Greetings from the Grand Secretary

Grand Lodge of Washington Social Media Guidelines

The Grand Lodge of Washington recognizes that the use of social media has grown exponentially in recent years and has a goal of supporting the appropriate, regular and extensive use of these communication media. Many Brethren regularly connect by social media platforms. Remember members of the general public as well as the Masonic Fraternity are reading your posts online. As Masons, we must be mindful that our individual postings not only reflect our own individual character but reflect on Freemasonry across the Grand Jurisdiction, our nation, and the world at large.  We must be aware that our postings are a permanent record; therefore, our conduct with a positive or negative post may influence the world opinion about not only the author, but the organizations to which he belongs.
 
For example, posting a comment related to the Fraternity and then later posting a separate, disparaging comment about a social or political stance can easily be misconstrued by readers that your stance is representative of Masonry and all Masons.
 
Ultimately, because you are a Mason, your actions online should promote the highest standards of civility, morality and integrity. A Mason is always a Mason and should always conduct himself as a Mason in all of his interactions regardless of whether those interactions are in person, or through social media.  This includes compliance with the Washington Masonic Code and all of your obligations.
 
Social Media Guidelines:

1. A Mason:

• Should conduct himself with the same courtesy on social media as he would in front of the general public;
• Should never use disparaging comments, obscene, vulgar, etc. when posting; including, but not limited to, graphics, photographs, video and audio recordings which may be referred to in your posts;
• Must never post “ritual” or “tiled” information;
• Should not use social media to obtain personal advantage in promoting political, religious or business activities by targeting other Masons; and
• Should not use social media to contact other Grand Jurisdictions unless you are also a member of that Grand Jurisdiction. Remember, all inter-jurisdictional communication is to be conducted by and between Grand Secretaries.

2. Masonic pages are to be supportive of the organization and its members, promote upcoming events, discuss past events, video sharing and discussion of times of fellowship and promotion of Masonic bodies.

3. A Lodge maintaining a social media page or platform should always ensure a minimum of two (2) officers have all necessary usernames and passwords and are established “administrators” of said page or platform.

4. The Washington Masonic Code prohibits certain actions including:

• Discussion or other sharing of information regarding an application, background or investigation of an applicant for the Degrees of Masonry or
• Disclosure of how a Brother balloted on a candidate.

5. Brother-to-Brother intervention should be the first course of action if something improper has been posted.

 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Grand Secretary, at (253) 272-3263 or at grandsecretary@freemason-wa.org.

From the Desk of Clinton M. Brown, Jr., Grand Secretary

This will likely be the last article that I write until after Annual Communication.  The Grand Lodge office is busy getting ready for the 162^nd Annual Communication in Bremerton, Washington.  Please be patient with the staff over the next month and a half.  They are all hard at work on the Annual Communication and it may take us a little longer to respond to your requests.  I also want to thank you for the confidence you have shown in me as the Grand Secretary for the Grand Lodge of Washington.  I am truly humbled and honored to serve the Brethren of the Craft. 

V⸫W⸫ Clayton LaVigne joined us in July 2018.  I have thrown a lot of tasks at Clayton and he has accepted every task assigned and done a great job with each.  V⸫W⸫ Clayton, R⸫W⸫ Don Campbell and I have met and together we have decided that VW Clayton is ready to take on the mantle of Assistant Grand Secretary.  R⸫W⸫ Don has served our Grand Jurisdiction as Assistant Grand Secretary for many years.   Don is a wealth of knowledge and has been a tremendous asset to the Fraternity.  However, he is not interested in travelling all over the state when the Grand Secretary can’t attend a Grand Lodge function and he is not interested in becoming Grand Secretary. Together we have agreed that V⸫W⸫ Clayton will be in the office two days a week and R⸫W⸫ Don will continue to work as Assistant to the Grand Secretary one day a week.

I want to remind you of several things about the Annual Communication.  First, there are rooms still available at the Fairfield Inn in Bremerton.  We continue to receive phone calls that there are no rooms left.   Please call the local number for the Fairfield Inn and not the national reservation line.

Second, the Washington Masonic Code states that the first order of business after the Grand Master’s message and the Grand Secretary’s report will be the carry-over resolutions from the prior year.  This year, we have three carry over resolutions.  They are: 1) the resolution to provide the optional use of additional language in the Apron lecture; 2) the resolution to make the Legislative Task Force, a Standing Committee of the Grand Lodge; and 3) the resolution to allow Washington Masonic Charities to conduct annual appeals.   These three resolutions will be considered on Friday morning.
  
