Page 5 - Sojourner Newsletter-Spring 2025_Final

Volume 102, Issue 2 5

FROM THE WEBMASTER

Brothers:

There are some very important topics I need to address in this issue.
As you should have noticed by now, I announced that I would no longer be serving as Chair IT and
Webmaster effective at the conclusion of ANC in Omaha. While there are a few folks who have
contacted CARL with their interest, Carl can’t help get them up to speed on all the sundry tips and
tricks that are involved in day-to-day operations of the Website, MMS, and IT infrastructure. It is
CRITICAL that SOMEONE step up and take over these responsibilities while I’m still healthy and
available to mentor and assist in emergencies. I simply will no longer be associated with day-to-day operations. A
word to the wise is sufficient.

AI continues to dominate the technology scene. I personally have seen many more VERY sophisticated and articulate
examples of state-sponsored and private hacker enterprises using AI to try to trick users into giving up personal private
information. You have to be VERY aware of where you are, what you’re looking at, and be very detail oriented to
avoid falling into those traps today. Tomorrow and down the line it’s only going to get harder. CAVEAT EMPTOR!
Finally, as my penultimate contribution to the Sojourner Magazine with this article, I’d like to make a “social”
observation. As we all know, Masonry itself changes VERY SLOWLY, but it DOES change over time. Currently,
National Sojourners is governed by a number of bodies and led by some very good Brothers who simply do NOT want
to accept technology to assist the order in moving into the future. Large corporations, government entities, and many
non-profit bodies now accept the fact that people simply do not want to attend (or can’t) administrative functions in
person and have accepted (reluctantly or otherwise) virtual participation and voting by their constituents. COVID
forced the concept of virtual participation on everyone and people reluctantly accepted it. After the pandemic
subsided, people had fallen out of the practice of attending various meetings “in person” for any number of reasons.
We are now seeing a backlash in the larger companies demanding employees return to the office in person, but we’re
also seeing a resistance from some of those key employees who do not want to completely give up virtual interactions.
There is no doubt that virtual participation is not as desirable as virtual, but VIRTUAL is here to stay, and any thought
otherwise is foolish and simply will not help you return to the “heyday” of Masonic activities, including Sojourner
meetings.

We (Masonry) found any number of “lost” members who had moved away, could no longer drive at night, didn’t want
to fight traffic, or whatever – and no longer attended meetings in person BUT they showed up virtually. That was a
joyous moment, but … collectively, as the Pandemic waned, WE began to de-emphasize virtual participation because
we claim that it is essential (almost calling it a “landmark”) to the craft that we retain ALL in-person activities.

While there are indeed a certain number of things in Masonry that do require a “personal touch” so to speak, OUR
(National Sojourners) meetings DO NOT REQUIRE that (except for Heroes of ’76, of course). We encourage
participation by wives and family members, so we are not, by definition, holding tyled meetings…and thus, anything
discussed can and should be available virtually to our members that simply can’t make it to meetings. By extension,
this should also apply to ANC and MWM activities. Forbidding virtual participation is only going to continue a
noticeable decline in the in-person participation at these events – because you are treating those unable (for whatever
reasons) to attend in person as less than second-class members. Saying that they can send a representative from their
chapter doesn’t change the fact that people in general simply can NOT spend the time or money to attend what has
become a pretty superficial set of events being driven by technophobes who don’t really understand the breadth and
capabilities of technology today.

Please, don’t allow National Sojourners to cling to the trailing edge of technology simply because “it’s not the way
we’ve always done it.” We used to go to the bathroom outdoors too; we pretty much don’t do that anymore. Times
change. You either change WITH the times, or you get left behind because the times are going to change without you.
You don’t have to like the changes, but you do have to learn to accept them and use them to the advantage of the
association. Lack of or failure to change is, after all, the primary definition of death.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Bill Hickey
NSI Webmaster/Chair-IT