The Lodge Website

I know I've been away from writing for far too long. Apparently, I had no idea just how strong the hat can pull you away from everything but Lodge business. As a way to segue of comparing my duties as Master of my Lodge, my Lodge has put together a wonderful new website. You can visit the site at corinthian67.org. The Lodge site is an incredibly important tool for Lodges in terms of recruitment but more especially, for retention. I'm going to reveal a few secrets so that other Lodges can take them and utilize them in their own websites. And yes, I may run this website but that does not mean I have any technical skills with "compruters."

First, use an easy to update Content Management Service or CMS. During my time in the East, I said that although free options are available, I wanted to look at the full gamut of CMSes that we could use. We finally arrived at SquareSpace. SquareSpace is an amazing way to present a website. We required little to no training to get the website off the ground. We can update the content on the fly and if we are bold, we can even use the iPhone application to update. Also, the backend is flexible and allows us to try all kinds of different looks, feels, and logical arrangements of content. It is well worth the money you will pay.

Second, if you publish a newsletter, you can recycle the articles used on the site for the newsletter. And obviously, put your newsletter on the web as a way to get brothers to click and look at the full color option, thereby saving money on a color printing. You can even offer your newsletter as an email to those brothers with email while sending out a newsletter to brothers that don't.

Third, have a box for sending messages easily accessible. Ours is within one click of any page. This means that the curious reader, or person looking for information can easily research through our site and then hit us with an email to ask a question.

Fourth, create Lodge specific emails for all officers. Therefore, if you're looking for a specific officer, you can easily send them an email with little to no effort. Therefore if someone sends a message to master (at) corinthian67 (dot) org, that email will come to me only. If a person is curious about what is being served, they can write an email to srsteward or jrsteward. To talk to the secretary it's just secretary (at). This makes the flow of emails manageable. Also, if some event needs the attention of a few of the officers, you can mix and match who you will be sending the message to. Setting this up is easy and free through Google Apps. And yes, it is free. Included in Google Apps is the ability to use and to place a Google Calendar for your Lodge on your site. Another really great Lodge site is for Accacia Lodge and specifically their use of the calendar. Unlike most Lodges, Accacia is a moon lodge which means it meets on the Wednesday during the week of the full moon. How can brothers find out when they meet? By checking the Google calendar right on the site. A brilliant use for an important need. (Also, check out the rest of Accacia site, it looks amazing. Brother Greg, awesome job.)

Fifth, create a MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter page for your Lodge. You may ask why you would do something like this if you already have a website up? The reason you would put up these types of sites is to complete the circle. Men are looking for our Lodges in every corner of Internet and you need a presence at every location you can. Additionally, these services are free. My Lodge has a Facebook and MySpace to post upcoming events while our Twitter account posts the content from either of these sites for more mass consumption. On Facebook, brothers can be invited to upcoming events and it can give you a better sense of the number of brothers who will be coming. On Facebook, the concept of Fan page is incredible. Brothers and friends can see when some event, pictures or other content is posted on their news feeds and can then be shared even further out. It's that old commercial of telling two friends and their friends and so on and so on.

Sixth, make sure to check with your Grand Lodge to find out what they expect from your site. In Minnesota, a site is presented to the Grand Lodge and they approve it. If it is approved, a message is to be displayed at the bottom of the site showing that this site has been approved. After the site has been approved, the added benefit in Minnesota is that the site is included in the Lodge's general listing on the Grand Lodge site.

Finally, you need to be willing to keep up the content. That is you're number one job. If the content is not adequately up-to-date, people will think that you are irrelevant. You need to make sure that all of your officers' names are up on the site and up-to-date. No one wants to see Officers 2005-2006. Just like the ritual, if we don't present our website content well, the petitioners and candidates won't take us seriously either.

I have to give credit where credit is due. Our current Senior Steward and newly awarded Mason of the Year for Corinthian Lodge, Dan laid out our site and helps keep it up to date. He has done an incredible job and I want to applaud just how well he has done this task.

What ideas do you have for Lodge websites, how do you make them look good, and what hosting service do you use? Leave a comment so that we can make all our Lodge website look as good as we possibly can.

Past Grand Master Tom McCarthy's Farewell Address

This is the farewell address from our immediate Past Grand Master Tom McCarthy, a brother who has shown great leadership for Minnesota Masonry. Thank you, Most Worshipful Brother Tom and you are welcome in Farmington anytime.

