Grand Secretary
Something that has been right in front of me for some time struck me recently – how within The Grand Secretary’s Office (the Grand Lodge Building as many call it) the physical office of the Grand Secretary is situated in the Northeast Corner of the building, directly above the Cornerstone.
Masons should be well aware of the symbology of the Northeast Corner, be it how it relates to an Entered Apprentice, or how buildings have their foundation laid starting in the Northeast Corner.
This caused me to reflect on what is expected of a Lodge Secretary. In many cases he is seen as the foundation of the Lodge. He typically holds the office for many years, as opposed to the many other offices where the Brother serves for only one year. He is seen as the stability in the Lodge. Outside of the basic and noticeable duties he holds, such as taking minutes, receiving funds, and handling correspondence, he is also typically looked to as the go-to person for questions on Masonic ritual, law, and more.
Why is this? Why do we pile such expectations on a single man, a volunteer, to be the soul of the Lodge, as it were?
Such concerns might not even come up for a Lodge with 20 members, it being presumed that the Secretary can handle just about anything when only 20 members are involved… but what about a Lodge with 100 or 200 members? What about a Brother who is Serving as Secretary for 2 or 3 Lodges (yes, we have them!)?
No matter the size of the Lodge, have you considered that, in Mississippi, a Lodge and the Master of the Lodge have many options available to them? They can, of course, expect the Secretary to handle all of the items mentioned, and more. However, nothing stops the Master from also forming a Committee, even a Committee of 1, to assist in certain tasks to help take the burden off of the Lodge Secretary.
Too often the office of Lodge Secretary goes to a Brother who feels railroaded into accepting. Perhaps the Lodge builds him up… “We cannot do it without you”, or some such wording that is genuine in terms of how the Lodge holds that Brother in high-esteem, yet also seems to be lacking in imagination on how best to run the business of the Lodge. Other times it may simply come down to all others blatantly refusing to be elected into the office of Secretary.
Perhaps other Brethren would be more willing to accept the office if Lodges considered their possibilities more fully. The office of Secretary does not have to be a life-term. The Lodge can have someone assigned as an Assistant Secretary, by virtue of the Master assigning him to such a Committee (as in Mississippi there is no such “Office”). In doing so, someone can always be in training, ready to not only assist the Secretary in his routine duties, but to be the go-to Brother to serve Pro Tempore in his absence. I am sure that there are other ways to accomplish similar goals. As you can see, by having someone in training the Lodge can not only be assured that a Secretary is always available, but can also elect a new Secretary every so often, so as not to burn out the current Secretary, and to give another Brother the opportunity to serve, thereby improving himself by learning all that a Secretary does.
I truly feel that in as much as numerous Lodge Secretaries serve with distinction for a decade or more, the Lodge and its membership would be better served if another plan were laid, and plan where the Master draws on the trestle board duties which keep every member possible employed in the business of the Lodge.
It may seem as though I am trying to convince you that whitewashing the fence is a fun job… but as with so many other things, nobody can understand what it means to be Lodge Secretary until they have assumed the chair. Yes, you will naturally learn certain record keeping skills, but you also learn how better to speak with others, be a mediator, be a confidant, and much, much more. Why are we only giving one Brother per decade, per Lodge, the ability to learn those skills? Lodge Offices are not just there to make the Opening and Closing last longer, or to meet the requirements of bylaws… they are also there to serve as places of instruction, where, through Masonry, a man can better himself.
What will your Lodge do to provide more of these practical experiences for personal improvement for its members?
Jared F. Stanley, Grand Secretary
The Grand Lodge of Mississippi, F. & A. M.
