2013 Wardens Conference Pasco, Washington

Long Range Planning & Officers Toolkit

VWB Lance OtisEmail: lotis666@gmail.com

Long Range Planning

A summary

What is Planning?• Setting goals & objectives. • Defining resources necessary to meet those goals.

Resources are Information, Men, Money, Materials, Equipment/Facilities, and Time.

• Developing the Schedules, Budgets, Manpower allocation plans, Material & Equipment/Facility Procurement orders, Policies and Instructions necessary to effectively achieve your goals & objectives.

• Working the plan. • Evaluating the progress in meeting your goals and

objectives and revising the allocation of resources as necessary to sustain effort for success.

Where Do You Stand Now?(Survey the Members)

• Strengths• Resources• Areas for improvement• Capabilities to be developed

Where Do We Want To Go?

• Plan for one year at a time

• New programs as required

• Narrow focus • Credit given for

accomplishments

• Multi-year plans

• Program continuity

• Broad focus

• Shared credit

• Move forward

Now Future

LEADERSHIP

Planning Process

• Development of Vision – Vision Team• Identify Goals & Objectives – G. O. Team• Goal Setting• Resources Definition • Write 5 Year Plan

Grand Lodge Vision• Freemasons of Washington will be recognized

as a relevant and respected Fraternity,• Committed to attracting and retaining all men

of high quality, • Who strive for self-improvement and • The opportunity to make a positive difference

in their community.

Goal Setting

• Top-Down or membership driven• Gather the thoughts of the brethren,

incorporate the most mentioned ideas. Get consensus.

• Specific & measurable• May be long range (3 to 5 years)

– “It is amazing what can be accomplished when you don’t care who gets the credit.” MW Bill P Horn

Leadership

• Commitment• Accountability• Enthusiasm -Throw off discouragement• Move forward with the Fraternity• Eliminate/modify ingrained thinking• Maintain a positive attitude• Embrace the opportunity

Resources - Manpower

• Lodge Line• Past Masters• Appointed Officers• Worker Bees/Selected Professionals

– Database of professions & interests– Review your petitions

• Family Members

Resources - Information• Your Men• The Wardens Conference• The Toolkit portion of this presentation• Grand Lodge Committees:

– Information Technology– Long Range Planning– Membership– Public Relations– Research & Education– Leadership Training

Resources - Time

• Schedule your plan• Include milestones• Schedule when Resources are needed

– Men, money, materials, equipment - facilities

• Include Responsibilities• Evaluate Performance• The Toolkit portion provides some examples.

Resources – Money, Materials, Equipment/Facilities

• These are key to the Planning• Money: Build a budget. The Toolkit portion

provides some examples. Include income and expenses.

• Materials and Equipment/Facilities requirements are sometimes overlooked. A plan can die if the needed materials show up late or the equipment or facility is never identified or scheduled.

Lodge 5 Year Plan

• Chronicles items to be accomplished and the resources to accomplish it.

• Provides a reference for future leaders• Provides means for accountability

Officers Toolkit• Each Officer should have an agreed-upon

short-term and long term plan for his organization.

• Each Officer should have a guide that provides the essential management tools to plan and perform his duties.

• The Toolkit is a living Document. It should grow as your experiences and needs grow.

Toolkit Table of ContentsCover page: Introduction and Lodge History1. Responsibilities and Assignments2. Names, Phones, and Addresses3. Plans, Programs, Budget, and Schedules4. Degree Work5. Membership6. Public Outreach7. Lodge Improvement8. Policy, Procedures, and By-Laws9. Open Items & Meeting Notes10. Brief Case Items

Cover Page

• Why a Toolkit: a manager must have resources to perform his responsibilities

– Information, Men, Money, Materials, Time, Equipment-Facilities.

• Each Officer Should know the history of his Lodge. Part of that is the history of management: e.g. schedules, budgets, lessons-learned, etc.

