On December 12 2007, the recommendations were tabled at a combined meeting of the Boards of General Purposes and of Benevolence in the format of a Discussion Paper, proposing changes to streamline the structure and operation of Grand Lodge.

The recommendations are open for consultation and debate, and members of the Mace Committee will attend Divisional Conferences in March/April 2008 to further that process.

If there is broad support for the Report, then it will be proposed that appropriate remits be tabled at the Communication in November 2008 for consideration by the brethren meeting as Grand Lodge.

The full report is here:

Discussion Paper on Grand Lodge Structure

November 2007

Intro

The Grand Master, together with the Presidents of the Boards of General Purposes and Benevolence, had called for a review of the operational structure of Grand Lodge, recognizing the Craft was of a modest size with temperate demands, and pondering whether the existing central administration was best serving the Craft.

Did we need two Boards? Could we function in some alternative structure which might provide a more efficient and effective outcome, while preserving our very special and traditional masonic heritage?

A committee was appointed, under the chairmanship of MW Bro David Mace PGM, to consider various aspects of this review, and after several months of deliberations, it has now reported back to the Grand Master and the Presidents.

As a result, there are some recommendations to be placed before the brethren for consideration.

Some of these ideas might be seen as "revolutionary" so far as freemasonry is concerned but please consider them with an open mind, looking to the future, and to how the Craft may evolve so as to address changing external influences.

You can be assured that these ideas would not be put to you lightly - and they are not "final"! Your input and comments are invited and welcomed. We want to consult with all brethren, and will seek to have discussion at each Divisional Conference, but we would like to introduce any structural changes which the brethren might support, in November 2008 at Christchurch. If the changes are positive, then lets get on with them!!

Executive summary

1. It is proposed that one governing Board be appointed to administer all aspects of the Craft.

2. The two existing Boards would be merged into one body, which would oversee all aspects of freemasonry in New Zealand - setting policy, implementing the decisions, assessing and monitoring outcomes, and where necessary adapting or changing policies to fit the needs and wants of brethren.

3. The Board should consist of well qualified. management-orientated, brethren who are accustomed to controlling a corporate body - not cold-hearted, non-masons - but brethren who understand masonic tradition and who have proven experience to identify policy issues, analyse them, and then make informed decisions.

4. The Executive Officers who assist the Board, namely the Grand Registrar and the Grand Treasurer, should be members of the Board, as their expert advice needs to be considered by the Board before it makes a decision.

5. This governing Board should consist of not more than 8 members -

• a Chairman
• the Grand Master, ex officio,
• the Grand Registrar,
• the Grand Treasurer,
• the Grand Superintendent of Almoners (to represent the benevolent activities of the craft, and The Freemasons Charity)
• and three appointees, one from each Division, with suitable management/corporate experience.
  
  The Divisional Grand Masters would not be members of this Board, but would have the right to attend as observers, and where necessary contribute their views on specific issues.

6. The Board would have a series of specialist sub-committees with defined terms of reference and strict reporting requirements. The sub-committees would exist as and when required, for example:-

• Buildings
• Ceremonial
• Communication
• Heritage
• Publicity

7. We need a "Chief Operating Officer" to adopt the decisions made by the governing Board, and then to take steps necessary to implement those decisions. This may in turn require a review of the operations of Grand Lodge Office.

8. The important role of benevolence must be maintained - policy decisions being made by the governing Board, but decision-making on all individual applications being made in each Division. This may require further resources at Divisional level to administer this work.

9. We need to be vigilant in checking costs and expenses, to see if the craft can operate at a more economic level, without compromising quality. This should be an ongoing process in all aspects of Grand Lodge operations.

Detailed commentary

One governing Board

10. The Craft is of a size, and its organizational and other needs are such, that one policy making body should be able to administer monitor and govern its affairs.

11. This is not, for a moment, criticism of those who have gone before but merely recognition of today's environment and the need to adapt to current and future circumstances and demand.

12. The decentralization of the work of the Board of Benevolence has progressed very well, and the Divisions have shown competence ability and enthusiasm to be active in this important area. This has resulted in the bulk of the work of the Board of Benevolence becoming more purely policy-making, and monitoring performance. A different set of skills are required to discharge these duties, than might have been required a decade or so ago when the Board was itself making decisions on actual applications rather than formulating broad policy.

13. The one governing Board should have brethren appointed who are experienced in corporate or management roles, able to identify issues, distil arguments for and against, make determinations having regard to the Masonic line and rule, implement actions, monitor results and performance, and if necessary take further steps as experience may dictate.

14. The governing Board should consist of 8 members, one of whom is the Chairman. The Grand Master, ex officio, ought attend all meetings of the Board. One appointee from each Division with suitable qualifications. While parochial considerations should generally be discouraged, it does seem certain that high caliber brethren from each Division should be able to be readily identified and appointed to this role.

