Strive for Ceremonial Excellence…!
On Saturday morning (1st February) 30 masons met for a DC’s Workshop with existing DCs, ADCs and those aspiring to become DCs all eager to learn how to manage meetings and festive boards. The aim was to share the information, tips and skills needed for us to help our Lodges to succeed.
We all gathered in the Berkshire at Sindlesham Court, and after a welcome breakfast of Bacon or Sausage Rolls, Paul Thomsett, Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies, kicked off with a few general observations on the role of a DC.
He then went on to introduce his fellow presenters:
- W.Bro Steve Ricks PSGW
- W.Bro. Edward Hands PDGDC
He also introduced W.Bro Bob Spooner PDGDC who will succeed Paul as PGDC later this year.
The first short session asked everyone to name a good or bad quality for a DC which identified a number of common themes that were then referred to during the rest of the morning.
Steve followed up with a quiz to test our current knowledge (such as why is remembering absent brethren at nine o’clock so rarely fired?)
Next to speak was Edward who looked at the differences between a DC and a Preceptor. The DC is expected to concentrate on the meeting itself, while the Preceptor runs the Lodge of Instruction to teach and encourage the lodge members in the ceremony. However, it was felt that in many lodges these two roles are both successfully practiced by the DC.
Paul talked about the Responsibilities of the DC, which included succession planning, ensuring everyone involved in the ceremony is encouraged to attend the rehearsals. He needs to ensure everything is in place for the meeting and festive board. It is important to manage the time keeping and Paul encouraged all DCs to provide a running order. He has provided a sample on the website.
Edward encouraged DCs to split up the ceremony and not expect the WM to do everything. This reduces the pressure on everyone to learn and to undertake large blocks or ceremony and also makes meeting more interesting by having a variety of voices. There is an interesting document written by Mark Heppelthwaite which colour-coded the areas that can be easily split up, available on the website.
Steve then talked about preparation in advance of the festive board, making a number of useful points.
He also provided a number of tips and explanations covering entering the dining room, wine taking, grace and toasts.
Paul spoke about the specific requirements on an installation meeting and also some general tips for running a successful meeting, and general etiquette.
Edward then covered the Lodge Room setup, which, although it is normally carried out by the Tyler, is still the responsibility of the DC to ensure it is correct and that everything is in its place.
This very useful meeting was rounded off by Paul giving a walkthrough of the particular areas to watch out for in an installation meeting.
Remember:
If a meeting goes well the WM will take the credit.
If it goes badly the DC will take the blame!
For those logged into the website, the DC documents can be found at https://berkspgl.org.uk/dc-downloads/
