July 2025:
Is Your Lodge Ready for Prospects?
First off, congratulations to everyone who participated in last month’s #WeAreMasons social media challenge. The results of that three-week campaign are in, and they look great: More than 500 hashtag mentions, 27,000 likes, and a reach of 3.4 million users. This year’s effort generated our most engagement to date. As a result, more than 150 prospects reached out to us to inquire about membership.
Old West Lodge is proud to debut a revamped and vibrant Trestleboard. From heartfelt messages from the East, West, and South to a beautifully organized calendar, announcements, and events! Press and hold to read.
#OWLTrestleboard
#OWL813
#OldWestLodge
#MasonsOfCA
#IAmAMason
#masoniclodge
#WeAreMasons
Most Worshipful Brother and Past Potentate Michael Lopez is warmly greeted by Imperial Potentate Richard Burke during the 2025 Imperial Session in Atlanta. He was present as part of the Grand Masters’ contingent invited to attend this prestigious event.
We remain committed to strengthening the bonds of brotherhood between our Grand Lodge and Shriners International.
#shrinersinternational #WeAreMasons #hawaiifreemasons
RWB Jason Gorney taking his obligation as a District Deputy in his open Installation! Hear him & RWB Shawn Smith on Episode 114: The Deputies!
www.TravelingManPodcast.com
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#WeAreMasons #podcast #freemason #freemasonry #2b1ask1 #masonic #bluelodge #mastermason #square #compass #squareandcompass #UGLE #podcasting #grandlodgeofohio #grandlodge #travelingman #brotherlylove #freemasonsofamerica #brother #yorkrite #princehall #eastpalestine417 #chapter #commandary #shriner #grotto #selfie #mason #scottishrite #freemasons
#WeAreMasons: Let’s show the world what Masonry looks like in action! Now through June 13, post a photo of your lodge in action using the hashtag #WeAreMasons—whether you’re volunteering, attending a ballgame, or supporting a local cause. Let’s spotlight the impact we make together!
Our 2025 installation of officers.
#CaliforniaFreemason #californiafreemasons #Freemasons #freemasonry #WeAreMasons
This past weekend, the brothers of Old West Lodge No. 813 had the honor of visiting the Masonic Homes of California in Union City.
We received a warm welcome and an inspiring tour of the beautiful facility, learning about the compassionate care and incredible support provided to our Masonic family. From the state-of-the-art facilities to the serene grounds, it was a reminder of the profound legacy and brotherhood we are all part of. Thank you to the staff and residents who shared their stories and hospitality with us.
#OWLTrestleboard
#OWL813
#OldWestLodge
#MasonsOfCA
#IAmAMason
#masoniclodge
#WeAreMasons
Congratulations to Bro. Mark and Bro. Robert on being initiated! Welcome to the craft.
#OWLTrestleboard
#OWL813
#OldWestLodge
#MasonsOfCA
#IAmAMason
#masoniclodge
#WeAreMasons
🎉 West Kent Freemasons Proudly Represented at the Mayor of Bexley Parade! 🎉
We were honoured to attend and be warmly welcomed at the Mayor of Bexley Parade this weekend. It was a fantastic day filled with community spirit, celebration, and unity — and West Kent Freemasons were proud to be part of it!
🤝 Our presence at events like these highlights the importance of community engagement, one of the core values of Freemasonry. We believe in building stronger, more connected communities through service, support, and shared celebration.
A huge thank you to the Mayor of Bexley and all the organisers for a wonderful event. We look forward to continuing our work in the community and supporting local initiatives that bring people together.
#WestKentFreemasons #CommunityMatters #BexleyParade #FreemasonryInAction #ProudToServe #weareopen #FreemasonryCares #WeAreMasons
That last point is key, because beginning this month, the Grand Lodge will be running its third annual awareness campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and—for the first time, LinkedIn. As current members, you aren’t being asked to do anything for this effort, and in fact you may not even encounter it on social media. However, it’s important to know that it’s running for 10 weeks through September, because in years past, this program has led to more than 3,000 new prospects entering the system. That, in turn, led to the greatest number of applications to lodges in a decade.
All of which means it’s once again shaping up to be a busy season for local lodges.
How can lodges prepare for a crush of inquiries? Here are a few key steps.
- Appoint a Lodge Prospect Manager: Last year, the Grand Lodge introduced this new lodge officer position, to be appointed by a lodge’s prospect committee chair. They are responsible for managing all inquiries in iMember, reaching out to prospects, maintaining communication with them, providing monthly prospect reports to the executive committee, leading efforts to convert prospects into applicants, and more. For more on this position, review the Prospect Manager Association report here.
- Review Best Practices: Michael Roberts, the Grand Lodge manager of membership and lodge development, has established a series of best practices for reaching out to and maintaining connection with lodge prospects. Among them: Don’t rely on one communication channel. An email is easy to miss; a voicemail may go unchecked. Make sure you’re reaching prospects where they are, whether that’s text, WhatsAapp, or even snail mail.
