Brainerd Lodge No. 736 | The Brainerd Lodge Story

From Disaster to Flourishing

The story of how Brainerd Lodge No. 736 rebuilt—literally and figuratively—through commitment, community, and brotherhood.

From Disaster to Flourishing:

The story of Brainerd Lodge No. 736

The purpose of this paper is not to exalt or brag about our lodge but to give hope, help and assist any lodge that is struggling with membership, finances and in general, their enthusiasm for the craft. If your lodge looks like it’s about to close its doors, you can turn things around, if you and your brethren have the will to follow through and believe in a plan. This is our story of how we went from disaster to being a thriving lodge in five years.

It wasn’t easy. It took time. There were many sleepless nights and tears. It required a lot of personal sacrifice on the part of the brethren. But our resolve to follow through with our plan was unwavering. Our reward was God’s blessing, because without Him, it was impossible. This is our story.

Written by Patrick Shipley, PM 2013 Brainerd Lodge No. 736

Front Cover Photos: Patrick Shipley, PM 2013 Brainerd Lodge No. 736

Additional Lodge Photo credit: David Smith, PM 2020-2021 Brainerd Lodge No. 736

Special thanks to Past Masters David Smith, Michael Sarratore, Dereck Isham, Bert Piatt and Travis Wichman for taking the time to help edit and prepare this document. As time has passed and the memories and details have faded, collectively we feel this is the most accurate record of the path we took to turn the direction of our lodge. The work that went into restoring our lodge was spread across the hands of many men and some that we’re mentioned in this document. The foundation of the legacy we all stand upon now was laid by the hard work, patience, leadership and endurance of the past masters and Master Masons of Brainerd Lodge No. 736 during this period. Their names are written in the lodge records and minutes of every meeting and degree that followed during that period. Their participation, assistance and words of encouragement were just as vital as anything else that is found in this document.

It is my honor to document these events and the courage it took for these all these men to step up to face against impossible odds. It was my privilege to serve alongside them during these difficult times. It is now our duty to pass this knowledge to the next generation of Master Masons. Brainerd strong!

Patrick D. Shipley, PM

Brainerd Lodge No. 736, Chaplain 2023-2025

In April of 2020, to say that Brainerd Lodge No. 736 in Chattanooga, TN, was in a dire situation would be a drastic understatement. At the time we were in the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown. Also, that month, a tornado ripped through east Chattanooga picking up the roof of our lodge building and dropping it back down. Fortunately, most of the contents of the lodge survived though the building was a total loss. On top of that, the previous month we realized that our insurance was not enough to cover the building in case of such events. Dire just is insufficient to describe the situation. Depressed and discouraged doesn’t describe how we felt.

Spring forward to April of 2025, Brainerd Lodge No. 736 is a thriving and active lodge with over a dozen active Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts, with weekly activities and with members traveling to lodges throughout our district. We are conferring degrees almost monthly. We have twenty sometimes thirty plus in attendance at stated meetings and degrees. Our stated meeting attendance hasn’t dropped below 20+ in a long time. Needless to say, it’s a radical difference.

How did we go from the brink of literal closer to thriving? It wasn’t easy but it was worth it in the end. There were several decisions we had to make and an attitude we had to assume to get us through. Ultimately, all the credit goes to God who blessed our hard work and dedication not only to rebuilding our lodge both literally and figuratively, but to the work we committed to in our community serving others.

Where did we start?

After the Chattanooga Valley of the Scottish Rite allowed us to have our lodge meetings in their building while ours was being assessed and eventually rebuilt, we got straight to work. We had three choices.

Consolidate with another lodge
Merge with another lodge
Rebuild our lodge – literally

Brainerd Lodge No. 736 chose option three and we did it. There were other obstacles we faced soon after, but we met them with the same attitude we had at the beginning. If your lodge doesn’t want to go with option one or two then you need to prepare yourself for a long hard road. It can be done if you are willing to follow the steps we did, but it requires a few good and dedicated men to persevere until the tide turns in your favor. It’s not just steps but attitude and sacrifice.

