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The Masonic Builders - Founded 2001 - A Society For Masonic Revitalization |
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Quick Links The Masonic Builders Builder Articles, Links & Resources Commitment to Excellence |
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE (CE) CE Document Appendix B-2. Below is a copy of the Questionnaire Contained in the CE Level A Workbook (Appendix B) Situation (Lodge Self-Audit Questionnaire) 2.1 What is a Situation Analysis?
Where have we been in past? Where are we now? Here is where we are – This is our current situation. We do a Self -Evaluation to assess what the organization’s current condition looks like. This is a snapshot of what things look like now. It even includes the historical actions, precedents, and customs that led to this present state. The objective is to see what the organization looks like in the present, then decide what we want the future to look like, and by comparing the present with the envisioned future, we either have a GAP that must be closed or not. Strategic/Tactical plans and implementation are designed to close GAPS. So, the first step in Commitment to Excellence journey is to discover our present situation. We discover where we are today by examining the various environments in which the lodge operates: (a) External Environments that surround and affect our lodge, but are uncontrollable by lodge leadership and (b) Internal Environments that are found inside our lodge and ARE generally controllable by lodge leadership We organize the following questions around the Lodge Planning/Execution Model that you will find in Appendix D-3.1. This Model is also the format which guides the facilitation that you will receive in the Commitment to Excellence Level A program (See Section II of the Table of Contents to this CE Document). 2.2 Organization of Questionnaire - (This Section is a Table of Contents for the Questionnaire- Additionally, This questionnaire is organized around the Lodge Planning/Execution Model (Click Here) 2.21 EXTERNAL Environmental Variables – Lodge Leadership must ask questions about: 1. Demographic & Psychographic External Variables
2. Competition & Partnerships External Variables
3. Economics & Growth External Variables
4. New Knowledge & Technology External Variables 2.22 INTERNAL Organizational Variables 1. Organizational Guidance System – This is the North Star that is the long-term guidance for the development of each year’s annual tactical Performance Plans. There are three parts to the guidance system: (a) Core Ideology (Mission/Values), (b) Vision and (c) Strategy * Core Ideology - Core Mission/Purpose - Core Values * Envisioned Future - BHAG –“Big Hairy Audacious Goal” - Vivid Description of Desired Future * Strategy - Strategic Themes - Strategic Actions 2. Performance Outcome Objectives, Actions & Measures – Performance refers to the day-to-day actions of the Lodge. Normally, the SW – as incoming new W.M. - develops an Annual or Tactical Plan for his year. This Performance Plan is equivalent to an Annual Plan (Again see the Lodge Planning/Execution Model in Appendix C-3.1). There are four parts to the Performance Plan: (a) Knowledge & Skills Activities, (b) Constituent Care Activities, (c) Internal Lodge Processes, and (d) Resource Activities. * Knowledge & Skills - Membership - Leadership - Ritual - Ongoing Masonic Education * Constituent Care - Internal Members - Membership Statistics & Analysis - Fraternal & Social Activities - External Stakeholders - Programming * Internal Lodge Processes - Lodge Organization & Committee Structure - Communications * Resources - Loyalty/Commitment Resources - Members/Leaders - Financial Resources – Operational and Long-Term Investment - Building Condition - Technological Infrastructure of Lodge - Partnership Groups affiliated and assisting your Lodge
2.23 Summary - The Situation Analysis Questionnaire and the facilitation of the Commitment to Excellence program is organized around the preceding list and Lodge Planning/Execution Model. 2.3 Commitment to Excellence Questionnaire -The following are the actual Lodge Self-Audit Questions
2.31 EXTERNAL Environmental Variables – AS A LODGE CONSIDER YOUR COMMUNITY AS ABOUT A 30 MILE RADIUS OF YOUR LODGE. Lodge Leadership must ask questions about:
1. Demographic & Psychographic External Variables
a. Demographic –
1) Discuss the age make-up in your surrounding community – or 30 mile radius of your lodge?
