Consolidation

I'm going to start writing about this subject in many varied ways as I see it in the fraternity. I do not expect you to agree. I though now have an eye for a few things based on my experiences and positions I have held. So consolidation. I find I want to spend more time doing the things I want to do. Memberships in more than one Blue Lodge becomes difficult in the competition of my time and dollars. I find my time best served in my Mother Lodge and my job has been done in the other lodges where I passed on what I was taught and now its somebody else's time to shine, excel or not. Also I am a proponent of thinning things out streamlining and saving money. That means if you have the membership of 100 years ago you should right size your fraternity. I have had to do this in my career over the last 3 years and it wasn't fun. You have to cut out the fat, waste and bullshit. Those who fight for the sake of fighting gotta go. If you push water uphill you just get wet. We have too many buildings. They cost too much. My money holds up crumbling mortar that is racing me to see who dies first. The building or me. We make budgets in our personal life and we do not run our homes like the fraternity. Stop spending your inheritance on crumbling mortar its not a Ferrari it won't appreciate. We have too many lodges. We have as many as we do because our membership grew. Why have 6 lodges in a town when you only have membership and funds for three? Your grandparents pass away and so unfortunately do lodges. You move on remember them and carry their memories in our hearts and minds forever. When the lodge across the hall has 40 members show up and yours has 6 its time to think about it. The worst part of the obvious is that it is obvious. The worst part of not recognizing it is obvious. Think about it. Ego is the worst mine and yours. Survival is not ego its practical. Check your ego, your pride, your vanity and consolidate or your son or grandson will not join your lodge because your lodge may not make it. Invest in your future now by recognizing your past was bigger than you are now and prepare for a brighter future because you can afford the light and heating bill. That's all. JL PM