How do you sum up the completion of a five year mission? And what comes next?
Star Trek never got that far in the original series, so they didn't have to explore what comes after. The Next Generation was smart enough to change its lead to a continuing mission and that turned out well because they went seven seasons.
But I always knew that this mission had a shelf life and a termination date and that is actually a good thing. There's nothing like a finish line to really get you sprinting.
I think that everyone else's expectations of the finish though, are more strange than the finish itself. Here's what I mean.
I got back from Grand Chapter exhausted, but I was expecting that. At least the drive is under three hours. We got all the cars (yes, plural) unloaded and everything mostly in the room of the house in which it belonged. I unpacked the suitcases and dress bags, stuck the multiple boxes of gifts in the craft room for later opening and cataloging, put the boxes of paper in the living room for unpacking and sorting, etc.
Then I started a list of the after tasks. It looked something like this:
Unpack gifts, catalog, write thank you notes.
Send thank you gifts as needed.
Send final thanks and e-mail address changes to GOs, DGMs, WMs.
Sort papers into keep for me, keep to use for GM (now AGC yay!), give to GM, trash.
Clean off calendar and set up for 2017 to give GM.
Sort and book up photos from year(s).
Mount pictures and quilt on wall in place of calendar and pin map.
Clean house - Clean house - Clean house!
Write Final Blog.
I would love to say that I am on the last step and everything else is done, but that would not quite be true. I did completely fill my recycling can with paper, which I have never managed before, so that I would be ready for tomorrow, when my GM will come to my house to get the calendar and pin map - yay some more! - and boxes and boxes and boxes and the all important flash drive with all my spread sheets, mail merge letters, databases, outlines, time lines, workshop sheets, etc., etc. The reinvention of the wheel just has to stop!
I hope to have plenty of time to do all those other things in the next couple of months, but as it happens, the November calendar seems to be filling up, which I confess I did not expect, and that is where what others thought would happen and what is happening aren't quite meshing for me.
I had heard plenty of stories about Past Grands who think that they're phone's been disconnected or their e-mail turned off because everything just STOPS! And it is true that my fifty e-mails a day have dropped to about five or ten, but five or ten is not zero. I had heard stories that no one wants you anymore when you are done, but November is filling up. It will be nice though to do just a FEW installations instead of two dozen. I had someone tell me that I should expect that no one would want to speak with me after Grand Installation was over, but I got stopped so many times trying to get out of there that my Worthy Grand Patron and I were probably among the last to leave. So what's up with that? I mean, I certainly don't mind and some stuff is better than both TONS of stuff or NO stuff, so I do really feel like I am getting into the sweet spot, but it is not what I was told to expect.
But maybe since I came at it from a different place, I have ended up in a different place. Before I got in the Grand Line, I used to get stopped and asked questions constantly at Grand Chapter because I was on, or Chair of, Jurisprudence and everyone always had questions. There were times that I would hide in friend's suites to get a few minutes to eat lunch. It got a lot worse after my mentor passed away because then I started getting her questions and my questions. But for some of my now fellow Past Grands, they weren't really in the question and answer loop before they went into the Grand Line so why would they be afterwards? Maybe we do get to go back to being who we were before, only with Grand Honors added and I am told that I get to sit behind the flag for a year, but can't fall asleep even though I have "cover." We'll see how that works.
I am also still wrestling a bit with what I want to do next. My medieval group has already put up a clamor for me. They knew that I was done this October and I understand that my name is already being passed around for two different Kingdom wide offices that want me. That would sort of be the moral equivalent to going back to being a state officer again - I was the SCA equivalent of Grand Treasurer for three years before I became Grand Warder back in 2007, and the offices for which I am being kicked around as a possible "volunteer" are that one and well, I guess the closest equivalent would be Grand Lecturer with a full cadre of Assistant Grand Lecturers. But I don't know any of the new people anymore, so maybe I can beg off for a while so that I can see and learn the new faces first. I have been warned though to be careful when I start attending events again. They say that you should never go to the bathroom while there is a discussion of needing someone to volunteer because you'll come back and find that you said yes - that's true in Chapters too, isn't it? :-)
I have also been suggested to become the state head of one of my business trade groups. That has some appeal too, since there are only quarterly meetings and four between meeting conference calls. However that all happens during work hours, so I would have to make up time. But I think I may do that since it would be a nice addition to my CV.
And of course there are still the residual obligations of being Worthy Grand Matron to get through. I have a dozen or so events on my calendar already, either to support my little sister who is now Worthy Grand Matron (Yay for her!!!) or to support those who served in my year. I've already got four GO and DGM receptions to attend for which I need to write remarks and am already starting to get questions and calls from Grand Representatives about my 2014 calendar, so there is all of that to do, along with all the support things for my Grand Marshal, who is now Associate Grand Conductress (yay some more!).
Summing it all up, I don't see that anything is really going to be QUIET! It does seem that it will be less busy and less rushed and I may even get back in the practice of going on a real vacation every year. That will be really nice! I am going on a little five day getaway in December, but next year, I want to go for a whole week without it being a road trip to attend Official Visits - Yay multiple times!
Thank you to everyone who came along on this journey with me. I hope that you have found this blog occasionally interesting, funny, informative or useful. I have enjoyed writing it and wish that I had been able to write as much this year as in previous years, but two full time jobs, the one that I am paid for and serving as Worthy Grand Matron, really does barely leave you time for sleeping, eating and showering, let alone much else. Now I have to try to remember what I used to do before all this started and put together another future. Wish me luck!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Loading Them Up, Moving Them Out
Fifty-one weeks done, one week left to make a difference.
Busy does not begin to describe how the last month or so has gone. We had our reception, with all its related events, and that was great! But most of the heavy lifting for that was done by others. My job was mostly to show up dressed, made up, hair and nails done, with a speech in hand. I managed that much. :-)
Then the next weekend was the revealing of the 2014 Grand Family. That was a little strange. For the past six years, I've known who the people were before I went into the event and this time I didn't, so you'd think that there would be more excitement involved in sitting there with the rest of the crowd, waiting to see who had been chosen. But much to my surprise, I found that it was really only of an academic interest to me.
To be sure, I am thrilled for the members who have been chosen and hope that they have as fabulous a year as I had when I was an appointive officer. On the other hand, from a personal perspective, I am not going to be traveling with this Grand Family. My time for choosing officers is over, so I was not eagerly awaiting the names of those chosen to see how many of the people I might have wanted were taken and had to come off my list. I could certainly enjoy the excitement of those chosen and the crowd watching, but it was a little more disconnected than it had been for the past six years. And I could tell that it was hard on my officers. They are, I am sure, very happy to know who is following them, but it also drives home to them that they are almost done and that is tough. I wish that I could make that transition easier for them, but I don't know any way to do that.
That weekend was a breeze, but the weekend after was more of a high stressor. We put on a welcome tea on the first day of the Grand Lodge of California's Annual Communication for all the ladies who were attending and since the event has never been done before, it sort of had to be created out of nothing. I had a fabulous Sister as the chair and she did trooper work getting the refreshments and place settings together, but she told me up front that vision is not her strongest suit, so imagining the event was my responsibility, also getting the door prizes, working out logistics and arranging table hostesses.
It was a total ton of work, but COMPLETELY worth it. The event came off incredibly well and the Grand Lodge Brethren were very happy and grateful. They've even asked us to do it again in the years to come. We served over 140 ladies and less than a third of them were already members. In fact, many of the ladies had heard of us, but never really spoken with any of us and many of their husband's lodges met at halls that no longer had Chapters so they were excited to find out about us. We had a fair number of them go to our booth the next day and we had our web site up and running to let them find Chapters closest to their home or work. I hope that we get a nice batch of petitions from the tea, but even without knowing how many we get, it was totally worthwhile for the goodwill it helped generate between our Grand Chapter and the Grand Lodge. Positive relations between us can only help all our Chapters and all our Lodges.
Once that was over though, my head had to get back into the game of getting ready for Grand Chapter. Writing my Worthy Grand Matron's report was tough - I think that it will be the longest speech that I have ever given at an Eastern Star event and the longest combined time that my Worthy Grand Patron and I have ever spent talking, since his report comes after mine. At Official Visits, we would do thank yous and each speak and the total time for that was usually around fifteen to twenty minutes. These two reports we are doing will probably go a collective forty-five minutes, but thirty or so of that is mine and he's only got ten or fifteen, if that much.
Looking back at other sessions though, I have to admit that a combined forty-five is not terrible. I've seen single reports that were that long before. I hope they find the material interesting. I cut out all the routine stuff and only included the important stuff, at least what I think is important. But for better or worse, it is written and the headers sent to the computer operator to prepare the slides.
Then I had to write the Farewell Address. In some ways, that one is worse because with the report, you know that you are reporting on your actions and your recommendations, so the subject matter is pretty well laid out. But for the Farewell, you know that you are going to do a bunch of thank yous, but then what comes after that and before "Farewell." It's the last meaningful message speech that I will probably ever give in this Order. After this, it will be remarks at people's receptions, which will be happy stuff about them, praise speeches when I present a gavel or act as a hostess or something like that, no real speaking opportunities where a viewpoint or message should be included. But by the same token, it is not a speech about what we are going to do, because I will be done after that, and it isn't a speech about what we did, because we do that in our reports. So what do you put in such a speech.
I don't know if the answer I came up with is the best one or even a good one, but again, for better or for worse, it is done and I hope it ends up meaning something to someone.
All that is left now is to shop and to pack and to go. A week from right now, I will be enjoying my last State Dinner and a week and day from right now, I will be going into the Arena to see my little Sister installed and a week and a day and four (five if I am really unlucky) hours from now, I will be the next Junior Past Grand Matron, at the end of a six year journey. But the Session should be the cherry on top of the magnificent cake that this year has been.
Next weekend I am done with this phase of my Eastern Star Life. I should have plenty of time to tell you about it when I come back and put a close to this saga of Fraternal Life on the Way Up.
Busy does not begin to describe how the last month or so has gone. We had our reception, with all its related events, and that was great! But most of the heavy lifting for that was done by others. My job was mostly to show up dressed, made up, hair and nails done, with a speech in hand. I managed that much. :-)
Then the next weekend was the revealing of the 2014 Grand Family. That was a little strange. For the past six years, I've known who the people were before I went into the event and this time I didn't, so you'd think that there would be more excitement involved in sitting there with the rest of the crowd, waiting to see who had been chosen. But much to my surprise, I found that it was really only of an academic interest to me.