Time to Organize

Another issue we had that followed is that we had two stationed officers who were stepping out of the officer line, moving out of state. The continuity of our officer’s line was uncertain and unstable. By way of history, Brainerd Lodge No. 736 has only had three Past Masters that have served twice in our history up to that point. Though this is common in other lodges it was rare in ours. As a rule, we do not like to recycle past masters unless it’s their choice, which those were. There were a couple of two-year terms under particular circumstances, but it is not our norm.

Regardless, we had a decision to make. With Covid-19 ravaging our country and being limited on our meetings due to our grand lodge edict with restriction on conferring degrees, we had to work with what we had. A group of our past masters met and decided we’re not going down without a fight and fight we did. These are the steps we took to take control and move forward in order to be blessed by God.

The first thing we did was to restructure our officer’s line. We just didn’t pick anyone, but only the brothers who were committed to getting the job done. This wasn’t the time for half-hearted dedication or uncertainty. Too much was at risk. Those who were elected and appointed were dedicated to going all the way, with no plan b or other option on the table.

Time to Reorganize - If you find your lodge teetering on edge, it’s time to reorganize and get dedicated leadership in your officer’s line. Those brothers need to understand that commitment to officers’ line is a position of sacrifice. Though our craft teaches that Masonry should not interfere with our usual vocations and responsibilities, which is true. But that is for the regular members, not the officers.
1. When you assume a station or a position, you own it. It is your responsibility. If you cannot make a meeting, then it is your responsibility to make sure your Worshipful Master knows and that you have it worked out days in advance, not the day of said meeting, unless it’s an emergency.

Too many lodges falter because of weak leadership. Too many lodges falter because of the lackadaisical attitude regarding serving. Having a title doesn’t make you a leader. Dedication, hard work and commitment make you a leader. We have a saying in our lodge, “don’t elect anyone to the highest position in the lodge unless you know they are willing to work in the lowest position.” If you aren’t willing to scrub toilets or dishes, then you don’t need to be in leadership in the lodge. We are all on the level. True leaders lead from the front and by example. Be the example.

Have Substitutes & Backups - To encourage younger members to participate in the officer’s line, particularly those with children or those in college, we prearranged substitutes. If we had a stationed or appointed officer that had to miss a meeting for whatever reason, we already knew who was filling for them. There was a Past Master filling in for an active officer when needed. It was another level of commitment added to guarantee our lodge’s success. But it was the responsibility of the officer to let his substitute know that he was going to miss. This worked efficiently and harmoniously. It was explained to the membership and understood and is a practice that we continue to this day.

Time to drink the Kool-Aid

Now that we had several years of committed officers in place and a stable officer’s line with direction and focus, we committed ourselves to a plan. The plan was that there was no plan b. We had to do this and there was no room for doubt. It was going to happen. Call it what you will. Fake it till you make it. We decided we all had to drink the Kool-Aid and believe that we were going to succeed. Our newly elected and recycled Past Master Michael Sarratore coined our motto “Brainerd Strong” and that is what we lived by and still do to this day. You will find #BrainerdStrong on all our social media posts.

Have a Motto or Mission Statement - It may sound silly or too commercial to establish a slogan or motto for your lodge, but the mental effect it has on the brethren when properly applied is profound. All people need hope. Every group needs a battle cry or a banner to follow behind. Every lodge has something special about it, otherwise it wouldn’t be in existence. If you don’t know what makes your lodge special, then you need to figure it out, or decide what you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple is the best. Then use it as a tool as a means of encouragement and hope to rally the brethren.

After every meeting we say to each other before leaving, “Brainerd Strong” and we would echo it back to each other. Now that time has passed, we don’t hear it as much anymore, but by the time this paper is finished, there will be an effort to get that going back again in earnest. Recollecting on the past and seeing its fruition in the present, we can see how much that influenced our attitude in a positive way. It’s a small thing that doesn’t cost you a dime, but it has priceless returns.

In addition, we reactivated our Long-Range Planning Committee to serve as a proactive body to ensure accountability. In 2010, our LRPC was tasked to look to the future and access the needs of our lodge and to make sure that we were on track for growth and financially solvent 10-20 years. The committee did its job well with implementing changes and increasing dues in 2013 which left us in a good position with financial surplus if needed.

