Brethren,
I hope your Lodge had a good experience on New England Square and Compasses day – a/k/a Open House Day. Reports coming from the lodges indicate that many had visitors and that the brothers celebrated the fraternal aspects of Freemasonry together. The Committee on Membership is to be congratulated for their efforts supporting the lodges in this venture.
MORI has had a few functions added since the last newsletter. We have added a login for Lodge Masters if they wish to have the capability to review Lodge information and use the e-mail function. We have added a function named “Service Certificates” under the “Lodge” menu which allows you to ascertain which brothers are eligible for awards in a given year. Simply call or e-mail this office with award requests and we’ll send them out to you. If you have brothers living outside this jurisdiction when a service award is due, let us know and we will arrange a personal presentation through the auspices of the other jurisdiction.
If you are experiencing problems preparing dues notices, there are excellent video tutorials available under the function “Support” in the “Help” menu. If you need further assistance, please call. I look forward to meeting more of you in the Secretary Meetings yet to be held.
If you need to call this office and do not have unlimited long distance as part of your telephone contract, we now have a toll-free number available to assist you. Simply dial 1-855-843-1086 and we’ll be there.
For those of you who are not using the electronic database, I remind you of the necessity to provide timely information to this office. Information is the life blood of good decision making whether in the local lodge or at Grand Lodge. Our job as secretaries is to ensure timely, accurate information is available to the lodges and Grand Lodge officers as they fulfill their duties.
There is a complete list of the forms you will need on the Grand Lodge Website. The following is a link that will take you directly to that page: https://www.mainemason.org/resources/glforms.asp . Simply click on this link and you will find the forms you need.
This month I remind you of the need to use Official Form No. 7 – Instructions to the Committee of Inquiry. This form should be attached to every application received before it is sent to your Committee of Inquiry. Their work on your behalf is essential if your Lodge is to vote to elect a “good man” into the fraternal bonds of Freemasonry. Please be sure to use this form on every application.
The Grand Chaplains need your help. During the database transition the names and information on the spouses for many brothers was lost. The Grand Chaplains need this information to better serve the needs of our widows. Would you go through the roster of your Lodge and enter spousal information for the Brothers where it does not now appear? Thank you. We must be sure we can reach those we are bound to serve when that time has come.
Remember: No job is finished until the paperwork is done.
Fraternally,
Mark E. Rustin
Grand Secretary