To be sure, I am thrilled for the members who have been chosen and hope that they have as fabulous a year as I had when I was an appointive officer. On the other hand, from a personal perspective, I am not going to be traveling with this Grand Family. My time for choosing officers is over, so I was not eagerly awaiting the names of those chosen to see how many of the people I might have wanted were taken and had to come off my list. I could certainly enjoy the excitement of those chosen and the crowd watching, but it was a little more disconnected than it had been for the past six years. And I could tell that it was hard on my officers. They are, I am sure, very happy to know who is following them, but it also drives home to them that they are almost done and that is tough. I wish that I could make that transition easier for them, but I don't know any way to do that.
That weekend was a breeze, but the weekend after was more of a high stressor. We put on a welcome tea on the first day of the Grand Lodge of California's Annual Communication for all the ladies who were attending and since the event has never been done before, it sort of had to be created out of nothing. I had a fabulous Sister as the chair and she did trooper work getting the refreshments and place settings together, but she told me up front that vision is not her strongest suit, so imagining the event was my responsibility, also getting the door prizes, working out logistics and arranging table hostesses.
It was a total ton of work, but COMPLETELY worth it. The event came off incredibly well and the Grand Lodge Brethren were very happy and grateful. They've even asked us to do it again in the years to come. We served over 140 ladies and less than a third of them were already members. In fact, many of the ladies had heard of us, but never really spoken with any of us and many of their husband's lodges met at halls that no longer had Chapters so they were excited to find out about us. We had a fair number of them go to our booth the next day and we had our web site up and running to let them find Chapters closest to their home or work. I hope that we get a nice batch of petitions from the tea, but even without knowing how many we get, it was totally worthwhile for the goodwill it helped generate between our Grand Chapter and the Grand Lodge. Positive relations between us can only help all our Chapters and all our Lodges.
Once that was over though, my head had to get back into the game of getting ready for Grand Chapter. Writing my Worthy Grand Matron's report was tough - I think that it will be the longest speech that I have ever given at an Eastern Star event and the longest combined time that my Worthy Grand Patron and I have ever spent talking, since his report comes after mine. At Official Visits, we would do thank yous and each speak and the total time for that was usually around fifteen to twenty minutes. These two reports we are doing will probably go a collective forty-five minutes, but thirty or so of that is mine and he's only got ten or fifteen, if that much.
Looking back at other sessions though, I have to admit that a combined forty-five is not terrible. I've seen single reports that were that long before. I hope they find the material interesting. I cut out all the routine stuff and only included the important stuff, at least what I think is important. But for better or worse, it is written and the headers sent to the computer operator to prepare the slides.
Then I had to write the Farewell Address. In some ways, that one is worse because with the report, you know that you are reporting on your actions and your recommendations, so the subject matter is pretty well laid out. But for the Farewell, you know that you are going to do a bunch of thank yous, but then what comes after that and before "Farewell." It's the last meaningful message speech that I will probably ever give in this Order. After this, it will be remarks at people's receptions, which will be happy stuff about them, praise speeches when I present a gavel or act as a hostess or something like that, no real speaking opportunities where a viewpoint or message should be included. But by the same token, it is not a speech about what we are going to do, because I will be done after that, and it isn't a speech about what we did, because we do that in our reports. So what do you put in such a speech.
I don't know if the answer I came up with is the best one or even a good one, but again, for better or for worse, it is done and I hope it ends up meaning something to someone.
All that is left now is to shop and to pack and to go. A week from right now, I will be enjoying my last State Dinner and a week and day from right now, I will be going into the Arena to see my little Sister installed and a week and a day and four (five if I am really unlucky) hours from now, I will be the next Junior Past Grand Matron, at the end of a six year journey. But the Session should be the cherry on top of the magnificent cake that this year has been.
Next weekend I am done with this phase of my Eastern Star Life. I should have plenty of time to tell you about it when I come back and put a close to this saga of Fraternal Life on the Way Up.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Who Needs Kleenex?
Forty-four weeks down, eight weeks left to make a difference.
The weekend before last, we finished the last of our Official Visits, the Visit to Sacramento and the homecoming Visit to my own District. I am told that our remarks for that last weekend of official visits were very good and I was very happy to end those on a high note.
Someone asked me if it was sad or bittersweet to come to the end of the Official Visits and I said that actually there was a bit of a relief to it because I had made the commitment to write a new and different speech for each OV that was tied somewhat more or somewhat less to the theme of the Visit. Until they were over, I could never be sure if I was going to accomplish that goal, but now that we've had them all, I can look back and be pleased that I managed to do it. I also managed to do it enough prior to each visit to have the pages printed out and ready in my little white binder. It was close a couple of times and maybe once or twice I was printing the night before the OV, but at least I never had to search for a Kinko's on the day of the OV for which the speech had been written. So whew on that and something accomplished!
In fact, it was this past weekend that held the more bittersweet moment because this past weekend, we finished the last of the Grand Officer receptions saving only the one for me and my Worthy Grand Patron, which isn't for another four weeks. Usually our reception would be on the second weekend of September, but unfortunately, that weekend is Yom Kippur so it was completely impossible to put the reception there. So it is the third weekend in September instead.
Sitting in the East during the receptions for each of my Grand Officers was really awesome! I was completely thrilled for them - all of the receptions had great attendance; we almost ran out of chairs several times. I confess though, that I was also a little thrilled for me. Seeing all those people there for my Grand Officer told me that I had chosen well. I already knew that because of what a great job my Grand Family has been doing in terms of being with the members and working with the members, but it was very gratifying to see others acknowledging what great Sisters and Brothers I had chosen by their attendance at the receptions. I packed an extra purse pack of Kleenex to give to my Officers in case they forgot theirs, but no one warned me that I would need an extra pack for myself. I was so proud of them that I was crying too.
But that fun is over now and that is sad.
There's not much left in terms of events, but there's ever so much to do in the next eight weeks. We have events to attend for other Masonic bodies, but just our reception and Grand Chapter left from our own calendar. However, we have to finish getting the thousand and one gifts we need for this, that and the other thing. We have speeches and scripts to write. We have to make sure that everyone gets their session dresses and vests. We have to finish up the content for our web site and get it live (it really is happening! September 16- Yay!!!) I have to write the last month of thank you letters for the August OVs, etc., etc., etc. It would probably also be nice if I signed up for my State dinner, just so they know I am coming. :-)
So it will be a very busy eight weeks! I have been telling people that my foot has left the third base bag, I am pumping for home plate and hoping that I can make it standing up rather than sliding in head first.
This next weekend I am home, the one after that is our administration weekend, the one after that is Yom Kippur and the one after that is the reception - wow!
The weekend before last, we finished the last of our Official Visits, the Visit to Sacramento and the homecoming Visit to my own District. I am told that our remarks for that last weekend of official visits were very good and I was very happy to end those on a high note.
Someone asked me if it was sad or bittersweet to come to the end of the Official Visits and I said that actually there was a bit of a relief to it because I had made the commitment to write a new and different speech for each OV that was tied somewhat more or somewhat less to the theme of the Visit. Until they were over, I could never be sure if I was going to accomplish that goal, but now that we've had them all, I can look back and be pleased that I managed to do it. I also managed to do it enough prior to each visit to have the pages printed out and ready in my little white binder. It was close a couple of times and maybe once or twice I was printing the night before the OV, but at least I never had to search for a Kinko's on the day of the OV for which the speech had been written. So whew on that and something accomplished!
In fact, it was this past weekend that held the more bittersweet moment because this past weekend, we finished the last of the Grand Officer receptions saving only the one for me and my Worthy Grand Patron, which isn't for another four weeks. Usually our reception would be on the second weekend of September, but unfortunately, that weekend is Yom Kippur so it was completely impossible to put the reception there. So it is the third weekend in September instead.
Sitting in the East during the receptions for each of my Grand Officers was really awesome! I was completely thrilled for them - all of the receptions had great attendance; we almost ran out of chairs several times. I confess though, that I was also a little thrilled for me. Seeing all those people there for my Grand Officer told me that I had chosen well. I already knew that because of what a great job my Grand Family has been doing in terms of being with the members and working with the members, but it was very gratifying to see others acknowledging what great Sisters and Brothers I had chosen by their attendance at the receptions. I packed an extra purse pack of Kleenex to give to my Officers in case they forgot theirs, but no one warned me that I would need an extra pack for myself. I was so proud of them that I was crying too.
But that fun is over now and that is sad.
There's not much left in terms of events, but there's ever so much to do in the next eight weeks. We have events to attend for other Masonic bodies, but just our reception and Grand Chapter left from our own calendar. However, we have to finish getting the thousand and one gifts we need for this, that and the other thing. We have speeches and scripts to write. We have to make sure that everyone gets their session dresses and vests. We have to finish up the content for our web site and get it live (it really is happening! September 16- Yay!!!) I have to write the last month of thank you letters for the August OVs, etc., etc., etc. It would probably also be nice if I signed up for my State dinner, just so they know I am coming. :-)
So it will be a very busy eight weeks! I have been telling people that my foot has left the third base bag, I am pumping for home plate and hoping that I can make it standing up rather than sliding in head first.
This next weekend I am home, the one after that is our administration weekend, the one after that is Yom Kippur and the one after that is the reception - wow!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Beginning of the End
Thirty-nine weeks down, thirteen left to make a difference.
If this was a baseball game, my foot would be firmly stepping on third base as I round the corner headed for home plate. Just as in baseball, you start running faster as you round third because you'd really like to hit home plate standing up instead of sliding in. That's what I am hoping; that no sliding will be needed.
So now we are in the wrap up time of year. Everything that we meant to do is either finished or well underway, with the exception of those things that will be done at our Annual Session in October and the planning and set up for that is also well underway. Today I made what should be my last To Do list for the year. On it, I listed everything that I need to finish in that remaining thirteen weeks. I will look at it again tomorrow to see if I have forgotten anything.
At the moment, the list is two pages long and most of the items are big ones squeezed into one or two lines, like "Write Session Script". That one little line means about twenty-five to forty hours worth of work (four to six hours for each section of the Session, six sessions needing scripts). Some of the items have long lead times, like design, purchase and have manufactured WGM/WGP Youth Service Award medals, so they have to be in process now to have any chance of being ready in time. Some of them will take getting things from others and some I can do on my own, but all of them have to be done and thirteen weeks is what there is left to do them.
