There has been much comment about daylight lodges in Freemasonry Today recently which prompts me to offer some observations based on experience, having been a member of Golden Harvest Lodge No 9234 in South Africa for 11 years and secretary for the last eight.
    Golden Harvest draws its 40 members not only from the 46 lodges in the Johannesburg municipal area, but local Scottish, Irish and Grand Lodge of South Africa lodges as well.
    We meet on the odd months of the year at 10.30am, with a committee meeting at a local country club on the even months. Recruitment is unexpectedly difficult. Our membership has been almost static for years. Why do we have so few members given the available lodges? We have tried to advertise, but had a finger wagged at us by District Grand Lodge, so we have to rely on word of mouth.
    The older brethren whom we want to attract no longer attend their lodges, and consequently do not hear about us. We have found that having a few words to say at the monthly meetings of a Masonic Lunch Club gains members, and also to some extent we recruit through our bi-monthly Ladies' Saturday Lunch.
    This event, which takes the place of a Ladies' Night, is the glue that holds the lodge together. The inexpensive lunch after committee meetings also helps to get the brethren together.
    There are some problems that those contemplating a daylight lodge must bear in mind. The average age of Golden Harvest members is 75. It is only natural that there is a strong "retired" thought, and getting brethren to fill executive offices is not very easy.
    For example, most brethren have been Junior Wardens more than once and do not fancy the job late in life. There are very few takers for the task of treasurer and secretary.
    In these days a secretary who is not computer literate is at a great disadvantage. Most septuagenarians have not had the need to acquire the skill in their working lives. Inevitably the almoner is kept busy and requires the attentions of a devoted brother. Then somebody has to organise the ladies lunches, made more onerous as every member has to be phoned, as few keep diaries to note events any more.
    The lodge is excused raising funds for charity, as most brethren are still members elsewhere. Furthermore, many are on fixed pensions. However, we do make an annual contribution to District at installation. Consequently, the lodge has small financial resources, and all the members must understand the limit of its abilities.
    We have had the experience of a brother who fell into desperate circumstances that strained to the limit the brethren who were involved.
    The lodge defined a policy of how the offices would be filled. The founder members were offered the Wardens' and Master's chair in turn. Now that all have been through the chair, a brother who accepts the Junior Warden's gavel was expected to proceed to the chair.
    Any brother who wishes to take an office is expected to advise the Secretary at the election meeting. We have had three initiates in the life of the lodge. So far, one has proceeded to the chair by the proper route.
    We have little difficulty in arranging agendas for our meetings. If we are at a loss, a fruitful source of discussion can be found in the challenging articles published in Freemasonry Today.