Masonic Restoration Foundation Website Redux

The Masonic Restoration Foundation is an organization dedicated to improving the Craft through a list of best practices and education and they have just updated their website. For a lodge to be recognized as a Traditional Observance Lodge, it must adhere to those standards found in the Masonic Restoration Foundation Manifesto. If you are fortunate enough to live in a Grand Lodge jurisdiction with a lodge that follows the Traditional Observance model, you must pay a visit to it. I live in Minnesota and one of the greatest experiences I have had is visiting Saint Paul Three, the Traditional Observance Lodge here. Even if your Lodge does not want to follow the TO model, aspiring to its goals will improve your lodge.

Of course, in a broader sense, I see many lodges trying new and innovative practices. (innovative does not mean an innovation so those that are freaking out, breathe.) When I was Master of Corinthian Lodge in Farmington, I pushed for the third degree to be performed separately for each candidate. I have noticed higher retention rates of our new Master Masons. In fact, in Minnesota alone, I notice every lodge from the small country lodge to the new affinity lodges succeeding. And isn't that what we need at the end of the day, a push away from the old standards of boring business meetings and coffee after the meeting with everyone running home and replaced with a striving for education, improvement, and the sharing of the Fraternal spirit.

What does your lodge do to improve Masonry? Leave a comment below and let's start a dialog.