The North Carolina Mason

Brethren, I must admit I'm still riding a little high from our Annual Communication. If you were there, you would have noticed several dramatic changes – from the layout of the Grand Lodge room, to the credential station, to the inclusive Grand Master's Reception, to the open banquet. Yet, the first thought that enters my mind is "thank you." Each of you is a member of the Grand Lodge, and the success of our annual meeting would not have been possible without your participation and input. For the last several years your Grand Lodge and the many, many volunteers, more than 30, who make the Annual Communication possible – the office staff, the volunteers on the Credentials Committee, the volunteer Grand Tylers, the volunteer Masonic Light and Magic team (AV), the vendors, and volunteer Steering Committee – have been brainstorming on the best ways to make the Annual Communication a relevant and worthwhile event. While societal and cultural shifts happen all the time, we know the one we are experiencing at this time often focuses on value and an experience. As a membership-based organization, we have to illustrate value for the services provided by your Grand Lodge. Many of these services, are, however, intangible and include everything from financial administration to basic membership management. While critical to function, these operations do not create a unique experience from which many of our members derive value – and that's OK and understandable. The experience of Freemasonry is truly the central focus and point of Freemasonry. This begins with the perceived aura of fraternity, then ritual, and then camaraderie with your brothers. The question is, what do you, as a member, expect this experience to be? Hopefully, you're noticing a transition. We've been asking questions and receiving a great amount of input about what our members expected Freemasonry to be. The question for your Grand Lodge Office is whether your wishes are experiences we can facilitate and execute. In most cases, the answer is yes. The aura of Freemasonry very much radiates from personal narrative, but also from literature and media. The Grand Lodge is striving, through a professional public relations firm, to recapture the narrative of Freemasonry in North Carolina. This includes everything from Google search refinement to new and up-to-date guides and materials for our members and the public. It's also about retooling our delivery to different audiences – such as the upgrades and improvements made to this magazine. Long considered a newspaper or newsletter of the fraternity, it's transformed into a lifestyle magazine that illustrates the message of Masonry. As we move forward, local and regional news will be funneled through online distribution lists as well as through our new database. Restoring Value to the Experience of Freemasonry By Jonathan Underwood, Grand Secretary 14 | T H E M A S O N M AGA Z I N E

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