The Missing Thirteen, no Twenty, Minutes

This past weekend, we attended three Traditional Official Visits.  There were lots of members there and I hope that the attendance continues so well.  That would be great!

I have to confess however, that the first couple of OV weekends have a big advantage because by custom, the previous year's Grand Family attends the first three OVs in the North and in the South and lots of additional dignitaries usually come as well because years of service are often recognized at those first OVs.

Another help is that, since the tradition is also that those first OVs are determined by the presence of Past Grands with which the Worthy Grand Matron served and very few Past Grands come from remote areas, most, although not all, coming from larger population centers, that helps too.

Still, regardless of why, it was great to see so many people and have a chance to visit with our members.  I wish that the time in the Chapter room was shorter though, because I can only sit for so long.

Of course, Official Visits are much on my mind these days, as I work with my Dragon Riders to determine the time, date, food and type for the Official Visits next year so I can finish the calendar.  Right now, I have nineteen down for Traditional, eighteen down for Social and two down for Reception style.  But I confess that I am asking the two that are down for Reception style why they want that one because for the life of me, I can't figure it out on my own.

Personally, I confess to liking Social OVs that are done well because they are more interesting and entertaining and they allow more social time with the members.  They are also events to which non-members can be invited so it is a real opportunity for a District to have guests and show them what we are all about and that we are a fun and wonderful group, which of course we are!!!  But Traditional OVs done well are okay too and hopefully, with some format changes next year, we will get to have the added social time with the members.  Rather than stating a "preference", which is a disguise for a directive, I have asked that each group of Dragon Riders choose the type of Official Visit which will garner the most attendance in their area.  In some areas, no one will come to the wrong type of OV, which I find a bit appalling because the members should be coming to meet their Grand Officers and give the Grand Family a chance to get to know them, regardless of format, yet nevertheless, this issue does exist and so we have to accept that as reality.  Thus, if we want to maximize attendance, I feel that the chosen format should be the most popular for that area, regardless of any personal preference on my part.

But I cannot figure out the goal of the Reception style of OV.  Basically, a Traditional Style is like a closed meeting.  Only members can attend and we use our regular ceremonial opening and closing to start and end the meeting and in the middle is a bunch of escort and introductions and some speeches and then some presentations.  A Social Style is like a meal event.  Anyone can attend because we are not doing any of our confidential ceremonial work and usually there is a meal and a speaker or an entertainment or a community service thing and then we give our speeches and call it a day. There are some introductions, but a lot less and faster usually.

But a Reception style is the same as a Traditional Style except that a big chunk of the ceremonial opening, about twenty to twenty-five minutes of it, is cut out and you don't have to put out all the furniture.  Other than the set up and this hole in the opening ceremony, everything else is the same.  So why?  If you want to use the twenty minutes for a speaker or entertainment, why do it in the format of a closed meeting instead of Social Style.  And if the Ritual work is important to you, why not go ahead and do the full Traditional Style OV?  I cannot figure this one out.

Someone suggested to me that maybe the area wants to have a speaker or something, but also wants the event to be formal.  But that doesn't compute to me because you could have an evening Social OV with a formal dress code.  It is not often done, but there is not reason you couldn't do it.  And as we saw last year, you can (gasp - suck carpet - die from lack of oxygen) have a Traditional OV in a dress code less than formal and the walls of the Masonic Center will not cave in, really, really.  So I don't see dress code as having a controlling power on type of OV.

I have asked the two Districts to let me know why they want the twenty minute gap and what they plan to do with it, so we can see if this really is the right format for them or if it really ought to be something else.  We'll see how that comes out.

Next weekend, I am in Vallejo, Sacramento and Tracy.