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Grand Princess Captain

ARE YOU INTERESTED OR COMMITTED!

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“When you have a million dollar vision you don’t surround yourself with one cent minds.”

R. Lucille Samuel
The 8th Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild

Once again I am pleased to present R. Lucille Samuel, Grand Princess Captain of the Lone Star Grand Guild, Heroines of the Templars Crusade of Texas,  PHA Texas, with her annual (2017) Allocution. This is her last Allocution as Grand Princess Captain as she will be moving on to Royal Grand Perfect Matron of the Texas LOCOP in September.

Samuel is a fighter for being all you can be and getting the most out of your participation in your Fraternity. Never the shy one, she is not afraid to speak up and speak out to inspire and encourage those that she leads to step up to the plate and hit a home run. As many a great leader has done before her she is not afraid to criticize her fraternity or herself when the effort is lacking or the decisions are poor.

A very hard worker, a great speaker, and the definition of a leader here is what she had to say:

ARE YOU INTERESTED OR COMMITTED!

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

Are you committed to help our fellow brother or sister?

Last year was the Big “D” and now we have arrived in the ALAMO!

R. Lucille Samuel
The 8th Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild

I am thrilled to bring you greetings on behalf of the Lone Star Grand Guild, Heroines of the Templars Crusade of Texas, PHA!  The best in the WORLD!

So much has changed since we convened at this time last year.  Again there are smiles that are missing and empty voids in our lives.  However we continue our Crusade as Christian Soldiers in protecting our banner!  2017 is a New Year and we will embrace it.

Psalms 37:5 – Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

When you are interested in something you tend to do things when it is convenient for you.  When you are committed you make no excuses and you only produce results.  So you set goals for yourself and you start to become immersed in your work.  You put in long hours and become consistent in your strategies.  You are focused and feel confident in yourself.

Well, one day you wake up and you think I have achieved everything that I dreamed about and this show can run itself on autopilot.  So you start to slack off and start making excuses instead of keeping your commitment.

In these organizations today we have too many members that are only interested until they get in the door.  Once they become members we lose their commitment that they swore upon at the Altar.  They start with well you know I have to work late or I have something at church or I forgot about the meeting.   Well as long as you were looking pretty in your aprons, collars and bling it was all great.  When we asked you to serve the needy or feed the hungry or assist with a donation you lost interest.

You start out with innovative ideas and some where along the road you debated in your head and lost your commitment.  All those promises you made fell by the wayside.  Your total behavior has gone South.  Your service is the price you pay to occupy space on this earth.  It is the least you can do.

I have never known anyone to be successful by just being interested.  You have to have that driven desire to be committed.  Talk is cheap.  Put your work where your mouth is and Put Up or Shut Up!

Have you ever met people that have been everywhere and done everything?  Or as soon you speak they speak behind you to belittle you?  Like Social Media Stalkers when you post they are just waiting to post behind you.

If we as members do not retain our commitments to the Masonic Order it will die.  Some are already in the Hearse headed to the cemetery now.  Just because you may be the Leader does not mean you are LEADING!!!!!  When you stand before your Body and notice there are more empty seats than members Houston you have a problem!  They have lost interest in you and the organization.  Some of you that have reached the top floor in the elevator need to send it back down because you need HELP!  There is a fine line between “The Good of the Order and the Good of Self!  Stop promoting your own Agenda.  When your most passionate people become silent or walk away you need to realize your leadership is failing.

We need to switch our focus from our needs to their needs.  Take an interest in your membership.   How often do you visit your local organizations?  I don’t mean when you need a free trip but to really teach and talk to your membership.  Are you an assignment or an attachment?  You must seek to understand before seeking to be understood.  You cannot continue to be selfish and significant at the same time.

Another issue is worrying about what others think of you.  If Christ didn’t care why should we?  Never allow someone else’s opinion of you become your reality.  Education is when you read the fine print and experience is what you get when you don’t.

We need change!  We can’t keep doing the same repetitious programs and expect new results.  Sometimes people need to leave their positions in order for it to work.  Complaining every year about attendance and members not working for the order will not make progress.  I was once told when you have a million dollar vision you don’t surround yourself with one cent minds.

R. Lucille Samuel
The 8th Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild                                                                                                                                                               In closing I ask that we all remember “Wherever you go no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine!”
I will continue to lead BY THE CROSS,
Lucille Samuel
The 8th Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild

You need to commit to the Order and realize that if you don’t peak their interest or motivate the body you will continue to sink like a Rock!  You have to lead from the front and the back.  If you are not willing to show your sweat and labor then don’t expect it from the members.  Encouragement is oxygen for the soul.  You can begin with an attitude of gratitude and stop being arrogant but try being humble!  You can’t gain the respect of others if you have no respect for yourself.  Materialist items don’t make you important.  Whether you drive a Mercedes or a Hyundai or you use words to intimidate others your effectiveness as a leader is defined by results not attributes.  The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.

Your Energy is Contagious and either you affect people or you infect people.  Which are you?  If you affect people in a positive way it is always a plus.  But if you are a virus that infects people in a negative way then you need to remove yourself before you contaminate your membership.

What Makes A Leader

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R. Lucille Samuel

Some people attain the level of leadership just because they have been around a long time. Some people get to be “head honcho” because they are everybody’s friend and nobody’s enemy. Still others have risen to the top through wheeling and dealing and doing favors expecting favors in return.

