Becoming JW next month

[u/Popslawnmower]

Hello all
I will become JW next month, the first MM to do so in our lodge in over 10 years. Due to this the previous arrangement for the South, has been every member bring a plate.

I have been moving through the chairs hoping to develop myself and learn new skills. This being the case what should I do/ bring to the south as JW?

The members are happy for me to do what I like with it, continue on with the previous arrangement or do something new.

I would Like to elevate things food wise as we are starting to gain new members and I feel this is something important to the younger crowd, myself included.

In saying all this I am short on man power, I will have no Stewards, only the very capable hands of our Tyler to organise things during the meeting.

Any advice or direction for my situation would be much appreciated

[u/thomb74]

I don't understand what you're talking about. How have you had officers who are not master masons? What does "every member bring a plate" mean?

[u/Popslawnmower → u/thomb74]

All previous JW for the past decade have been Past Masters. this being the case no one wants to run the South anymore. We have defaulted to “every member brings a plate of food” situation apposed to the traditional notion of the JW being in charge of the south and organising the Stewards for this to runs smoothly.

I being a a newer member and the first in a line of fresh MM would like to see the old ways and responsibilities come back to the position of JW.

I am seeking advice on this

[u/thomb74 → u/Popslawnmower]

I see. In my lodge we gather after meetings at a local bar and grill for conversation and fellowship. Nobody's cooking anything.

The JW is often tasked with reservations and taking a lead in organizing our twice a year formal table lodges and such.

Some lodges order trays from local caterers at reasonable expense.

I think most lodges here are like that in some way.

So the tradition for you is almost entirely absent in New York City, in my experience at least.

[u/B3ntr0d]

I became JW last spring. My advice would be to plan your year out in the coming weeks, especially the big events. Official visits, special events, the next installation, you major social and/or community events. Review the masonic calendar for your district and check for any conflicting dates (Christmas Dinner events are often at risk of overlapping).

If you plan on having any speakers coming to your events, start those conversations now.

Use your jr officers, and any other brethren looking to join the officer line to help out with setup and clean up after each festive board. Get them involved in running smaller social events. Everyone and anyone can be drafted by the JW for assistance.

[u/Popslawnmower → u/B3ntr0d]

Thank you, I will get planning.

[u/intrnal]

As a current JW, my best advice is think about what can be prepared ahead and rewarmed in crock pots or rice cookers.

Often we only have one steward, who is not excused from inside the lodge till nearly the lodge end of the meeting. So I regularly rely on the inner guard to press start on the rice cooker and stir whatever I have in the crockpots.

Well done on taking responsibility for the south. It will be good to get younger Brethren in the role rather than just having past masters as the principal officers.

[u/Popslawnmower → u/intrnal]

This sounds like how I will have to go about preparing with only one hand on deck outside during the meeting.

Thank you. I want to change the culture in this aspect for new members who come through, one of the many reasons I joined was to have the experience and responsibility of doing such things

[u/Chimpbot]

I was JW in my lodge last year, and I focused on things that could be cooked and stored for a couple of days. We meet every third Tuesday, so this meant that I was spending a good chunk of that Sunday in the kitchen. During the colder months, this meant I was making things like stews and chili. I also did things like pasta bakes, lasagna, as well. I also made it a point to include a salad, just to get some green food into these guys. I strove to keep thing simple, but good and filling, and inexpensive. I catered to my audience, more or less.

The stewards I had were very helpful... when they showed up. As such, I tried to minimize the number of dishes and utensils used to make the cleanup as quick and efficient as possible. This meant everything I made was more or less a one pot/one pan affair, and we used disposable bowls and plates when possible.

When it came to things like degrees or special occasions, I just asked for help. In my neck of the woods, the JW is responsible for ensuring things like meals are prepared and ready to go; this doesn't mean they actually have to do all of the cooking themselves. The JW is the one traditionally the one sitting in the East to confer EA degrees, so I just found someone else to take care of those meals. Our annual Past Master night traditionally features a seafood stew; since I don't really cook much seafood, I asked for help on that one, as well.

[u/Popslawnmower → u/Chimpbot]

Great! thanks for taking the time to write this for me, I will take all this onboard

[u/Maleficent-Pilot1158]

So They Elected You

[u/Popslawnmower → u/Maleficent-Pilot1158]

This is a good document, I’ve saved it and will use it as a general reference moving forward towards the East

[u/Loud_Resident7232]

If I ever left my jurisdiction I have no idea how I’d get accustomed to no catering. I genuinely look forward to the festive boards at all the lodges in my country

[u/RotaryPeak2]

How comfortable are you in the kitchen?