Now this committee would serve as our think tank and sounding board for our officers as we begin formulating our path forward. The committee consisted of myself as chairman, a couple of Past Masters and a few brothers including Travis Wichman, but everyone was encouraged in the lodge to bring ideas to the committee. Everything was on the table because in the end we had everything to lose. Though our path out of our circumstances wasn’t clear at first, it was staffed with equally committed men with minds for analyzing, creativity, planning and organization. If we tried and failed, we learned and moved on and tried something else. We threw things at the wall to see if they would stick, and when it did, we counted it a victory. When it did not, it was a learning moment. But we encouraged each other to keep trying and persevering the best we could.

Have a Plan - Long-Range Planning is essential for any organization. If you don’t have a goal or destination, how can you know where you are going or how to get there? A good LRPC with experienced men with vision and tenacity can be a great asset to your officers. In addition, these men must not be beholden to the status quo nor tradition. Out of the box thinking and accountability are traits needed for this committee. Choose your advisors for this committee with great care.

Proficiency in the Craft

Now we were organized, stable, dedicated, and proficient plus we had a mission. We needed to get our membership back, active and excited. It does seem to be the time-old question of how you get the brethren excited about coming back to lodge. It is simple if you think about it. Coming to lodge must have two things, enjoyment and value.

This may make your eyebrow raise a little bit, but it is true. People tend to avoid doing things in their spare time that aren’t fun. Regardless of what you say about Freemasonry is, at the end of the day, we are a volunteer organization. People are there because they choose to be, so give them a reason to choose to come.

If we’re honest, we know that brothers tend not to come to lodge because they afraid they might have to do something. They are afraid because they may not be proficient in the work, or they might get roped into doing something like serving on a committee or a station. It is an ugly truth.

Be proficient in the Craft - All the officers were committed to knowing their craft. We could open and close a lodge, call off and on, purge if needed. Prior to the 2020 issues, Brainerd Lodge had a weekly school of instruction that meets consistently on Tuesday night, other than second Tuesday which is our stated meeting night. Fortunately, years of consistent and dedicated instruction paid off in the aftermath. Our school of instruction is the life blood of our lodge to this day, but more important points about that will be explained later.

Our lodge created an environment where we took away that excuse. We’d call our brothers and invite them to lodge and say, “just show up and have fun with us.” We assured them they wouldn’t have to do anything but “enjoy the fellowship” and they did. It is amazing what one phone call to a brother can make if it is sincere. Pick up the phone. Don’t text. Don’t email. Pick up the phone and call them.

Add Value to Lodge Attendance - Add value to your lodge by creating an atmosphere of enjoyment. You can do more at a stated meeting than just pay the bills. Food, fun, and fraternity are great recipes for enjoyment. Masonic education is a great way to add value to your meetings. Meals or some type of food before the meeting helps encourage fellowship.

With the right leadership and dedication, our members could show up and just enjoy the meeting. The meetings were more than just paying the bills. Prior to Covid and the tornado we had regularly Masonic education lectures, which we continued and still have to this day. Sometimes it was purely practical and educational, sometimes it was Masonically whimsical. Not all your lodge content has to be dry and boring. Find something interesting if not entertaining to share. We made lodge fun again.

Everyone that attended lodge got their name put in a hat for a drawing. It would be a $10 gift card to a fast-food place or a $20 one for a nicer restaurant. Though it was never said out loud, but those gift cards weren’t paid for by the lodge, but the men who were leading those meetings. As previously stated, the officer’s position is one of sacrifice. These men knew this and led by example with their sacrifice.

And when the Covid restrictions were lifted, we were still proficient in handling the degree work, rusty, but proficient. Again, we’d call our membership and say, “just come and enjoy the fellowship” and they did. Our gracious visitors who traveled to our lodge and those dedicated officers turned the tide with their hard work. Our attendance grew slowly at first (Covid was still a thing), but eventually the numbers grew.

Make Lodge Fun Again - Give your membership something to look forward to in coming. If they don’t get value from the education, they will find value in the meal. If they don’t find value in the meal maybe they will with the fellowship. Try different things until you find something that works.

