Raising Money

mmsig229 · 07-26-2007, 13:33

How do you guys do it? As you know (at least in Ohio) we can't be involved in anything involving alcohol, or games of chance. Our dues haven't kept up with inflation and with so many 50 year members having their dues remitted for them, it's becoming a problem. Our lodge has a very small kitchen and dining room so the dreaded chicken dinners are out. Our lodge remits a portion of our dues to Grand Lodge for the big chararies, and locally we support many smaller charaties including our scholarship fund and food baskets. How do you guys do it?????

hiram2005p0 · 07-27-2007, 06:36

We have a breakfast one Saturday a month. It's all free-will offerings,but we usually take in around $150. We don't have much overhead at our lodge,it's an old church out in the country. Lady next door mows our grass and gets free breakfast for herself and her daughters. Most upkeep on the building is done by ourselves. Plus we have a cookout in the fall with the same freewill offering deal. But we kind of advertise this and get lots of people who have nothing to do with Freemasonry who attend.

I don't know everything seems to go al-right!

deputy tom · 07-27-2007, 16:38

No games of chance stuff here in Pa either.We have a spaghetti dinner every spring and a pancake breakfast every fall.These procedes go to the Hall Ascoiation.I enjoy the comradery at these events and it brings in local people as well.We even gain membership from the encounters too.tom.

machinisttx · 07-27-2007, 18:31

My lodge puts on an annual BBQ as the main fundraiser. We have two massive smokers out behind the lodge, right beside the building we use as a concession stand for that event. I think there was something like 1100+ pounds of beef cooked at the recent one. The lodge also has a couple of raffles a year.

Most(almost all as I understand it) of the lodge's fees to the grand lodge are taken care of by all the endowed memberships we have. When I get a spare $500, I'm going to buy one myself.

I think the no alcohol policy is pretty much universal.

deputy tom · 07-29-2007, 11:53

Quote:

Originally posted by machinisttx
My lodge puts on an annual BBQ as the main fundraiser. We have two massive smokers out behind the lodge, right beside the building we use as a concession stand for that event. I think there was something like 1100+ pounds of beef cooked at the recent one.

Now you've done it.My mouth is watering for some of that BBQ'ed beef! tom.

machinisttx · 07-29-2007, 17:53

Yes, it was good! After it was over, we sold the remaining cooked meat for $6 a pound IIRC. I bought a few pounds and put it in my freezer at home.

deputy tom · 07-30-2007, 16:55

I'd be real happy to pay $6.00 per pound for real Texas BBQ beef.We did run down yesterday for a couple of racks of ribs and did 'em up on the grill.Not as good as slow and low but almost as good.tom.

Scunyon · 08-24-2007, 20:44

is work at the Colonial Center as a booth filler. By that I mean we work the concession stands and we get 10% of what we sell. Concerts are the biggest draw and over the last year we close to $20K, which makes for nice charitable contributions and lodge upkeep. Also helps to pay a worthy Brothers dues when he runs into a financial hardship.

Depending on what your bylaws say, you may be able to go to your local sports arena or college stadium, and work there. It definately beats raffle tickets, candy and popcorn sales