- 1-2-3-4-5: Remember the “Take 5” method. One prospect should have two hosts at the lodge, who should welcome the prospect to three get-to-know-you meetings, which should be followed by invitations to a minimum of four lodge events. The whole process should take five months.
Register today for one of the upcoming Grand Lodge-led training sessions for the new iMember Accounting system. Get trained this summer! As of December 31, Intacct will begin charging a $10,000 fee for lodges and halls still on the platform. Members of the Grand Lodge Finance team will lead these free, online webinars to help get you started. This new system is made by and for Masons—and it’s entirely free.
Here's what you can expect:
- Simplified Accounting for Everyone: With an intuitive, member-friendly interface, you don’t need to be a finance expert to manage your lodge’s books.
- No More Double Entry: The system integrates directly with iMember’s online payments, meaning dues payments automatically appear.
- Improved Transparency and Access: More lodge officers can now access real-time financial reports, increasing visibility and collaboration.
- Significant Cost Savings: The new iMember Accounting System is free to lodges and hall associations. Starting next year, lodges that stay with Intacct will have to pay market rates—up to $10,000 per entity.
Register now for the upcoming training sessions on Monday, July 28 (11:30 a.m.) and Thursday, July 31 (6 p.m.).
A remarkable aspect of “lodge life” is that it is intergenerational. For many, intergenerational interactions are limited to their work lives and time spent with their immediate families. Yet, in lodge life, it is normal to spend hours of one’s free time each week with folks of different generations.
I was lucky to join my home lodge in 2002. Men from the Baby Boomer generation through the Greatest Generation attended meetings then. As I confronted the challenges of my life through the years, those men would share their perspectives with me. As part of that intergenerational exchange, we (the then-younger men) would share how our challenges with particular milestones were different. My favorite example of this is when, at table lodge, I asked a Silent Generation brother how many diapers he had changed in his whole life, and then asked our newest member how many diapers he had changed just that week. These types of exchanges allowed us to better understand each other. We could discuss, for example, the principles of fatherhood, and then learn how those principles manifested in our respective acts of fatherhood (with many of the differences being largely dependent on the happenstance of one’s birth year).
This intergenerational dialogue is profoundly different when it is between Masons because they regard each other as brothers. A man of an older generation is my brother just as a man of a younger generation is my brother. At lodge, intergenerational dialogue is a form of peer learning, except that one’s peers are not defined by age but by the obligation to follow the craft’s principles. Because we are “on the level,” advice from a brother (regardless of his age) becomes whispered counsel from a good friend who only wants the best for me; and I am grateful for it.
—David Ferreira, Grand Chaplian
Use this content to spread the word about resources provided by the California Masonic Foundation, the Masonic Homes of California, and more.
Masonic Health Services:
Services at MCYAF Across the Lifespan
The Pavilion at the Masonic Homes
Masonic Homes of California Resources
Masonic Philanthropy:
July Officers' Checklist
Stay on track of lodge business and prepare for important deadlines. Here’s your July checklist.
Senior Warden, along with Executive Committee
- Identify and approach members for 2025 open elected and appointed officer positions.
- Identify and approach members for the 2025 Audit, Membership Retention, and any other committees.
- Set calendar for 2026 and identify event leaders.
- Continue preparing 2026 budget.
- Set installation date and approach installing officer, master of ceremonies, and chaplain.
- Review all candidates’ progress towards advancement.
- Introduce and vote on the Membership Restoration Campaign at a stated meeting to invite suspended members back into the fold.
Junior Warden
- Continue tracking 100 percent officer giving to the Annual Fund, with officers setting an example through gifts that represent their capability as well as their commitment to our charitable programs.
- Introduce and vote on the Membership Restoration Campaign at a stated meeting to invite suspended members back into the fold.
Secretary
- Begin preparing semi-annual report of membership activity, due in August.
- Introduce and vote on the Membership Restoration Campaign at a stated meeting to invite suspended members back into the fold.
Treasurer
- If your lodge has employees, file quarterly federal payroll tax form 941 (unless IRS has approved an annual filing of form 944, due in February),Â
- If your lodge has employees, file quarterly state payroll tax form DE9/DE9C and deposit form DE88.
- Using the Paychex Payroll system? Paychex will complete and file the above quarterly payroll tax returns for you. Make sure to process your payroll in the Paychex Payroll system on a monthly/regular basis.
- Begin preparing semi-annual financial report, due in August. Still using Intacct? The report is available and auto-generated from the Intacct system. Make sure your financial transactions are recorded in Intacct and your bank accounts are reconciled. If you need assistance to update your financial records in Intacct, contact Financial Services at (415) 292-9170 or financialservices@freemason.org.Â
Hall Association
- Begin preparing semi-annual report, due in August.
Questions? Contact Member Services at memberservices@freemason.org or (415) 776-7000.
Last month, we asked whether your lodge was prepared to handle incoming prospects. Of those who replied,
- Yes - 87%
- No - 13%
- Reasons - No welcoming/prospect committee, prospect manager, trouble scheduling degrees, very few active members, of those many are up in age
