Mount Vernon Lodge No. 219 goals

“Making Good Men Better”

  • James Noah Hillman Award – all healthy Lodges should be able to attain this award
  • Full line of officers – fill every seat – not just required seats (Stewards, Marshall)
  • Improve Masonic Ritual
    • Get it right and keep it there – including receiving in the East
    • Instill rigor & regularity (Lodge Schools, District Schools, Area Schools, etc)
    • Catechisms – coaches and mentors – all current and past Lodge officers
    • Learn a lecture
    • Redundancy – we should all strive to know ritual well enough to teach it
    • In 2020 we can conduct all 3 degrees in house
  • Improve Masonic Education (promote VA Masonic University as it comes on-line)
    • Duties of Officers – learn and faithfully execute your duties
    • Teach your successor – pass your knowledge on to your successors
    • Learn or create a program to deliver
    • Instill rigor and regularity (year-to-year) – LEO gets ~ 5 min each stated communication
  • Improve Planning
    • Lodge Calendar!!! – pay attention to the Lodge calendar and plan around it as you can
    • Officer meetings (average every other month)
    • According to your duties and responsibilities – PLAN AHEAD and COMMUNICATE
    • Program for Stated Communications – plan it/make it interesting – set the process going forward
    • Long Range Plan – build on the long-range plan, lay ground work for process going forward
    • Support the District and Grand Lodge events!!!!
    • Instill rigor and regularity (year-to-year)
  • Improve Fellowship
    • Fraternal Visits – visit each Lodge in District at least once, shoot for twice (DDGM OVs) – add traveling committee to list of committees
    • Plan more events outside of Stated and Called Communications
      • Ladies Night, Bring a Friend Night, monthly breakfasts, shooting/Bull Run, picnics, fellowship, etc.
    • MAHOVA Open House visit
  • Improve Financial Position of the Lodge
    • Annual Budget – create, manage, and lay ground work for process going forward
    • Focus on fund raisers – advertise where it makes sense
      • 50/50 Raffles, Flea Markets, Yard Sale, Stewards Box contributions, Builders Club, etc.
    • Study and adjust Lodge dues to bring budget into balance
    • Research plans to bequeath funds for Lodge building and grounds
    • Other opportunities – Lodge shirts/hats, fund raisers at social events like shooting clays at Bull Run, etc.
  • Build Local Community Ties
    • Patronize the same restaurant(s)
    • Scholarship Committee – Mt. Vernon High School
    • Advertise in local rags (fund raisers)
    • Build ties to Mt. Vernon – if possible – this has been difficult but we should continue.
    • Community Builders Award – Recognize Mt. Vernon civic leaders (fire marshall, police chief, etc.)

BOTTOM LINE:  Put in place the foundation & framework (the leadership, processes, plans, redundancy, rigor & regularity) to build upon so the Lodge continues to succeed and grow for years to come.