In all your lodge revitalization literature, they always encourage having food. It’s true that it works. Before the meeting, have a meal. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Pizza or spaghetti is fine. If you don’t want to have a meal, have donuts, pastries and or cookies. Just have something!

If you are in the 16th district in Tennessee, people will tell you that Brainerd Lodge No. 736 is known for its meals. It is the signature of our hospitality to our visiting brethren. It is the commitment of our own brethren who aren’t officers, and mainly past masters, to put in the time to make these meals.

Find Joy in the Craft

Hopefully, you are a Freemason because you enjoy the Craft. Different brothers thrive in Masonry for different reasons. Some brothers are teachers and some are ritualists. Some brothers like to organize activities for fellowship. Others like to be in the background and assist. In an organization of leaders, it’s good to have a few followers at least, right?

Allow Brothers to serve where they can use their strengths - Encourage the brethren to participate in areas of the Craft that they enjoy, not where you want them or need them. If people like to teach, let them teach (if they are proficient). If they like the ritual, let them do ritual and organize degree teams. The point is to allow people to find their passion in all the aspects of the fraternity.

The lifeblood of Brainerd Lodge has always been our Tuesday night school of instruction. We eat at 6pm. Nothing fancy, usually, pizza, spaghetti, hot dogs and chili or whatever. The food isn’t the point. It is the fellowship with all of us on the level. It’s there where we get to bond with each other. Again, it required some phone calls to let people know that our school of instruction was back (once we were permitted to meet after Covid). They would say “I am no good at this or that” to which we replied, “well come and we’ll be bad at whatever together.” And it worked, it just required a phone call. It is at our school where we find ourselves, the joy of the Craft and find our place in our lodge.

Laying the Foundation for Future Generations

When we initiate an Entered Apprentice, one of the first things we tell them at beginning, you don’t know what your place is in our lodge yet, but over time with the more you come and the more you participate, your place and or your role here will become apparent. To help with this, we assign older brothers to mentor these new brothers to help them find their place.

Mentor the brethren - Find your thing that brings joy to you in the Craft and then if you can help others find theirs. Let the next generation lead now and guide them so your lodge has a future.

Much of what we are discussing is basic human psychology. When people come into Freemasonry, they want to feel connected and valued. They want to be seen, and their voice heard. They want to be a part of something greater than themselves. This is why so many ex-military men join our fraternity because it’s the closest thing they can find in civilian life.

But it’s your role to come alongside the E.A., the Fellowcraft and or the newly raised Master Mason to help them find their place. Again, in all your lodge revitalization literature, mentoring is a key to success in not only keeping people active in the lodge but sustaining the lodge.

In my own story, as my Masonic career continued my mind was wrecked with doubts about continuing beyond Senior Deacon. I had earned my Lectures Card and was soon getting my Proficiency Card. But as being a “leader”, I struggled with the question “will anyone follow me” a farm boy and knife salesman from nowhere Tennessee. A past master pulled me aside, grabbed my arm tight, looked me straight in the eyes and said “you are going to finish” which didn’t leave any room for doubt. When I questioned another Past Master about why they had such confidence in me, I was told very plainly “if we don’t let you lead now while we’re here to guide you, how can we trust you to lead after we’re gone.” Those words have stuck with me for years and I often pass them on to our next generation of Masons in our lodge.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Communication is key in keeping the blood pumping in any Masonic lodge. There are 6 predominant groups in a Masonic lodge in which you need to communicate: 1. Past Masters 2. Master Masons 3. Fellowcrafts 4. Entered Apprentices 5. Candidates 6. Lodge Officers. Each has something unique that you need to communicate with them at some time or another. It’s best to start learning now.

At the beginning when group texting was new popular, and often hated, our lodge had text groups for each. Now with smart phones, there are many choices by which you can communicate to these groups less annoyingly. A few years ago, our lodge started using Slack which is just a simple text-based program that allows videos and pictures as well. Depending on how many features you want to use, there is an expense but if you use the program, it will become a valuable tool. There are others that have free versions along with Slack that you can use to get you started.

Ours started out small and simple. Like any piece of new technology, it took time for people to learn how to use it. We started with Master Masons and Past Masters. Then eventually we added a channel for Officers. Once people were comfortable, we added our E.A. and Fellowcrafts to the “general” chat channel. It has become our regular form of communication.