It is exciting to think about the upcoming session, but also sad to know that there are things that just won't get done and someone else will have to carry them forward, if they choose to do so. For example, I have come to realize that we desperately need a real Secretary/Treasurer's Handbook. The one we have is really a glossary and detail instructions, which should be the back of a real handbook, but the front pages, the ones that give step by step guides and decision making trees doesn't exist. Unfortunately, I came to this realization too late to appoint a special committee to do this, so if it is going to happen, those who come after will have to do it. It is not something that was on my list of things to do this year, so I don't feel too badly about not getting to it since my list was really pretty full and it looks like I will finish everything that I planned to do, Lord willing and the Crik don't rise, but there is still a realization that with thirteen weeks to go, I have to focus on doing what I planned to do and leave extras like this to the future.
We've had some of our Grand Officer receptions and I am so proud of my Officers. They've had a message in their remarks and I can tell by the attendance and enthusiasm that they've done a great job! We have four more in the next two weekends, which are connected by a week long northern run, so we have eleven events in nine days in a row. Wow! We'll have to make sure to include rest breaks and fun trips so we still all like each other when the nine days are over.
Next weekend we start in Rancho Cordova, hop up to Chico and then base in Redding, from which we will go to Weaverville, Chico, Quincy, Redding and Mt. Shasta, after which we will relocate to the coast and work our way down through Fortuna, Ukiah, Sebastopol and Healdsburg - Wow some more!
If this was a baseball game, my foot would be firmly stepping on third base as I round the corner headed for home plate. Just as in baseball, you start running faster as you round third because you'd really like to hit home plate standing up instead of sliding in. That's what I am hoping; that no sliding will be needed.
So now we are in the wrap up time of year. Everything that we meant to do is either finished or well underway, with the exception of those things that will be done at our Annual Session in October and the planning and set up for that is also well underway. Today I made what should be my last To Do list for the year. On it, I listed everything that I need to finish in that remaining thirteen weeks. I will look at it again tomorrow to see if I have forgotten anything.
At the moment, the list is two pages long and most of the items are big ones squeezed into one or two lines, like "Write Session Script". That one little line means about twenty-five to forty hours worth of work (four to six hours for each section of the Session, six sessions needing scripts). Some of the items have long lead times, like design, purchase and have manufactured WGM/WGP Youth Service Award medals, so they have to be in process now to have any chance of being ready in time. Some of them will take getting things from others and some I can do on my own, but all of them have to be done and thirteen weeks is what there is left to do them.
It is exciting to think about the upcoming session, but also sad to know that there are things that just won't get done and someone else will have to carry them forward, if they choose to do so. For example, I have come to realize that we desperately need a real Secretary/Treasurer's Handbook. The one we have is really a glossary and detail instructions, which should be the back of a real handbook, but the front pages, the ones that give step by step guides and decision making trees doesn't exist. Unfortunately, I came to this realization too late to appoint a special committee to do this, so if it is going to happen, those who come after will have to do it. It is not something that was on my list of things to do this year, so I don't feel too badly about not getting to it since my list was really pretty full and it looks like I will finish everything that I planned to do, Lord willing and the Crik don't rise, but there is still a realization that with thirteen weeks to go, I have to focus on doing what I planned to do and leave extras like this to the future.
We've had some of our Grand Officer receptions and I am so proud of my Officers. They've had a message in their remarks and I can tell by the attendance and enthusiasm that they've done a great job! We have four more in the next two weekends, which are connected by a week long northern run, so we have eleven events in nine days in a row. Wow! We'll have to make sure to include rest breaks and fun trips so we still all like each other when the nine days are over.
Next weekend we start in Rancho Cordova, hop up to Chico and then base in Redding, from which we will go to Weaverville, Chico, Quincy, Redding and Mt. Shasta, after which we will relocate to the coast and work our way down through Fortuna, Ukiah, Sebastopol and Healdsburg - Wow some more!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Calm Before The Storm
Thirty-three weeks down, nineteen left to make a difference.
I am finally climbing back out of the ocean and on to the surf board. My mother being ill in April completely killed me in terms of staying on top of everything. I lost almost four weeks of evenings and am just now back to where I should be, but it has taken six weeks of nightly work until 10:00 or 11:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, to get there. I am totally ready never to do that again!
But I've managed to catch up somehow thank goodness. My notes and letters are caught up. There's no speech to give this weekend at Oregon Grand Chapter - we just have to travel up there, eat without dropping food on our formals, smile a lot, and travel home. I am very much looking forward to the trip, especially since my longest time friend moved to Portland a couple of years ago and I haven't had a chance to see him and his wife since the move because of my travel schedule.
So we are going to fly up on Saturday, and the whole family is going to his house for lunch. Then we will go to Powell's - an absolute must for the bucket list of anyone who loves books! - and then we will drive on out to Pendleton. Getting there Saturday night will be much preferable to arriving on Sunday, as the Grand Family usually does, because we will have time to rest up and don't have to race into our rooms and out in our formals for the Sunday night banquet. And flying to Portland and driving from there is ten times better for me than trying to drive up there. I just don't have the stamina for it anymore. But it is often too foggy up there for me to fly myself, so I am stuck on a commercial flight and have to hope it is on time. Sigh!
I've also managed to catch up because the next sets of remarks I have to give are all fact messages and not inspirational messages since they are all for receptions and anniversaries. It is hard to believe, but we have finished the Official Visits in the South. We still have a dozen to do in the North, with most of them in our nine day northern loop trip, but the Southern OVs are finished. So we will go south the two weekends after Oregon for four receptions and a 100th, but those remarks are a lot easier to write. So that is a relief too.
And we've gotten the very last clothing selections made and out to everyone. The Deputies have their ordering information for their session/forever dress, which are supposed to all be ordered by June 24, and the Grand Pages' dress and vest information has gone out for them to get in their orders. With those items selected and out to everyone, at long last, I am out of clothes - yay! :-)
Of course, there's still tons to do. It is June and that means that I have had to write the session outlines for Grand Chapter and start a massive to do list because a lot of stuff for the session has long lead times so starting now is not too early and is not quite yet late. In another week or two, when I am comfortable that the outlines are right, I will start the scripts, but once the outlines are good to go, the scripts are not difficult. The only tough parts to write are my annual report for Thursday morning and my farewell address for Saturday morning. The rest is just, a la Mozart, scribbling and bibbling, bibbling and scribbling. :-) But there are lots of other hard parts, ten million things to buy and decisions to make. Sigh!
Since I am caught up, I am looking forward to attending my Chapter meeting this week. I haven't managed to attend one in the past four or five months and it will be nice to be there for once. I don't know if I will also manage it in July or August or September, but I hope so.
This weekend I am in Oregon and the following two weekends in the south for receptions.
I am finally climbing back out of the ocean and on to the surf board. My mother being ill in April completely killed me in terms of staying on top of everything. I lost almost four weeks of evenings and am just now back to where I should be, but it has taken six weeks of nightly work until 10:00 or 11:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, to get there. I am totally ready never to do that again!
But I've managed to catch up somehow thank goodness. My notes and letters are caught up. There's no speech to give this weekend at Oregon Grand Chapter - we just have to travel up there, eat without dropping food on our formals, smile a lot, and travel home. I am very much looking forward to the trip, especially since my longest time friend moved to Portland a couple of years ago and I haven't had a chance to see him and his wife since the move because of my travel schedule.
So we are going to fly up on Saturday, and the whole family is going to his house for lunch. Then we will go to Powell's - an absolute must for the bucket list of anyone who loves books! - and then we will drive on out to Pendleton. Getting there Saturday night will be much preferable to arriving on Sunday, as the Grand Family usually does, because we will have time to rest up and don't have to race into our rooms and out in our formals for the Sunday night banquet. And flying to Portland and driving from there is ten times better for me than trying to drive up there. I just don't have the stamina for it anymore. But it is often too foggy up there for me to fly myself, so I am stuck on a commercial flight and have to hope it is on time. Sigh!
I've also managed to catch up because the next sets of remarks I have to give are all fact messages and not inspirational messages since they are all for receptions and anniversaries. It is hard to believe, but we have finished the Official Visits in the South. We still have a dozen to do in the North, with most of them in our nine day northern loop trip, but the Southern OVs are finished. So we will go south the two weekends after Oregon for four receptions and a 100th, but those remarks are a lot easier to write. So that is a relief too.
And we've gotten the very last clothing selections made and out to everyone. The Deputies have their ordering information for their session/forever dress, which are supposed to all be ordered by June 24, and the Grand Pages' dress and vest information has gone out for them to get in their orders. With those items selected and out to everyone, at long last, I am out of clothes - yay! :-)
Of course, there's still tons to do. It is June and that means that I have had to write the session outlines for Grand Chapter and start a massive to do list because a lot of stuff for the session has long lead times so starting now is not too early and is not quite yet late. In another week or two, when I am comfortable that the outlines are right, I will start the scripts, but once the outlines are good to go, the scripts are not difficult. The only tough parts to write are my annual report for Thursday morning and my farewell address for Saturday morning. The rest is just, a la Mozart, scribbling and bibbling, bibbling and scribbling. :-) But there are lots of other hard parts, ten million things to buy and decisions to make. Sigh!
Since I am caught up, I am looking forward to attending my Chapter meeting this week. I haven't managed to attend one in the past four or five months and it will be nice to be there for once. I don't know if I will also manage it in July or August or September, but I hope so.
This weekend I am in Oregon and the following two weekends in the south for receptions.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Time Keeps on Slippin' Into the Future
Twenty-nine weeks down - Twenty-three left to make a difference.
The past two weeks have marked lots of turning points in the calendar and in the year.
We just finished our first nine-day tour, our Southern loop, from April 27 to May 5, two weekends and the whole week in the middle. When we started the tour, we had done fifteen Official Visits and now that the tour is over, we have fifteen left. We did seven during the tour, our swing group. We have only one weekend of OVs left for the south and we will do them the first weekend in June. That leaves a fair chunk of them for our northern loop, from July 27 to August 4, interspersed with some receptions here and there.
Our loop was great but exhausting! By the time we reached Sunday, I think that everyone was grateful that all we had that day was a breakfast and a long trip home! But the OVs were great! I can't count the number of members who came to me and my Worthy Grand Patron to say what a lovely and fun time they had at the Official Visit. Young and old, Sisters and Brothers, said that they loved the shorter format and the better Ritual work that they had seen. And having more time for refreshments and fellowship was great too! I received some lovely orchid corsages and some fun carrying pieces too.
