Page 11 - MFM April 2017

Montana Freemason April 2017 Volume 93 Number 1
Guest Speaker for the 151st Session
Dan Hrinko, author of The Craft Driven Lodge

W. Brother Hrinko is the Deputy The annual meeting closes with a discussion of the
District Grand Master for the 9th goals, and activities the members want in the upcoming
Masonic District of the Grand year. Brother Hrinko reminds us that not everyone
Lodge of Ohio. Initiated in 1977, is interested in the same kind of lodge experience,
he has served as Master of Clark that men come to our fraternally for various reasons.
Lodge, No. 101 in Springfield, and Therefore, Arts & Sciences Lodge should not be used
Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792 as a blue print. He goes on to say “We [Arts & Sciences
in Columbus. His book, The Craft Lodge] are not ‘better than’ any other lodge. We do not
Driven Lodge, which outlines the ‘know more’ than any other lodge. We do not do things
success of the Arts & Sciences ‘the right way’ compared to other lodges… There is
Lodge. one claim we should wish to make, if it can be made
honestly: the claim to interesting meeting.”
After joining the Ohio Lodge of Research and
beginning to read the works of authors like Carl Claudy
and Albert Mackey, Daniel Hrinko began to realize that
his lodge, the lodge where he served two separate terms
as worshipful master, had failed him.

Hrinko quickly learned the ritual and performed it
as mandated by the grand lodge, without additions,
deletions or variations, and with all of the required
actions and gestures done at the appropriate time. What
his lodge failed to do is provide an understanding of
the ritual; the words, phrases and more importantly the
lessons contained in the ritual.

This failure gave birth to the concept of the Craft
Driven Lodge. A lodge where every member has a voice
in lodge operations, understands the lodge’s vision and
has an active role in the lodge.
In the traditional lodge the worshipful master
places the designs for “his year” on the trestle board.
Conversely, in the Craft Driven Lodge the members of
the lodge are the “Board of Directors” who establish
the goals and activities for the upcoming year, while the
worshipful master is the “CEO,” the person responsible
for ensuring that the board of director’s plans are carried
out. However, in the end the worshipful master is still
responsible for ensuring that the rules, regulations and
requirements of the grand lodge are obeyed.

In the first section of the book Hrinko introduces the
concept and the four key principles of the Craft Driven
Lodge. Section two is a case study that explains how
Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792 applied the concept and
principles presented in the first section.

Arts & Sciences Lodge No. 792 was started by a
group of brothers who enjoy stimulating Masonic
discussion and the in-depth study of speculative
masonry. They put formal practices in place to ensure
each member has a voice in how the lodge operates. For
example, their annual meeting starts with an evaluation
of the quality of the past year’s Masonic experience.
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