The North Carolina Mason

Page 8 The North Carolina Mason March/April 2019 We should be builders rather than mergers Lodges are alive. ey think, and feel, and have personalities. Lodges experience tragedies and embrace joy. ey celebrate their achievements, and respectfully bury the dead. What is the lifeblood of a lodge? It's fraternalism—the friendships and connections each man builds with his Masonic brothers. at is what we do; we are builders. Building up is the spirit of the body of Masonry. And, to quote our Grand Master, we must work to build. As within every life, some- times we, as Freemasons, become distracted. Like our own body, lodges are susceptible to age, sick- ness, and neglect, which can even lead to death—it's part of a lodge's life cycle. Sometimes, population centers shift, leaving once-vibrant lodges with a dearth of men from whom to elect members. Sometimes, a lodge was formed for the wrong reasons, and fate is playing its hand. And, sometimes, most nobly, the lodge succeeded in its purpose—to facilitate friendship, and — like a parent — gave life to new lodges. Lodge closures or consolidations must be last resorts. Recovery is always an option, and the first step to recovery is realizing there's a problem. ere are few ills within Freemasonry that degree work can't cure. New blood can revitalize a lodge—like a transfusion. And, your Grand Lodge office is here to help schedule your appointment. But, like I learned growing up in a funeral home, the ambulance goes two ways—either the hospital or the morgue. Make sure you call for help before it's too late. Be aware of key indi- cators of trouble. Do your brethren fellow- ship with each other? Are your brethren friends? While money is not necessarily an indicator of success, poor financial standing and fretting over money is usually indicative of poor lodge health. How does your lodge building look? Like any individual, your lodge is going to be taken more seriously and respected if it's dressed up and cared for. Peeling paint, over- grown lawns, and a dirty appearance are the equivalent to tattered or cheap clothes, uncombed hair, and a lack of deodorant. Take pride in your appearance. And work together to not just care for, but continuously improve your lodge. Isn't that the mission of Freemasonry? To always improve oneself ? Our lodges are reflections of ourselves. Lately, I've grown increasingly concerned over the number of lodges wishing to merge with another lodge, or hand in their charter altogether. When a lodge's membership drops below 20, the Code requires the lodge to surrender its charter. But, now, lodges of 50, 70 or even 100 members or more are failing to hold a quorum. e lodge cannot find men to fill the stations, and their work ceases. ese officers are tired. And the result is these lodges have entered a terrifying state of mind called apathy. By that I mean that these lodges no longer feel the drive they once had to maintain their lodges, to open their doors, welcome the new initiate, and preserve our traditions. Most troubling, they seem all too willing to simply walk away from the problem, rather than confront and tackle it. Allow me to be blunt here. Our own history in North Carolina teaches us merging two lodges that perform poor degree work and fail to attract members doesn't solve their problems. ey simply create a larger lodge with poor degree work and little passion. Generally speaking, more members do not equate to an improved lodge. e assumptions of lodge function rooted in the mid-20th Century have changed. Bigger is not better. e emulation of generic civic clubs does not guarantee success. Fund- raisers do not define us. To say that times have changed and people are different is accurate – and a cliche. Times and people always change, but our institution is timeless, and its survival requires work — work to build friendships and work to rebuild ourselves. Brethren, we know our numbers are down. at's no secret and there is no shame in that. In the life of every organization, from fraternal to commercial, interest soars and it ebbs. at's a natural cycle. Still, we can't discount the importance of our ongoing work to support an atmosphere that welcomes new men to the Craft. In fact, it affords us an opportunity to more easily get to know one another. As I've mentioned before, some lodges are too big. e lodge of 100 that wants to merge or hand over its charter should consider split- ting into two lodges. en there is opportunity to create something new in both lodges. To teach another generation of men how to lead. To teach men how to rebuild. And to more easily remember, befriend, and support the men of our lodge! If nothing else, Worshipful Masters, consider your obligation to entrust the charter of your lodge to your successor in as good condition or better than that in which you found it. at charter is your lodge's bill of health. Is it a clean bill of health, or a death certificate? By Walt Clapp Grand Secretary By Dr. Billy Price Grand Lodge Medical Committee Conover #709 e flu – influenza – began to increase in North Carolina in early January and peaked the week of Feb 23. e predominant strain has been Influenza A. Roughly 5.5 percent of emergency room visits have been flu-related. e incidence of flu in North Carolina is slightly above the national statistics. Most hospitalizations have been in those over 65 and younger than age 4. As of mid-March, 135 people had died since the current flu season began in September. We have been fortunate as flu arrived later this year, and overall our numbers are better. Routine annual vaccination against influenza A and B is recommended for everyone older than 6 months. Even if you have not received your vaccine, it's still a good time to get one. is year's vaccine in compar- ison to the last couple of years was reformulated. e current vaccine contains four strains. It is safe for all individuals. Egg allergy is no longer considered a contraindication to receiving the vaccines. More than 4,000 patients with egg allergy including more than 600 with severe egg allergy received the vaccine without conse- quence. e most common adverse reaction is pain and soreness at the vaccination site. For those who are not vaccinated and get the flu, there are three drugs on the market: Tamiflu, Relenza and Xofluza. Current recommendations are to begin treatment as soon as possible after the illness onset for all suspected or confirmed flu patients who have severe, complicated or progressive illness. Tamiflu and Relenza can both be used for prevention in those exposed to flu as a single daily dose for seven days. e drugs can be used if needed. I cannot recommend strongly enough that we should all receive vaccinations. is is the most effective protection for you and our community. Still not too late to get a f lu vaccination

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