Now, we do have some past masters who are not up to learning a new technology, which is fine. Those brothers get a text or a phone call, deservingly so. The flip side to this coin is that our younger candidates and brothers see us using this technology in a positive light. We may be ancient and honorable, but we are also modern and innovative. This is an area where Masonry needs to learn to change with the times. If you aren’t that person, that is fine. Find a brother who is and let them manage it.

Communicate - Find a means of communicating with your lodge and use it. If your lodge is not doing anything worth talking about, you are in trouble. But you must start somewhere. Even if it’s with something simple like “how is everyone doing” or “who all is coming to stated meeting” or communicating sickness and distressed brothers. You can find something to talk about.

Create Opportunities for Participation

Every lodge has a group of brothers who tend to do all the work. It is the 80/20 rule in every organization; 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. We find ourselves in that position because we tend not to trust others to fulfill their duty with the same level of thoroughness and/or enthusiasm that we do. So, we horde those tasks to ourselves. It’s our natural instinct to give the work to people we know that aren’t half-hearted about seeing it get done.

But, over the years we’ve found that you can grow people into those people we do trust by assigning some small tasks, that grow into big tasks, small responsibilities that grow into big responsibilities. It doesn’t have to be anything major, just something small that the brother that can call his own.

My first job as an Entered Apprentice was to sweep the steps of the lodge at the side of the building, which was really the main entrance to the lodge at the time. After our 2nd Saturday breakfast, I would take a broom, grab the rugs on the inside and outside the door, sweep them and beat the dust out and put them back. Over time when I came to the lodge and saw the steps in disarray with leaves, dirt or whatever, I would go get a broom and sweep the steps. Even today, I find myself on a rare occasion finding the broom to sweep the steps. Somewhere along the way, I passed that task on to someone else I trained on the breakfast cleanup crew. Maybe that person passed it along to another brother. I don’t know who, but I know it’s someone because I find the steps are regularly swept.

My personal anecdote is a natural example. It may be something as simple as checking to make sure the salt and pepper shakers are full, or if there’s toilet paper and paper towels in the restrooms. And emphasize the moral lesson behind those tasks, in these cases as part of our hospitality and making sure our guest brothers are provided for when they visit.

With our younger brethren, maybe ask them to take a picture or make social media post. If you are mentoring your younger brothers, you should be learning their particular skill sets.

Develop Opportunities to Serve - Create opportunities where non-officers can serve, including past masters. Officers have their assigned duties, but there are plenty of other duties you can find for non-officers.

And if by chance they don’t follow through with the task, you learn, but it’s nothing critical either. But if they do, then you can slowly start asking a little more of them and giving them a little more responsibility. Then they will take ownership more and more of your lodge duties. You will soon see what kind of brother they can become overtime.

It’s our reluctance to hand-off these duties and to trust the younger brethren that hinder our lodge growth. Don’t be afraid to spread the work around. If there is an area where Brainerd lodge could improve its location here. The point is realizing it, identifying these needs and tasks and then acting on it.

Harmony Above All

It didn’t happen overnight, but eventually, we arrived at a state of harmony in our lodge which defines us in our Masonic community. Over the years it has developed a name within our lodge called “the Brainerd way” which is synonymous with how we do things. In our history, we have had some arguments and disagreements but in the last decade we have never attacked each other. We have learned to talk about the subject or the topic without attacking the person. We’ve learned to address the point of view, and not the person who is expressing it. It was a hard-fought battle to arrive at this state, but we did it through a zero tolerance for disruptive behavior. Master Masons and Past Masters alike, we hold ourselves accountable to a standard of behavior that is guarded above all. No one is exempt, even past masters. If you are disrupting the harmony of our lodge, you will be reduced to order.

As sure as death and taxes, you are going to have conflict. But through good conflict resolution practices, you can overcome disagreements. We often find that when we have disagreements that it’s merely a different way of achieving the same goals. Then it’s just debating which path forward is better and more efficient for the lodge, which no one cares about as long as we arrive at that goal.

