Rite Notes – June 2026
Surveying Strengths And Weaknesses
Companions and Sir Knights,
In surveying the strengths and weaknesses of your York Rite Body, you have probably already seen the problems but failed to recognize them. You go into Chapter, Council or Commandery, and you are lucky if you have enough to open. Your bills get paid, there is probably a little bit of coffee in the pot afterward. A few stand talking while everyone else beats it out of the door. It=s not a late night and not much happens. Sometime on the way home you wonder, Awhy did I even bother to show up?@ Maybe you are the High Priest, Ill. Master or the Eminent Commander, and you really wonder why showed up, and why you are doing this. In fact, you may have been Eminent Commander several times, which is quite common in dying organizations because there is a lack of others willing to be involved. Don=t despair, in this report. We will attempt to identify some of your problems.
The first thing is to understand the history of your York Rite Body. When was it founded? Where did it start? Who were the founders? How did the membership grow? Where were their struggles? How did they overcome and strive? These same stories can be used to excite members of your Body, as they begin to realize the rich history of your organization. Sometimes, it is in these early years when they were building the Body, other times it is in a period where things are slowing down. That is when it took the courage of one or two men to keep the York Rite Body alive and to still move forward. Their inspiration to you is that they have been there before. Look at those glory years where they were taking in so many candidates a year they could hardly keep up with the work. With the dinners that filled the entire dining room. The sidelines were always full.
Emphasize the Positive
We have sat in many meetings where the AEast@ proclaims, AWe sent out the letters, we called everybody and looked for who showed up.@ That is the wrong approach. Always be thankful for who comes out because that means that they care. Those who come on their own volition are the ones who truly care. They form the nucleus. Each person contributes a part of their personality to the group. Some are natural leaders, some are good in the kitchen, some are natural followers: they are willing to help do anything if there is somebody to provide the leadership.
In identifying the strengths of each person, you have a better idea how to best utilize them. This makes them happier, and your York Rite Body stronger. Even if you only have six people coming out to your meeting, that is a core to start with. In that small group, there is strength.
Community Awareness
What kind of community do you live in? Is it agriculture? Urban? Growing suburb, or a dying small town? These external factors will have a strong impact on your organization. If the pool of people available to join is getting smaller, that could be a problem, and a much closer relationship with the surrounding Blue Lodges needs to be cultivated. Many small communities have thriving lodges and York Rite Bodies, where some of the larger cities have difficulty in opening their Bodies.
What are the problems that exist in your Lodge or York Rite Body? They usually fall into one of the four categories as follows:
- Finance
- Membership
- Lack of Vision
- Lack of Activities
A healthy organization is positive in all four of these areas. Finance is good. They may have to struggle to make ends meet but they are accomplishing it. They have a strong active membership that is supportive and cares about one another. They have a plan and they have a vision. All of this is fundamental for a strong organization.
When one or more of these areas is weak, the organization begins to wobble and eventually it falls apart. If there is a lack of finances, there is a lack of activities. If the membership has strong willed with internal bickering and separating of new members into factions, others will begin to leave.
If there is no vision and no plan, nothing is going to happen. If there are no activities, interest begins to die. No one feels that it is worth their time to show up except for a handful and the dedicated ones.
I hope these suggestions are helpful for you to begin a revitalize your York Rite Bodies and remember, recruiting is a must.
Remember, equip, train and send out the troops, and they will come back with results!
Note: If any York Rite Bodies plan weekend festivals, Short of Time or Slow Classes, please let me know, with the date, time, location and contact person, for the Fall of 2020 and I will put it in the next newsletter, and on the website. Remember, Membership and Retention is everyone=s business.
Remember, equip, train and send out the troops, and they will come back with results!
