What makes a good Worshipful Master?

On Sunday, I will be installed as Master of my Lodge, Oriental Lodge No. 33. As the date approaches there is much to do, and our very next meeting we'll be conferring a third degree! Yikes! I'm excited and a little trepidatious. More than anything I want to be a good leader for these guys. They're my guys. My peeps. My tribe. My brothers. I want to do everything I can to give them a good Masonic year. I'm going into this thinking it ain't about me, it's about them.

So how can I improve? What makes a good Master? I need your advice. Share your wisdom with me. Were you Worshipful Master? What worked? What didn't work so well? What would you do over if you had the chance? What should I watch out for?

Call the SkypeIn line at 847-380-1881 and leave a message, or send me an audio file with your advice. I'll put them all together and ask some of my friends and we'll talk about it on the show. I'll share some of my plans, and maybe we'll do a group chat or something over Skype. Thanks!

Comments

[Scott G. Arnold]

Congrats Brother! I'm just starting out on my Masonic journey so I'm afraid that I can't be of much help. I will say, though, that I believe you have the right mindset to be a great master. Enjoy the East!

[Steve]

I haven't been WM but:

For the sake of all that is holy plan some education! Also if your lodge can afford it have a picnic or BBQ or something to get the guys out to do something other than ritual practice or degree work. Those things are nice but it's also nice just to sit back and have some food and a beverage w/o having to do Work.

[Robin Handelman]

Congratulations. And best of luck.

I will be installed on December 8th as Worshipful Master of Romeo Lodge. I have planned many things that are aimed to increase member involvement and fellowship.

In our state we have a fantastic program called 'ChIP' Child Identification Program. It's linked on the URL above.

We also serve meals with all degrees. And usually a quality hot meal along with fellowship. It keeps members until the wee hours of the night talking about lots of topics.

We have a whole host of activities around our Lodge and we do a lot of open community service. So this helps get our name out in the community.

We also have standing Euchre nights, and will be adding monthly Texas Hold'em as fund raisers and sources of fellowship.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

WM Elect Robin

[Radcliffe]

I hit the phones like mad, called brothers asking them to join us for this or that. Also I let 5 P.Ms run the lodge on non degree meetings. One was a PGM and died several years later...I was glad I gave him the floor that night.