WELCOME: drop-In and see....
Many Brethren will be in the Bangor area on January 21st for the Anah Shrine Ceremonial. If you'd like to drop in that day and see what's going on with the building, this is your chance. Nothing formal and there'll be construction-type things to step over and around but it will give you the opportunity to see the building first-hand and to look around inside for yourself.
We'll have the doors open from about 9:30 to 1:00 in order to allow everyone to attend the memorial service for R.W. Gerald PIcard in Bangor (2:00 P. M., Saturday, January 21st, at the First Baptist Church, 56 Center Street, in Bangor. There will a reception at the church following the service). We'd welcome your stopping by. No snacks or coffee will be available and there's no place to sit down - sorry - but food is available across the street and next door if you want.
Check back here for a last minute update..
Want to sell something?
Increase sales of your product/service and help us raise funds for the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. One of the great opportunities now made available by this building with plentiful free parking and a large tourist base passing by will be sales of various items that might be of interest to our brethren and visitors. We don't intend to sell items that our neighbors sell but perhaps you have a book, some potholders, or whatever that folks would like. The details of this are now being worked out and quite soon we'll have a form for you to fill out with information. It is hoped that a program like this will help both you AND the Foundation as we move forward. This might be a great opportunity for lodges and other Masonic bodies who have a unique fundraising product. We'll also be soliciting notices of your upcoming events and more. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements. You can fill out an 'interest' form here.
It's OFFICIAL!
Papers have been 'passed' and the sale is complete. We have the keys and now the work begins. Over the coming months, the Library, Museum and Administrative Offices of the Grand Lodge will move to the new location at the corner of Route 1A and Route 46 in Holden: on the road from Bangor to Bar Harbor.
There are MANY considerations as we begin the process of the move and we don't have the project plan ready as yet. However, working together as Masons and Brothers, we can develop a visible and exciting presence for Freemasonry in Maine using this building as a focal point.
The Grand Master signing the appropriate documents on behalf of the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation and the Grand Lodge of Maine. 12/30/2011. On the left, Attorney Ed Bearor representing the seller.
Explanation of the proposed move of the Administrative Offices of the Grand Lodge of Maine. (Saved here for reference purposes.)
(You can also download all of this information in a PDF file.)
MOVING THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF THE GRAND LODGE OF MAINE
For a number of years, there has been discussion about moving the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices from its current location in downtown Portland. Most recently, as administrative overhead increased and rent prices moved upwards, the discussion became more crucial and various things – including proposals at Grand Lodge and a special Grand Lodge meeting – were dedicated to this topic. However, the matter was often handled in a piece-meal fashion with various interests competing for acceptance of solutions without a complete grasp of overall implications. With all of this, there has been “confusion in the Temple”, both as to what has happened in the past, the current state of events and where this matter is going in the future.
There are several important reasons why a move away from the current building is being discussed for the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices:
As you know, membership in Maine Masonry has been dwindling for many years. While cost-cutting measures have been undertaken, our rent of the building space continues to be high – not unlike all rental property in the downtown Portland area.
RENT? The Grand Lodge pays rent? Yes, it does. The building at 415 Congress Street is NOT OWNED by Grand Lodge. When the Grand Lodge administrative offices moved there in about 1910, it was. Some time during the administration of MW Glassmire, there was a plan to move to another location entirely. Although; details on this are now somewhat jumbled, the front part of the building was sold to another business while the proposed sale of the back portion of the building – the section in which the lodge rooms etc. are located - ‘fell through’. The back portion of the building came into the ownership of a building association known as the Portland Temple Associates which owns and manages the building even today. The Grand Lodge as well as other Masonic bodies pay rent to this organization and they are responsible for its upkeep and functioning.
Sadly, this hundred-year old building has seen few major renovations during the past century. Recently, wainscoting has come loose from the outside upper levels of the building and has fallen to the ground. This could easily happen again at any time thus creating a tremendous liability for the building owners. The Portland Temple Associates have only limited funds and so – appropriate or not - any liability could fall back in one way or another to Grand Lodge and/or the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation, regardless of their status as tenants only.
Should there be a major issue regarding the plumbing or heating, it would be most likely that the entire back portion of the building would need to be brought ‘up to code’ standards of today – an enormous cost for such an old, large building.
Still further, the Portland Temple Associates were rocked when in 2006/2007 they discovered they had been the victims of embezzlement. You learned about this from GM Leighton at the time of the discovery. And so today, despite attempts to raise funds, the down economy works against them and as Freemasonry’s numbers decrease, they have even less cash to work with and fewer sources of new revenue.
It has become, then, a matter of both cost and liability.
It is also a very emotional issue. We all have attachments to the beautiful, grand hall in which Grand Lodge and so many other meetings have been held. The windows, the paneling, the organ and more are truly irreplaceable in today’s economy. However, they are – as agreed to by most – something that we cannot afford to maintain. We all know, looking around the country, that these beautiful old dames from a century ago cannot and will not ever be replaced. Masons today recognize that, despite our nostalgia, we cannot simply dwell in the ‘might have been’ era – and that it is our responsibility to ensure Freemasonry is on a fiscally sound basis to survive into our next century as well.
