Mission Statement
Tell the World Why You Exist
Creating a Mission Statement
(NOTE: If you are just interested in figuring out how to plan a spaghetti feed or Lodge event, you might be able to skip this part. In the long run, a well-governed Lodge should have a Mission Statement.)
People often get stalled at this point of the process. Creating a Mission Statement sounds very intimidating and complex but in reality, it is not.
Definition: Mission Statement
A formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual.
Pretty simple, right? This is a statement that tells both the participants and any outside observers, what you and / or your organization stands for. It explains the WHY not the HOW.
A Mission Statement should be no more than roughly 50 words long and understandable to anyone either inside or outside the organization.
It is from this Mission Statement that you will develop your goals and actions. The Mission Statement will be the benchmark against which you judge your goals, actions and successes.
Characteristics of a good Mission Statement
- Defines the purpose of the organization (the WHY)
- Has an inspriational component
- Is clear and consise
- Explains your values as an organization
- Can be explained in 5 minutes or less
Writing a Mission Statement
Spend as much time as needed with your Lodge members to define a good Mission statement. As this will be the benchmark against which all of your following actions are judged, it is not a thing to be rushed through!
- Gather the Lodge together informally and introduce this topic using the bullet points above.
- Hold a brainstorming session about what should go into the statement (see sidebar)
- Gather all the ideas and analyze them to take out any duplications or unneeded details
- Propose a Mission Statement to the group using the input from Step 3
- Discuss and gather feedback
- Propose a revised statement to the group
- Repeat Steps 4 – 6 until consensus is reached