Most Worshipful Grand Master, Past Grand Masters, Officers, Brethren and Ladies. My oration this evening is entitled “A Season of Change”.

It seemed fitting with yesterday being the first day of spring that I spend some time talking about the new Season and the Changes it brings. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. As we walk outside our homes and offices, we notice the temperature is getting a bit warmer, we see the tulips beginning to break through the winters ground, and we all begin to feel maybe just a little bit better. We begin to feel a little more invigorated and even a little more excited about what is just around the bend.

Of course for many of us, what is just around the bend is a lot of hard work. We look at our yards and consider the work that needs to be done to make them ready for summer. We consider the changes we could make to our yards to improve their look, or increase the resell value. When we consider these things, most of us have a sense of excitement of what the final result will be. The hard work to get there is not even a factor, rather just something we need to do.

The hard work begins, but we feel good about the work we are doing. Some of the results are seen immediately, while still others take a little time and nurturing. We decide if we want to lay sod, or seed for our new lawns. Do we want to see the change it brings immediately, or let the change happen gradually? These decisions we make, the changes occur, and as spring changes to summer, we are then able to reap the rewards of our hard work. We also find that some of what we did may not have worked out just the way we had hoped, so we continue to work on those areas to make them just right.

So what does spring have to do with Freemasonry? The answer is simple. Our great Fraternity is itself entering into its own spring. Just look around the room and you can see it. The face of our Fraternity is getting younger and younger every day. Our Tulips are all the new members that are coming through our doors. Our work to help them grow begins when they first approach our doors with the seed of interest. We look at the promise of these new Men and Masons with the same enthusiasm as we do when we consider the promise of our yards. What will they grow to be within the Fraternity? How do we give them what they are seeking? How do we keep them interested and active? That is the hard work before us.

It is doing this hard work that brings us as Masons together, for to us, the work is not necessarily hard, rather it’s enjoyable. The work begins with how well we perform the ritual for our new members, but does not end there. The ritual is just the first step, just the planting of the seed. From there, it becomes our duty to nurture that new member. Each Lodge does this in a different way and that is the real beauty.

Many Lodges today have become a little more progressive in order to keep the interest and activity of their Members. I can recall when a large part of every Lodge meeting was the reading of minutes and communications by the Secretary. Today, many of our Lodges have changed how those pieces of business are handled. Some Lodges post all communications for members to read at their leisure, others pass out the minutes then accept or correct them as printed. These small changes didn’t change the Fraternity, but it did make the meetings a little easier for the newer members

It wasn’t that many years ago when a new member could only attend a Lodge meeting after he had taken his Master Mason degree… but today, we not only hold business meetings on the EA degree, but we also receive the Grand Master into our Lodges on the EA degree. Twenty Five years ago, this would have been unheard of and the mention of it would have and I’m sure did ruffle some feathers. Those leaders that came before planted these seeds, helped our Fraternity grow, and today we are reaping the reward of what they sewed.

Each of the Lodges here tonight, each of the Lodges within the Jurisdiction and the Grand Lodge itself is working hard to cultivate our craft. In doing this work, we see the fruits of our labor and the changes it brings. Tonight we are all witness to a change in our Jurisdiction. This visitation with all these Lodges assembled in one place is a change. To some, it may seem like laying down sod to see an immediate difference, to others; it may be seen like spreading seed, to see how it grows. In either case it’s only a change in form, not in foundation. The true change that is upon us tonight is not the visitation itself; rather, it’s the opportunity for each and every one of us to meet new brothers, to renew friendships, to share ideas with one another and in doings so, we are able to carry what we have learned to our own Lodges and continue our work. So in reality, the form of this visitation is not really a change, as it is more an opportunity for each of us.

Our Fraternity has many bright days ahead of it. Change is inevitable, but it is also critical that we remember and keep our past alive. To keep the traditions of our Lodges going and to preserve our ancient Landmarks ought to be our constant concern. We are in the unique position, that the attention we receive today is due in large part to our history, so change for us might come a little slower and with a little more caution, as it should. So long as we change for the betterment of the Fraternity, and we don’t stray from what Freemasonry is about… Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, then the seeds we sew today will grow and take our wonderful Fraternity well into the next spring.

Thank you for listening, please enjoy the rest of your evening.