Greetings Brethren,
This question has probably been addressed before, but I'll still ask it.
What could be possibly be a reason why brothers don't attend lodge and how would you go about getting them back?
Our membership is 46 - it is the biggest we've had for years. One Bro is in a Nursing home, another spends half his time in hospital, one has a really bad back, two live interstate, one is permanently rostered on the night we meet, two live in the country over 150 kms away. One is living over seas. That gives us a pool of about 37 who might turn up. Our attendance varies from about 35 to 50% at the moment. That's really poor, but we've had several working and on overseas holidays so I will be watching closely from this month... We can keep track of them all because we don't have 100 members.. If we did, we'd be breaking it up into some sort of groups to allow the Almoner and officers to follow up.
I think 40-45 members is a sweet spot, and you need most of them turning up.. Like Bro Winter says, at 50 (or 60) you either need to decide to change what you are doing, or calve another lodge..
Bro A - after 15 years I will tell you a secret.. lodge is boring for me if I just sit there.. I need a job.. or something new.. I know I should be saying the ceremonial still inspires me (it does, it does, but I don't need to see another degree to know that.. I just need to reflect on it or discuss it). I turn up to support the lodge and carry forward the warrant. I turn up to see my friends. I turn up to help (even if it is the dishes).. Some folk just come and plonk their butt down, grumble and eat and leave because they are "knife and folk masons", but by and large it is this simple, assuming you are not inhibited by work or family or exhaustion, there needs to be a reason to got to lodge and the reason needs to be some sort of value.. for me, it is helping and social, and making Freemasons (the irony of which, that's mainly done outside lodge, not within it)... for those members not showing up, they obviously see some value in paying their dues.. but not in attending.. would that not be where you look ?