The election for the next Junior Grand Warden and the other elected offices for the ensuing year will occur immediately following lunch on Saturday afternoon.  Whoever is elected as junior Grand Warden will be the Grand Master in four years.  This is your opportunity to shape the future of the craft.  So, stick around on Saturday and offer congratulations to our newly elected Junior Grand Warden.

The following Brethren are eligible to vote at the Annual Communication per the Washington Masonic Code: 1) Past Masters of Chartered Lodges of this Grand Jurisdiction, while members therein; 2) Masters and Wardens, or their duly appointed proxies, of the Chartered and duly constituted Lodges of this Jurisdiction; and 3) Members of Lodges of this Jurisdiction who are Past Masters of any other Jurisdiction which is in fraternal communication with the Grand Lodge of Washington.  If you are a Past Master, you must attend in person to vote.  There are no proxies for Past Masters. Only Master and Wardens can give someone their proxy.  Masters and Wardens can give their proxy to any member of their Lodge who is a Master Mason in good standing of that Lodge.  However, the proxy must be filled out and signed by the Master or Warden who executes the proxy and must be presented when you check in at the Annual Communication.  Any Master Mason is welcome to attend Grand Lodge, but unless he meets one of the above criteria or is in possession of a proxy, he will not be able to vote. 

Finally, in order to register (and vote) at Grand Lodge, you must bring your current dues card and any proxies which you may be holding.   Paper aprons will be provided at the annual communication, but you are also welcome to bring your own.  You will receive a voting fob when you check in, but remember to turn them in on Saturday when the voting is done or else you will be charged a $100 replacement fee. I look forward to seeing all of you there. 

Fraternally,
Clinton M. Brown, Jr.
Grand Secretary

Wow! We're getting pretty close to the Annual Communication! As I type this, it's only 50 days away, less than two months. If you're the Lodge secretary, or one of the Principal Officers, remember that there is paperwork that you need to fill out, including your proxy if you can't attend. And, if you're a Past Master, you also need to register. You'll find the deadlines elsewhere in this publication.

Over the past several years, I've sent out numerous E-mails, agendas, and articles, informing the Brethren of upcoming business and events, providing some education, and other things. One of the key things that has helped me improve in my writing skills is feedback. It's great to know that the Brethren are not only reading your documents, but also giving additional input for your next message, correcting any errors in your content, or just simply a thank you for keeping your Brethren informed. The same thing applies when you make a speech or a presentation before a Lodge or another group of people. The more feedback you get, the more you learn, and the more you develop your skills.
 
Over the last several months, I've received feedback not only up here at the office, but in the Lodges that I visit. It's been really helpful, and I appreciate all of you who have taken the time to let me know what's on your mind. I have been able to convey a lot of this input to other members of our Grand Lodge Team, and it has helped them with their duties as well.
 
I encourage you to contact the Brethren who have written articles in the Tribune, this publication, and your District and Lodge Trestleboards and Newsletters. It can be discouraging when a Lodge Secretary or a District representative sends out articles on a regular basis but gets no response. If you let them know you appreciate the correspondence, I guarantee it will be encouraging to the writer. I remember when a Past Master in Southwest Washington sent out Monthly announcement newsletters via E-mail, and many of the Lodge's secretaries actually printed them out and read them at their stated meetings. It sadly came to an end when this Brother passed away, but I also know first-hand that it doesn't have to be permanent. A couple of years ago, I began sending out announcement E-mails, just on a whim, and within a few weeks, I received several thank-yous from the Brethren, and shortly after that, I heard one of my E-mails being read in a Lodge meeting under Correspondence. It was truly encouraging to see that an idea works. It's unlikely I would have continued if I hadn't received any response from the Brothers in my area.
 
The same thing applies to those who come to give speeches and presentations in your Lodges. You'd be surprised how much even a simple Thank You note means to someone who comes to your Lodge to educate its members!
 
Feedback is important. When you read the articles in the Tribune, Lodge Trestleboards and other publications, or someone gives a presentation in your Lodge or District function, please consider sending an E-mail to the authors or presenters and let them know you appreciate their efforts. The small amount of time it takes will be well worth it!
 
VWB Clayton M. M. La Vigne
Assistant to the Grand Secretary