Brother ,
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Hiram’s Call newsletter by the Masonic Renewal Committee (MRC). This newsletter is specifically sent to the Grand Secretaries of the Conference of Grand Secretaries in North America, MRC Representatives from the Grand Lodges of the Conference of Grand Masters in Masons in North America, and MRC Core Committee members.

We extend a warm welcome! While our newsletter primarily focuses on the work of the MRC, our overarching goal is to provide valuable information and programming that enriches the Masonic experience and supports Membership Development and Retention. In addition, we aim to share updates from other affiliated groups such as the Masonic Service Association, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Masonic Children’s Foundation, and the Civility Project, ensuring that our content remains concise yet addresses the needs of our busy brethren. If we have detailed information to share, we will provide links to our website or other relevant sources.

We hope that these newsletters will inspire and inform you.

Thank you, Brother!

Featured Essay

Toolboxes, etc. for Lodges and the Masonic Bodies

Chibu Uson, PGM, Manitoba
Member of the Core Committee of the MRC

I am sure that a good number of you are members of some Masonic Body, some of which have a “toolbox”, library, etc. for membership development, retention, mentoring, Masonic information, etc. Here is a short list which will hopefully start you off. Some of the websites will require you to register to access the page. I encourage you to then visit the listed page and the other pages in the website.

Masonic Renewal Committee library – www.masonicrenewal.org
Iowa Masonic Library and Museums – https://grandlodgeofiowa.org/library-2/
Scottish Rite, NMJ – https://scottishritenmj.org/best-practices and https://www.srmml.org/library-archives/
Scottish Rite, SJ – https://scottishrite.org/media-publications/scottish-rite-journal/
DeMolay International – https://beademolay.org/resources/
Knights Templar of the USA – https://knightstemplar.org/KnightTemplar/archive/
Masonic Service Association, Short Talk Bulletin – https://shorttalkbulletin.com/

And then there are the Masonic blogs. Here are links to the more popular ones:

freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com
midnightfreemasons.org
freemasoninformation.com
themagpiemason.blogspot.com
scottishrite.org
nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com
dr-david-harrison.com
secularfreemason.blogspot.com
toddecreason.blogspot.com
travelingtemplar.com

It is said that “anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty”. As Freemasons, we are seekers of more light (knowledge). When I was a “young” Freemason, I had a mentor who suggested that I read a portion of our ritual book every day, ask questions, look for answers, research and share the search and love for knowledge. I have been trying to do so since. I have learned a lot and know that I have more to learn. More knowledge leads to more questions which then lead to more learning. The internet has a wealth of materials as may the libraries of your Lodge and Grand Lodge.

Share your Masonic knowledge. You can start a Lodge book club or a Lodge Study Club, if your Lodge does not have one. You can also write articles for your Lodge newsletter or for your Grand Lodge magazine or other Masonic Bodies’ publications.Present masonic education pieces at your Lodge meetings. Ask the Brethren to make similar presentations. That might get them started in researching or at least looking for interesting articles to present. It is not rocket science but can lead to a lot of very interesting topics and ideas.

MRC Engage Conference

Our May 10th ZOOM conference featured a presentation by Brother Ed Stolze, Imperial Chief Rabban of Shriners International, on the Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership. CLICK HERE or click on the imahe belowto watch now.

Not Just a Man, A Mason.

Is your Gand Lodge harnessing the power of the “Not Just A Man” campaign by the Supreme Council, AASR, NMJ? CLICK HERE or the image below to explore the website for a wealth of resources including images, copy & videos

Congrats to Shriners!

Congrats to Shriner’s International on a very successful Imperial Session in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this month, and a special shout out to our own Core Committee member Brother Ed Stolze on being elected Imperial Potentate!

Masonic education not only helps retain members, it helps a man a integrate Masonry into his daily life. CLICK HERE to check out the Master Craftsman Online College for complete courses on Masonic education.

Masonic Membership Dashboard

The Masonic Renewal Committee is working on an exciting new project called the Masonic Membership Dashboard. This new dashboard is a compilation of the membership metrics that are contained in the Grand Secretary’s Report (in the jurisdiction’s Annual Communication). We have compiled 100 years of membership data for seven jurisdictions so far — and we are currently working with other jurisdictions to continue building out this tremendous resource. Our hope is that this dashboard will help Grand Lodge’s improve understanding of their membership metrics, historical trends, and impacts that programs have on their members.

If you would like to have your jurisdiction participate in this endeavor, please reach out to the Masonic Renewal Committee and we will put you in contact with the appropriate resource. For more information on this project — click here!