The loop included our trip up to Independence for our visit to Eastern California. It was a lot of fun to take my Grand Family to the Lone Pine Film Museum and the Eastern California Museum. They are very cool and you just don't get out there to see them. Outside the Lone Pine Museum there is a monument that was set up in honor of some Shriners that donated items and funds to the museum and we took a picture around it. There were also some costume items that had square and compass elements and pendants, so that was all pretty cool!
The Eastern California Museum had some new exhibits and items going in and we got to see a Piute dance during our entertainment piece. There are a lot of legends and a lot of history in that region, but we never seem to hear or see it on this side of the mountains. It is a great place to visit, but what a drive!
We also had our Southern Grand Family/Member Fun Trip to the Reagan Library. After a tour, we ate lunch in the Air Force One Pavilion and took pictures of our group. We also got pictures of us getting on Air Force One. I found out that the President stands on the right, nearest the door with the Presidential Seal on it. The Worthy Grand Matron being the top dog, I got to stand on that side with my Patron on my left. Of course, that is where he belongs, so it felt very natural. :-)
Of course, seven Official Visits meant seven speeches to write, where I only usually have to do two or three, so that was also a challenge. I have been writing a new speech for every visit and trying to tailor them to the theme or the message that is relevant to the area. Fifteen more of those to go plus in June I start on reception remarks. Those are easier though, since we get to talk about a person and tell funny, but not too embarrassing stories. I just have to remind myself that however tempting it may be to tell some stories, what happened in the forest stays in the forest.
Next weekend I am in Auburn, Citrus Heights and Ione.
The past two weeks have marked lots of turning points in the calendar and in the year.
We just finished our first nine-day tour, our Southern loop, from April 27 to May 5, two weekends and the whole week in the middle. When we started the tour, we had done fifteen Official Visits and now that the tour is over, we have fifteen left. We did seven during the tour, our swing group. We have only one weekend of OVs left for the south and we will do them the first weekend in June. That leaves a fair chunk of them for our northern loop, from July 27 to August 4, interspersed with some receptions here and there.
Our loop was great but exhausting! By the time we reached Sunday, I think that everyone was grateful that all we had that day was a breakfast and a long trip home! But the OVs were great! I can't count the number of members who came to me and my Worthy Grand Patron to say what a lovely and fun time they had at the Official Visit. Young and old, Sisters and Brothers, said that they loved the shorter format and the better Ritual work that they had seen. And having more time for refreshments and fellowship was great too! I received some lovely orchid corsages and some fun carrying pieces too.
The loop included our trip up to Independence for our visit to Eastern California. It was a lot of fun to take my Grand Family to the Lone Pine Film Museum and the Eastern California Museum. They are very cool and you just don't get out there to see them. Outside the Lone Pine Museum there is a monument that was set up in honor of some Shriners that donated items and funds to the museum and we took a picture around it. There were also some costume items that had square and compass elements and pendants, so that was all pretty cool!
The Eastern California Museum had some new exhibits and items going in and we got to see a Piute dance during our entertainment piece. There are a lot of legends and a lot of history in that region, but we never seem to hear or see it on this side of the mountains. It is a great place to visit, but what a drive!
We also had our Southern Grand Family/Member Fun Trip to the Reagan Library. After a tour, we ate lunch in the Air Force One Pavilion and took pictures of our group. We also got pictures of us getting on Air Force One. I found out that the President stands on the right, nearest the door with the Presidential Seal on it. The Worthy Grand Matron being the top dog, I got to stand on that side with my Patron on my left. Of course, that is where he belongs, so it felt very natural. :-)
Of course, seven Official Visits meant seven speeches to write, where I only usually have to do two or three, so that was also a challenge. I have been writing a new speech for every visit and trying to tailor them to the theme or the message that is relevant to the area. Fifteen more of those to go plus in June I start on reception remarks. Those are easier though, since we get to talk about a person and tell funny, but not too embarrassing stories. I just have to remind myself that however tempting it may be to tell some stories, what happened in the forest stays in the forest.
Next weekend I am in Auburn, Citrus Heights and Ione.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Half Time
Half Time - Two Quarters Down - Two Quarters Left to Make A Difference
I have reached the halfway point of this incredible year as Worthy Grand Matron.
The first half of this last year ended with an unbelievable finale - the institution of a new Chapter in California. The last two times a new Chapter was instituted were 2006 and 2008. I was Grand Warder for 2008, but being Worthy Grand Matron for the Institution was a whole different ball game.
The room was completely packed and we had to cut off the reservations because we ran out of room for chairs. My Worthy Grand Patron performed the short ceremony of opening a Special Session of the Grand Chapter and then my truly amazing Grand Officers performed an inspiring Initiation ceremony for the eleven new initiates. You know that the Ritual work is incredible when members, who have heard the work many, many times before, get tears in their eyes as the lessons of the heroines of our Order are told. What can I say but Wow! I chose my appointive Grand Officers based not on their Ritual ability but based on their past service to the Order and their personality, their desire to serve, their heart. I suppose I should have guessed that such spirit would translate into their Ritual presentation, but I am so glad that it did. Everyone who attended got to see an Initiation done right!
Then we instituted the new Chapter, Wistaria Chapter Under Dispensation, in Turlock, and then my WGP and I installed all their officers. They did a little required business, passing bylaws, opening an bank account and getting a tax i.d. number, then they closed and we went to enjoy refreshments and good fellowship. What a long, rewarding day!
But at the halfway point, it is good, it seems to me, to pause for a moment and look back before turning again forward.
We've done all our Schools and Ritual Instruction for the members using our new lesson plans and methods. The responses to all of that were overwhelmingly positive and just outstanding.
We've done just about half of our Official Visits, again using our new formats. We've had a great many people praising our cut down of the Escort, getting the empty chairs out of the West and eliminating the bulk of introductions. People are no longer wondering if there is anyone left in the room besides the janitor who hasn't been introduced. And the programs we've seen so far at the Social OVs have been fun, informative, innovative or all three. I have received many kind compliments on my remarks too. I am a little happy that half the OV speech-writing is behind me though. Those things are hard to write!
We've had one of the two Chapter Anniversaries that will be celebrated this year, a 125th anniversary in San Diego. Those members know how to throw a party.
We've had one member fun event and it was so enjoyable that people are still talking about it. We've had some Association events and our astonishing Northern Festival for our Eastern Star Senior Living Community. The entertainment was fantastic and we raised $6,400 to be added to our Summer Festival money. My WGP and I are already discussing what we will do with the money for the benefit of our Residents and our Outreach program.
Okay, enough looking back - I am not very good at that anyway. Let's look forward.
We have all the Receptions for the Grand Officers ahead of us, starting at the end of June. More speeches, but they are easier to write because you can say fun and just slightly embarrassing things about the Grand Officers. Too bad I will have to edit out all the really good bits.
We have half the OVs yet to go, with a full week of them just ahead of us, starting tomorrow. I hope that they continue just as lovely and fun as the ones we've already had. I hope I keep being able to write decent speeches.
We have more Association events and another anniversary - this time a 100th anniversary. And of course our Summer Festival at our Home with a big dinner and entertainment night as the topper. We hope to raise twice as much between the booths and the dinner and another silent auction. Wouldn't it be great to hit a total of $20,000!?!
And of course, we end the year at our Grand Chapter Session, coming full circle to the place where it all started, on the very last day of this unforgettable year.
Yes, I would say that I am very fairly at halftime. But I believe that the best may be yet to come, as the future learns from the past.
This next week is a full nine-day trip, starting in Paso Robles, then Oxnard, Simi Valley, San Pedro, West Covina, Lone Pine, Independence, Rialto, Escondido, San Diego and Downey. I better work on packing.
I have reached the halfway point of this incredible year as Worthy Grand Matron.
The first half of this last year ended with an unbelievable finale - the institution of a new Chapter in California. The last two times a new Chapter was instituted were 2006 and 2008. I was Grand Warder for 2008, but being Worthy Grand Matron for the Institution was a whole different ball game.
The room was completely packed and we had to cut off the reservations because we ran out of room for chairs. My Worthy Grand Patron performed the short ceremony of opening a Special Session of the Grand Chapter and then my truly amazing Grand Officers performed an inspiring Initiation ceremony for the eleven new initiates. You know that the Ritual work is incredible when members, who have heard the work many, many times before, get tears in their eyes as the lessons of the heroines of our Order are told. What can I say but Wow! I chose my appointive Grand Officers based not on their Ritual ability but based on their past service to the Order and their personality, their desire to serve, their heart. I suppose I should have guessed that such spirit would translate into their Ritual presentation, but I am so glad that it did. Everyone who attended got to see an Initiation done right!
Then we instituted the new Chapter, Wistaria Chapter Under Dispensation, in Turlock, and then my WGP and I installed all their officers. They did a little required business, passing bylaws, opening an bank account and getting a tax i.d. number, then they closed and we went to enjoy refreshments and good fellowship. What a long, rewarding day!
But at the halfway point, it is good, it seems to me, to pause for a moment and look back before turning again forward.
We've done all our Schools and Ritual Instruction for the members using our new lesson plans and methods. The responses to all of that were overwhelmingly positive and just outstanding.
We've done just about half of our Official Visits, again using our new formats. We've had a great many people praising our cut down of the Escort, getting the empty chairs out of the West and eliminating the bulk of introductions. People are no longer wondering if there is anyone left in the room besides the janitor who hasn't been introduced. And the programs we've seen so far at the Social OVs have been fun, informative, innovative or all three. I have received many kind compliments on my remarks too. I am a little happy that half the OV speech-writing is behind me though. Those things are hard to write!
We've had one of the two Chapter Anniversaries that will be celebrated this year, a 125th anniversary in San Diego. Those members know how to throw a party.
We've had one member fun event and it was so enjoyable that people are still talking about it. We've had some Association events and our astonishing Northern Festival for our Eastern Star Senior Living Community. The entertainment was fantastic and we raised $6,400 to be added to our Summer Festival money. My WGP and I are already discussing what we will do with the money for the benefit of our Residents and our Outreach program.
Okay, enough looking back - I am not very good at that anyway. Let's look forward.
We have all the Receptions for the Grand Officers ahead of us, starting at the end of June. More speeches, but they are easier to write because you can say fun and just slightly embarrassing things about the Grand Officers. Too bad I will have to edit out all the really good bits.
