Page 12 - MFM MARCH 2015

MASONIC COLLEGE 2015, No.1
Great Falls Masonic Temple

The first attempt at a Statewide presentation of a Masonic The College used the Go To Meeting program
College took place on January 31, 2015, with a blizzard purchased by Grand Lodge for the 2014-2015 year to
blowing up outside, Montana Masons as far away as broadcast the event to Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Dillon,
Kalispell and Billings were able to attend the College Helena, Kalispell and Missoula. This program allows up
without travelling more than a couple of hours. to twenty-five locations to connect for a meeting or to
watch a presentation.

Subjects covered at the College included:

• What Does Grand Lodge Do for You – RW Bro. Lewis Smith
• Leadership – RW Bro. Gerald Anderson
• Procedure for Giving Feedback on Masonic Programs – RW Bro. Lewis Smith & W Bro. Alan Frohberg
• Request for Feedback on re-Districting – RW Bro. Lewis Smith
• The Masonic Hall of Fame, How to Prepare a Submission – W Bro. John Thompson
• Lodge Instructors and their Role and Duties – RW Bro. Brian Murphy & W Bro. Bill Murphy
• Mentoring – W. Bros. Bert Bouma, Roger Cathell & John Thompson
• Ways to Help Your Lodge Grow (Do Something!) – RW Bro. Lewis Smith

The speakers for the program were located in Great The next Masonic College will originate
Falls and Bozeman, showing that the speakers can from Glendive on May 9, 201 5.
present from any of the viewing site locations as
well. We will also be able to bring in speakers on Your lodge can be a host site for the remote viewing
subjects of interest from out of state and avoid the by contacting either your District Officer or one of
cost of air travel and motel rooms for the events. the Grand Wardens. The equipment necessary for a
viewing site is high speed internet access, a laptop or
The highlight of the College was probably W. Bro. desktop computer, and connection to either a large
Bert Bouma’s presentation on Mentoring as part of TV or projector. You will need to have speakers to
a panel with W. Bro. Roger Cathell and W. Bro. John allow everyone present to hear clearly. If you wish
Thompson. A copy of this presentation is included to be able to present from your site you will need a
in this issue. The presentations concluded at 2:30 digital camera and microphone to broadcast from
p.m. your site. Up to six of the sites will be able to see
and be seen on the screen. The remaining 19 sites
Lessons learned from the first College were: shorten can see the program, but cannot be seen. Go To
the overall presentation, Masons apparently are not Meeting has a chat function which allows the sites
interested in spending a full day sitting, Focusing to send in questions and they can also be sent in by
on fewer subjects in greater detail will be better text. Phone calls with questions work, but can be
received and hopefully better attended. disruptive of the presentations.

We hope to see you at the next Masonic College.

The presentations will begin at 9:00 a.m. and we will conclude by 12:01 p.m. The sites can host a lunch for
the Brothers following the presentations to allow more discussion on the subjects presented.

The Subjects at the next college will include:
Ideas for Increasing Membership, New Masonic Materials,

Civility; and a Guest Speaker on Leadership

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