Oh what a night, round tables at a festive board dining after a lodge meeting, surely not!
Yes, we did it at Abbot Baldwin, at our meeting this week. The feedback from everyone that I spoke to claimed it was a great success with brethren involved in open discussions and making new friends.
I cannot take any credit for it as it was something I read in FMT, it had been done elsewhere in the UK and was well received, so that is why I suggested it. But I would like to thank the AB PCM members for having an open mind when I brought the idea up at the meeting. It wasn’t any “We must try it sometime in the future!” – it was “Okay, let us do it at the next meeting!” (If only the business world could make decisions as quickly as that?)
Reading FMT used to be just a glance at its pages and then it was finished, but the last three issues have started to show that Grand Lodge have opened the doors for every one of us to put ideas and suggestions into place, to try out. They have apparently adopted a new turn of phrase “Yes, if”, but let us be honest, we must do everything that we can to spread the word on the real positive things that Freemasonry does.
How many times have you asked the question to a non-mason, “What can you tell me about Freemasonry?” – There are only two answers you will get, “Funny handshakes!” or “Roll your trouser leg up!” – not the slightest comment about the charitable giving! Just tell them to look on ‘Google’ there are very few secrets that aren’t covered there.
Thank you to the Ashlar House website for printing this and thank you for reading it. Can I suggest that we use this facility to air your thoughts and ideas so that we can learn from one another and pass on ideas that will help us all to get the right type of candidates that we require. In my current role I intend to try out many new thoughts and ideas to make AB the lodge everyone wants to visit!
John Porter
Mentor & Membership Officer