We have half the OVs yet to go, with a full week of them just ahead of us, starting tomorrow. I hope that they continue just as lovely and fun as the ones we've already had. I hope I keep being able to write decent speeches.
We have more Association events and another anniversary - this time a 100th anniversary. And of course our Summer Festival at our Home with a big dinner and entertainment night as the topper. We hope to raise twice as much between the booths and the dinner and another silent auction. Wouldn't it be great to hit a total of $20,000!?!
And of course, we end the year at our Grand Chapter Session, coming full circle to the place where it all started, on the very last day of this unforgettable year.
Yes, I would say that I am very fairly at halftime. But I believe that the best may be yet to come, as the future learns from the past.
This next week is a full nine-day trip, starting in Paso Robles, then Oxnard, Simi Valley, San Pedro, West Covina, Lone Pine, Independence, Rialto, Escondido, San Diego and Downey. I better work on packing.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Sailing the Seven Seas
Twenty-four weeks down - Twenty-Eight to Make a Difference
This past weekend, we attended two more lovely Official Visits and had our first Grand Family/Member Fun Event - a two hour cruise of San Francisco Bay.
We put on our calendar to hold Grand Family/Member Fun Events, one in the North and one in the South, because we wanted to have a purely social event where the Grand Family and the members could come together to enjoy each others' company and have fun with no obligation on anyone's part to do any sort of formal program or remarks, just a fun time together. We are asking the Chapters to do this, to have social events that are not business meetings so since we try not to ask of others what we ourselves are not willing to do, we wanted to set a good example.
So this past weekend, after a Social Official Visit in Lodi, we drove to San Francisco, to board a chartered Red and White fleet boat for a Sunset Cruise. We had about ninety members join us and lots of good food. It was windy but the clouds were high, so the views were unimpaired as we sailed. There were great views from the bow, but if you didn't like the cold, you could see a lot from the enclosed interior through the big windows set in the walls. And of course all the food was on the inside too, so you had to go in for that. We chartered the Harbor Queen, which they say is a 150 person boat, but I figured out that boats, like tents and airplanes, are rated for people based on tiny people taking turns breathing, half in and half out, so having our ninety people was just right. Ten or twenty more would not have crowded us unduly, but the full 150 would have meant that you had to be careful where you walked. And of course, we had two sides of the buffet table, so that worked nicely too.
We left the dock and sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was setting. As we went under the bridge, it didn't look all that big, so we had to remind ourselves that it was very, very, very far above us and what looked like maybe two feet across was actually six lanes wide. So it was really, really far up there! Then we sailed back into the Bay and headed around Tiburon, with all the boats moored in the Marina. By the time we headed down the east side of the Bay towards the Bay Bridge, the new LED lights on the Bay Bridge had come on and we were able to watch the show. I had not had the chance to see these lights since they came on line because they can really only be seen well from the north looking south and I live on the south side of the bridge. They have all sorts of pictures and patterns that form by the lights turning on and off that make it look like clouds or birds moving across the bridge and all sorts of other things. They say that the variety programmed into the display is enough that it will not repeat during the whole night.
When we returned to the dock, my Worthy Grand Patron and I had a chance to say farewell and everyone said what a great time they had on the trip. It is one of those things that you live near, but never seem to do. Some of the members had gone on a day trip, to Alcatraz or something like that, but none of them had done the Sunset cruise. It was also nice that with a chartered boat, it was just us members and not a bunch of public people too - just a very large group of friends having a great evening together! I hope our Southern event at the end of the month is just as successful.
Next weekend we are very excited to be instituting a new Chapter in Turlock and the weekend after that we are attending joint Grand Lodge/Grand Chapter events in Disneyland and at an Anaheim Angels ballgame, followed by a breakfast in San Diego and an Official Visit in Yucaipa.
This past weekend, we attended two more lovely Official Visits and had our first Grand Family/Member Fun Event - a two hour cruise of San Francisco Bay.
We put on our calendar to hold Grand Family/Member Fun Events, one in the North and one in the South, because we wanted to have a purely social event where the Grand Family and the members could come together to enjoy each others' company and have fun with no obligation on anyone's part to do any sort of formal program or remarks, just a fun time together. We are asking the Chapters to do this, to have social events that are not business meetings so since we try not to ask of others what we ourselves are not willing to do, we wanted to set a good example.
So this past weekend, after a Social Official Visit in Lodi, we drove to San Francisco, to board a chartered Red and White fleet boat for a Sunset Cruise. We had about ninety members join us and lots of good food. It was windy but the clouds were high, so the views were unimpaired as we sailed. There were great views from the bow, but if you didn't like the cold, you could see a lot from the enclosed interior through the big windows set in the walls. And of course all the food was on the inside too, so you had to go in for that. We chartered the Harbor Queen, which they say is a 150 person boat, but I figured out that boats, like tents and airplanes, are rated for people based on tiny people taking turns breathing, half in and half out, so having our ninety people was just right. Ten or twenty more would not have crowded us unduly, but the full 150 would have meant that you had to be careful where you walked. And of course, we had two sides of the buffet table, so that worked nicely too.
We left the dock and sailed out under the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was setting. As we went under the bridge, it didn't look all that big, so we had to remind ourselves that it was very, very, very far above us and what looked like maybe two feet across was actually six lanes wide. So it was really, really far up there! Then we sailed back into the Bay and headed around Tiburon, with all the boats moored in the Marina. By the time we headed down the east side of the Bay towards the Bay Bridge, the new LED lights on the Bay Bridge had come on and we were able to watch the show. I had not had the chance to see these lights since they came on line because they can really only be seen well from the north looking south and I live on the south side of the bridge. They have all sorts of pictures and patterns that form by the lights turning on and off that make it look like clouds or birds moving across the bridge and all sorts of other things. They say that the variety programmed into the display is enough that it will not repeat during the whole night.
When we returned to the dock, my Worthy Grand Patron and I had a chance to say farewell and everyone said what a great time they had on the trip. It is one of those things that you live near, but never seem to do. Some of the members had gone on a day trip, to Alcatraz or something like that, but none of them had done the Sunset cruise. It was also nice that with a chartered boat, it was just us members and not a bunch of public people too - just a very large group of friends having a great evening together! I hope our Southern event at the end of the month is just as successful.
Next weekend we are very excited to be instituting a new Chapter in Turlock and the weekend after that we are attending joint Grand Lodge/Grand Chapter events in Disneyland and at an Anaheim Angels ballgame, followed by a breakfast in San Diego and an Official Visit in Yucaipa.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Memorable Moments
Twenty-two weeks down, thirty left to make a difference.
How is it, I continue to wonder, that each individual day can go so slowly and the weeks and months just fly by? I guess it depends on how busy you are and right now, that puts me at Warp 9!
We've had such a wonderful variety of events the past two weekends. We started with an Association event in a castle and moved on to an awesome Official Visit and a Chapter anniversary. Then we headed to two more Official Visits and wrapped up with a visit to Rainbow Grand Assembly. Wow!
I try very hard to remember each event as its own separate thing, but I am sure that the pictures that people are taking will help with that. Unfortunately, since my escort does not travel in the south very much (he's been working on Saturdays), I don't have a chance to get pictures of my own. But I am sure that the ones that others are taking will eventually find their way to me.
But even in a series of memorable events, there are moments that always stand out. One of those was in Lemoore, getting to sign the John L. Sullivan Bible. I got a bit teary, I admit. I think that signing the Bible is special because you can feel and appreciate the history of the thing. Here we have a Bible that for decades has collected the signatures of Masonic leaders and Presidents of the United States that were Masons. And now my Worthy Grand Patron and I get to be in it too.
I was surprised to learn that we haven't had a Masonic president since Gerald Ford though. I would have thought that someone later would have been a Brother. But apparently in the South, being a Mason is not a plus for a political life, so no more Brethren yet. I have no doubt though that when another one comes along, the Brothers from Central California will be contacting him to ask for his signature in the Sullivan Bible.
I got a lovely commemorative folder with the history of the Bible commemorating my signing and I will treasure that forever. It is one of those things that you see other people do and never really think that you are going to get a chance to do it until all of a sudden, there you are. I think my Worthy Grand Patron's wife was getting teary too and she was just watching. :-)
Another memorable moment was sitting at the Grand Assembly for Initiation. Each year, the Rainbow Grand Officers perform the Initiation ceremony at their Grand Assembly session, dedicated to the leaders of the adult orders that sponsor them. This year, we had eight new Sisters. You can tell looking at the girls which ones are excited about being initiated in this big auditorium in front of a thousand people and which ones are a little scared until they realize that it is really okay after all. We got to give the girls welcome gifts after the initiation was over.
I also had the pleasure of getting to say a few words at the Grand Assembly session and had a wonderful time getting to discuss the similarities and parallels between our two Orders, both part of the Family of Freemasonry. I hope that some of them will be inspired to become some of us when they turn eighteen.
This coming weekend is a weekend off to try to catch up on everything, then we swing into April with Official Visits in Lodi and San Francisco and our first Grand Family/Member Fun Event, a cruise of San Francisco Bay.
How is it, I continue to wonder, that each individual day can go so slowly and the weeks and months just fly by? I guess it depends on how busy you are and right now, that puts me at Warp 9!
We've had such a wonderful variety of events the past two weekends. We started with an Association event in a castle and moved on to an awesome Official Visit and a Chapter anniversary. Then we headed to two more Official Visits and wrapped up with a visit to Rainbow Grand Assembly. Wow!
I try very hard to remember each event as its own separate thing, but I am sure that the pictures that people are taking will help with that. Unfortunately, since my escort does not travel in the south very much (he's been working on Saturdays), I don't have a chance to get pictures of my own. But I am sure that the ones that others are taking will eventually find their way to me.
But even in a series of memorable events, there are moments that always stand out. One of those was in Lemoore, getting to sign the John L. Sullivan Bible. I got a bit teary, I admit. I think that signing the Bible is special because you can feel and appreciate the history of the thing. Here we have a Bible that for decades has collected the signatures of Masonic leaders and Presidents of the United States that were Masons. And now my Worthy Grand Patron and I get to be in it too.
I was surprised to learn that we haven't had a Masonic president since Gerald Ford though. I would have thought that someone later would have been a Brother. But apparently in the South, being a Mason is not a plus for a political life, so no more Brethren yet. I have no doubt though that when another one comes along, the Brothers from Central California will be contacting him to ask for his signature in the Sullivan Bible.