When we have different goals, then we must determine why. If something is becoming heated, we table the discussion and or take it outside the lodge room. In our recent history, we can’t recollect where we’ve not been able to work out a problem or conflicting goals.

In the case of un-Masonic-like conduct, we don’t sit idle there either. Not addressing a problem and or an incident doesn’t make it the problem go away or resolve it. Our Conduct Committee is very thorough, and direct, yet kind and caring when addressing a brother in question. Usually, we’ve discovered that most times there are underlying circumstances that cause unwanted behavior. If handled correctly with the right attitude and tone, the real reason for that behavior emerges without talking about what happened. Love and concern is our first response to these situations, and often they resolve themselves through discussion and understanding.

Harmony Above All Else - Create a committee of brothers with the right demeanor for conflict resolution. This group of men shouldn’t be push-overs, nor should they be hard men either. Have them approach every case with love and concern. If love does not prevail, reduce disruptive and negative brethren to order.

Give Them Something to Talk About

After the tornado devastated our building and with our insurance money lacking, it would have been very easy for us to focus inward instead of continuing our charitable work outside the lodge. Money was a concern, and we would have been justified in some people’s eyes to put our fundraising efforts back into our building. Our leadership decided that we would not stop being charitable. We believed that God would continue to bless us if we remained faithful to our commitments. God was true to His word.

In 2011, Brainerd Lodge adopted the Chattanooga Campus of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home as our charitable focus in our community. It started out as buying Christmas presents for the boy’s cottage and occasionally food for the campus. Over the years it has expanded to take the whole campus to the Shrine Circus. When the circus went away and became the Shrine Rodeo we continued to this day. Occasionally, we will take the boys bowling or golfing. We are always looking for other activities.

Our ladies in our Order of the Eastern Star Chapter Sunnyside #359 decided to get in on the fun too. They started by inviting the girls over for hair and make-up spa days. Then they added a ‘paint and crafts’ day too. Last year for the first time, they started buying Christmas presents for the girls. Charity done right is contagious especially when it is fun. Now we’re doing joint ventures with the whole campus.

Give them something to talk about - Getting out in the community by doing something fun and charitable is a great way to attract membership and participation. Telling people what you do sometimes is more effective than trying to tell them what you are. Establish your identity from your charitable giving in the community.

Our annual Christmas Party for the boys is the highlight and capstone of our year. It is looked upon with great anticipation and joy. Along with our Second Saturday Breakfast each month and the passing of the hat at stated meetings, in which the brothers give generously, we maintain this charitable function. We have food, sometimes crafts and lots of games. Some of our parties have become legendary, in a wholesome way, of course. Another value-added incentive is to come to lodge to hear the stories.

Also, at Christmas we give our Masonic widows a Christmas bag filled with many useful items. Originally, it was a fruit basket, but it evolved into something more practical. A nice fleece blanket with some lotions, candy and a host of other little things get inserted into the bag. The same night that we wrap gifts, we also sign the Christmas cards going to our Masonic widows.

And our brothers make these deliveries in person and spend time talking with our widows. Throughout the year, our brethren call up our widows for a chat to check in to see how they are doing. When Christmas comes around, our brothers are not strangers dropping off a token gift to a former members’ wife. It’s a real relationship, and one that we’re ‘obligated’ to keep. But if the roles were reversed, we consider that fact that we would want someone sincerely taking care of our widows. And for those that are out of state, they all get signed cards by members of the lodge as well. This is another joint project that we do with our Eastern Star.

We get to practice the Craft not just in ritual but in charitable action and giving. Our activities with the children’s home are as much of our lodge identity as the food we’re famous for in the district. Each member of our lodge can talk with pride about what we do because we know we’re making a difference in the lives of these young boys and girls. When they get older, maybe they will think positively of Masonry, and hopefully well of us too. And as of lately, one of those young men petitioned our lodge. It was a great moment for us. Find your charity that you can rally your membership behind and try to outgive God. His blessings will flow unto you if you do.

If there is a secret to our membership success, it is this aspect that compels people to want to join. Who doesn’t want to be a part of helping give Christmas to children? Who doesn’t want to be a part of giving a gift to a Masonic widow? The key is that we do it with joy, and it shows. That is why men join. As Freemasons we can’t solicit members, but we can certainly advertise what we do.