Responsibilities and Assignments

• Job Description from the Monitor• Applicable Officer Constitutions and

Regulations of the Grand Lodge• Officer Procedures from Lodge

Officers Handbook• Committee List with Assignments

Job Description (Example)• Strictly comply with, abide by and enforce the Constitutions and Regulations of the Grand

Lodge, and all Ancient Masonic Usages.• Be a good man and true, and strictly to obey the moral law.• Be a peaceable citizen, and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country.• Submit to the governments and the constituted authorities laws.• Pay a proper respect to the civil magistrates; to work diligently, live creditably and act

honorably toward all men.• Hold in veneration the original rulers and patrons of Freemasonry, and their regular

successors, supreme and subordinate, according to their stations.• Submit to the awards and resolutions of your brethren, when in Lodge convened.• Avoid private piques and quarrels, and guard against intemperance and excess.• Be cautious in your behavior, courteous to your brethren, and faithful to your Lodge.• Respect genuine brethren, and discountenance imposters and all dissenters from the original

plan of Masonry.• Pay homage to the Grand Master and to his officers and strictly to conform to every edict of

the Grand Lodge that is not subversive of the principles and groundwork of Masonry.• Promote the general good of society, cultivate the social virtues, and propagate the

knowledge of the mystic art.• Make no alteration or innovation in the body of Masonry without the consent

of the annual Grand Lodge.

Continued • Regularly attend the committees and communications of the Grand Lodge.• Pay attention to all the duties of Masonry on convenient occasions.• Form no new lodge without permission of the Grand Master or his Deputy.• Give no countenance to any irregular Lodge, or to any clandestine person.• Make no man a Mason without previous notice and due inquiry into his character.• Admit no visitor into your Lodge without due examination or satisfactory evidence of his

having been initiated in a regular Lodge.• Preserve that moral deportment among the members of your Lodge. • Prevent ill-feeling or angry discussion at meetings.• Use the Great Light of Masonry to guide you, conduct yourself by the principles of morality

and virtue.• Limit your desires in every station, live respected and die regretted.• Punctually observe your duty, press forward in the path of virtue, and incline neither to the

right nor to the left in all your actions.• Avoid dissimulation in conversation and action.• Search The Book of Constitutions at all times. Cause The Book of Constitutions to be read in

your Lodge.• Carefully and punctually execute the By-Laws of your Lodge.• Wield the gavel with prudence and discretion—firmly, but never arbitrarily,

preserve good order and harmony.

Names, Phones, and Addresses*• Lodge Address, Phone, email, website, District

Deputy, Past Masters

• Names, Phone Numbers, & email Addresses of Officers and Members

• Grand Lodge Team and Prince Hall Team in the District Title & Name

• Masters & Wardens List for District including Prince Hall

• Concordant and Appendant Bodies Names, Phone Numbers, & email

*This could all be in a District Directory

Plans, Programs, Budget, and Schedules

• Event Schedule for the Year• Monthly Schedule• Yearly Budget• Long Range Plan

Degree Work

• Roles & Assignments for Degree Work

• Coaches Assignments and Guidelines

• Memorization Techniques

• Example Agenda for Practice & Degree Work

• Example Customs & Courtesies for New Brother

Membership

• Guidelines for Working with Prospective Members

• Mentoring Handbook with Reading Lists

• Keeping the New Brother Active: Make him part of the Family, Make him feel Wanted.

Public Outreach

• Charity Policies and Procedures

• Guideline for making Visitors and Guests Feel Welcome

• Making Your Temple Visitor Friendly

• Community Contacts List: Chamber Of Commerce, Community Services, Youth Groups and Other membership driven organizations.

Lodge Improvement

•Articles of Interest

•Past Lessons Learned

•Wardens Conf., Improvement Programs

•Meeting Management, Improving Meetings

•Membership Awareness & Communication

•The Perfect Blue Lodge: Membership Driven

•Re-Making the Masons for the 21st Century by C. Szklarski

Policy, Procedures, and By-Laws

• Stated Meeting Agenda Outline

• Grand Masters Official Visit Check Off List

• Balloting Procedure from WMC & Lodge Officers Handbook

• By-Laws of the Lodge

• Lodge Memorial Service Procedures

Open Items & Meeting Notes

• Items for next month’s meeting

• Open Items

• Items for next year

• Miscellaneous

Brief Case Items

•ID Badge Keys to the Lodge

•Pocket Planner District Lodge Directory

•Monitor Lodge Officers Handbk

•Ciphers

•Petitions Business Cards

•Newsletter

•Small gifts for surprise visits Etc.

Questions?

2013 Wardens Conference Pasco, Washington

VWB Lance Otisemail: Lotis666@gmail.com

Phone: (360) 874-0835

2013 Wardens Conference Pasco, Washington