The Leader
June 2020: Videoconference Gatherings for Lodges

“Everyone knows the best degree is the one that takes place in the parking lot after lodge,” says James Morgan, master of Big Bear Lodge No. 617. “Talking, sharing, and learning from each other—that’s what Freemasonry is about, right?”

With that in mind, it’s no wonder Big Bear Lodge has been so successful during the shelter-in-place order. Even while apart, members of the lodge have tapped into the essence of those impromptu, unofficial-style gatherings and figured out how to recreate that feeling online. Both in terms of keeping members feeling connected to the lodge—and, even more crucially, for keeping prospects in the loop—they’ve hit on a formula that translates well online.

In April, Morgan and his officers initiated what has become a weekly videoconference gathering. They’re clearly not the only ones taking to Zoom, as lodges up and down the state have waded into these digital waters for various kinds of meetups. What sets Big Bear Lodge apart is the format and the guest list for its meetings.

The video discussions are Socratic in nature—questions are posed by a moderator, and attendees offer their answers as a way to draw out ideas. Among the recent topics are, “Has being a Mason made you a better man?” And, “What will it look like when we are finally allowed to reopen?” Lodge members also invite prospects, both from their own lodge and, increasingly, from other nearby lodges who are interested in learning more about the fraternity and getting to know the Masons they hope to become bonded to.

The format closely aligns with the sort of frank, candid parking-lot conversation that lodge leaders had hoped to recreate. “For candidates to hear Masons talk about the fraternity from their perspective is way more powerful than any discussion you could have over coffee in the lodge,” says Garrett Bergthold, a tiler for the lodge and its de-facto marketing guru.

In many ways, there’s nothing new about these types of chats. In fact, many lodges included discussion groups as part of their monthly meetings. Since the pandemic, however, there seems to be a greater interest in such virtual parking-lot chats. Four weeks into their weekly Zoom gatherings and Big Bear Lodge has attracted the attention of several nearby lodges. The latest discussion saw more than 30 brothers from seven different lodges attend—from as close as Rim of the World Lodge No. 711 in Twin Peaks to as far as Havre Lodge No. 55 in Montana, where a former Big Bear member had recently moved.

This is the technology at its best and simplest: a tool for bringing people together, regardless of distance.