…presented at Ozias Lodge No.508, Burford, October 17, 2009.

I am, during the course of this year, delivering messages about "making a difference. I commenced these messages at my official visit to St. John's 35 in Cayuga outlining how Masons have been making a difference through their benevolent and charitable activities, particularly Grand Lodge and the Masonic Foundation for actually hundreds of years, but more prevalent since the Masonic Foundation was established in 1964

Today, I am going to take some time to outline how I believe individual Lodges can make a difference. This, in my opinion starts with a candidate requesting an application to join a Masonic Lodge. If we accept the fact that this applicant is showing a desire to join our fraternity from "a favourable opinion preconceived of the institution, a general desire for knowledge, and a sincere wish to render himself more extensively serviceable to his fellow creatures", his sponsors and every contact with the fraternity must reinforce that opinion. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that continuing through his sponsors, the investigating committee, communicating the result of the ballot and initiation date are all completed in the very best Masonic manner. To that end there is a guideline available to the investigating committees as to what information should be gathered and provided, which I am hopeful all investigation committees and lodges are making use of. We need to communicate to this applicant requirements and expectations of joining our fraternity and demonstrate by our actions the commitments we make to ourselves and to our applicant. We can now start to "make a difference" by the way we receive this applicant on initiation date by preferably picking this candidate up and bringing him to Lodge for this important event. We must make him entirely comfortable with welcomes and introductions and someone being with him throughout this very important time for this applicant.

As we go through the initiation ceremony, communicating with him every step of the way, commencing with the Stewards preparation, the Deacon taking some time to put his mind at ease, with some idea of what will happen and confirming the Deacon is his friend and guide.

As pointed out in the "Guidelines for Lodge Officers in the Mechanics of The Work it is incumbent on the Master, officers, and other brethren participating to be at their best and know their parts. In the words of our Grand Master, M.W. Bro Raymond S.J. Daniels "learn it by heart, so you can give it by heart" or more literally from the heart. Our candidate, even though he may not recall all of the ceremony, he will remember how it was delivered and we are setting the standards for his future Masonic journey.

Each of his subsequent degrees need to be handled with the same commitment and delivery, Sponsors and Mentor play an integral part in this brothers progress and perception of the fraternity, is it living up to his expectations and preconceived opinions?

Now if we move on to our Lodge Meetings and whether these meetings in themselves can make a difference, the same principles and commitments apply. The Worshipful Master, who is the leader and responsible for all of the activities of his Lodge must be well prepared with a planned meeting agenda. As Masters of Lodges we take serious obligations to protect the Landmarks and not allow any deviation in our rights and ceremonies. It is most important for the Master and officers to be well prepared and carry out their duties according to the book of the work, the constitution and bylaws of the Lodge. There are to be no open books of the work in Lodge, only that of the official prompter. This requirement is being monitored and enforced by the Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master and as a result the District Deputy Grand Master in their efforts to "raise the bar"

The various obligations we take in Masonry encourage us to make a daily advancement in our Masonic knowledge. What a great place to start, the Book of the Work, including the Rubrics, the constitution and by-laws and all complimentary material available to us, such as Guidelines, Masonic Manual, meeting the challenge question and answer booklets, which incidentally are currently being updated and reprinted.

Our Lodge meetings are our communications forum and must be well thought out, organized and presented with appropriate decorum, protocol and etiquette. This includes the established protocol as we learn in our degrees, by rising, saluting with proper step and sign of the degree and addressing our Worshipful Master as such. I would like to point out to you that our Worshipful Master is that, except where it is spelled our in opening, closings, and degree work where Worshipful Sir is the proper address.

Frequently, in addition to our newer brethren, whom we are encouraging and hopefully helping becoming better men, we may have visitors and I draw a parallel to having guests come into our homes where we receive them with appreciation to communicate we are pleased to have them and provide a positive, memorable experience so that they go away with that happiness, friendship and brotherly love and look forward to future visits.

In closing Worshipful Master, you and all other W. Masters of Lodges agree to serious obligations to maintain the Craft pure and unsullied, protect the Landmarks and not allow any deviation in our rights and ceremonies, to have Lodge meetings carried out with proper decorum, protocol and etiquette so the brethren can grow, improve and become better men, thus showing Freemasonry in its true and proper light, taking in good men and making them better