Accordingly, several suggestions and proposals were made about moving the Administrative Offices of Grand Lodge to a new location over the past decade. As situations in local lodges – particularly in Bath and Bangor – were changing, these were presented as alternatives but no direct plan of action was formulated before these locations were put forward for consideration. This caused confusion in the Craft which we have to this day.
It is important for Maine Masons to understand that in addition to the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices, there is also a Grand Lodge Library and a Grand Lodge Museum, both of which are under the aegis of the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation. Beyond this, there are lodges and other bodies which meet in this building on a regular basis.
It is also important to understand that the Grand Lodge itself has no ‘deep pockets’ of money from which do much more than pay rent BUT that the Charitable Foundation actually has, as part of its 501(c)3 tax exempt status, the ability to buy a building to house the Museum and Library. Part of such a building could also be used to lease space for the Administrative Offices of the Grand Lodge.
In the spring of 2011, subsequent to a proposal made at the 2010 Grand Lodge Annual Communication and a Special Communication held in Bangor, the Grand Master – in his role as Chairman of the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation – appointed a Site Selection Committee consisting of both MMCF Trustees and other Masons from around the state to examine all of the various proposals and ideas relative to moving the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices and to make a recommendation as to how to proceed.
This Committee met several times during the spring and summer of this year and reviewed both the needs and wishes of current Grand Lodge employees, the availability of property throughout the state, and the options for how to best house the Administrative Offices of Grand Lodge. They solicited the ideas of all with whom they came in contact and solicited suggestions from real estate brokers. Ultimately, they narrowed the potential field of possibilities to a total of five locations, one of which was considered at the last minute but was felt to be far too expensive and thus held as a second-tier potential.
The locations under consideration included the Masonic Temple in Bath, a former credit union building in Pittsfield and a former bank building in Holden. To this was added the current building in Portland for comparison. Each of the locations was visited by the Committee and a process for evaluation known as a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) was employed so as to provide maximum comparability.
As a result of the Committee’s comprehensive consideration, it was ultimately proposed to the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation that a building in Holden – the former Merrill Bank building at the corner of Route 1A and Route 46 – be purchased for the purpose of housing the Library and Museum and to allow the rental of space by Grand Lodge for their Administrative Offices. 
The Charitable Foundation accepted the recommendation of the Sub-Committee and voted to enter into negotiations with the seller of the property.
The Foundation placed three conditions on this transaction: that there be a satisfactory survey completed (a standard process to ensure there are no ‘gotchas’ that had not been seen/disclosed), that Grand Lodge agree to have their Administrative Offices in the building as a tenant and that this tenancy be for an initial 5 year lease with three year lease renewals thereafter.
There were many reasons for selecting this particular building in this particular location. It is a reasonably new building, 19 years old. It has just under 3,000 square feet at ground level with another 3,000 square feet in a dry and accessible basement that can easily be used for records storage, training/meeting rooms, etc. It is propane heated and has built-in air conditioning. A fire department hydrant is on the property. It is in a VERY visible location, right along the route to Bar Harbor. Maine DOT road surveys show that over 19,000 cars pass by this building EACH WORKING DAY and weekends are thought to be much higher. It is easily to reach: if you leave Boston and travel on I-95 until you reach the turn for Bar Harbor at I-395, the very first traffic light you come to is right at this building. It’s within 10 miles of I-95. It already has a large and visible sign and is a very professional-looking building that everyone who has seen it agrees can project a positive image of Freemasonry. In this day of electronic communications – and even well before then – very few members actually visited the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices. Regardless of this, the building is within a 30 minute driving distance of approximately 15% more Maine Masons than the current location in Portland. Further, the drive-thru area of the bank is considered part of the footprint of the building and an additional 800 SF could be used for future expansion if so desired. There are currently 22 marked parking places on the property of just under 1 acre of land. Those coming to the Grand Lodge Administrative Offices for business or to visit the Library and Museum will have easy ADA access to the facility with no parking fees or long walks involved.
The Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation will own the building. Budgeting, which includes capital replacement costs, is approximately $35,000 per annum. Grand Lodge currently pays $24,200 for rent with an additional $4,820 for staff parking: a total of nearly $30,000 annually. Thus, if the costs of the bilding and the occupancy space (approximately 2,950 SF each) were to be split equally, this would result in a savings to Grand Lodge in the first year of $12,500. Some estimates of Grand Lodge Administrative Office space needs have been as low as 1,000 square feet but until final floor plan agreements are reached, the exact space allocation needed by Grand Lodge cannot be precisely determined. Obviously, there may be even more savings if less than half of the building space is needed. When the final determination of space needs is determined, there should be a significant annual savings (at least 1/3rd of the amount now paid for Administrative Office space and parking) by Grand Lodge. Accordingly, NO increase in per-capita tax as a result of this action is anticipated. Regardless of how much or little square footage the Administrative Offices will require, this building will accommodate it, both physically and financially.
