Master's Message Fall 2024

There has been no shortage of ideas and inspiration at Silas this year. Brothers are engaged and hungry for more.  Several brothers have been inspired to write papers, speeches and lead discussions.  We’ve followed down some fascinating rabbit holes and brothers, I couldn’t be prouder to be Worshipful Master this year.

Rhinelander was a blast. Max Skenandore whet our hunger with a retelling of the history of Rhinelander and Crandon Lodges.  We discussed why brothers should consider joining the York Rite Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and then the Grand High Priest from Chapter invited me to present my paper and lead a discussion with his officers. So, think about that – a small ripple that was a paper and a spirited discussion at Silas, could be the inspiration for a tidal wave of ideas and changes. 

Brothers, this is what Silas does.  It offers us the opportunities to explore ideas and concepts that reconnect with our Masonic past, and build a plan for our future.  It gives Brothers an opportunity to develop themselves, whether it is their speaking and presentation skills, or even a reason to explore; dig down into our history and do some research.

I’m reminded of my first Silas meeting. W. Brother Frank McKenna presented a historical paper and a discussion about brothers in wartime. The discussion that ensued was inspirational.  It made me appreciate Silas, and I filled out my petition right then and there.

Our Senior Warden, W. Brother Chris Luedke, spoke on the new happenings with the education committee, W. Brother Napoleon Sneed-Janczak spoke on the 7 C’s of Communication, and W. Brother Corey Nowak is going to write a paper on membership for our September meeting.

As you’re likely aware; this year’s theme is “Digital Masonry”, and it’s amazing how many things have changed even since the year started. A discussion today could be like advocating for floppy disks but just 6 months later we’ve moved onto USB drives and after that everyone is just using the cloud so there’s no more practical use for handheld storage.  Yes, it’s that fast - with subjects ranging from video editing to algorithms to frequency of posts. It can be head spinning but it can also inspire us to wonder and act on whatever the next big changes are.

I’d encourage you to put some of your ideas to paper and submit them for publication. What has inspired you? Was it an event? Traveling to another lodge?  A chance meeting with a Brother Mason from another place? Perhaps your experience or idea will inspire someone else – to fill them with that sense of masonic wonder. When we do that, well…Imagine the possibilities. Papers don’t have to be about digital masonry, but it’s certainly easiest if you can email them to our Secretary, Napoleon.

In September we’ll be doing a western Wisconsin encore of “In Defense of the Ruffians” at Lacrosse Lodge #190. This two-man play is thought provoking and like nothing you’ve seen before.

If I haven’t said it before, you are important. You are valued. We’ve all had times in our lives when we haven’t been appreciated. Silas is a place where you can explore ideas in a safe environment where we foster ideas and inspire others. We do it by writing down those ideas and then discussing them.  If you haven’t written down your thoughts, this is a great time to do it.

We’ve been compared to the Island of misfit toys because we sometimes think differently or take on tasks in a way that others might not understand. While we might be more of a “Charlie in the Box” (instead of Jack in the Box), you’re going to get some pleasant surprises. When that happens, you’ll be left wondering why you didn’t do it earlier.  You’ll find that doing cool stuff can be addicting, and you’ll be left wondering how you can best inspire others.

Fraternally yours,

Jim McGuigan

Worshipful Master 2024

Masters Message Spring 2024

Digital Masonry                                                                                                       

Spring 2024                

What makes Silas Shepherd different?  We satisfy hunger.  Hunger for history.  Hunger for ideas.  Hunger to make a difference.

The pandemic tee-ed us up to satisfy those hungers.  Over a year of isolation made men look around and wonder… is this it?  The public couldn’t connect with others.  They started looking for ways to connect with others, and found that it was difficult to make new friends.

Technology gave people connections.  The digital world allowed people from nearby or even on the other side of the world to build bonds, and those continued even after pandemic passed.

While connections were made and relationships built through digital conference platforms like Zoom or Teams, people's eyes were opened as they realized that they could speak to other people, create other audiences and promote ideas from within the safety of their own home.

However, with the expansion of social media platforms; so comes with it the growing pains of learning how to manage social media.  Just as text messaging can contribute to misunderstandings, it takes skill and vigilance to learn how to communicate on each platform.  Even platforms and their popularity changes and this brings unique challenges.  For social media today; TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are the most used as of this writing.  MySpace is a hollow shell of what it once was and Twitter now X is waning in popularity.

Rising in popularity are Reddit, Nextdoor, WhatsApp, Discord and GroupMe, and various others. 

Freemasonry has found its way to all these platforms including podcasts….  How has it impacted you?  Whether you were a content creator, you’ve read or listened to something that made a change?.

How has digital masonry affected you?  Have you written, or performed on any of these platforms?  We can be on the cutting edge.  There is a hunger for masonry right now – for the connections with like-minded individuals worldwide. We can do cool stuff, and we can feed the hunger. My Brothers, I look to an exciting year of taking Silas Shepherd to new heights this year, and with your contributions making an impact to a larger hungry audience!

Sincerely & Fraternally,

Jim McGuigan

Worshipful Master 2024

Masters Message Winter 2023

Change Happens!

