Have you ever had one of those meetings where an officer called at the last minute telling you that he could not be there for the degree or meeting that night? Have they ever been that Steward who was supposed to be providing the food or refreshments as well? I’m sure it’s a tale far too often realized by many of the lodges in Delaware and probably well beyond the borders of our tiny state. Having never been a Steward; I never had the responsibility of being the provider of refreshments. While I was in the line however, it was always an unwritten rule that the Senior Steward was responsible for the refreshments at all Master Mason Degrees and Stated Communications and the Junior Steward was responsible for all Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft Degrees. For some this may prove to be a financial burden as well as a logistical one as almost everyone works and barely has enough time to get home, change and get out to lodge on time as it is. I once had a professor tell me that “Inventions are brought about to solve a need”. This could not be more factual. They sell just about every gadget on TV that makes some task or another easier for everyone. In our case; the invention is the Steward’s Committee. At Christiana Lodge #35, the Steward’s Committee solved the unknown. Last year while I was preparing my programs and agendas for my term in the Oriental Chair, I was faced with the task of appointing officers (as well as every other incoming Worshipful Master). I wanted officers who were willing to commit to the Lodge; that they would stay in the line and work their way to the East. I had a brother approach me around March asking if he could be a Steward. I asked if he was willing to make a commitment to the lodge to learn the work and move up the line. He stated that he just wanted to be a Steward so he could provide the food for the functions we planned. He wanted to be a Steward forever. I didn’t want to turn the brother away but at the same time I didn’t want to create a precedent of allowing someone to occupy a chair without the commitment of advancement. What can I do? I decided to make that Brother the Chairman of our new Steward’s Committee. Even though my initial plan was to have the Senior Steward be the Chairman, I felt this was the best of both worlds. Brother Corey A. Link is our Chairman and has done an exemplary job getting this Committee off the ground. So far the committee has provided refreshments at more than twenty three Special Communications and eleven Stated Communications; all to the resounding approval of the brethren and families in attendance.
The Steward’s Committee consists of the Chairman, both the Senior and Junior Steward’s and the five most recently raised Master Masons (at least). This is an opportunity to get them involved in lodge activities, meet the members on a more informal setting and get them back out to meetings immediately. It has definitely achieved far more success than I ever expected as it also pertains to fellowship and brotherhood. Men working together towards a common goal – a basic principle of masonry. The Committee plans menus, purchases supplies, delegate’s tasks to the members for dishes they need to make for that particular week. Even the wives of the committee members are involved and have joined in the preparation for each event. Brother Link has even taken it a step further having a Beverage Committee within the Steward’s Committee. They prepare and acquire all of the soft drinks, iced tea, lemonade and coffee as per the menu for that particular event. The Beverage Committee consists of the Junior Steward and the most senior Master Mason. As for the budget, we allow twenty five dollars for Entered Apprentice Degrees, thirty five dollars for Fellowcraft Degrees and fifty dollars for Master Mason Degrees and Stated Communications. Brother Link and I communicate at least once prior to each event to discuss the venue, the potential number of guests, the menu and any special circumstances at which time I may authorize additional spending to accommodate our guests.
Time after time our Steward’s Committee has impressed our Officers, Members, Family and Friends as well as Brothers from other Lodges in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey even one brother from Minot, South Dakota. It has been a truly rewarding committee to have at Christiana Lodge #35. “If you feed them, they will come”. It’s working!
I have developed a distributable set of guidelines for the Steward’s Committee at Christiana Lodge. If you are interested in implementing this committee at your lodge, please send me a note. I’ll be glad to share them with you. - William J. Sahm, Jr., WM.
