Thursday, September 12, 2013

Minerva Lodge Stated Meeting

In June, several of the members of my lodge got up and noted the dining room at our temple, while clean, really needed an updated look and feel. At the next meeting, the Worshipful Master present a budget and plan to transform a room from 1900 to today. The plan didn't involve spending large sums of money or hiring folks to do the work... It involved the members doing the work, updating broken items or possible safety issues, improving the lighting installed right after electricity was put into the building, removing the shuffle boards marked on the floors which were last used in the 40's or 50's and using the activity to build a sense of closeness among the members. While, not completely finished, the plan has worked and several hundred hours of work has been done to transform this room. It now looks brighter, larger, cleaner and more importantly more inviting as a place to spend time socializing before and after meetings. I can remember when not so long ago after our meetings folks would socialize for an hour or more but lately had fallen off as the room was really starting to show its' age. There was an excitement and anticipation voiced at the meeting over the changes. I've also noticed a closeness among those helping with the progress and a strengthened sense of pride for the lodge. Giving members the opportunity to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for something THEY personally did is often a key between the active lodge and the one who just meets.

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