A condition by the seller was that this transaction be completed prior to December 31, 2011.
The actual time when the move of the Library, Museum and Grand Lodge Administrative Offices will occur will be determined after the sale is concluded.
With all of this, there will be many opportunities available including publicizing your lodge and its activities to the anticipated visitors to the new building. We will also be looking for volunteers for the many projects that this change will offer. Your input and involvement is greatly encouraged!
As with any change, there will likely be concerns and anxieties but for the many reasons set forth above, this move is anticipated to be a very positive one for Freemasonry in Maine.
SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING THE MOVE OF THE GL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
Q: Why isn’t Grand Lodge buying a building? Why is this being bought by the Charitable Foundation?
A: Grand Lodge’s funds come from your annual per-capita tax. These monies are used to provide funding for the running of Grand Lodge. There is no ‘pot of money’ to use for a building purchase. However, the Charitable Foundation has both the funds AND the IRS approval to purchase a building.
Q: Why wasn’t the Bangor Masonic Center considered?
A: MW Robert Landry was a member of the Site Selection Committee of the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation and a Foundation Trustee. He indicated that they did not wish to be in consideration.
Q: The Maine Mason magazine had a cover story indicating that the Bath Masonic Temple would be given to Grand Lodge for free. Why not do that?
A: The Site Selection Committee, after examining the building, felt that we would be trading the problems of one century-old building for another century-old building. While those supporting the move to Bath were most encouraging and enthusiastic, the cost of renovation to functioning office space could not even be estimated – and at the end of the day, it was a building that would require considerable capital investment, well beyond that of a more recent building.
Q: Why wasn’t <pick any location> considered?
A: The Site Selection Committee discussed options ranging from north to south and east to west. Numerous hours were spent with ‘what if’ scenarios. In the final analysis, it was agreed that every day there would be some new opportunity but that every day could also see the loss of another opportunity. In the end, the Committee looked at what was available and made their recommendations.
Q: We were told we’d lose all of the Grand Lodge staff thus causing tremendous problems. Will that happen?
A: Election of the Grand Lodge Secretary and Grand Lodge Treasurer is based on those who submit their intent to run for office. This will occur in 2012 after the sale is to be concluded. Regardless, age of the incumbents will cause a change at some point. Grand Lodge has changed their staff before and will continue to do so as the years, decades and centuries move along. We are blessed in Maine in having qualified and competent members of the Craft who step forward to assume the administrative functions as needs require. While some minor disruptions can occur – as they do whenever ANYTHING changes – no catastrophic problems are anticipated.
Q: What will happen to the Portland Building?
A: As now, that decision is in the hands of the Trustees of the Portland Temple Association. Other Masonic entities are also exploring other facility alternatives as well perhaps making their continued ownership even more tenuous. Grand Lodge will support the lodges there in any way it can so long as it doesn’t show favoritism over other lodges throughout the jurisdiction.
Q: Are there other conditions to the sale?
A: The seller has included a restriction which prohibits the sale of the building to a bank for a period of five years from the date of sale. This is the only restriction.
Q: How many people can work in this building?
A: Since the building was built, the Town of Holden has had a restriction of ten (10) employees due to the water table. This will not limit the number of visitors/guests in any way.
Q: The Portland building has very limited hours. What will the hours of operation be in Holden?
A: The amount of time worked by paid staff is determined by the Finance Committee. However, the building will not be limited in its hours of operation by security systems or elevator personnel as is the current building. It is also anticipated that a volunteer cadre (museum docents) will be created to make the facility available to the public particularly during the weekends in the summer.
Q: Isn’t traffic a horrible problem on Route 1A, particularly in the summer?
A: This particular location processes large amounts of traffic and the only time there seem to be problems is if an accident occurs – perhaps once/twice a month in the general area. One member of the Site Selection Committee lived within 2 miles of this location for 14 years and rarely had issues with traffic. Access into and out of the property is easily accomplished from two of four sides. Due to the traffic light right at the corner, there should be minimal concerns, even from elderly drivers who are not comfortable in high traffic concentrations.
Q: Are there sufficient services to meet our Administrative Staff needs in the Bangor-Brewer and Ellsworth areas?
A: Bangor-Brewer is the major catchment area for all of Northern/Eastern Maine while Ellsworth is the largest city in area in the United States. The property is located approximately mid-point between these two. There are services and facilities of every kind imaginable within easy reach. There is a Dunkin’ Donuts, Amato’s Sub Shop, grocery store, and gas station diagonally across the street, another grocery store with pizza and sandwiches next door and the Holden Post Office within sight less than 1/4th mile distance. Bangor International Airport and the Bangor Masonic Center are about 15 minutes driving distance. There are numerous restaurants and hotels/motels in both areas.
Q: Will there be fundraising and naming opportunities available?
A: Yes. As soon as the sale is completed, there will be further announcements about this. While the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation believes this to be a good investment, it always welcomes donations to support its work.