The work performed by Scribe E’s is often not truly appreciated unless one has been either a Lodge Secretary or a Scribe E. Companions please be kind to your Scribe E, by paying your dues on time, immediately bringing up to date any dues in arrears, and by advising him promptly of any changes in your e-mail, postal address, phone numbers, etc. Time passes quickly and often we have forgotten our dues, please pull the dues card out of your wallet right now and check the date it expires, you may be surprised!
If you intentionally make him chase you for dues or contact info, then you must ask yourself why? If you are in ‘distressed circumstances’, and unable to pay your dues, please tell Scribe E. In such cases, I would remind Chapter members to recall their Chapter penny, and the lecture associated with it, as well as the Charity lecture in Lodge, and I would urge the Chapters to do what can be done, and if necessary to ask me for guidance, prior to suspending any member who is unable to pay his dues. Charity does begin at home. If there are Companions who are not paying dues out of a genuine ‘lack of interest’ I would rather they take a demit than force their Chapter to suspend them for non-payment of dues.
For those Companions who need a ride to be able to attend Chapter, please tell your Chapter. Chapters please try to arrange rides for them! Let us not ask why people have not come out, when they say they can’t unless they have a ride.
As for the other Companions who do not come out, both they and their Chapters should ask why. I would encourage the Chapters to contact the Companions who have not been out to Chapter and try to gently find out why, and if possible renew the Companion’s interest, arrange a ride if that is the issue, or try to somehow in a positive way increase attendence by those who seldom attend. If the Companions is ‘rusty’ on the work, then arrange to help them get into Chapter.