2) Comment on your community’s (or 30 mile radius) affluence level?
3) Is your surrounding community family oriented?
4) What is the predominant industry or profession in your community?
5) Are Baby-Boomers having any effect on your community? How?
6) What is the population of your community? Numbers
7) Is your community self-contained or part of a larger metropolis?
8) Discuss the schools in your community?
9) Do the schools have enough staff? If not what are they short on?
b. Psychographics –
1) Are the people in your community more conservatives, liberal, other political identities?
2) Is there a predominant hobby, interest (such as hunting or other) in your community?
3) Would you say that the people in your surrounding area joiners – service clubs , causes etc.? Comment.
4) Does your community have an annual or special event in which the entire community participates? If so, what is that activity or event?
2. Competition & Partnerships External Variables
a. Competition –
1) How do the men in your community spend most of their time (outside of work)?
2) Comment on what you believe keeps men occupied and not able to give time to Masonry?
b. Partnerships –
1) Is there a Jaycee organization in your community? Comment on their activities.
2) Are there youth organizations such as Boy Scouts or 4-H or others in your community t hat you think might be a good Mason when they are old enough?
3) Does your community have a college campus nearby? Do you think that college Fraternities might be a source of new Masons? Why or Why Not?
4) Suppliers to Masonry - Are the Boy Scouts and other youth group organizations, such as the male aspect of the Boys and Girls Club of America, potential partnership groups? Do you believe that there are other sources of young men who you can target today to become members of your Lodge in the future? Who, Why, and How would you nurture or create relationships which such a potential groups?
3. Economics & Growth External Variables
a. Economics –
1) Comment on the level of dues in your lodge. Do you think that they are too high for the income of your community’s population?
2) Discuss whether or not you think that men in your community must work too much to be able to have time and money to give to Masonry.
3) What is the effect of the present economy on your Lodge?
b. Growth –
1) Is your community growing? How much on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being high growth). Any comments on the growth rate or lack of?
2) If your community is growing, what is the main business or occupation attracting people?
3) Masonry might be thought of as part of the Fraternal Organization Industry. Is this industry group growing or declining? How do you know this?
4. New Knowledge & Technology External Variables
a. New Knowledge –
1) Are the men in your community educated? What would you say is the average level of education: High School, College, Graduate School? Do you think that the level of education is associated with interest in Masonry? Why or Why Not?
b. Technology –
1) Comment on the use of computers and e-mail access of the men in your community?
2.32 INTERNAL Organizational Variables – (Note: Visit the Lodge Planning/Execution Model in Appendix C-3.1) (Click Here)
1. Organizational Guidance System – This is the North Star that keeps your lodge progressing toward the future that you desire. This North Star also guides the development of each year’s annual tactical Performance Plans. There are three parts to the guidance system: (a) Core Ideology (Mission/Values), (b) Vision and (c) Strategy
a. Core Ideology
1) Core Mission/Purpose - What is Your Lodge’s Mission?
2) Core Values - What are Your Lodge’s most treasured Masonic Values? Does everyone practice them? Why or Why not?
b. Envisioned Future -
1) B-HAG (Bee-Hag) –Big Hairy Audacious Goal – Does your Lodge have a huge overriding and single minded long-term goal that it wants to achieve? If so, what is it? Are all the members in your lodge fully supporting achieving this goal? Why or Why not?
2) Vivid Description of Desired Future - Do you have any mental picture of your Lodge’s Desired Future? Describe this vision fully and vividly.
c. Strategy
1) Strategic Themes – Describe your lodges long-term strategy to achieve your lodge’s Mission that you discussed in an earlier question above. What major things is your lodge doing today to achieve this strategy?
