The end of the year is a fitting time to talk about some of the great things that lodges are doing – and not just at Christmas but throughout the year. In my last blog, I wrote about Mission-Alamo’s Christmas party and in this blog I’m going to list some of the events and activities that I’ve either seen myself or heard about from others. Most of these have been witnessed by Home Office officers and some of these happen year after year.
Special Memorial Ceremony – Cibolo Lodge schedules a memorial service each year and they make a real effort to contact each deceased member’s family. They have a nice visual presentation they put together and they provide memorial certificates for the families. They also integrate various generations into ceremony duties.
Lasting Relationships – Harmonia Lodge is known for its annual golf tournament that benefits Camp Discovery, a camp for children with cancer. For 23 years the lodge has been holding this tournament and raising money. They include Camp Discovery representatives, lodge members and community members in this event and have established lasting relationships. They’ve also honored tradition by naming the tournament in memory of one of its founders and strong supporters, Bob Worrick.
Importance of Generations – Bexar Lodge has always had a youth coordinator. It is so important to appoint a youth coordinator in your lodge because this person is an advocate for youth. And when you’re an advocate for youth, you’re an advocate for the parents. These are all people we need in lodges to carry forward the traditions and values of lodges. Grand President Preuss remarked that Bexar Lodge is one of the best at having kids make the transition to adults in lodge involvement. What a compliment!
Pride in Their Lodges – Sterling examples of proud lodges were on display at the Leadership Summits this year. Starting at Waco-Robinson, 10 representatives of the lodge were at the summit to host and make sure guests were taken care of. Da Costa Lodge had personal touches for their hosting: President Geraldine Venglar made a spread of homemade treats to go with the coffee being served. In Brenham, officers helped greet attendees and make everyone feel welcome.
Planners and Communicators – Officers of Highland Lakes Lodge plan for their meetings and keep participants informed by email. This is an easy and effective way to make sure everyone is informed.
The Agent’s Touch – Schwertner Lodge President and Agent Irene Schwertner gives each child who attends the lodge’s Christmas party a small gift. Her business card is on the gift and she thanks them for their membership. This is definitely above and beyond an agent’s calling, but writing a note of thanks to clients at Christmas time is a nice idea. These children will likely remember how special they felt because of the personal touch.
This is not a comprehensive list but it does highlight some of what’s happening in our local lodges.
Great things are happening at lodges all around the state. It is obvious how important lodge communities are and that lodges strengthen the communities that they’re in. The special touches that lodge ambassadors add can make all the difference.