The chapter accreditation program was introduced in the 2006-07 year and a total of 13 chapters and colonies were accredited by achieving 6 of 9 Standards of Operations.  Each year since has resulted in a greater number of chapter reaching the accreditation level.  Last year in 2008-09 the Grand Lodge was delighted to see that 46 of 52 chapters and colonies are accredited.  These results indicate that chapters are getting stronger which is supported further by the fact that initiations are up 13% over the past two years.  Both are trends we all want to see continue. Raising the bar for accreditation this year will provide a positive challenge that should prove to be a win-win; as chapters get stronger, our national organization gets stronger.

It’s a good idea for all the executive committee to review the accreditation standards throughout the year (at least quarterly) to determine what areas of the chapter’s operations meet the standards and to identify those standards where more time and effort are necessary to achieve the standard(s)