examining membership and retention trends, and with developing a means of improving the education and involvement of our perspective Master Masons. The more we connect with our Brethren, who have already expressed common beliefs and interests, the more likely we are to make long-standing commitments to each other.
Demit Program – Create a process for outreach to formers members who have taken a demit for whatever reason. Demits are intended to be a temporary status with the hopeful intent of re-associating with the Lodge at some later date. Quarterly Rolls Report – Develop a quarterly rolls report showing current membership, new members since beginning of year, re-affiliation since beginning of year, demits since beginning of year, loss to greater needs of Grand Architect of the Universe.
Members: Dan Rivers, W.M.; Brian Schultz; Joe Mitchell; Scott Olson
Historical Committee
This committee is tasked with capturing the valued historical knowledge of our Brethren and with the history of the Lodge itself. Past Master Biography Sheets – It is important to acknowledge and capture the rich history of the Lodge and our Past Masters. A one page template has been drafted that allows us to do this. The template can be altered as necessary. As these sheets are completed they will be kept digitally, but also placed in a binder which will be made available to all Lodge members in our Library.
Historical Flyer - The Lodge should have a historical flyer outlining the history of the building and members; and there should be a library of biographies recognizing the qualities and histories of the honorable men from this Lodge who have dedicated their lives to making this world a better place. History Book – We need to get this done. I will commit whatever resources are needed to complete this. We may need to update the material we have since some amount of time has gone by since what we have was drafted.
Members: Wayne Arner, P.M.; Matte Simmons; Scott Olson
Accomplishments
January 5, 2010; 70 Year Membership Award; John A. Dunsmoor
January 12, 2010; Elected New Temple Board; Al Ulibarri, P.M., Pres.
January 22-23, 2010; Attendance at Grand Lodge; Numerous Members
February 2, 2010; Visitation by Grand Lodge; Grand Lodge Officers
February 9, 2010; 3 Entered Apprentice Degrees; Anderson, Moore, Nottke
February 23, 2010; Finance Committee Mtg; Finance Committee
March 3, 2010; Visitation: Bethel #40; All Masons Invited
March 9, 2010; Temple Board Mtg.; All Tenant Bodies
March 12, 2010; Funeral; All Masons Invited
March 13, 2010; St. Patrick’s Day Parade; Volunteers welcome
March 16, 2010; Job’s Daughters Presentation; All Masons Invited
March 26, 2010; Funeral; All Masons Invited
March 30, 2010; Oriental Lodge #87 Visitation; All Masons Invited
April 7, 2010; Bethel 40 Visitation; All Masons
April 9, 2010; Jacques DeMolay Visitation; All Masons
April 20, 2010; Masonic History Presentation; By Curt Lipkie
May 18th, 2010 2 Entered Apprentice Degrees Byers,
BURIAL CEREMONY PROFICIENCY CARD Lipkie Curt Jr. Steward 2009 - 2014
Upcoming Events
June 2, 2010; Bethel 40 Honors Master Masons; All Masons
June 12, 2010; District Lecturer's Seminar; Officer's Expected to Attend, All Master Mason's Welcome