I got a lovely commemorative folder with the history of the Bible commemorating my signing and I will treasure that forever. It is one of those things that you see other people do and never really think that you are going to get a chance to do it until all of a sudden, there you are. I think my Worthy Grand Patron's wife was getting teary too and she was just watching. :-)
Another memorable moment was sitting at the Grand Assembly for Initiation. Each year, the Rainbow Grand Officers perform the Initiation ceremony at their Grand Assembly session, dedicated to the leaders of the adult orders that sponsor them. This year, we had eight new Sisters. You can tell looking at the girls which ones are excited about being initiated in this big auditorium in front of a thousand people and which ones are a little scared until they realize that it is really okay after all. We got to give the girls welcome gifts after the initiation was over.
I also had the pleasure of getting to say a few words at the Grand Assembly session and had a wonderful time getting to discuss the similarities and parallels between our two Orders, both part of the Family of Freemasonry. I hope that some of them will be inspired to become some of us when they turn eighteen.
This coming weekend is a weekend off to try to catch up on everything, then we swing into April with Official Visits in Lodi and San Francisco and our first Grand Family/Member Fun Event, a cruise of San Francisco Bay.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Zoos and Belly Dancers
Nineteen weeks down, thirty-three left to make a difference.
What a great weekend we had at the end of February! And March was off to a great start!
We attended one of the Leadership Training seminars, IMPACT 2013 Make a Difference Be Brave. Usually, these have been scheduled for the other side of the state from the travels of the Grand Family, but we try each year to make sure that there is one session where we can come together so that the Grand Family can attend. This year's theme was Managing Positive Change and we used the Who Moved My Cheese video as a base for the discussion. The team put together a program that was better than I could have envisioned, so a little serendipity for me. :-)
All the parts were well done, but I particularly liked their use of the local objectives in the strategic plan as a checklist so that members could see where their Chapters were doing well and where they had areas of improvement available. The checklist gave them a way to look at the overall picture and then pick one or two things to do now and maybe give them the base for forming a plan moving forward. It was uplifting to see the interest in the members in strategic planning and in working for the betterment of their Chapters.
Then we had our first ever Northern Festival for our Eastern Star Senior Living Community. We wanted to hold an event in the North because our annual Summer Festival in the south does not tend to attract attendees from the North any more. There was a time when it did, but it has not been so for over a decade. And sometimes our Northern members feel a little detached from the SLC, even though there are northern members living there and even though our Outreach program helps members throughout the state. So we thought that a fund raiser event would be a great thing to do. It was themed Persia in the Time of Queen Esther and the servers were dressed in tunics with headdresses, we had pilaf and kabobs and rosewater cupcakes to eat and the entertainment was belly dancers, good ones too. :-) We had a silent auction of baskets and took donations and made over $6,000 for our Residents and our Outreach program. We are going to add that to what we make at the Summer Festival and hopefully will have an impressive total to use for the benefit of our Home and Outreach.
The next day, we went to our Social Official Visit in Salinas. What a fun time! The theme was Zoo-Riffic OV and the trainer for Wild Things, who is building what will be the Monterey County Zoo came to tell us about his efforts and the animals he trains and supports. He and his trainers brought animals with them to show and tell us about. Because of the theme and the animal show, many members were encouraged to bring their families and the room was filled with kids who got to ooooh and aaaah over the beautiful animals. What was also exciting was that they had to set up extra tables and chairs because they expected only about 120 people, which is what they had been getting lately and then ended up with over 160. It was marvelous to have so many members attend and everyone had a really fun time.
Then we had a repeat of our overflow table problem (what a great problem to have) in Merced the following Saturday. They had to set up tables in an adjacent area. And that is in some ways even more impressive because there are only three Chapters in that district and the room was completely packed! We had to out one door and around and back in the other door to go through the buffet line and the drinks and desserts had to be put in the next room. Wow! The theme for that one was Medieval Spring Fair, with English Country Dancing. After a set piece, the dance master taught some of our more adventurous souls, including some of our Grand Family, a basic dance. I was not so brave, but it was fun to watch particularly because it was pretty, if they got it right, or funny, if they did not, so there was amusement all the way around.
Saturday night, we changed from our medieval clothes to our formals and had a lovely visit in Elk Grove. They had to put rows of chairs in both the South and North to accommodate all the attendees - more fun! The Ritual work was wonderfully done and as before, our new script had us in the dining room after an hour and a half, so everyone had more than an hour to socialize. We went to stand in the farewell line and nobody wanted to go, they were having such a good time.
We ended last weekend in Richmond, with another Social OV themed Believe in Magic. After lunch, the entertainment was a great magician who is a Past Master of one of the local lodges. When it got to my remarks, after his performance, I told him that his finest magic trick would be getting out of the room without being hit with a petition. He laughed, but I don't think he actually pulled it off. I think they got him. Of course, he was in the corner farthest from the door when I said it and he wasn't going to make it out. We again had record attendance. I am told that the poor cooks had to go back to the market for more food twice, having planned for about 150 and ending up at 200! They ran out of room for round tables and had to put a couple of rectangles on the side to get everyone seated. Luckily this OV was plated, so we didn't have to try to get through a buffet line. It is the most amazing problem ever and how exciting it was! Being packed in tight is a hundred times better than having disappointment because you threw a party and no one showed up - big time! I gave a bit of a humorous speech with a serious end message and it was very well received. Whew!
This coming weekend is administrative and I am going to Yorba Linda for meetings and a lunch with the Residents of our SLC . The weekend after that, we are going to enjoy the OrangeBelt event in Riverside, an Official Visit in San Diego and a 125th Chapter Anniversary.
What a great weekend we had at the end of February! And March was off to a great start!
We attended one of the Leadership Training seminars, IMPACT 2013 Make a Difference Be Brave. Usually, these have been scheduled for the other side of the state from the travels of the Grand Family, but we try each year to make sure that there is one session where we can come together so that the Grand Family can attend. This year's theme was Managing Positive Change and we used the Who Moved My Cheese video as a base for the discussion. The team put together a program that was better than I could have envisioned, so a little serendipity for me. :-)
All the parts were well done, but I particularly liked their use of the local objectives in the strategic plan as a checklist so that members could see where their Chapters were doing well and where they had areas of improvement available. The checklist gave them a way to look at the overall picture and then pick one or two things to do now and maybe give them the base for forming a plan moving forward. It was uplifting to see the interest in the members in strategic planning and in working for the betterment of their Chapters.
Then we had our first ever Northern Festival for our Eastern Star Senior Living Community. We wanted to hold an event in the North because our annual Summer Festival in the south does not tend to attract attendees from the North any more. There was a time when it did, but it has not been so for over a decade. And sometimes our Northern members feel a little detached from the SLC, even though there are northern members living there and even though our Outreach program helps members throughout the state. So we thought that a fund raiser event would be a great thing to do. It was themed Persia in the Time of Queen Esther and the servers were dressed in tunics with headdresses, we had pilaf and kabobs and rosewater cupcakes to eat and the entertainment was belly dancers, good ones too. :-) We had a silent auction of baskets and took donations and made over $6,000 for our Residents and our Outreach program. We are going to add that to what we make at the Summer Festival and hopefully will have an impressive total to use for the benefit of our Home and Outreach.
The next day, we went to our Social Official Visit in Salinas. What a fun time! The theme was Zoo-Riffic OV and the trainer for Wild Things, who is building what will be the Monterey County Zoo came to tell us about his efforts and the animals he trains and supports. He and his trainers brought animals with them to show and tell us about. Because of the theme and the animal show, many members were encouraged to bring their families and the room was filled with kids who got to ooooh and aaaah over the beautiful animals. What was also exciting was that they had to set up extra tables and chairs because they expected only about 120 people, which is what they had been getting lately and then ended up with over 160. It was marvelous to have so many members attend and everyone had a really fun time.
Then we had a repeat of our overflow table problem (what a great problem to have) in Merced the following Saturday. They had to set up tables in an adjacent area. And that is in some ways even more impressive because there are only three Chapters in that district and the room was completely packed! We had to out one door and around and back in the other door to go through the buffet line and the drinks and desserts had to be put in the next room. Wow! The theme for that one was Medieval Spring Fair, with English Country Dancing. After a set piece, the dance master taught some of our more adventurous souls, including some of our Grand Family, a basic dance. I was not so brave, but it was fun to watch particularly because it was pretty, if they got it right, or funny, if they did not, so there was amusement all the way around.
Saturday night, we changed from our medieval clothes to our formals and had a lovely visit in Elk Grove. They had to put rows of chairs in both the South and North to accommodate all the attendees - more fun! The Ritual work was wonderfully done and as before, our new script had us in the dining room after an hour and a half, so everyone had more than an hour to socialize. We went to stand in the farewell line and nobody wanted to go, they were having such a good time.
We ended last weekend in Richmond, with another Social OV themed Believe in Magic. After lunch, the entertainment was a great magician who is a Past Master of one of the local lodges. When it got to my remarks, after his performance, I told him that his finest magic trick would be getting out of the room without being hit with a petition. He laughed, but I don't think he actually pulled it off. I think they got him. Of course, he was in the corner farthest from the door when I said it and he wasn't going to make it out. We again had record attendance. I am told that the poor cooks had to go back to the market for more food twice, having planned for about 150 and ending up at 200! They ran out of room for round tables and had to put a couple of rectangles on the side to get everyone seated. Luckily this OV was plated, so we didn't have to try to get through a buffet line. It is the most amazing problem ever and how exciting it was! Being packed in tight is a hundred times better than having disappointment because you threw a party and no one showed up - big time! I gave a bit of a humorous speech with a serious end message and it was very well received. Whew!
This coming weekend is administrative and I am going to Yorba Linda for meetings and a lunch with the Residents of our SLC . The weekend after that, we are going to enjoy the OrangeBelt event in Riverside, an Official Visit in San Diego and a 125th Chapter Anniversary.
Friday, February 22, 2013
A Little Bit Different
Seventeen weeks down, thirty-five left to make a difference.
This past weekend, I attended the reception for the Grand Worthy Advisor for California Rainbow.
For me, there was a little bit of a stroll down memory lane involved because the event was held in Oakland at the Scottish Rite Center. The last time I was in that hall was for a Coronation event that my medieval group held there. It was very interesting being back up on that stage with the honored member. The only part that was new, and not necessarily good, was that they had set up spotlights on one side of the stage to shine down on the microphone and those darned things shined right in the eyes of everyone on the stage. When I got called on to do introductions, it was a good thing that I had memorized which of my officers and escorts were there and could just introduce them in protocol order, so it didn't matter the order in which they were sitting because you couldn't hardly see anything at all! I've never wanted so badly to be wearing sunglasses indoors at an event before.
