Overcoming Mediocrity Harry Truman once said, “Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” I have to admit that I chuckled a bit when I read this. I didn’t know Brother Truman, other than as the historical figure who died when I was 11 years old, but I…
Category: English
Stemming the Tide of Membership Decline – 27 June 2023
Stemming the tide of Membership Decline Our membership is dropping about 6% every Triennium. When I was knighted in 1985, there were 319,798 Knights. In 1997, about 12 years after I was knighted, our membership was 210,019. In 2015, the year i was installed as Grand Commander of Maryland, our membership was 92,180. On the…
The Holy Land Pilgrimage – 25 July 2023
The Holy Land Pilgrimage An apology: I have mentioned that I attended the Holy Land Pilgrimage in 2005. I was wrong. I was selected in 2005 and made the pilgrimage in 2006. A minor oops, but when I realize I make a mistake, I own up to it. I opened with that apology because it leads…
Good Governance: Part 2 – 20 June 2023
Good Governance, continued… Last week, I introduced the idea of creating a new Constitution, Statutes, and Decisions (CSD) from scratch, and offered some thoughts about the roles, responsibilities, and authority that rests in the Grand Encampment in conclave and the Grand Master when not in conclave. I’m going to leave that and uniforms for now. Let’s look…
Good Governance: Part 1 – 13 June 2023
Good Governance: Do we have it? I have mentioned several times over the past 18 months that our governing documents, the Constitution, Statutes, and Decisions (CSD), have not had a serious revision since being implemented in 1910, and now are well over 260 pages, or more than ten times the length of the US Constitution, as amended, when both…
Honesty, Integrity, and Trust – 6 June 2023
Honesty, Integrity, Trust Greetings, Sir Knights! I’m Art Hebbeler, candidate for Deputy Grand Master, and welcome to another edition of Four Minutes with Art. This week, the topic is core values: Honesty, Integrity, and Trust. Honesty: “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” So said Thomas Jefferson in a letter he wrote in 1819. Without…
4 Minutes with Art – 30 May 2023
Freemasonry is a Family Affair I’d like to share a little of my back story as a Freemason. I am blessed to be a fourth-generation member of the Craft. Two of my four great-grandfathers were very active Masons. Both of my grandfathers were, too, as well as three great uncles and a great-great uncle. My…
A Family Tradition for Five Generations – 24 May 2023
Why am I seeking this office?. Greetings, Sir Knights! I’m Art Hebbeler, candidate for Deputy Grand Master, and I want to share a few thoughts with you about my approach to this campaign for your vote at the August 2024 Triennial Conclave in Salt Lake City, Utah. First and foremost, I want each of you…