The North Carolina Mason

line item for part-time contract work to help with membership including the database, social media, and the web. This is so that Grand Lodge can do more to help lodges interest men into knocking on the door of Freemasonry. I think it is a budget that balances the needs of the jurisdiction, fluctuating membership numbers, and inflation, and yet still sets us up to THRIVE and not just survive. So, if we are smaller than we were in 2019, shouldn't it cost less to operate Freemasonry in North Carolina since there are fewer members? The cost of operating the Grand Lodge of North Carolina is related more to the number of lodges than it is to the number of members. On average it costs about $2,000 annually to support each lodge, and while we have had a few mergers, we have 359 lodges, and we have more than 30,000 members. We are not a small organization. More importantly, we do not want to set ourselves up to simply be caretakers as we wait for Masonry to fold. Again, let's THRIVE and not just survive. Do we need a Grand Lodge? Let's be honest, you expect the Grand Master to answer yes to this question, and yes is indeed my answer, but I didn't get there by default. I've been giving this a great deal of thought over the past couple of weeks. At work I'm known to say that sacred cows can make the best burgers. With no disrespect intended, it's a brash way to say that just because we've always done it that way doesn't mean we need to continue to do so. Could Freemasonry in North Carolina survive without a Grand Lodge? Yes, but I think for only a Masonic generation, maybe two. While each of us relates most to our local lodge, Freemasonry is a global organization. When we initiate a candidate, we are giving him membership and access to thousands of lodges in the United States and around the world. If we just separated into 359 local lodges, each would survive only as long as it had good and steady leadership, but because they were no longer associated with a Grand Lodge, each would be considered clandestine. Just as our lodges determine who can become a Mason, a Grand Lodge determines which lodges can make Masons. No more than we want some random guy claiming he is a Mason, we don't want random groups claiming they are lodges. The global system of Grand Lodges prevents that from happening. By our lodges banding together to form a Grand Lodge, we also work collectively for the common good of all of our lodges. For many years a friend of mine was the brand manager for a major restaurant chain. She traveled the country to make sure that each franchise upheld the brand standards and used the resources of the parent company to support the local restaurants through marketing, social media, group buying, etc. In relationship to our work, the Board of Custodians ensures that the ritual is maintained and adhered to. The Judge Advocate's By our lodges banding together to form a Grand Lodge, we also work collectively for the common good of all of our lodges. L AT E S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 | 7

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