Pretty upset about it, however county wide we couldn't get enough companions to show
in order to even properly open 75% of the time.

It's not for lack of members, just the same old card holders not participating

They both are planning to merge with a C&C as well as a Commandery about 45 minutes north
of me. Unfortunately they meet on a night that I work on 70% of the year.

It's sad but I will have to demit from the York Rite.

I wish I wasn't such a poor schmuck, I would just continue to pay my dues and no-show like
most of the current membership, but then I guess I would be no better than them

What state do you live in?  It sounds like Chapter, Council and Commandery all meet on the same night.  That's the worst thing they can do.

It's easy to think that combining them will increase participation because guys only have to come once.  But all it accomplishes if having to sit through three consecutive business meetings instead of one.  It's three times the suck and ain't nobody got time for that.  My Chapter and Council used to do the same thing  We split them apart and attendance doubled.

Does your state allow appendant bodies to make lodge presentations?  I put some together when I was MIGM and it was successful in increasing membership.

State of Ohio.

Right now my Chapter & Council meet on the same night.

Our Commandery closed years ago and merged with the one that has all 3 meet on the same night.

So now it's pretty much a done deal, the C&C are going to merge up to where the Commandery had

They are allowed to make presentations at Blue lodge, but to be honest, it's hard to get people to show
for Blue Lodge around these parts

Well it's a done deal

We couldn't even get a quorum show for our final meeting to vote. (In OH it is 10 Companions)

The  GHP of Ohio was there. Called each companion up and asked if we wished to merge, and if it was of our free will and accord.

I told him 'regrettably yes'

He banged the gavel and merged our Chapter.

Council was a bit trickier. As per the Most Illustrious, as of June 1st, all members go into a 'Holding Council' and we must find another council,
seek plural membership, then demit from the holding council. What a PIA.  Should have just pounded his gavel and merged

Oh well on a good note, between both bodies, we had over $50,000 that was disbursed to local charities, rents paid to our Blue Lodge for the next 5 years,
as well as lifetime dues paid for the ones who bothered to show up, and 2 years dues pre-paid for the other members.

Now we have to go through the process of inventorying and moving all of the accouterments and furnishing to our new home up north.

That really is too bad.  In Wisconsin we're starting to make a little headway.  Here in Green Bay we conferred all four Chapter Degrees today and exalted seven new Royal Arch Masons.  That makes a long day, but it's well worth it.

I've never done the SR route. Around here you pay a bunch of $, go to a reunion, watch about 4 or 5 degrees over a couple of days (some are on film!)

And magically you are 32nd.

With the YR, there are a total of 7 degrees (6 if you aren't planning to be an officer in the Cryptic) + 3 Orders (for Commandery)  The money thing isn't bad, like $55 for all three bodies per year

I can say that the degrees are some of the most meaningful and beautiful things that I have experienced.

The allegories and 'working tools' are quite meaningful, and of course the recovery of the lost word is....... well you just have to experience it

And the Order Of the Temple, wow, it completely blew me away.

If you do find the time, it is totally worth it

Our Chapter Festival was great.  We pool the resources of the other area Chapters and call it the Northeast Wisconsin Chapter Degree Festival.  One Chapter did the Mark Master Degree, we did Past Master, another did Most Excellent Master and then we did the Royal Arch.

Two Saturdays ago we had our Annual Commandery Inspection.  We conferred an Order of the Temple on Thursday night, Friday night and then again for the Inspection on Saturday.  That's a two and one-half hour Order each night/day.  But you know what?  It's totally worth the effort.  There are a couple of very small parts in the OoT and the Thursday and Friday candidates were able to participate in the Inspection on Saturday.

I really feel bad for some of you guys and your different issues with Lodge and York Rite and SR.

My Valley has around 7000 members and our reunions are completely awesome.
I'm always telling Brothers that I know how lucky they are.

We never had a problem with our inspections or degrees, as other Chapters ALWAYS showed to help out (as we helped others) We even had a 'sister Council' that we always worked with on degrees and did a Super Ex twice a year with.

We just couldn't get enough people to show at meetings to have a quorum to conduct business

As four our districts in both Chap & Cryptic, all the Chapters & Councils take turns doing various degrees at the closest Ohio Masonic Home, as they no longer can easily travel. We even all pitch in and pay the dues for those 'older' companions, as most are on budgeted fixed incomes

Oh well. we move on to a new chapter (pun intended?) into our Masonic journey