September 2024:
Installation Season is Coming!

ASSEMBLE YOUR TEAM: No two lodges seem to do it exactly the same way, but in general, it’s up to the outgoing master to consult with the incoming master on planning the next year’s officers’ installation, from scheduling to picking a venue, ordering food or other entertainment, and finalizing costs (typically covered in the outgoing master’s annual budget). “It’s really a team effort,” says Tony Albright, a longtime secretary at Chula Vista No. 626. “All the officers should play a part.” That said, the precise division of labor tends to be different from one lodge to another; some lean on their entertainment committees to help plan the event. Meanwhile, at California No. 1, longtime officers’ coach Barry Gwin jokes that, “For us, it’s not a democracy—it’s a benevolent dictatorship. The master is in charge.”  In any case, make sure everyone involved knows what’s expected of them.

GET READY: Beginning in August, most lodges should be in “advanced stations,” meaning officers should start occupying the chairs they intend to fill in the coming year for rehearsals or degrees. By October, candidates for officers’ positions should have been qualified by a district inspector. (And if they haven’t yet, get on it!) Once elections come in early November, you’ll want to dive right into rehearsals for the installation. “You don’t want to wait until the last minute,” says Gwin, who’s also a past master of California No. 1. That said, don’t be afraid to push someone into the deep end if they express an interest in lodge leadership. Allowing members to practice for and fill in at different stations during the degrees gives them a chance to get qualified for those chairs and perhaps give them a push to jump into lodge leadership. It also keeps things fresh and interesting.

INVOLVE FAMILIES: So much of what happens in lodge is not open to the public. Officers’ installations are one of the major exceptions, so make sure members know they’re a family-friendly affair. By involving members’ wives or partners, you’ll underscore that point. At William Rhodes Hervey No. 767 in Los Angeles, current master Rex Cabado says it’s common for the wives of members to help decorate the lodge hall in preparation for installation, which not only brings families into the mix, but also helps bring down the cost of what can be a fairly large and complex event. That night also serves as a dress rehearsal and celebration.

MAKE IT A PARTY: It shouldn’t be the only big event your lodge puts on, but an officers’ installation is a great opportunity to bring outsiders into the hall and give them a peek into what Freemasonry is all about. For instance, last year’s installation at Sons of the Desert No. 226 in San Mateo doubled as that lodge’s 150th anniversary celebration. Then-incoming (and current) master Oleskii Chuiko invited the town’s mayor, several members of city council, and other fraternal organizations like the Elks and Rotary to attend the event, which saw attendance blow well past his venue’s capacity. (The mayor wrote him a three-page handwritten letter of thanks afterward, he says.) That, in turn, has helped the lodge build important relationships locally. “An installation is such a great opportunity to showcase who we are and what we do in the community,” Chuiko says. “When we work together, we can do so much more for our communities.”