Appointed as Grand Representative

I am excited to announce that I have been appointed as the Representative to the Grand Lodge of Quebec.

Many brothers seem unaware of the concept of Grand Representative. According to Section G1.09 of the Minnesota Masonic Code, a Grand Representative is "authorized to extend the fellowship and good will of the Grand Lodge and to protect the interests of the Craft of this Jurisdiction, as occasion may require." Essentially, a Grand Representative serves as an ambassador for the foreign Grand Lodge to the Grand Representative's Grand Lodge. I'm still learning the position but I'm pretty excited to extend a Brotherly hand to brothers in another jurisdiction.

If you are in the Masonic Light program under the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, one of the competencies is to serve as a Grand Representative and exchange correspondence annually.

Are you a Grand Representative? What has been your experience? How has it enhanced your Masonic life? Leave a comment below.

Ask A Freemason... Is this okay?

I have been looking at the websites of different Grand Lodges, and I have discovered an interesting advertising campaign by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. One of the main rules of imposed by Freemasonry is that we only accept members who actively pursue us. However, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts has decided to introduce a new way to attract new members. At the site, Ask A Freemason, men are encouraged to inquire local lodges on becoming a part of the Craft. The site seems to incorporate different interactive features, i.e. a forum, a personalized questions index, FAQ section. Most importantly, the site includes commercials, both television and radio, that appear to have been aired. Is this okay? Are we allowed to advertise ourselves?
I have some misgivings about the advertising campaign. I know that we are hemorrhaging membership every year, but is this the answer? I believe that a major function that we serve is networking. Another side effect is that we get exposure from people that we may not want to join the Fraternity. I agree that we need to get out into the public, but is this too far?