Grand Chapter Mission

Grand Chapter’s Mission

Mission Statement:
It shall be the goal of the Grand Chapter of Illinois, working through its subordinate chapters, to consistently and responsively enhance those lessons taught in the Symbolic Lodge; by developing and promoting programs:

•  That build character in our membership
•  That foster growth in prospects for fellowship
•  That provide opportunities for increasing leadership skills
•  That allow our lodges and chapters to make a difference in our communities

Our Vision:
It is our vision to be the concordant body of choice for the brethren of the Symbolic Lodge by fulfilling our mission better than any person or fraternal organization.

Grand Chapter Value Goals:
Companion Experience – service excellence and companion relationships are the key to our long-term success. The “companion experience” unfolds during his first introduction to Capitular Freemasonry and over a period of time it will become inherently personal. Meeting and exceeding a companion’s expectations in a friendly and professional manner will be a hallmark of our service.

Companion Focus – Manage the  “moments of truth” which may happen any time you make contact with a non-mason, Master Mason or fellow companion.
Every companion must abide by the following principles:

•  Make a positive first impression
•  Focus on and get to know the non-mason, Master Mason or fellow companion
•  Take responsibility for what the non-mason, Master Mason or fellow companion’s expectations are from Capitular  Freemasonry
•  Take ownership of your non-mason, Master Mason or fellow companion’s problem
•  Follow issues through beyond completion

Integrity – We are a fraternity that stresses service. The Grand Chapter’s reputation and credibility are built by its companions. Only companions of the highest character and principles can earn and maintain a good reputation for the Grand Chapter and Capitular Freemasonry across the State of Illinois.

We will operate with our word as our bond and as if our success is dependent upon sincerity and integrity. It is:

Teamwork – Only by working together with the Grand Lodge and all of the concordant and appendant bodies can we develop better ways to attract non-masons to Freemasonry and educate our communities about Freemasonry, therefore improving our service and enhancing morale.

Continuous Improvement – The expectations of our non-masons, Master Masons and fellow companions rise continually. Each companion should commit his talents toward improving our work and processes. Continuous improvement is the only way to stay on the crest of the wave.

Continuous Learning – The world in which we live and the world in which our non-mason, Master Masons and fellow companions is constantly changing. What was outstanding in terms of product or processes yesterday will be average to mediocre in the near future.

Because of this, we must embrace every opportunity we have to learn, either through non-masons, Master Masons, fellow companions and even through our mistakes. Then we can take what we learn and apply it to the way we do business, benefiting our companions and Freemasonry.

Balance – Balance is fundamental to the health of every companion and, thus to the organization as a whole. Functioning in any extreme may be unhealthy in the short-term and cannot be maintained over the long-term

• Balance between demands of the fraternity and your personal life.
• Balance between today’s tasks and planning for tomorrow.
• Balance between work today and building your Capitular Masonic education/skill base for tomorrow.
• Balance between “too serious” and “having fun”
• Balance between family needs and the needs of our companions.

The key to living out this value is not having the false expectation that we will never get out of balance. Instead, we need to recognize when we have been out of balance for an extended period of time and learn how to recover.

Long-term Focus – Investing in people, processes, and technology with a long-term point of view, creating the greatest value for our companions, the highest levels of comfort, and the strongest companion relationships. At the same time, it will create an exceptional Freemasonry environment.

Rewarding Our Companions – We must find meaningful ways to reward our companions to guarantee the success of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Illinois.

Management Concept:

•Attract outstanding men/companions
•Provide ongoing leadership training to all companions
•Empower our companions with responsibility, accountability, and knowledge
•Require superior results from all companions
•Reward performance

Our Strategic Objective:
To create a fraternity that is service centered and provides long-term high performance in an extremely competitive and rapidly changing environment.