We Passed!

OK, it wasn’t completely in doubt, but there were some difficulties to overcome.  Practices during the holidays were a little rough, and fitting in visits by Distinguished Guests disrupted our schedule, but we were sure we had everything covered.  Then illness struck 3 of our key members, one on the afternoon of Inspection.  Our WM put together a plan to address the issues, our members stepped up, and the evening came off with only the occasional glitch.  We learned many things during the process, including how resourceful our leadership can be, and that giving the lecture corresponding to the Inspection degree is kind of important.

To give a general recap, there were 53 members who signed our registration book, 11 of our own members, of which 9 were Past Masters, with a total of 32 Past Masters.  Dinner was catered by Coonie’s, serving a total of 42 meals.  Unofficially, that meant that 11 attendees missed out on an excellent meal.

New this year were the 15th District attendance sheets.  As some will recall, traveling awards are determined by a complex system of points.  Allegations that the formulas used were discovered as part of Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions cannot be verified. 

Essentially, the most points are given for the lowest level officers in attendance, while some officers are combined with non-officers into the “Good Brethren” category, and awarded the least number of points.  Previous years saw the District Officers huddled with calculators, and the occasional abacus, listening to numbers and categories being shouted out while making their calculations.  Instead, this year there were individual sign-in sheets for each Lodge, plus our own Lodge sign-in book.  Absent some basic instruction, some signed in the correct places, some signed elsewhere, and some didn’t sign anything.  As with all the other “firsts” experienced this year, this is certainly a work in progress.

As the first Inspection of the year we provided an opportunity to demonstrate how many new processes would work, or not.  Most of the adjustments streamlined the process, with the intent of starting at 7:30, and having everything complete by 9:30pm.  Our District takes over 2 hours to travel from one end to the other, so this is a significant issue.  The introduction process provided the largest single change.  We did not have to introduce dignitaries in one degree (MM), switch to another (EA) to continue, and switch back (MM) to conclude the evening.  With the new standards of who is introduced, and how, over 30 minutes were shaved off the process.  At our official starting time we received instruction on how things were going to be different this year.  When the gavel finally rapped to close the meeting, it had not yet reached 9pm.  That was a good thing, and everyone present appreciated it.

As the first Inspection of the season, obviously there are more to follow.  The complete list of Inspection dates and locations can be found on the 15^th District web site by using the tab on the left. 

Other notes for your calendar:

February 16, 2015 President’s Day

March 27, 2015        15^th District Grand Master’s Reception.  Listed as starting at 7pm, it was announced this would be held in Marion, Ohio.  Additional details will be posted as they become available.

April 5, 2015             Easter

May 10, 2015            Mother’s Day.  Everybody has one, knows one, and has been influenced by one.  This is your official day to let them know how much that means to you.

May 25, 2015            Memorial Day.  An opportunity to express appreciation for those who have sacrificed to keep our country free.

June 21, 2015          Father’s Day.  An opportunity to honor fathers and fatherhood, and celebrate the contributions they have made in our lives.

July 4, 2015              Independence Day.  Celebrating the birth of a nation doesn’t have to include parades, picnics, and fireworks, but it is fun when it does.

September 7, 2015 Labor Day.  Dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, it constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Along the way we will add more dates and information.  Check back often.

That’s all we know for now.  Stay warm, and we’ll

See you in Lodge!

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