D4 Deputy - D4 Report, 2005

VWB Greg Stewart
Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4
of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington
for
2003-2005

Mailto: underthetable@earthlink.net

13316 3rd NE
Seattle, WA 98125
206-528-1320

If I were to fly over the area known as District Four I would see growth. Ballard is overflowing with new multi-level apartment homes and Freemont is highly decorated with a modern scheme. Most new construction is built only after an older building has been demolished. Real Estate and the cost of housing is very high and in some areas like Green Lake even the smallest house is out of the price range of most people I know. That means only one thing: people will pay a premium to live here. I find it interesting that most Lodge officers live outside the District and the Lodges seldom see a petition from a local resident: 60 years ago when this district flourished with membership many officers lived close by. When members live close it is easy to view the Lodge as part of the neighborhood. When the Lodges realize this as an opportunity for growth many challenges will fix themselves.

There is no perfect Lodge in this District to pattern success for other Lodges but Occidental is one of the strongest. The business is conducted in an established routine and the membership includes Past Grand Masters and other Grand Lodge Officers who remain active. The members are clearly proud of their neighborhood and participate in the local activities such as the Ballard parade. The current Master and Wardens are not Past Masters and you can look forward to great things happening in the years to come. I am not aware of a long-range plan but that doesn't mean one is not in place. Big plans need to take place over a period of years and this is something Grand Lodge could help with.

Since this is my home Lodge and I am the Junior Deacon I may have some prejudice and will endeavor to be impartial. This is the youngest Lodge in the District when considering the age of the members. The Master and Secretary live within walking distance and enjoy their neighborhood. Business is conducted in a quick and easy manner thanks to VW Coe Tug Morgan stepping in to take the reins of Secretary. After this year, he will retire back to District 5 and will be missed. The last time we changed Secretaries it took two years just to unravel the problems. We need to make this an easy transfer and incorporate it with a long-range plan. We can't seem to keep up with degree work and we do not need the turmoil caused by business challenges as this can have a lasting impression on a new Brother. All in all we have a lot of fun which seems to attract petitions.

This small Lodge nestled in the richest neighborhood has the most challenges. The building is also the home for Daylight Lodge 232, which is in District 5. Business is conducted in an orderly fashion in spite of the low-tech procedures implemented. I always like to hang out with the guys and feel at home and an integral part of the team. If I hadn’t been appointed Deputy I would not have realized this. In my two years as Deputy I have not seen one petition to receive the degrees of Masonry for this Lodge. Many of the officers hail from other lodges and are Past Masters. I do know they had a long-range planning meeting and are in touch with the Grand Lodge long-range planning committee. It is difficult to see into the future when the membership is slowly passing. This Lodge is desperate for fresh, local membership. I believe if Grand Lodge can solve this one challenge it will be consistent with our Grand Masters observations and plans for this jurisdiction. It seems this Lodge, needing the most help, gets the least attention.

This lodge may seem hard to keep up with, as the stated meeting is every other month. Membership has traditionally been seamen and as a result attendance can be a bit irregular. They meet at Doric Masonic Center and on the off months have a gathering that includes family members. In spite of what may seem to be a challenge the members and officers are very active in other District 4 functions. The upcoming officers are fresh and will offer new leadership. The business is conducted in an orderly fashion. Blair Leckie has displayed a desire to do things right. It was brought to my attention that they could use some help with membership cultivation and retention and it is my hope that this request is noted and acted upon either by Grand Lodge or a committee.

I would like to thank the temple board and members for offering this facility at no charge. As you can see, this building has the nicest meeting and dining rooms and ritual work takes on a new meaning when the stars come out and we are still inside. There are some real movers and shakers in the line of officers and you can expect great things to happen. Ritual and floor work is considered serious business. The members contribute to the neighborhood by participation in the Greenwood parade with the Grand Lodge float and allowing the local chamber of commerce to hold an annual awards banquet in the dining room. I would like to see Grand Lodge use this technique to help other Lodges duplicate it. This with long-range planning will equal success.

If I call this a rogue lodge, it is not due to any clandestine actions but rather the purpose for which it was originally chartered. The meeting schedule seems irregular and they do no degree work and do not contribute to neighborhood charities. All of the members have a different home Lodge and most officers are Past Masters. This year is different, Bill Harker is in the East for the first time. The result is a leader of leaders who has a few fresh ideas. Look at their web site and bookmark it, as education is the primary focus, you will find educational and research papers. Our public library system considers the Internet a valuable instrument for learning and provides computer access to the public. This information should be directly linked from all lodges and used as a tool to attract new members. Grand lodge does not currently have a tie-it-all together committee, perhaps this Lodge could serve that purpose.

District Four has one really well run group, the scholarship committee. The scholarship program practically runs itself and I commend the officers for doing such an excellent job. However, in the LOMA, there has been little other long-range structure and the monthly meetings were redundant and little appeal to many members. When I first spoke with Sat about this issue he used strong words which edified his passion for what needed to be done. The LOMA has now made strides to improve and our last meeting was well attended and the new format was enthusiastically embraced. The minutes will be available for anyone to read so we can get right down to business. I would like to have someone from the long-range planning committee present. I do not need a full presentation, but I do need ideas on how we can make our entire LOMA as successful as the scholarship committee.

I have enjoyed getting to know the members of District Four, I have learned about Masonry and have made many new friends. As I traveled around I was consistently met with proper honors and it has been a pleasure serving as Deputy.

Thanks to both the Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4, and the Masonic Monitor which publishes his articles for allowing us to reprint them. The Masonic Monitor is published monthly (except August) under approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington. The Masonic Monitor can be contacted at: 6619 132nd Avenue NE, PMB 237, Kirkland, WA, 98033-8627, USA. Phone: (425) 822-4605 - FAX: (425) 822-2535 - Email: masonicmonitor@earthlink.net.