EXCERPTS FROM THE GRAND CHAPTER OF FLORIDA
CHAPTER FORTY—DEMITS AND AFFILIATIONS
40.01 Chapter Certificates of Good Standing.
A member of any Chapter in this or any other Grand Jurisdiction, upon certification from the Secretary that said petitioner is in good standing, may petition for membership in any Chapter in this Grand Jurisdiction without first having obtained a Demit from his Chapter, such petition taking the same course as any other petition for affiliation. If such Petition is approved by unanimous ballot of the Chapter petitioned, such fact shall be certified by the Secretary of the Chapter of which the petitioner is a member, accompanied by the Petitioner’s request for a Demit. Upon such Demit being granted, the same shall be filed with the Secretary of the Chapter petitioned and said petitioner shall then be declared a member of the Chapter petitioned.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE—CHAPTERS UNDER DISPENSATION
41.01 Authority and Status.
A Chapter under Dispensation is a creation of the Grand High Priest, by virtue of a Constitutional provision. It possesses no power nor authority except such as is expressly granted in the Dispensation. Its existence extends only to the next Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter, to which its authority, records, and documents must be surrendered.
41.02 Current Dues Required.
If a Dispensation or Charter be applied for, or a continuation of Dispensation, satisfactory evidence must appear that the petitioners are not in arrears for fees or dues to the Chartered Chapter of which they are respectively members; otherwise, their petition must be refused.
41.03 Standards Required.
The records of a Chapter U.D. should exhibit a fair specimen of that intelligence and regularity of proceedings which are characteristic of a well-regulated Chapter of Royal Arch Masons before a Charter is granted, and there should be evidence of fraternal prosperity.
41.04 Status of Officers.
The Officers of a Chapter U.D. work under the immediate supervision and control of the Grand High Priest. Such official honors as appertain to duly elected and installed Officers of Chartered Chapters do not accrue to them.
Membership by Chapter for 2026:
|
DIST |
LOCATION |
# |
DIST |
LOCATION |
# |
|
1 |
Palm Beach (Boca-Delray) |
2 |
6 |
Cocoa |
|
|
Ft Lauderdale |
|
Melbourne |
|
||
|
Miami |
33 |
Fort Pierce |
7 |
||
|
2 |
Manatee/Bradenton/ Trinity |
|
7 |
Jacksonville |
6 |
|
Sarasota/Venice/ Fort Myers |
3 |
Fernandina |
|
||
|
Ft Myers |
4 |
Palatka |
1 |
||
|
3 |
Tampa (Ivanhoe) |
10 |
8 |
Lake City |
|
|
St Peters burg (Sunshine) |
|
Middleburg |
|
||
|
Clearwater (Springtime) |
8 |
Gainesville |
1 |
||
|
4 |
Lakeland |
|
9 |
Tallahassee |
2 |
|
Plant City |
2 |
Marianna |
|
||
|
Sebring (Highlands) |
|
Panama City |
|
||
|
5 |
Daytona (Halifax) |
|
10 |
Fort Walton Beach |
1 |
|
Lake Sumter |
|
Crestview |
|
||
|
Sanford |
|
Pensacola |
|
||
|
Orlando |
|
|
|
REMINDER: MASONIC MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS (MMS) RULES STATE THAT NEW COMPANIONS AND SIR KNIGHTS NEED TO BE PLACED IN MMS WITHIN 15 DAYS. If this is not done, the magazine will not be sent automatically. The Secretary will have to contact Grand Encampment.
MMS IS NOW ON GOOGLE CHROME
|
DIST |
DATE |
LOCATION |
KNIGHTED |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
7 &14 Mar 3 & 10 Oct |
Tampa(5), Ft Myers (4), Clearwater (4), Sarasota (2), Plant City (1) Tampa(5), Ft Myers (4), Clearwater (4), Sarasota (1), Plant City (1)
|
31 |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
10-11 Apr |
Ft Pierce (7), Tallahassee (1), Palm Beach (2), Miami (33) |
43 |
|
7 |
21 Feb & 14 Mar |
Jacksonville(6), Gainesville (1), Palatka (1), Tallahassee(1) |
9 |
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
10-11 April |
Pensacola, Ft Walton, (1) |
1 |
|
TOTAL 2026 KNIGHTINGS |
84 |
||
|
TOTAL 2025 KNIGHTINGS |
117 |
||
