Good evening,

During my travels across our great state, I have experienced expressions of destitution as reasoning for not attending the upcoming MI convention. I just had to report to MI yet another Lodge stating that the lodge will not be attending this year because they can’t afford to send anyone.

I don’t recall MI making it “optional” and my failure to aggressively address this seems to be creating an epidemic of complacency. Therefore, I am challenging all of you to start a fundraiser NOW in order to provide resources to have representation at convention in New Orleans next year.

The message here is that it is NOT OPTIONAL!

Sec. 46.5 – Representation to International Convention and Associations – The President and Administrator of each member Lodge shall be the Lodge’s representatives and delegates to the International Convention, and state, territory or provincial associations during their terms of office. The Lodge shall select any active member to serve as an alternate when necessary.

A representative of a Lodge shall not be entitled to a vote in any meeting of The Moose while their Lodge is in arrears for any lawful charges of The Moose. The Chief Compliance Officer shall immediately determine all disputes concerning any charges against the Lodge when the representative of the Lodge presents their credentials to the committee.

All representatives or delegates shall attend all sessions of the convention, conference or meeting and submit a written report to their Lodge in a timely manner. A Lodge may vote to pro-rate or decline to reimburse the expenses of any representative or delegate who, without valid excuse, failed to attend all or any portion of the required sessions of a convention, conference or meeting.

Should a lodge fail to have representation in the future, according to the above (Sec. 46.5) attachment and I will refer the issue to the CCO for the appropriate corrective action.

Also, it is widely known that your representatives fail to deliver a report to the lodge once they return from convention. One of our challenges appears to be communications and our membership failing to be informed; the message/s “die on the vine” before the representatives get back home.

During my next visit to the lodge after convention, include in my report to MI, will be my review of the written report of the International convention and its inclusion into the meeting minutes. If there is no report given, there is a problem.

So, spread the word… we are going to be fraternal and have leadership that support the entire mission of the Moose and not pick and choose as you wish.

Mike Rynearson, TM