01A Foreword

Lodge Secretary’s HOW TO GUIDE

Melbourne Lodge No. 143, F. & A.M

FOREWORD

The purpose of this HOW TO GUIDE is to offer specific templates, checklists, software applications, and instructions on how to organize and perform the job of Lodge Secretary. It should be noted that the duties and responsibilities of the Lodge Secretary are spelled out in the Digest of Masonic Law of Florida, the Installation Ceremony, and the Secretary’s Administrative Guide prepared by the Grand Lodge of Florida. In no way is this GUIDE meant to replace any sections of Grand Lodge provided directions.

This HOW TO GUIDE is a compilation of just one Secretary’s approach to fulfilling his duties to the Lodge. Not only does this guide provide a way for Secretary’s to organize their work, it provides a CDROM with all the printed templates and instructions so that a Lodge Secretary only has to personalize everything for his Lodge. In as much as the Grand Lodge will provide any Lodge Secretary with an Excel Spreadsheet of that particular Lodges membership records, the information from Grand Lodge is easily incorporated into establishing the MASTER EXCEL MEMBERSHIP spreadsheet a particular Lodge.

There are multiple office procedures in use throughout the Grand Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Florida. If you have a process that works, you might review this HOW TO GUIDE and plagiarize whatever is useful to your particular environment. There is no right method of organizing the Lodge Secretary’s office files and the implementation of the Lodge Secretary’s procedures. The key idea to whatever a Lodge Secretary has chosen as his office environment is that his records/files, procedures, and everyday processes are documented, and easily retrieved and implementable by his successor. Another way of stating this is: should the Secretary be here today, and gone tomorrow, could his successor walk into the Secretary’s Office and easily carry on the job? This is a big goal, but is easily attainable if the Secretary makes the effort to document and organize all his annual duties and responsibilities to the Craft by always having the office and records up to date, and organized in an easy to understand fashion.

NOTE: All software is Office 2003 and all files are saved in Office 2003 format to provide for downward compatibility.

If you would like a CDROM copy or have any questions regarding the information contained in this HOW TO GUIDE you may contact:

Roger McKay, PDDGM, Secretary, Melbourne Lodge No. 143, F. & A. M. at:

or 321-952-6635 (Home)