Grand Orient of France to Now Admit Women

It has been reported in Le Figaro, that on Friday, April 9, the Grand Orient of France will now allow individual Lodges to admit female members, essentially making it a Co-Masonic body. The Grand Orient has, according to Le Figaro, been debating this change for years. Some GOdF Lodges have already admitted women into their ranks in what were called "des initiations 'sauvages'" or wild initiations.

The Grand Orient of France has dabbled in admitting women in Freemasonry for centuries, first by recognizing the Adopted Masonic bodies that began forming in the middle of the 18th century. Obviously, the above presented information is only an overview and you can find more online.

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As a counterpoint, I would like to point all my readers to an interview on "The Art of Manliness" with a very wise and imminent brother, Worshipful Brother Robert Davis, FPS, which focused on Masonry as a rite of passage into manhood. I am in agreement with WB Davis' thoughts about what our Craft does for men. It's a great interview with many salient points made.

Annual Communication Wrap-up

Well my brothers, what a fun time I had in Saint Cloud. During my three years as a principal officer of the Lodge, I always look forward to attending the Annual Communication. I see brothers from Lodges around the state and visiting dignitaries around the globe. We are truly a worldwide phenomenon, a Fraternity built upon the principles of Brotherly love, relief, and truth. The knowledge that I have gained from attending these Communications has made me a better leader to my Lodge.

Firstly, I want to wish the Most Worshipful Grand Master, John Cook, a great year. He is a great Mason and has been an inspiration to me as a Masonic leader, passionate about getting our message to good men seeking to be made better men. He has been to Corinthian many times during my years in the Lodge and has always presented thought-provoking words to my brethren. I still have my Warden's Notebook, maintaining a calendar of events, and planning for the future of my Lodge.

The whole cavalcade of brothers from Corinthian Lodge were in attendance including our Secretary. We were able to cover all the break-out sessions and meet as many brothers as we knew and many we didn't. Of course, the "forgetful" Master forgot his nametag again (you know, that little blue plate displayed on my chest in the photo to the left). Thank goodness that I've traveled so often that brothers remembered me. I'm thinking that I should just get my name stitched into my suits. It's great to see these brothers, able to talk shop about their Lodge activities.


This year, my wife attended the open Annual Communication activities with me. The Banquet to the Grand Master was filled with fun, touching presentations, and a great Irish folk band. Although I won't speak for her, I think she had a great time, meeting these guys that I hang out with that she only knew by name.

This was my last Annual Communication as a principal officer of Corinthian Lodge so the whole experience was bittersweet. Yet I know I will be at the next Annual Communication in Saint Cloud, happy to meet all of my brothers and friends again. And of course, my Lodge brothers and I will be traveling like we do each month, meeting new brothers and having new Lodge experiences and trying new things in my Lodge to reinvigorate my Lodge brothers.

Pre-Annual Communication Preparation

The Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, A.F. & A.M. will be tomorrow. The Wardens, the Secretary and myself will be making the trek to the Granite City, Saint Cloud, to meet and greet the Masonic community of Minnesota as well as distinguished guests from far off places. The Most Worshipful Grand Master, Tom McCarthy, has been a great light to this jurisdiction and I'm glad to hear and meet him again at this great conclave.

Most Worshipful Brother Tom has been to many, many Lodges during his term as Grand Master, including two trips to my Lodge, Corinthian No. 67. He is a very wise man and a dedicated brother as evidenced by his many posts to his blog, MNGrandMaster09. I have been lucky enough to meet him as well during the formal consecration and installation of officers of one of the two newest Lodges chartered in Minnesota, Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351. I was honored to have hosted the Grand Master at our first ever First Degree/Table Lodge. The event has been recorded in the annals of our Lodge history as one of the best attended functions in the Lodge's history. We had at this event, the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother John Cook, Deputy Grand Master, and Most Worshipful Brother Tom Jackson, Immediate Past Grand Master.

I remember the Grand Master's remarks succinctly, that we are separated from all other groups by our dedication to and knowledge of the ritual and the teachings therein contained. I have taken these words to heart and have asked my Lodge brothers, including non-officers, to take parts and lectures and have asked them to dedicate themselves to learning and understanding the ritual. He has done a great many things for not just my Lodge but Lodge's throughout the state. Most Worshipful Grand Master, thank you.

If you want to meet me at the Communication, just look at the photo to your right. I won't be wearing the top hat but I will be there, excited to see everyone this year, my last year attending as a principal officer of Corinthian Lodge No. 67. We are going to have a fun time.

Oh, oh, oh, almost forgot, my Lodge has now created a Facebook fan page. We will be posting events, photos and other fun stuff. If you want to, fan us up. It's not a group so no authentication is required.