Of course my memory of the hall was not perfect. I couldn't remember if the main floor was three or four and I confess that the parking lot was bigger than I remembered, but it still was far too small for all the attendees. Of course, the cool part for me is that I got saved a parking space, so one of my Grand Officers was happy to give me a ride since that meant that he could use my spot. The jury is still out on whether I would have gotten a ride otherwise, but since I always try to consider my Sisters and Brothers in the best light, I will choose to believe that he would have given me the ride anyway. And we had a lovely dinner afterwards, so that is good too.
It was also nice to be just visiting because going to a Rainbow function meant that I just got to sit in a chair and look pretty, wave when introduced, introduce a few people that I already know and sit down - no remarks and no worries about whether the program was going correctly or not. It was a nice change, but then I do like having the chance to give remarks some times, so all things in their proper place, I suppose.
It also provided an interesting contrast because there was a 180 shift from the weekend before. That previous weekend, we attended our first Official Visits in the South, a social one and a traditional one, and made our own Official Visit to our Senior Living Community. The social had a great program of musical entertainment with a tasty lunch and the traditional had a very fun theme of medieval romance. I wore one of my favorite medieval dresses and had a lovely dinner too. And when we made our Official Visit to the SLC, the Grand Officers got to perform their Ritual work for the residents, so I had to do all the traditional Worthy Matron duties. It was really nice though to be able to present fifty-year membership pins to two of our Residents. The ceremony is quite lovely and having the chance to honor these members was touching. So going from all that to "sit and look pretty" was a nice break, almost like a vacation. But of course, there is no rest for the wicked, I mean, weary, yes weary is what I meant! :-)
This weekend, we are excited to go to Mountain View for our IMPACT 2013 session put on by our Leadership Committee and our Northern Home Festival in Richmond and our Official Visit in Salinas.
This past weekend, I attended the reception for the Grand Worthy Advisor for California Rainbow.
For me, there was a little bit of a stroll down memory lane involved because the event was held in Oakland at the Scottish Rite Center. The last time I was in that hall was for a Coronation event that my medieval group held there. It was very interesting being back up on that stage with the honored member. The only part that was new, and not necessarily good, was that they had set up spotlights on one side of the stage to shine down on the microphone and those darned things shined right in the eyes of everyone on the stage. When I got called on to do introductions, it was a good thing that I had memorized which of my officers and escorts were there and could just introduce them in protocol order, so it didn't matter the order in which they were sitting because you couldn't hardly see anything at all! I've never wanted so badly to be wearing sunglasses indoors at an event before.
Of course my memory of the hall was not perfect. I couldn't remember if the main floor was three or four and I confess that the parking lot was bigger than I remembered, but it still was far too small for all the attendees. Of course, the cool part for me is that I got saved a parking space, so one of my Grand Officers was happy to give me a ride since that meant that he could use my spot. The jury is still out on whether I would have gotten a ride otherwise, but since I always try to consider my Sisters and Brothers in the best light, I will choose to believe that he would have given me the ride anyway. And we had a lovely dinner afterwards, so that is good too.
It was also nice to be just visiting because going to a Rainbow function meant that I just got to sit in a chair and look pretty, wave when introduced, introduce a few people that I already know and sit down - no remarks and no worries about whether the program was going correctly or not. It was a nice change, but then I do like having the chance to give remarks some times, so all things in their proper place, I suppose.
It also provided an interesting contrast because there was a 180 shift from the weekend before. That previous weekend, we attended our first Official Visits in the South, a social one and a traditional one, and made our own Official Visit to our Senior Living Community. The social had a great program of musical entertainment with a tasty lunch and the traditional had a very fun theme of medieval romance. I wore one of my favorite medieval dresses and had a lovely dinner too. And when we made our Official Visit to the SLC, the Grand Officers got to perform their Ritual work for the residents, so I had to do all the traditional Worthy Matron duties. It was really nice though to be able to present fifty-year membership pins to two of our Residents. The ceremony is quite lovely and having the chance to honor these members was touching. So going from all that to "sit and look pretty" was a nice break, almost like a vacation. But of course, there is no rest for the wicked, I mean, weary, yes weary is what I meant! :-)
This weekend, we are excited to go to Mountain View for our IMPACT 2013 session put on by our Leadership Committee and our Northern Home Festival in Richmond and our Official Visit in Salinas.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Meetingful
Fifteen weeks down, thirty-seven left to make a difference!
This past weekend was our meeting/administrative weekend and boy was there a lot of administering to do! I was never so grateful that we don't have ceremonial events on our admin weekends!
We started out with our usual Home Board meeting and that was fine, but at the same time that we were doing that, selected members of our Finance Committee were meeting with our pool of candidates to become our new Controller. As we had sent out in our February letter to our Chapters, our Controller is retiring as of April 30, so we want to get someone hired with good overlap to learn this very complicated job. I did try my very best not to be distracted during the Home Board meeting as I wondered how things were going in the initial interviews.
We got done with that meeting in time to have a working lunch start to our Finance Committee meeting. Just because we were doing interviewing didn't mean that the regular work of the committee could slide - oh no! There is lots of regular work to get done, including the start of our budget season. So we ate lunch at our Senior Living Community and got into our regular business.
I must digress here to say that I have eaten at our SLC a number of times and I have enjoyed my meals, but I confess that I like my salt (and my spices too), so sometimes all that healthy stuff makes me desire a salt shaker, preferably one with some nice garlic salt or herb salt in it. I know that the healthy stuff is better for me and I know that when you cook for a larger number, you have to tone down the spicy because some people like spices and some people HATE them, but I do like some salty flavor. My bad! At least I am not as bad as my escort, who add salt to things that I think are already too salty. He'll add salt to almost anything! Of course this is also a guy who eats his pineapple upside down cake by putting pats of butter on it and sticking it in the microwave so the butter melts into the cake, so what can I say? :-)
So I had a lovely lamb stew for lunch and we dug in for work. We ended up with three final candidates for afternoon interviews and interspersed those with the rest of our work. We still ended up adjourning for dinner and picking up the budget work after that back at the hotel. So we probably weren't "done done" until well into the night.
One day of this is tough enough, but wait, there was more! On Sunday morning, we had a speaker with our Home and Foundation Boards to discuss strategic planning issues. We want new five year strategic plans in place for both these Boards by this summer and that morning was the start of those discussions. So we sat in that for four hours, including another lunch. (This one was fried chicken - it was tasty, but still no salt shaker, darn it!). Then we had to have our Grand Line meeting. I confess that we were all pretty tired by then, so we did punt off to next month a few things, but we got most everything done that we still had energy to do and by then, the Superbowl had started.
That didn't turn out so good for my team, so the less said on that the better. However, I did learn how to get live sports streamed on my iPad so I was able to watch a fair bit of the game in the car on the way to the airport for my flight home. It takes a lot of battery, but it does work. It worked in the airport too and that is a good thing because the Burbank airport gets its free WiFi from ABC 7, so that is the only channel ever on the TVs in the terminal and the game was on CBS. Of course, God was toying with me because they had us board the plan with two minutes left in the game, which anyone who watched the game knows was the most critical time and once I was on the plane, I lost the WiFi feed, so I had to use my Blackberry to get the game page and there's no video on that. It automatically updates, but there I was, staring at a score and time board, waiting to see what would happen after each play. They took long enough boarding the plane though for me to know that my team had lost before I had to turn my phone off for taxiing. Sigh!
Next weekend we have our first Official Visits in the South and on President's Day weekend, we are going to the Grand Worthy Advisor's reception for Rainbow.
This past weekend was our meeting/administrative weekend and boy was there a lot of administering to do! I was never so grateful that we don't have ceremonial events on our admin weekends!
We started out with our usual Home Board meeting and that was fine, but at the same time that we were doing that, selected members of our Finance Committee were meeting with our pool of candidates to become our new Controller. As we had sent out in our February letter to our Chapters, our Controller is retiring as of April 30, so we want to get someone hired with good overlap to learn this very complicated job. I did try my very best not to be distracted during the Home Board meeting as I wondered how things were going in the initial interviews.
We got done with that meeting in time to have a working lunch start to our Finance Committee meeting. Just because we were doing interviewing didn't mean that the regular work of the committee could slide - oh no! There is lots of regular work to get done, including the start of our budget season. So we ate lunch at our Senior Living Community and got into our regular business.
I must digress here to say that I have eaten at our SLC a number of times and I have enjoyed my meals, but I confess that I like my salt (and my spices too), so sometimes all that healthy stuff makes me desire a salt shaker, preferably one with some nice garlic salt or herb salt in it. I know that the healthy stuff is better for me and I know that when you cook for a larger number, you have to tone down the spicy because some people like spices and some people HATE them, but I do like some salty flavor. My bad! At least I am not as bad as my escort, who add salt to things that I think are already too salty. He'll add salt to almost anything! Of course this is also a guy who eats his pineapple upside down cake by putting pats of butter on it and sticking it in the microwave so the butter melts into the cake, so what can I say? :-)
So I had a lovely lamb stew for lunch and we dug in for work. We ended up with three final candidates for afternoon interviews and interspersed those with the rest of our work. We still ended up adjourning for dinner and picking up the budget work after that back at the hotel. So we probably weren't "done done" until well into the night.
One day of this is tough enough, but wait, there was more! On Sunday morning, we had a speaker with our Home and Foundation Boards to discuss strategic planning issues. We want new five year strategic plans in place for both these Boards by this summer and that morning was the start of those discussions. So we sat in that for four hours, including another lunch. (This one was fried chicken - it was tasty, but still no salt shaker, darn it!). Then we had to have our Grand Line meeting. I confess that we were all pretty tired by then, so we did punt off to next month a few things, but we got most everything done that we still had energy to do and by then, the Superbowl had started.
That didn't turn out so good for my team, so the less said on that the better. However, I did learn how to get live sports streamed on my iPad so I was able to watch a fair bit of the game in the car on the way to the airport for my flight home. It takes a lot of battery, but it does work. It worked in the airport too and that is a good thing because the Burbank airport gets its free WiFi from ABC 7, so that is the only channel ever on the TVs in the terminal and the game was on CBS. Of course, God was toying with me because they had us board the plan with two minutes left in the game, which anyone who watched the game knows was the most critical time and once I was on the plane, I lost the WiFi feed, so I had to use my Blackberry to get the game page and there's no video on that. It automatically updates, but there I was, staring at a score and time board, waiting to see what would happen after each play. They took long enough boarding the plane though for me to know that my team had lost before I had to turn my phone off for taxiing. Sigh!
