Overview

Because trust, familiarity, and love are such important aspects of DLL operations, it is important that Lodges be intimate communities.

To that end, Lodges should stay small, not exceeding the size of Dunbar’s Sympathy Group of about fifteen people. Practically, the Grand Lodge recommends 8-12 people per Subordinate Lodge.

Creating new Lodges is preferred to expanding the membership of an existing Lodge.

In this section we review the proposed process for creating a new Subordinate Lodge. Figure 1 shows the expected life cycle of a DLL Subordinate Lodge.

Flow chart of the lodge creation process for the Debt Liberation Laboratory
Figure 1. The life cycle of a Subordinate Lodge in the Debt Liberation Laboratory.

Phase 1: Awareness and Desire to Form a Lodge (Discovery Phase)

Non-members can find out about DLL and become interested in forming a Lodge in several ways:

  • Proven methods
    • Word-of-mouth from Subordinate Lodge members or Grand Lodge members
    • Fundraising outreach
    • Community outreach
    • Web site (debtliblab.org)
  • Expected future methods
    • Social media

Once a group of people—some with undergraduate student debt and some without—articulate their desire to form a lodge, they can begin their learning and application processes.

Phase 2: Learning and Basic Practices (Provisional Phase)

The Grand Lodge and Subordinate Lodges provide support for a group interested in chartering a Lodge. Since DLL rites and rituals are not secret, the barriers to sharing information are low.

To demonstrate their knowledge and capacity to function as a Lodge, the interested group must:

  • Review the Membership Agreement, Social Contract, Pledge, and Information Sharing Agreement
  • Join DLL as provisional members (debtliblab.org)
    • Create user accounts in the DLL web-based community
    • Create a provisional lodge in the DLL web-based community
    • This communicates their need for support to the Grand Lodge
  • Hold Lodge meetings, continuously, for at least three months
    • Participants must fulfill at least two roles at every meeting: Facilitator and Note Taker
  • Record appropriate minutes of each meeting
  • Share with each other the details of their undergraduate student loan debt
  • Agree upon dues for their Lodge
    • No less than $10/month for each member
  • Clarify any Local Components of their Required Rituals

Phase 3: Application to the Grand Lodge (Submission Phase)

Near the end of its Provisional Phase, the people interested in chartering a Subordinate Lodge make and submit a formal application to the Grand Lodge.

As part of the application process, the interested parties must submit to the Grand Lodge:

  • A completed application, submitted through the DLL web-based community
  • Their trial meeting minutes for review
  • An invitation for the Members of the Grand Lodge to attend their meeting(s)

A Grand Lodge Member or an assigned Member from a Subordinate Lodge attends one or more of the meetings of the interested parties. The reviewing member may offer critiques of Rites and Rituals.

The Grand Lodge considers the application and either accepts or rejects the application.

Phase 4: Chartering (Launch Phase)

Assuming the application is accepted, the Launch Phase of the new Lodge begins.

During the 30-day launch phase, the interested parties must:

  • Share appropriate financial data with the Grand Lodge to enable benefits payments
  • Make initial dues payments
  • Set up ongoing dues payments
  • Perform—in collaboration with the Grand Lodge—their chartering ceremony
  • Take the Debt Liberator’s Pledge
  • Perform the Debt Reporting ceremony
  • Start chartered Lodge meetings
  • Perform all other appropriate Duties, Rites, and Rituals

The Grand Lodge will review membership agreements and aid with financial setup.

Phase 5: Creating Liberty from Debt (Work Phase)

During the Work phase, the new Lodge performs its fundamental duties ceaselessly.

The primary actives of the Work phase include:

  • Working to relieve its members from undergraduate student debt
  • Continuing Lodge meetings
  • Performing all Required Rituals
  • Celebrating life

During the Work phase, the Grand Lodge will distribute benefits appropriately, report its financial activities on behalf of the new Lodge, and review the operations of the new Lodge.

During the Work phase, the Grand Lodge may choose to revoke the Charter of the new Subordinate Lodge at any time.

Phase 6: Longer-Term Benevolence (Pay-It-Forward Phase)

As a result of its Members’ commitment to the Mission, every member of Subordinate Lodge will one day be liberated from undergraduate student debt. At that time, every Subordinate Lodge has an important choice.

The Lodge must choose to:

  • Dissolve, or
  • Enter the Pay-It-Forward phase

In the Pay-It-Forward phase, the Lodge continues to function as normal, with activities including:

  • Continuing Lodge meetings
  • Performing all Required Rituals
  • Paying dues
  • Celebrating life

What is markedly different about the Pay-It-Forward phase is that funds raised by the Lodge—whether from dues or other activities—are used to accelerate undergraduate student debt payments in other Lodges. The Pay-It-Forward Lodge expands the impact of Work to other Liberators.

During the Work phase, the Grand Lodge may choose to revoke the Charter of the Subordinate Lodge at any time.