PROCEEDINGS GRAND LODGE - Freemasons of Wisconsin

and positive about what they are doing in order to be successful. Something that Inever do, is sit up there in the East and look around the room and say, “This is allthat showed up?” They are brothers. They cared. I don’t’ worry about the guys thatdidn’t show up, because I can build with what’s there. When I visit as a Grand officerand somebody says, ‘I’m so sorry, that all that showed up is these guys. I don’t knowwhat’s wrong with them.’ What, do you mean, with the guys that showed up or theguys that didn’t? Be positive, be thankful. I would walk around and thank everybrother for being there, for making that commitment because he got out of his Lazyboyrocker that night to drive down to lodge to be there. That was a commitment andI made sure that I said thank-you because they cared. That’s where I build. I won’tbuild upon the people I’m dreaming about that never show up, I build with what isright there. I celebrate them. If you celebrate those members you are going to haveloyalty and you are going to redevelop that core.”I also try to match up people with the appropriate skills. Have you ever heard theexpression, ‘give a man a job and he’ll stay active’? That’s wrong. Give a man a jobhe wants to do. If I want to do work that I don’t want to do, I go to work, then at leastI get paid for it. If I give somebody a job that doesn’t match his skills they are goingto be frustrated, they are going to leave. Or worse yet, a man shows up to work andyou say to him that you have enough help and he can go home. He will never be back.I don’t blame him. He made a commitment and you said he’s not needed. I tell thewomen’s groups that when a woman brings for potluck, and nobody takes anythingout of it, I make sure I throw it away and give her back the empty bowl. Because if yougive it back to her full since nobody touched it, she’ll think that nobody cared and thenher feelings are hurt. I don’t care if it’s a spinach and eggplant pie that she made, finesome place to put part of it. Always be gracious when you receive things, even if youdon’t want it. Be gracious because it builds a bond.”Help those who are tired to get new life. Any lodge can be reactivated, it just takesa spark with a dream combined with commitment. Be patient with your brothers,they are burned out from years of doing the same thing over and over. They have lostsight of why they are there. You need a plan to work together, to dream together andbelieve in yourself. As I said as I began, you belong to the world’s greatest fraternityand therefore you’ve got something of special value right here. Some tips to remember,be patient with your members, be a cheerleader. I tell my officers if they have to showtheir legs and wave pompons, do it. When I go as a Grand Officer, I become acheerleader-encourager, because when they see me coming with my collar on they arethinking that the big-shot showed up and we are in trouble now. I let them know thatI am a brother too. Be willing to get your hands dirty and work side-by-side with themand say, ‘I am here to help’ and mean it. Help them to see the possibilities, fightnegative and positive energy and be an optimist. Did you ever notice when you go intoa town that there is an Optimist Club and no Pessimist Club? Try to inspireconfidence. You have to be a leader. Rebuilding any organization is hard workbrothers, but it is rewarding, it is worth the effort.”I know we are running short on time so if anybody would like to talk further, I willbe downstairs. I am here to serve you. I love this fraternity. It has done so much forme in my life that I ran for Grand Line to give something back and today I travelaround the country doing these programs for the York Rite and for lodges because Iwant to see Masonry live. Masonry is indeed America’s greatest treasurer.”88