Subordinate LodgeOfficer Training

22 September 2001Roger M. Firestone, PM—Education Officer, District Four

and James D. Hawkins, PM

22 Sep 2001 2

Agenda

0845 Breakfast (fund raiser for Fairfax Assembly #3 IORG) and fellowship

0930 Management concepts as applied to the Masonic Lodge(R. M. Firestone, DEO)

1015 Perspective and experience of the small business man (J. D. Hawkins, PM)

1045 Open discussion, question-and-answer, Masonic education

1130 (and no later!) Departure…or lunch at a nearby restaurant if anyone wishes to form a group

22 Sep 2001 3

Who is the Audience?

• The Junior Warden, most of all– It’s too late for the Master– And almost too late for the Sr. Warden

• It’s not too soon for the Sr. Deacon– And we’ll see that the Jr. Deacon should be a

part of the process from early on• The Secretary—everyone knows who runs

the Lodge!• And anyone else who wants to earn wages!

22 Sep 2001 4

Elements of management

• Planning

• Organizing

• Staffing

• Directing

• Controlling

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Planning

• You’ve heard about this ad infinitum and ad nauseam!

• But how do you do it?

• Important question not asked:Is it your plan or a Lodge plan?

• Where to start?

22 Sep 2001 6

Your Plan or a Lodge Plan?

• Some (many? most?) Masters have a plan for their year

• A Lodge plan is a plan for multiple years– Must co-ordinate with your predecessors and

your successors– Must also satisfy the 95% of Lodge members

who are not officers

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The Lodge Plan

• Begin by reaching an agreement among Lodge leadership to create a Lodge plan– Line officers + Secretary + Treasurer– Any others who show desire to lead (LEO,

LIW, etc.)• Work towards unified long-term plan that

accommodates short-term needs– All line officers incorporate Lodge plan for

their years

Plan for nextfive years

22 Sep 2001 8

Plans Begin With Ideas

• Anyone can have an idea– Be open and welcoming; listen!– Newest Master Mason may have much to offer– Take advantage of special abilities of members

• Share ideas—communicate!

• Ideas become goals– Although some ideas are methods... What’s unique about

your Lodge?

22 Sep 2001 9

Goals

• Goals are concrete objectives– Earn the James Noah Hillman Award– Increase Lodge endowment by $10,000– Hold programs on each of 7 LA&S

• Goals must be achievable, under the control of those who are to do the work– “10 new petitions” is not a good goal

Hit the m

ark!

22 Sep 2001 10

From Goals to Plans

• Once you have set your goals, work backward to your starting point

– Five M’s approach: Men, materials, money, machines, methods

• Identify any sub-goals– Also called milestones, these can help by giving a sense

of accomplishment to the workers as things proceed—and let you know if you’re off track!

22 Sep 2001 11

Plan Around a Mission

• An overall plan may be seen as composed of a number of missions

• A mission has a defined objective (what/when), but not necessarily every detail specified

• Leave room for initiative and innovation– People want to feel that they have contributed

22 Sep 2001 12

Adopting the Plan

• Are your Five M’s available? Discard a plan that is not feasible (the earlier, the better)

• Be sure your plan isn’t in conflict with Masonic law (Methodical Digest)

• Be sure your plan has “buy-in”– From the leadership team– From the Lodge members (95% of the Lodge)

22 Sep 2001 13

Organizing

• Organizing is creating a structure to accomplish the plan– EA’s in quarry, FC’s at building site, each MM

oversees work of 50 craftsmen…

• The Lodge has a defined organization– The Master’s tool to augment this for a specific

purpose is the committee

22 Sep 2001 14

Committees

• Most Lodges have standing committees– Work, funerals, sick & distressed, etc.– Be sure you have the ones you need—and only

those! Don’t waste time on pointless committees

• Committees must have at least three members in most Masonic jurisdictions– The Master is ex officio a member of all

committees

22 Sep 2001 15

Committees (cont.)

• If a standing committee (by By-law or custom) doesn’t fit the need, the Master should appoint an ad hoc committee– Give a definite purpose or mission– Appoint those apposite to the task

• Don’t let it become a perpetuity– But if its job is > 1 year, the SW/JW/etc. should

agree to re-appoint to carry on the task

22 Sep 2001 16

Committees (cont.)

• Rt Wor Bro Allen Roberts inveighed against committees

• He preferred “teams”– Call them teams or task forces, they are the

same thing– What’s important is to make sure that they act

• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink– You can, however, put salt in his oats...