15. The Executive Officers are specialist brethren, appointed because of their professional abilities. The Board will need legal and accounting advice from time to time - but hopefully not on every issue that comes before it! Accordingly, these two Executive Officers ought be on the governing Board.

16. The important role of benevolence and of The Freemasons Charity, must not be ignored. A brother charged with representing this important area of activity should be appointed to the governing Board, possibly with a new title to reflect the role. For the purposes of this paper, lets us identify him as the President of the Board of Benevolence, or the Grand Superintendent of Almoners.

17. The Divisional Grand Masters are appointed to govern the three Divisions. As such, they ought be observers at the Board meetings with speaking rights. Communication between the Board and the brethren will be very important, and the Divisional Grand Masters will have a role to play in this regard. The focus of the Divisionals ought be clearly on their Division, rather than being split between a national and local role.

18. The Board will need some specialist sub-committees. These will be set up and used as and when they are required, with defined terms of reference and strict reporting requirements. Costs of administration must be a constant focus of the Board.

19. The role of the Grand Secretary should be reviewed by the new governing Board. The Craft needs a person in the nature of a 'Chief Operating Officer', charged with actioning decisions made by the Board, monitoring outcomes and reporting back to the Board with recommendations. While the existing role of the Grand Secretary includes ceremonial duties, these too should be part of the review.

20. Consequent upon, and as part of the review of the role of the Grand Secretary, the functions and operations of Grand Lodge office should also be reviewed by the Board.

Benevolence

21. The role of benevolence needs special mention. The enthusiasm for benevolence has found new light, and nothing must be done to diminish that revival. The brethren have gone 'back to basics', and any restructuring needs to emphasize and strengthen that role. All applications for benevolence should be determined locally within each Division, by suitably qualified and expert brethren well-versed in the relevant policies and protocols. Divisions may need to reinforce their resources to ensure this fundamental aspect of freemasonry is not under-emphasised.

22. There are several 'sponsorship' type relationships currently undertaken in the name of The Freemasons Charity (the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Arts Foundation of New Zealand, the Chair of Geriatrics, Paediatrics Fellowship) which will be overseen by the Board as part of its mandate.

23. The decisions affecting investment of the monies held, and monitoring the performance, will be the responsibility of the Board.

24. Recognising the declining income levels of income from the Grand Lodge Deposit Scheme (amounts on deposit are falling, and there is a continual contest with the National Bank concerning commission levels), the Board will need to be vigilant in ensuring costs in all areas of Grand Lodge office are kept under constant review.

Conclusion

25.These changes are not radical, but in many ways are a sensible step to make our administration more appropriate to the real needs of today and the future.

26. One smaller focused Board, making policy and monitoring performance. Divisional Grand Masters with a focus on their Divisions, strong lines of communication from the Board to the brethren, and a 'Chief Operating Officer' role with a review of the operation of Grand Lodge office.

Implementation

27. These suggestions are for consultation and comment. If there is a strong groundswell of support for change, then constitutional changes would be introduced to the bi-ennial Communication in Christchurch 2008 for consideration and hopefully adoption.

28. A sub-committee should be appointed to assist the Grand Master to appoint the three Divisional representatives on the new Board.

29. The existing Board of Benevolence would cease to exist with effect from 31 December 2008, coinciding with the appointment of the then President of the Board of Benevolence as the Grand Superintendent of Almoners. He would then become a member of the Board of General Purposes effective from 1 January 2009.

30. The existing Divisional Grand Almoners, and their support teams, would continue as at present. More decisions would be delegated to the regions, and encouragement would be given to ensure adequate resources expertise and knowledge was available at Divisional level to ensure our 'back to basics' concept continued, and our benevolence continued to be directed to those of our Masonic family in need.

31. The Grand Superintendent of Almoners would continue to liaise with the Divisions to monitor performance in our benevolence area, assist in policy direction and guidance, and ensure this fundamental plank of freemasonry maintained its high profile.

32. The Board of General Purposes would continue until 30 June 2009, and from that date it would be replaced by the new governing Board.

33. The new governing Board would then be charged with reviewing the role of the Chief Operating Officer and Grand Lodge Office roles.

We cannot conclude this Discussion Paper without full acknowledgement for the magnificent contribution from the Mace Committee. The Committee has met on numerous occasions, under a tight schedule, and with strict reporting guidelines. Their report is wide-ranging, covering aspects wider than merely restructuring Grand Lodge. The additional recommendations promoted by the Mace Committee are indeed worthy of further debate and discussion, and there is little doubt those topics will see light in the fullness of time.

For the present, however, we are keen to see the brethren focus on the items of restructuring outlined above. If a consensus can be gleaned for these changes, we have little doubt that the craft will be better suited to face the challenges and opportunities of the future.

We welcome debate and discussion, not to be critical of the past, but to ensure the craft is best positioned to take advantage of the future.

For some further information, a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) has also been published.