In conclusion

The rest, they say, is history. Once the gears started turning, people started participating and showing up. We just kept talking about what we were doing with our building and for TCBH. We interwove our building fundraising with our conversations about our charitable activities and people gave. People, both Masons and non-Masons alike, saw value in what we were doing, and that we were deserving of their support.

Though we did have a past master, Robert Hill, who deserves to be mentioned, an insurance agent and a member of our lodge, was squeezing every penny out of our policy beyond what we thought possible. As a lodge, we are eternally grateful to him. But we couldn’t have done it all without the support and charitable giving of the community either, that of the brethren and blessings of God to give us the courage and the faith to push forward.

We also couldn’t have done it without some great leaders in our lodge. First, we must mention Past Master David Smith, who served a two-year term through the Covid-19 years and the rebuilding of the lodge. Second, we must mention past masters Derek Isham and Michael Sarratore, who stepped up to fill the void of leadership when called to serve again. Plus, the men that dedicated themselves to follow the leadership of these men in our officers’ line to stabilize our lodge and to secure our future: Wayne Foster, P.M. 2024, Travis Wichman, Worshipful Master 2025, and Matthew Blankenship, Senior Warden 2025. And last, but not least, all the past masters and members who united behind all these men, showed up and supported them. As we say, Brainerd strong!

The Importance of Past Masters

It is the mindset of some Freemasons that once you’ve made it through the officers’ chairs that you are done. Some have an attitude of “I have served my time” and vanish from not only the Masonic responsibility but vanish altogether with whatever accolades their lodge offers. This attitude and practice is not only ignorant but folly. Becoming a Past Master is not the end of your career in Masonic leadership and learning, but merely the beginning. The officers’ chairs are not a means to an end in Freemasonry.

Who goes to college, medical school, law school or a trade school for 4 to 7 years then graduates and then says “Well, I am done now.” No one does. Why? Because they’ve invested their time in learning something of value to them and hopefully others. If this is you, then you ought to reconsider the path the fraternity has offered you. You may not have been offered the love and support that others have received, like me, in your Masonic career, but you owe it to yourself to be or become that past master that you wanted someone to be for you.

On the other side of that coin, there are some Past Masters that use their lodge as their own person fiefdoms. There are different scenarios where you see this situation develop. Often you see a desperate few that are trying to hold things together and can’t relinquish control over fear of the lodge falling apart. The intent is good, but their application of leadership is flawed by not allowing others to serve and learn. Then there are men who, sadly, tend use their lodges to get some sort of personal satisfaction by lording over other members with their knowledge and experience, and in some cases financial status. These brethren make coming to the lodge not fun. They tend to snuff out enthusiasm and discourage new ideas and much needed change.

In the past, Brainerd lodge was one of these lodges. It left scars on some of our brothers. Fortunately, these brothers took the lessons of the past and decided to make a different future for those of us who followed them. These brothers are now the pillars of our lodge, who guide, teach and nurture us. They laid the foundation from which we now stand. Brainerd lodge is not perfect, but we are better than we were yesterday. With God’s help, Brainerd lodge will be better tomorrow.

But it wasn’t until we looked hard at ourselves before we could start chiseling away that which needed to go. If you find yourself and your lodge in a dire and desperate situation as we did, be prepared to ask the hard questions. These are the hard questions you need to consider. There may be others, but here is a place to start if you need one.