Such leaders, after attaining power, rarely ruffle any feathers. They go along to get along. They do things the way they have always been done. They refuse to push people to greater heights or hold anybody accountable for anything. They revel in their honors but do little to further their organization.

None of this describes R. Lucille Samuel, Grand Princess Captain Lone Star Grand Guild of Texas PHA.  Samuel is far from a “Do Nothing” leader.  Rather she is the type that might say, “Let the chips fall where they may but we are moving forward embracing change.”

You will understand where she is coming from and what type of a leader that she is when you read her recent address to the Grand Guild, delivered at her Grand Session and in conjunction with the Grand Sessions of all the York Rite Bodies of The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Of Texas.

Read the words of a true leader:

 

2013 has been an awesome year for the Grand Guild.  We have had very successful Regional Trainings and our membership continues to excel.

So where do we go from HERE?

Job 5:2

For wrath killeth the foolish man and envy slayeth the silly one.

We need to change our organizational outlook.  We have no peripheral vision.  Most of us can only see straight forward and any type of change is out of the question.  You cannot be afraid of failure.  Your success is not measured by the number of times you fall but upon the way you handle recovery. It is not how high you climb but how you got there.  You must have the courage to take risks.

You cannot lead where you don’t go and you can’t teach what you don’t know.  The key to being a successful leader is earning respect not because of your Title or position.  People who work together will ALWAYS WIN! 

You cannot lead an organization if you are afraid of change or what other people will think.  You have to realize that people will always talk especially those that envy you.  Unfortunately we don’t like to see others succeed.  Instead of giving encouraging words of advice or wisdom we would rather watch others fail.  You do realize that when the Leader fails so does the organization.  A lot of times you will hear the phrase well THEY said.  My interpretation of that is as follows.

The letters in THEY stand for: –  T for Tongue which is a very sharp weapon used against others.  H stands for Hateful things that people will do to see you Fail.  E stands for ENVY of those that feel you are a threat to them.  They aren’t happy so they feel that no one else should be happy.  Y stands for YOU because THEY never said anything YOU did.

We cannot continue to use the same strategies that our Ancestors used.  It may have worked great for them in their time but times have definitely changed, The phrase,  “Well that is how we have always done it,” has to GO!  If we wish to attract members into our organizations that are talented and well educated a Change must come.  You cannot run a well oiled machine on tap water. There is no reason we should not have the largest membership Rolls in the world.  What makes any other organization better than the Prince Hall Masonic Family?

I was told a successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others have thrown at him. Well we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings because they have been in the Order since the Last Supper. Their wisdom is always welcome.  But we cannot continue to tip toe around others feelings.  The ship needs to sail and those who can’t swim need to stay on the shore.

We are also afraid to share knowledge with others in fear of them replacing us.  Knowledge is power and should not be used as a weapon.  A great leader surrounds themselves with people that have talents and ideas which make the organization shine.  It is a very selfish person that allows their personal gain to deter progress.  Remember that not all people in charge are leaders.  Sometimes it is by virtue of them being in the right place at the right time or there was no one else at the time available.

So what do we do to change that?  Stop nominating your friends instead of the qualified person.  Stop trying to run the Organization alone.  We know you want all the credit and glory.  Share your knowledge and information to all.  Tomorrow is promised to no one.  There should never be a time when one person steps out of a position and someone else cannot step in.  When your organization is losing more members than receiving new members that is a sign.  When your Annual Conference Registration continues to decline Houston we have serious problem!

We need to make a change.  This is a volunteer organization and people will not continue to spend money on Registration and travel to attend meetings that continue to hold the same old programs.  When you have Officers that do absolutely nothing during the Year and you continue to keep them in office people will not support you.  It is so petty of you to threaten people or hold grudges against them just because they run for office against you.  You are not doing anything so get out of the way!  There is no motivation.  When your Annual Session minutes state the same business every year and the only thing that changes is the DATE you are in trouble.

If we do not make a change the Prince Hall Family will dissipate into thin air.  All of the hard work our Trail Blazers accomplished will be in vain.

We have to take charge now and work TOGETHER.  Working against each other we will not survive.  We have to have the Wisdom to know that Music means nothing if the audience is DEAF!  We cannot go back and change the past but we can start today by making a new beginning and become the WINNING TEAM!

Holding grudges against someone for something that happened years ago will not solve anything either.  Most of you don’t even remember why you are angry anyway.  We are not here to become a Social Club but to conduct the business of this Great Order.

People may forget what you said to them but they will never forget how you treated them.

Remember the pessimist sees the difficulty in every situation and the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.    Be an Optimist!

Proverbs 14:33
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding; but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.

We will never have peace if we never let go of wanting to change the past and controlling the future.  You will never be successful if you have to always ask “What’s In It For Me”?

In closing I ask that we all remember “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results and not attributes.   

I will continue to lead BY THE CROSS,

R. Lucille Samuel
Grand Princess Captain
Lone Star Grand Guild of Texas PHA
Heroines of the Templars Crusade
International Grand Senior Shepherdess
International Grand Deputy of Texas
International Grand Court of Cyrene Crusaders
“BRING ONE TEACH TWO”