A Grand Master drops two documents and suddenly everyone is asking the same question: what actually changes today, and what becomes lasting law tomorrow? We sit down with Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master Rick Wendling to unpack the real difference between a Grand Master’s ruling and decision versus a directive, why those tools matter inside the Grand Lodge of Florida, and how recent actions aim to restore order, correct records, and recommit the Craft to fair and impartial Masonic trials.
Then we get personal. Rick talks about family, losing both parents, and how brotherhood isn’t a slogan when life hits hard. We connect those experiences to leadership: why bickering, gossip, and backchannel drama poison lodges, why settling issues brother to brother beats swinging straight to charges, and why humility is a discipline you choose every day, especially when you wear a collar.
We also dig into the future: the updated mentoring program and the expanded GL217 mentors manual, engaging younger Masons who want meaning and real friendships, and bringing Freemasonry into the 21st century with better communication, smarter outreach, and a more welcoming public presence. Rick shares a practical plan to cut the cost of Grand Master official visits by shifting toward town hall-style gatherings that focus on listening, unity, and helping blue lodges succeed.
If you care about Florida Freemasonry, Masonic leadership, lodge culture, mentorship, and the long game of membership growth, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a brother who needs it, and leave a review. What’s the single change you want to see in your lodge this year?
