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Grand Master ANNUAL ADDRESS of the GRAND MASTER ARTHUR L. BORLAND The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Oregon Masonic Year 2016-2017 One Hundred and Sixty-Seventh Annual Communication June 1 & 2, 2017 BEND, OREGON Reports received prior to the Grand Lodge Session, which are printed in this booklet, are all for your review. Those reports which do not require adoption by the delegates assembled will not be read and may be found on pages 27-69. The Grand Master has ordered that all reports printed in this booklet be received. Those reports requiring action by the Grand Lodge will be presented for discussion and adoption or rejection and can be found on pages 70-74. Arthur L. Borland GRAND MASTER 2016-2017 Page 1 2016-2017 GRAND MASTER’S ADDRESS - June 1, 2017 To the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Oregon Brethren: Welcome to the 167th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Oregon. The Grand Lodge Officers, District Deputies, Committeemen and I are honored to have you here today. I personally thank you for attending our session. I am grateful to each of you for allowing me to serve as Grand Master during the 2016-2017 Masonic year. As outlined in Section 107.6 of the Oregon Masonic Code, among the duties of the Grand Master is, “To present at each Annual Communication a written address, setting forth his official acts, the general condition of Masonry within this Jurisdiction, and to make such recommendations as he may deem necessary.” OFFICIAL ACTS A list of By-Laws approved, Dispensations granted, Edicts and Proxies issued, Rulings and other decisions made are included in the following pages. Please read them, and see how Masonry is working in Oregon. SPECIAL ACTS The Grand Lodge Officers and I had the distinct pleasure of attending a building rededication ceremony for Tuality Lodge No. 6. The city of Hillsboro hosted the rededication ceremony for the historic building, whose interior had been damaged by a fire. The Grand Lodge Officers performed the corn, oil and wine ceremony, and a plaque was presented to commemorate the occasion. The Grand Orator also spoke of the history of Tuality Lodge and the city of Hillsboro. We were honored to participate in the 150-year anniversary ceremony of Umatilla Lodge No. 40 in Echo. Our Grand Orator explained that the building, originally constructed in Umatilla, was moved to the city of Echo some years later. The Grand Lodge Officers performed the corn, wine and oil ceremony to celebrate this milestone. Throughout the Masonic year, I was pleased to help present several Hiram Awards and 50, 60 and 70-year Jewels to members of our Jurisdiction. These presentations were special as they represent many years of dedication to Masonry. My congratulations to the recipients. The Grand Lodge organized three Masonic Colleges in Portland, Page 2 2016-2017 Medford and Bend. A session was planned in La Grande, but was canceled due to low interest. The Masonic Colleges gave the Grand Lodge Officers an opportunity to practice their Ritual by opening and closing an Occasional Grand Lodge. Those who attended the training agreed the subjects taught were beneficial and needed. My thanks to the trainers and those who organized the classes. We also held a Blue Lodge Training on March 18 in Portland, Bend, Salem, Medford, North Bend and Baker City. This one-day training was specifically aimed at covering the Basic School of Instruction, providing a time when members could read for their proficiencies. The training included videos on conflict resolution, bridging the generation gap, a basic Robert’s Rules of Order and an introduction to the new Grand View membership database. This was our first attempt at video training, and we hope to expand on it in the future. Yearly, the Grand Lodge Trustees and Grand Secretary attend the Conference of Grand Masters of North America (CGMNA) and the Western Conference of Grand Masters. Held in Omaha, Neb. in mid- February, the Grand Lodge of Oregon was blessed to have played a major role in preparing for this year’s conferences. M.W.B. Don Stapleton, I.P.G.M. was the coordinator for the Western Conference of Grand Masters which includes Jurisdictions from Alaska, Oregon, California, Hawaii and British Columbia and Yukon. R.W.B. Ronald J. Eggers, Junior Grand Warden, spoke at the conference and his message was well-received. Thank you both for your support. I was asked to be on the Planning Committee for CGMNA along with several other seated Grand Masters. We determined the structure of the conference and topics to be presented. R.W.B. James L. Morgan, Senior Grand Warden, headed a forum which discussed ways to guard the West Gate by applying background checks for candidates. It was a great forum well-received by all Jurisdictions. Thank you, R.W.B. Jim. CONDITION OF FREEMASONRY IN THIS GRAND JURISDICTION Masonry is the oldest fraternal organization in the world with its roots reaching back some 4,000 years. Since the establishment of the first Grand Lodge of Freemasonry in England in 1717, Masonry has spread across the face of the world. The lessons we have been taught, from the working tools used in the building of King Solomon’s Temple, have become the core values of who we are and define us as a Fraternity, worldwide. Page 3 2016-2017 The world has watched as Masonry grew and changed over the years. Our traditions and lessons have changed with time, and our sheer numbers have both increased and decreased over the years, but our core values have never changed. We base our strengths on our deep beliefs in Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Since the 1960s, Masonry throughout the world has been decreasing in numbers. In the early 1960s, Masonry in Oregon had a membership of nearly 48,000. Today, that number hovers around 7,000 active Master Masons. However, this decline is not limited to Freemasonry. The Odd Fellows, Elks Lodges, Rotary International, churches and other civic organizations have lost members in similar proportions. There seems to be a fundamental change in the need of people to belong to something. This could be due to television, movies, sporting events, working longer hours, greater commutes or other factors. Whatever the reason, we must become more innovative in telling our story and attracting new members. Innovative methods are being used in several Lodges in Oregon with, what seems to be, a great deal of success. Although there is no one solution for all Lodges, a few basic steps seem to bring a degree of success. To begin with, each potential candidate should be asked to attend several Lodge functions prior to being given a petition. This allows him to meet members of the Lodge and gives the members an opportunity to help determine his character. Next, a mentor should be assigned to the candidate to help answer any questions and to help him understand the meaning of Masonry. This step may take several months. Following, a petition is only given once he has satisfied the Lodge and is worthy of membership and will be a good match. Additionally, the Lodge performs a thorough background check and contacts each reference. Finally, once his petition is received, the Lodge will assign a mentor to be with him until he is raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason and even afterward. Lodges that follow these basic steps are guarding the West Gate well and making strong and sustainable Masons for our future. Although our membership is declining, it is at a slower rate than in the past. It is expected we will see an increase in overall membership within the next few years. This can be hastened by Lodges reaching out to Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft Masons who have not advanced, encouraging them to come back to the Lodge. We must give them a reason to return. We must ensure our Lodge meetings are more than reading the minutes and paying bills, but also enjoyable and informative. Page 4 2016-2017 This can be done by asking each officer or member to provide an educational program during the year or by having family dinners during the month. Lodges that plan trips and events, keep members and their wives more interested. There can also be growth if the Lodge takes interest in supporting our youth groups and Grand Lodge programs. Lodges, officers and members need to keep the Lodge active, visible and vital to the community. We must become or continue to be relevant to ourselves, our members and our community. Today, there are a total of 107 Lodges in our Jurisdiction. This number has decreased for several reasons, but it seems to have stabilized. One reason for our decreasing numbers is our geography and diverse economy. During the time when Masonry was growing, Oregon’s economy was rural-based and dependent upon timber, fishing and farming. Over the years, these mainstays to our economy declined, and we began losing many of these industries. The number of lumber mills has decreased greatly; therefore, many towns which once supported a Masonic Lodge have all but vanished. The same holds true with our fishing industry which once flourished along our beautiful coastline. Even our family farms are dying as corporate farms are replacing them. Where we once had communities with hundreds of small farms, we now have corporate farms producing more food with fewer people. Times are changing. This may sound like a scenario of doom, but it is only a sign of change.
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