We are Freemasons — we build! Let’s build positivity!
I love chicken wings. Seriously, a big fan…so as I travel for work and throughout the state, I look for the best spots to get my fix. I’m always looking for the next small, local tavern to take the crown of “favorite”. While traveling out of state for work, I quickly found myself seated at my favorite spot in Traverse City, MI. Two middle-aged fellows pulled up a couple stools and the shared love of their signature dish led to the typical small-talk conversations. “Where are you from?”, “What do you do?”, “Packers Fan??” After a half hour of friendly conversation, the tone took a quick turn. One of the gentlemen took notice of my Masonic ring. Then the interrogation and mis-informed accusations started. The men were our typical target audience, but our message hadn’t reached them. At one point, they asked each other whether they could “take me” if I stepped outside. Their opinions were already formed and entrenched, but I stayed the course to convey all the positive work we do and why we respect our landmarks and traditions. In the end, one of the friends scarfed his food and said he’d wait for his buddy outside. The other stayed a bit longer for more real conversation. I’m not expecting the GL of MI to get his petition anytime soon, but he certainly left with a much different impression on our fraternity. He even complimented my approach and apologized for his friend. Curiosity & reason prevailed. Once the friends left, the other folks and server nearby turned to me to ask about Masonry. It’s a good reminder not let ignorance lead you into conversations that may leave the fraternity in disrepute. Reinforce positive visibility for others that may be watching. Thankfully, most times it is an overwhelmingly positive interaction when someone notices our ring, shirts, or car emblems.
Wisconsin Masons have been building lots of positive momentum and visibility throughout the state. Maybe your lodge has leveraged the physical marketing matching grant program with new signage, or you’ve seen ads while surfing the web or scrolling Facebook, or caught one of the many WIMasons semi-trailers while driving on I94, we are certainly in front of the public in new ways. Of course, this leads to an uptick in online comments, but our membership team is skilled in offering positive interactions while not engaging with zealots. Check out some fun examples from a few months back:
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We’ve also seen increased community involvement and outreach across the state. Our lodges are doing positive work in our communities and our WI leadership team wants to be right there with you this year. As we travel for our quarterly full staff meetings, our leadership team will be working with area lodges to provide community service to area non-profits. The first opportunity will be in Southeast Wisconsin on September 21st. Brothers can join us in the morning for service projects and celebrate with lunch together. More details will come out shortly. Watch your District Deputies’ newsletters for registration information. Together we continue to rise – let’s do so with positivity!
Share the positivity – catch me a for a selfie and you may find yourself featured here as the year rolls along. Be sure to share all your event pics to the Journal too (wmjeditor@wimasons.org). Let’s keep up the great work together Brothers!