Next weekend we have our first Official Visits in the South and on President's Day weekend, we are going to the Grand Worthy Advisor's reception for Rainbow.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Very Official Visits
Thirteen weeks down (a whole quarter!), thirty-nine left to make a difference.
This past weekend were our first three Official Visits, two Social style with lunches and one evening Traditional with dessert afterwards. They were awesome!
The first one put on a youth program and different members of the youth groups did different presentations. One of the DeMolay members did a Native American dance that was really impressive. Probably tiring for someone my age, but he seemed effortless! Then one of the Rainbow girls gave the gavel lecture often used when the Worthy Advisor is presented with her gavel at Installation. She did it very well, with real feeling in her words. Then two of the Job's Daughters gave the Robe talk, which presents the traditions represented by the robes worn at their meetings. One of the girls gave the talk while the other showed the various bits being discussed. I could tell that they were nervous, but they did a great job!
I loved that the items in the buffet line had ingredients written on labels next to the trays. Boy did that save me! Some of the tuna sandwiches had olives in them, to which I am allergic, but with the labels, I was able to take some other ones that were yummy! It also helped me avoid the ham, which I am sure was delicious for someone else. And the berries they had - yum twice!
The drive from the afternoon to the evening event really showed the truth of some of our instructions to our Grand Officers. We had warned them, early and often, that sometimes the trip between events would not leave time for meals so they should always carry snacks in the car and not just sugar, but stuff like trail mix, peanut butter and crackers, jerky, etc., stuff that won't spoil but which provides a little substance beyond sweets. Well, we pulled in to the hotel at 5:45 pm and it takes about half an hour for an entire Grand Family to check in to a hotel, so that didn't leave a lot of time for the last people checking in to get much in the way of food because they also had to change clothes. I imagine that anyone who didn't take us seriously about the snack thing before will do so now. Sigh!
Anyway, we went to our first Traditional Official Visit in Fairfield and it was splendid! The hosts' welcome was hilarious and I was very grateful that I had done my funny speech earlier that day and had a serious one for that night because I would not have wanted to compete with those two great comedians! The poor greeters had to go after them, but they did a good job by not trying for the funny but going with a lovely overview of the area instead.
The officers chosen to do their ritual work did a great job and some of the officers really had great feeling in their recitations! And without all the changing of chairs and introducing every person in the room, we were done in the Chapter room right on time, at 1.5 hours. As a result, everyone went into the dining room for refreshments and we had a whole hour to visit with the members before people started getting tired and wanting to go home. Many members were delighted with the time and that we had so much more chance to visit with them. I have often seen Traditional OVs that go over two hours in the Chapter room and then a lot of members seem tired and just leave to go home instead of coming in for refreshments. It was really nice to get social time with everyone.
Now were have been going easy on our Grand Officers in that we haven't had any really early mornings yet. Both mornings, they didn't have to be in the lobby before 9:30 am. I hope they don't get too used to that because we are going to have a few really early mornings. I sort of tried to plan away from those though, since I am not an early bird. Hoot! Hoot!
Sunday we got to attend another Social OV with lunch. I had a lovely minestrone soup and my escort had a Polish chicken soup which was very interesting because it had cloves in it and usually we only put cloves in our soup when it is a game bird so that was a nice novelty for him. The program was about the partnership between the Scottish Rite Language Clinic and the University of the Pacific that provides free therapy to children with language disorders. It was inspirational to see how the Masonic Family is contributing in that community.
Next weekend, we have our second of the two Deputy Brush Up Schools, this one in San Marino.
This past weekend were our first three Official Visits, two Social style with lunches and one evening Traditional with dessert afterwards. They were awesome!
The first one put on a youth program and different members of the youth groups did different presentations. One of the DeMolay members did a Native American dance that was really impressive. Probably tiring for someone my age, but he seemed effortless! Then one of the Rainbow girls gave the gavel lecture often used when the Worthy Advisor is presented with her gavel at Installation. She did it very well, with real feeling in her words. Then two of the Job's Daughters gave the Robe talk, which presents the traditions represented by the robes worn at their meetings. One of the girls gave the talk while the other showed the various bits being discussed. I could tell that they were nervous, but they did a great job!
I loved that the items in the buffet line had ingredients written on labels next to the trays. Boy did that save me! Some of the tuna sandwiches had olives in them, to which I am allergic, but with the labels, I was able to take some other ones that were yummy! It also helped me avoid the ham, which I am sure was delicious for someone else. And the berries they had - yum twice!
The drive from the afternoon to the evening event really showed the truth of some of our instructions to our Grand Officers. We had warned them, early and often, that sometimes the trip between events would not leave time for meals so they should always carry snacks in the car and not just sugar, but stuff like trail mix, peanut butter and crackers, jerky, etc., stuff that won't spoil but which provides a little substance beyond sweets. Well, we pulled in to the hotel at 5:45 pm and it takes about half an hour for an entire Grand Family to check in to a hotel, so that didn't leave a lot of time for the last people checking in to get much in the way of food because they also had to change clothes. I imagine that anyone who didn't take us seriously about the snack thing before will do so now. Sigh!
Anyway, we went to our first Traditional Official Visit in Fairfield and it was splendid! The hosts' welcome was hilarious and I was very grateful that I had done my funny speech earlier that day and had a serious one for that night because I would not have wanted to compete with those two great comedians! The poor greeters had to go after them, but they did a good job by not trying for the funny but going with a lovely overview of the area instead.
The officers chosen to do their ritual work did a great job and some of the officers really had great feeling in their recitations! And without all the changing of chairs and introducing every person in the room, we were done in the Chapter room right on time, at 1.5 hours. As a result, everyone went into the dining room for refreshments and we had a whole hour to visit with the members before people started getting tired and wanting to go home. Many members were delighted with the time and that we had so much more chance to visit with them. I have often seen Traditional OVs that go over two hours in the Chapter room and then a lot of members seem tired and just leave to go home instead of coming in for refreshments. It was really nice to get social time with everyone.
Now were have been going easy on our Grand Officers in that we haven't had any really early mornings yet. Both mornings, they didn't have to be in the lobby before 9:30 am. I hope they don't get too used to that because we are going to have a few really early mornings. I sort of tried to plan away from those though, since I am not an early bird. Hoot! Hoot!
Sunday we got to attend another Social OV with lunch. I had a lovely minestrone soup and my escort had a Polish chicken soup which was very interesting because it had cloves in it and usually we only put cloves in our soup when it is a game bird so that was a nice novelty for him. The program was about the partnership between the Scottish Rite Language Clinic and the University of the Pacific that provides free therapy to children with language disorders. It was inspirational to see how the Masonic Family is contributing in that community.
Next weekend, we have our second of the two Deputy Brush Up Schools, this one in San Marino.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Charity Begins At Home
Eleven weeks down, forty-one left to make a difference.
This past weekend was all about meetings. Now in my work, I sometimes have meetings, but not too often. My Worthy Grand Patron, on the other hand, is used to days in a row packed with meetings, so I think it is easier for him.
Of course I am always reminding myself about the scene in the West Wing (loved the early seasons of that show!) when one of the ladies says something and it percolates up through the ranks and the next thing she knows, her idea is going to happen and she is confused and is told that we play with live ammunition here. There's also a scene where the President says that if he opens his mouth, the result will be seen on Wall Street and that he is a human starting gun. Sometimes it feels that way a little bit and I have learned that there is no such thing as idle speculation when the Worthy Grand Matron says it, so be careful! :-)
We are very excited about a new plan for charitable giving to increase awareness of our charities and hopefully our giving. We are going to hire a Director of Charitable Giving to work with both our Home and our Foundation. We've had people in the past who served in this role on a part time basis, but to get real results, you need a real, full time person. So we are going to set some milestones and performance standards and give it a try. We should be advertising the job soon and hope we get some great applicants. I have my fingers crossed and my toes too.
This week has also been spent on ramping up for our Deputy Schools coming up this weekend and in two weeks. There is so much to learn and teach and so little time it seems to cover everything. I have no doubt that we will run into late nights again.
And of course, I still have a day job that I would like to keep. Good thing that sleep is optional. Unfortunately, cutting the candle in half so I can burn four ends doesn't help me watch my food or my weight, so I really need to get a handle on that before none of my clothes fit as we start our Official Visits. I am starting to get flyers for those and they look really awesome! We have lots of fun events coming up too! That will be nice because the all meetings all the time part is necessary, but not so fun.
This weekend, we have our Northern Deputy Brush Up School in Palo Alto.
This past weekend was all about meetings. Now in my work, I sometimes have meetings, but not too often. My Worthy Grand Patron, on the other hand, is used to days in a row packed with meetings, so I think it is easier for him.
Of course I am always reminding myself about the scene in the West Wing (loved the early seasons of that show!) when one of the ladies says something and it percolates up through the ranks and the next thing she knows, her idea is going to happen and she is confused and is told that we play with live ammunition here. There's also a scene where the President says that if he opens his mouth, the result will be seen on Wall Street and that he is a human starting gun. Sometimes it feels that way a little bit and I have learned that there is no such thing as idle speculation when the Worthy Grand Matron says it, so be careful! :-)
We are very excited about a new plan for charitable giving to increase awareness of our charities and hopefully our giving. We are going to hire a Director of Charitable Giving to work with both our Home and our Foundation. We've had people in the past who served in this role on a part time basis, but to get real results, you need a real, full time person. So we are going to set some milestones and performance standards and give it a try. We should be advertising the job soon and hope we get some great applicants. I have my fingers crossed and my toes too.
This week has also been spent on ramping up for our Deputy Schools coming up this weekend and in two weeks. There is so much to learn and teach and so little time it seems to cover everything. I have no doubt that we will run into late nights again.
And of course, I still have a day job that I would like to keep. Good thing that sleep is optional. Unfortunately, cutting the candle in half so I can burn four ends doesn't help me watch my food or my weight, so I really need to get a handle on that before none of my clothes fit as we start our Official Visits. I am starting to get flyers for those and they look really awesome! We have lots of fun events coming up too! That will be nice because the all meetings all the time part is necessary, but not so fun.
This weekend, we have our Northern Deputy Brush Up School in Palo Alto.
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