Do you have seven or more men willing to standfast in the officers’ line until things start to turn for the better?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is yes, then proceed to question #2.
Are these men proficient in the work and or willing to be proficient in the work?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is yes, reach out to your local grand lodge officer and find someone willing to help with perfecting the Craft until you are proficient.
  1. The goal in being proficient is to create the needed atmosphere to get members to come to lodge without fear.
  2. The goal in being proficient is to create a sense of pride not only for yourself but for your lodge. It is a shot of confidence in the arm of your lodge.
Are your past masters or other Master Masons willing to be substitutes for your committed lodge officers?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
  1. If your membership is not willing to follow and support those committing to work you have bigger problems.
- If the answer is yes, then your officers need to find their “lodge buddy” and make sure they are proficient so they can fill-in when needed.
  1. Once these brothers are covered, it needs to be communicated to the lodge at a stated meeting, so everyone understands the arrangement. If there is someone sitting in a chair that is not the appointed or elected officer, they know why that person is there without explanation.
Are these officers and active members willing to make the necessary phone calls to reengage the brethren?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is yes, then you need to assign each of the active brothers a list of your non-active brethren and start making phone calls.
  1. Be persistent. As inactive members become active members again, mark them off your lists and move forward.
  2. Make notes on these brethren and share that information at stated meetings.
    - You may find an opportunity to go and practice Masonry by giving a helping hand to the worthy distressed brother.
Do your lodge membership dues cover the expenses of your lodge?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is no, but there are cuts that can be made or alternatives to balancing the budget, then you need to form an Audit Committee to assess your lodge finances.
- If the answer is yes, then you need to consider forming a Lodge Range Planning Committee to plan for future growth.
  1. Please note in the Tennessee code, your lodge membership dues must be able to cover your lodge’s annual expenses.
Are the members of your lodge willing to establish a modern and reliable form of regular communication?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is yes, then you need to assign that duty to someone who is willing to take responsibility for it and see that it happens.
  1. Consider someone responsible who isn’t in your officer line. This will create an opportunity for someone to participate working hand-in-hand with your officers.
  2. Your officers have a lot on their plate; this allows the burden to be shared.
Is there someone or a group of people willing to organize the lodge’s charitable activities in the community?
- If the answer is no, then you may need to consider consolidation or merging.
- If the answer is yes, then you need to assign that duty to someone who is willing to take responsibility for it and see that it happens.
Does your lodge have the facilities and resources for charitable work outside of the lodge?
- If the answer is no, then you need to develop a revenue stream to said work.
- If the answer is yes, then move to the next set of questions.

These questions above are all internal questions you need to ask yourselves. The following questions are focused externally. They are no less important than the previous questions, but do not consider these next questions unless the first questions are answered in the affirmative.

Is there a group or organization in your community that you can partner with that could use your charitable assistance?
Can you raise the funds in your lodge and in your community to support the efforts of this group or organization?

Looking at your lodge objectively will be key. It is hard to divorce yourself from your feelings, especially about a place and group of people that you care a great deal about. If you love your lodge, you will do whatever you must.

I will close this paper with the words of one of the greatest Master Masons I had the privilege to know, Robert aka "Bobby or Boudreaux" Fred LaBrosse Sr. He wasn’t a Past Master or Grand anything. He was a Master Mason through and through. During my year as Master of Brainerd Lodge, I was struggling with something I was trying to accomplish. It’s funny that I don’t remember now what it was I was struggling with now, but that I only remember what he said to me, to which I am eternally grateful. He said, “anyone else will find an excuse, but a man will find a way. You will find a way.”

Brothers, you can turn your lodges around if you find the focus, determination, commitment and the way. Set yourself to the task and get the work done. Find a way.

April 2020 – cleanup day post tornado at Brainerd lodge.

Our sign promotion our Bricks for Brainerd Lodge and our 90th Anniversary Knife.

Our lodge building had to be completely demolished and rebuilt with an entirely new foundation.

11-20-2020 - Building Donation Grand Lodge of Tennessee from Right Worshipful Junior Grand Warden Jim Arnhart (center), with Past Master Mike Sarratore (left) and Master David Smith (right).

Despite having no building, we continued to be outward focused. 2021 Shrine Rodeo with the Chattanooga Campus of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home.

The bricks that rebuilt Brainerd Lodge No. 736. Our tribute to all those who gave not just money but of themselves to support us during those dark days while we rebuilt not only our building but our lodge.

4-23-2021 Our first degree after rebuilding, Matthew Blankenship gets his 3rd degree after waiting over a year.

December 2021 – Annual Christmas Party with TBCH Boy’s Cottage at Brainerd Lodge

2025 16th District Meeting with (From left to Right) E.A. Tucker Burger, F.C. Aiden Champion, Treasurer Don Payne, E.A. Jeffrey Dooley, Chaplain Patrick Shipley, and E.A. Josh Pate serving the guests and Grand Lodge officers.