22 Sep 2001 17

Staffing

• Masonry is a volunteer organization– Men volunteer to join (“own free will and accord”)

– Men volunteer to participate after they become Master Masons

– In these times, far fewer men volunteer than used to

• Must work with what staff is available

22 Sep 2001 18

Staffing (cont.)

• Don’t be afraid to ask!– Many Brothers are too shy to offer, really!– Fear of rejection, of doing the wrong thing, etc.

• Ask early—men have many commitments

• Know your Brothers– Know what skills are available– Pick the right man for the task

22 Sep 2001 19

Longer-term Staffing

• Identify candidates for Jr. Deacon more than just six weeks before annual elections– Perhaps two or three years ahead—build a

strong line– Consider a seven- or eight-year line, even

• Identify what you will do for the Lodge as a Past Master– Keep the PMs involved– Prepare for replacement of Sec’y, Treasurer,...

22 Sep 2001 20

Staffing Problems Challenges

• What everyone says is our biggest problem: membership

• But also participation– King Solomon had 153,302 people helping him– People don’t want to do all the work themselves– If everyone pitched in, there would be fewer big

jobs!– It’s amazing what can be accomplished if you

don’t care who gets the credit...

22 Sep 2001 21

Directing

• Directing is the process of seeing that the details of the task are carried out

• Directing is not solely giving orders and watching others do the work

• It is also a matter of giving reinforcement— compliments and corrections

• And it is vital to know what the parts of the task are

22 Sep 2001 22

Coaching

• If “directing” were called coaching, there would be a lot less bossing people around

• The optimum leader is a coach– A coach’s job is to get the best from his people– A coach need not be able to do the job better

than the subordinate– A coach should probably know the job better

than the subordinate, to give useful instruction

22 Sep 2001 23

Getting the Best From People

• Training (skills)

• Instruction (task-related)

• Positive reinforcement

• Team-building– “A box of donuts: Two bucks.

Team bonding: Priceless”

22 Sep 2001 24

Controlling

• Controlling is the process of comparing actual performance to the plan

• The purpose of controlling is to correct deviations and reward success– Note that deviations are corrected, not punished

• Must know what is expected– That’s why plan goals are specific and there are

milestones along the way

Actual

Plan

22 Sep 2001 25

Controlling (cont.)

• “Management by walking around”

• Keep an eye on your leaders (committee chairs)

• Look for the important things, right or wrong

• Quantifiable milestones are best, but not always possible

• Know who’s responsible for what

22 Sep 2001 26

Other Management Functions

• Marketing and communications– Make your Lodge visible!

• to its members

• to other Lodges

• to the community

• Finance (remember the long term!—Lodge Plan, right?)

• Facilities and maintenance, security– Nothing uniquely Masonic here...

22 Sep 2001 27

What’s a Lodge Meeting About?

• Ritual (not covered further in this course)

• Necessary business– Avoid unnecessary business!– Do whatever it takes to make it brief!

• Program

• Fellowship

22 Sep 2001 28

Business

• Don’t have to read everything! Summarize!• Have an annual budget approved

– Only have to vote on off-budget expenses• Reports only from committees having some

info useful to the Lodge as a whole• Have an agenda and follow it• Let Brothers have reasonable opportunity

for input, but cut off rambling, repetition

Edict

22 Sep 2001 29

Programs

• Too many programs come from outside the Lodge these days– Some have been seen over and over...

• The L.E.O. is not the answer to the above• Need to have individual Brothers participate

in the work– This may take some jump starting– Is the L.E.O. a committee head? Or just one

man?

22 Sep 2001 30

Fellowship

• This is why many men become Masons

• If your stated communication ends at 10:15 PM, there is no time for this afterwards

• Plan (Lodge Plan, remember?) social activities– Involve families; involve youth groups, involve

EA’s and FC’s—and some just for MM’s, too

– Address age range of members (softball vs. cribbage tournament)

22 Sep 2001 31

The Most Important Point

• Masonry is not a business or a religion• Men become Masons without knowing very

much about it and may be easily disappointed• Masonry is a pastime

– People want to enjoy their pastimes– Even serious hobbies must provide

satisfaction• Therefore: HAVE FUN!!!!

Congratulations!!!

You have now received your

Worshipful Master

of

Business Administration

degree!

22 Sep 2001 33

More light... From Wor. Bro.James D. Hawkins

And now...