“The saying ‘Tradition goes on’ or ‘change is bad’, is anti-dynamic and ruins the progress and development of every institution that adheres to it”

Brothers:

I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what my final message to the lodge will be this year, in fact, as I write this, I believe I’m on about my 5th or 6th different topic. In all of this deliberation, I keep coming back to, what I believe, is one of the achilles heels of our fraternity - its resistance to change. Whether we are talking about the way we conduct meetings, the way we dress at lodge or even the way that we prepare the green beans, it seems that Masons are almost more likely than most to get locked into traditions. Further, it seems that change has become one of the scariest propositions in our brotherhood, however, I am here to tell everyone - CHANGE HAPPENS! 

I would like you to consider the fact that Masonry has survived in North America for 290 years (records show that the first lodge permanently established in North America was St. John's Lodge of Boston on July 30th, 1733[1]). Since then, our fraternity has survived wars, scandals, pandemics and all manner of societal upheaval and we have endured because the brothers that came before us have been brave enough to not only recognize the changes necessary for this survival but also to lead that change. Consider also the fact that after our membership boom in the early to mid 20th Century we seem to have adopted a policy of sitting on our laurels. Lodge meetings have become more about reading the minutes and buying lawn mowers than about the real work of the fraternity. When changes are introduced, we see lodges hindered by those Masons who refuse to see the necessity of embracing and leading the changes that are needed. These members are part of the “I hate change” crowd where they completely avoid it or they have to be dragged kicking and screaming into accepting it.

Change is something that, likely, induces a great deal of anxiety in many of us. It is something that people are not naturally comfortable with, therefore, it is something that a great number of us avoid. In our lives we have the ability to react to change in a number of different manners.

The first of which I have alluded to already, fear. When we react in this manner we allow the prospect of change to control us, to guide our actions in a manner that avoids the fact that this change is happening and to steer clear of it for as long as possible. The second reaction is for us to accept it. We may not initially like the change but we can learn to live with it. We move along with what we are doing, begrudgingly accepting the idea that we have to make due with the new ways that things are done and, perhaps, we feel nostalgic for those times when things were “easier” which we naturally associate with being better. Reacting in either of these manners, I would argue, is not healthy. In both cases we do not take the opportunity to put ourselves in the driver's seat - we allow changes to happen to us and we simply deal with it.

The flip side of this is learning to lead the change. This is where we not only accept that the change is going to happen but we take charge by learning how to utilize the change in the manner that best suits us. We also may help other people to embrace the change so that they can feel the benefits of whatever that change brings. It may not always be the most comfortable ride to be on, but we enjoy the journey nonetheless. This is, arguably, the most difficult of the reactions as it requires us to become familiar with the changes which takes time and time is increasingly more valuable as we seem to always have less and less of it.

Here are some ways that we can work to lead change:

1.      Create a sense of Urgency: Work within yourself and others to focus on the importance of the coming change.

2.      Build a coalition: Find other people that you can trust to work with you to help guide the change.

3.      Form a Vision: Make sure that your group has a vision of what things will look like once the change is in place.

4.      Remove Barriers: Some changes require us to adjust previous practices - don’t be afraid to make those adjustments - occasionally this may mean that people need to be moved into different roles in the group because they present the barrier.

5.      Short-term wins: When implementing a change, set short term goals that are achievable and celebrate when they are accomplished.

6.      Institutionalize the Change: Make the change part of the culture of the group.

 Now, I would challenge us to understand that, as a fraternity, we cannot become what we need to be by remaining where we are. It is the work of any true educator, researcher, and historian to continually investigate and never give into the idea that the entire story of any topic has been told and that any social organization is perfect. We, as leaders in our lodges, have the responsibility to both lead and help guide future leaders to reinvent the role that our lodges have in our communities and greater society. Further, we need to realize and embrace the idea that some changes will not work and revision and reflection is going to be necessary for us to be able to find the right path. Do not get discouraged as the place that we have been is not viable as we move into the future.

Remember, also, that ritual changes are not necessary for this to happen. Our fraternal principles are solid and should be both respected and embraced. However, respect for ritual does not mean that we should not ditch other traditions that do not serve to advance the fraternity or the brotherhood. The brotherhood deserves leaders that are willing to embrace and lead change, not just do the same things over and over expecting different results.

With this, I want to end off by thanking all the members of Silas Shepherd Lodge for the honor of being Master. As someone who dabbles in historical research I have found it as, truly, one of the best experiences in my time as a Mason and I look forward to continuing with my involvement in our lodge as long as my schedule allows. Please take care of yourselves and families and I look forward to seeing you at Lake Country Freemasons Lodge #42 in Oconomowoc on November 18th.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Jonathan Schroeder

Worshipful Master

Silas Shepherd Lodge #1843

[1]  Crawford, George Williamson, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 1914. Prince Hall and His Followers; Being a Monograph on the Legitimacy of Negro Masonry. Internet Archive. New York, The Crisis. https://archive.org/details/princehallhisfol00craw/mode/2up, 22.