Whew! It is Almost Over. Or is It?

In many Grand Jurisdictions, Masons are entering the last two months of the Masonic year. As the Masters of lodges enter the final sprint, many of them start anticipating that sigh of relief that they will expel as they leave their demanding responsibilities to someone else at the end of their term of office. Some will start relaxing a bit during these final two months and actually began practicing a sort of lame duck type of administration. “Whew – it is almost over,” will be the thought on many of their minds.

But is it really almost over? Strong Masters with views of the long-term rather than the short-term will know that there is more important work to be done. These types of lodge leaders know that they may actually be entering the most important period of their time in the East. They know that they can not simply drop the gavel and retire to the sidelines. They realize that there must be – or should be – a smooth transition from them to their replacements. They are fully aware that the smooth transition is dictated by the outgoing administration – not the incoming.

The proactive Master is already coordinating with his presumed successor. He is briefing the supposed next Master on the state of the lodge’s various unfinished projects and upcoming events that are set by the Grand Lodge and Grand Master. He is making sure his replacement is also fully aware of the Grand Master’s vision and expectations. He is making sure that the Secretary and Treasurer are getting the documents arranged for the next Master so that he will be armed with as much information as possible before he officially becomes the head of the lodge. He also is making sure that the next man in the East has all of the point of contact information that he may need – such as for the District Deputy Grand Master. All in all – he is setting his successor up for success and doing his best to keep the lodge moving forward in a positive direction.

A Master’s time in the East may be almost over, but some of his most important work still lies before him.