2. Performance Outcome Objectives, Actions & Measures – This is the day-to-day actions that a lodge accomplishes. Normally, the new W.M. develops an Annual or Tactical Plan for his year. This Performance Plan is equivalent to an Annual Plan (Again see the Lodge Planning/Execution Model in Appendix C-3.1). There are four parts to the Performance Plan: (a) Knowledge & Skills Activities, (b) Constituent Care Activities, (c) Internal Lodge Processes, and (d) Resource Activities.
a. Knowledge & Skills
1) Leadership Questions:
a) Please list, by title, each officer, elected and appointed, each trustee and each committee head, for the current year, along with their name, address, pertinent phone numbers, and name of their spouse. Use additional pages if necessary.
b) In the past 5 years, how many Masters have been recycled PM’s & why?
c) Which line positions are filled with officers not expected to advance?
d) Please attach your training program or officer ritual requirements.
e) Please attach a list of your officer duty requirements
f) Discuss the leadership training that your line officers have had in the current year – Grand Lodge or other?
g) Do you have regularly scheduled Trustees meetings? Discuss the role played by your Trustees? Be especially candid in discussing their relationship with the Progressive Line?
h) What is the role and power of your lodge’s Secretary in relationship to the WM and his Progressive Line?
i) What positive steps is your Lodge taking to increase its pool of available leadership? (Committee heads or program chairmen)
2. Ritual Questions:
a) Without help from other Lodges, could you put on: · Entered Apprentice Degree?
· How many in the past 24 months (with or without help)?
· When did you perform the last one?
· Fellow Craft Degree? · How many in the past 24 months (with or without help)?
· When did you perform the last one?
· Master Mason Degree · How many in the past 24 months (with or without help)?
· When did you perform the last one?
b)-What is you Lodge’s greatest strength in ritual?
c)-What is your Lodge’s greatest weakness in ritual?
d)-Aside from more “practices,” what needs to be done to improve your Lodge’s ritual proficiency?
e) How many years has it taken your Lodge to raise and/or affiliate 12 Masons?
3. Ongoing Masonic Education Questions:
a) What positive steps are being taken to incorporate your new Master Masons and affiliates into the ritual work and programs of the Lodge?
b) Does your Lodge use the Candidate Education Program as it is designed? What is the name of the Chair of this committee?
c) How many of your candidates in the past 12 months have made accompanied Lodge visitations as part of the program?
d) Do you still require memorization of the old catechism? Discuss your feelings about the recent One-Day Classes and having Masons progress on Short-Form versus the full Long-Form?
b. Constituent Care
1. Internal Member Questions:
a) Membership Statistics & Analysis
b)-How many of your candidates have not yet received their 3rd Degree? · From 2005 · From 2003 · From 2002 · From 2001
c)-How many of your members fall into the following age groups?
c)-What is the cost of joining your Lodge?
d)-What are your Lodge’s annual dues?
e)-Does your Lodge own its building?
f)-List the number of members suspended each year for non-payment of dues and the number of years since they were raised (Example: A 7-year mason suspended in 2004 would be listed in 2004 under 7-years – put totals in each area)
g)-What does the above statistics tell you about your promise to the candidates/members and the performance that your Lodge is delivering? Does any of this relate to the VALUE that your members either think they receive or don’t think they receive?
h)-Based on your statistical trend over the past 5 years, what is the projected year end membership of your Lodge in each year? In the column to the right of the projected members, what is your desired membership level?
i)-How will the projected membership projection for 2012 affect your Lodge:
j)-What will the desired membership level for 2012 affect your Lodge?
j) How many of your members (number and percentage) are within reasonable driving distance (30 min) of your Lodge? (number and percentage)
k) How many live: * Further than 30 minutes away (number and percentage)
* Out of state (number and percentage)
l) What is the average attendance at your Lodge meetings over the past two years? (Check your register) * Stated meetings * Degree meetings * Special events
m) What percentage of these attendees are members of your Lodge, as opposed to visitors?
n) Is your membership database on a computer?
* If so – How much information about your members do you collect besides the normal Masonic statistics? For example: hobbies, health, etc.
o) Create and attach a membership list arranged by zip code
p) Is your Lodge currently participating in the Friend to Friend Program?
* If not, why not?
b. Fraternal & Social Services for your Members (Special Lodge Activities)
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