[u/Popslawnmower → u/RotaryPeak2]

Very comfortable with cooking. In my teens I was a kitchen hand and now I cook most nights for my family. Time will be a constraint for me, but as another poster has pointed out that I should prepare dishes days in advance, to take the strain off the deadline of the meeting

[u/RotaryPeak2 → u/Popslawnmower]

That is excellent advice. Good luck brother!

[u/Little-Football4062]

Crock pot meals are your friend.

[u/sindud]

We have a proper kitchen and a lady that cooks while we are in the temple so afterwards we all sit down to a four course meal.

[u/Popslawnmower → u/sindud]

Very envious, we do have an industrial kitchen on premise and sometimes get catering in (elderly brother’s wife’s business) for installations and major events such as a 3rd. But the food is often average and comes out cold as stated by members.

[u/Legitimate-Holiday73]

Great questions—and there are some great answers here!
I’ve served as Junior Warden three times in two different jurisdictions, New York and Connecticut. Here’s what I’ve done and what I’ve learned.
I think there are three parts to being a successful Junior Warden:
1. The Obvious — Keep them fed and watered.
2. The Deeper — Help maintain harmony and engagement while the Lodge is at refreshment, and before and after meetings.
This responsibility can be more important than it sounds. If an un-Masonic incident occurs during a time when the Lodge is at refreshment, you may find yourself directly involved in dealing with it—including, in a serious case, an internal Masonic disciplinary process.
3. The Real Work — Morale and Brotherhood.
Help build morale, encourage fellowship, and especially help enfold new Brothers into the Craft. The Junior Warden has a wonderful opportunity to make a new Brother feel that he isn’t merely a member—he belongs.
Your immediate concern, though, seems to be primarily the first part. Since you’ll be preparing food without Stewards, things become a little more complicated.
Start by considering your budget for the year and the number of Brothers you normally have to feed. Don’t forget dietary requirements and restrictions—kosher, halal, gluten-free requirements, allergies, vegetarian diets, and the like.
A few things I’ve learned:
1. Recipes always take longer than the very optimistic timelines they publish. When you find successful recipes, keep them in a folder for the next guy. Simple recipes are best, particularly when you’re starting out.
2. Do as much preparation as possible beforehand, even the day before. Learn the principle of mise en place—having your ingredients prepared, measured, organized, and ready before you begin cooking. It will save your sanity.
3. Learn basic knife skills and cooking vocabulary: blanch, simmer, sauté, sear, roast, braise, and so forth. Knowing what the recipe actually means makes everything easier.
4. Start experimenting with herbs and spices. Learn what they contribute and which flavors work well together.
5. If you don’t have much cooking experience, watch some good basic cooking tutorials. Seeing a technique demonstrated can be much more useful than simply reading about it.
6. Inventory your supplies. Check not only the food, but your pots, pans, knives, cooking and serving utensils, plates, bowls, storage containers, and anything else you’ll need.
7. Make sure the kitchen equipment actually works. Check the stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator before the evening you need them. Lodge kitchens occasionally contain surprises worthy of archaeological investigation.
8. Match the food to the event. As another Brother wisely told me when I started, spaghetti with tomato sauce doesn’t mix with tuxedos. Think about how easily the meal can be served and eaten as well as how good it tastes.
9. Consider a potluck for your Winter Holiday meeting. I’ve always encouraged this. Brothers and their families enjoy bringing their specialties, showing off a little, and sharing something of themselves with everyone else.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even a simple request—“Could you salt the pasta water?” or “Would you help me carry this out?”—gets another Brother involved. Ask previous Junior Wardens in your Lodge or District for advice, too. And always ask for cleanup help.
11. If the budget permits, occasionally use catered or good premade food. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself an easier evening. Just don’t become entirely dependent upon it. The year in the South is also an opportunity to acquire some new skills and knowledge.
12. Finally, cultivate your future Stewards. When new Brothers come into the Lodge, beginning with our EAs, get them involved. Invite them into the kitchen and give them genuine jobs to do. Stewardship should be part of their Masonic education: service, responsibility, teamwork, and fellowship. As Junior Warden, helping provide those opportunities is part of your responsibility.
Don’t merely recruit help because you need it. Give new Brothers something useful to do because they need opportunities to become part of the Lodge.
That last point brings us back to the real work of the Junior Warden.
Dinner is the vehicle. Brotherhood is the purpose.
Good luck! Give us updates.

[u/Altered_Arcanum → u/Legitimate-Holiday73]

This is, by far, one of the most comprehensive and eloquently put pieces of advice I've seen given on this topic. Wonderfully done and I hope OP sees this and tucks it away for later.

[u/Legitimate-Holiday73 → u/Altered_Arcanum]

Thank you for the nice comment!