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Membership and participation in Freemasonry today

william ernest roberts

Registered User
Re: Membership and participation in Freemasonry to

I have no "new and creative ideas". Remember the ones already tried...one day classes, no catechisms, forgiveness of back dues, a general lowering of standards, etc, etc, etc.

Neither am I particularly worried about the lack of numbers. I think that the great influx of members after WW2 thru the 60's, the Golden Age as some refer to it, was an anomaly that did not do Freemasonry any great favor in the long run. That is why we are faced with budgets that can't be met and buildings we can't maintain and GLs we can no longer afford. I think the membership is coming back to where it always should have been. As hard as it may be, Freemasonry is going to have to adjust.

I was concerned with these "problems", but no longer. I have decided to enjoy my Masonic participation. I show-up and do my part. If a few Brothers show up that is great and enjoyable. If not.... I refuse to let others rain on my parade.


My opinion only.
like your comment zak I to enjoy my freemasonry ,love writing and reading about our history I have just resigned from my craft lodge but will join another soon still in side degrees which is a concern but told not to worry I could join a installed masters lodge but we shall see take care
 

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
The lack of membership and participation is one of the things I think most lodges are faced with today. It has such a profound impact on the future of Masonry, the workings of the lodge, movement of the line and the funding stream. I'm curious how your lodges are approaching it, what new and creative ideas you may have?
Membership is not a "problem". We don't "need" more members. We need good Masons, first and foremost. Not enough dues-paying members to support the Lodge building that was built when membership was higher? Raise the dues, move to a less expensive venue, merge, whatever. Just don't think that "more members" is what "Masonry needs".
 

Texan92

Registered User
We don't need more members we need the men who took an obligation to remember that obligation and get active again. I don't know who came up with the idea that you only have to do so much, it is more of what have you done for me lately attitude we need. An inactive lodge is a dead lodge the one I belong to has one foot and a toe in the grave and a slight breeze will push us on in. There are a few of us who are fighting to keep it alive, but we have a lot of members who ( you noticed I used members not masons) who feel they have done enough and just are not active anymore.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
We don't need more members we need the men who took an obligation to remember that obligation and get active again. I don't know who came up with the idea that you only have to do so much, it is more of what have you done for me lately attitude we need. An inactive lodge is a dead lodge the one I belong to has one foot and a toe in the grave and a slight breeze will push us on in. There are a few of us who are fighting to keep it alive, but we have a lot of members who ( you noticed I used members not masons) who feel they have done enough and just are not active anymore.
Our lodge is different. Yes, we have elderly members we see infrequently or only when we're doing degree work or officer elections, but many of the line officers--including myself are under 60 and several, again including myself, are under 50. We've got a brand new DeMolay chapter, for which I am a trained Dad Advisor, and we've got Rainbow. Our Eastern Star Chapter is mostly defunct, however. We're active in the community and have a presence there for town functions. We also have an active Royal Arch Chapter, of which I am a member and many of us are both York and Scottish Rite masons.
That being said, as active as we are, there's very few people on the sidelines at our stated communications. I would not equate that kind of situation with being "dead" as a lodge. We have initiated lots of new members in the last couple of years. If that's not the case with your lodge, well, perhaps you are correct to be worried.
 

MaineMason

Registered User
By the way, many of our newest members are active with our monthly bean suppers (we have a couple of hundred community members in for those suppers per month) and some, such as myself, got in line immediately. THAT is an active lodge.
 

william ernest roberts

Registered User
Membership is not a "problem". We don't "need" more members. We need good Masons, first and foremost. Not enough dues-paying members to support the Lodge building that was built when membership was higher? Raise the dues, move to a less expensive venue, merge, whatever. Just don't think that "more members" is what "Masonry needs".

True bro Johhny but small numbers are some times best our early history mentions 5/6 meeting in a lodge and as time has gone on it has been the same small and select or as bro Dr oliver writes "be very cautious whom you recommend for initiation, one false step...........keep it select great numbers are not always beneficial " but in the modern age of today we seem to have opted for big is beautiful smiib
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Re: Membership and participation in Freemasonry to



"Build it they will come " Masons must be like part of a building that has not been finished but those watching know it is going to be something
And want to get involved , my next step in this great undertaking will be to get healed and therefore ever afterwards to serve H.I.M.


My Freemasonry HD
Wise words brother.
 

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
True bro Johhny but small numbers are some times best our early history mentions 5/6 meeting in a lodge and as time has gone on it has been the same small and select or as bro Dr oliver writes "be very cautious whom you recommend for initiation, one false step...........keep it select great numbers are not always beneficial " but in the modern age of today we seem to have opted for big is beautiful smiib

We agree completely, Brother. Bigger is fine, if that's what it takes to accommodate. I am always inspired by the grand Masonic venues of the early twentieth century. At the same time, I am depressed when I attend some function in one and see it 80% empty. And I am frustrated by men who seem to think that filling them up again is what Masonry is about. I'd rather sit in a Lodge opened in a rented banquet room with a dozen men truly committed to their Masonic labors than I would with a few hundred dilettantes in the grandest temple. Every time.
 

Jraiford

Registered User
Every few months we have a rib sale fundraiser for the scholarship fund. That is the greatest turnout we have. We meet on every 2nd Tuesday, and only have a meal when we have guests. Our next greatest turn out is for practice on Thursdays, where we practice an upcoming degree. If there are new officers, we sometimes practice opening and closing. The membership is around 90, but we usually have about 10 show up. You would think that as we add more and younger members, they would come to lodge. But once they get the MM they only show up every so often. We had one show up and be installed as JD and hasn't made a meeting or practice since. So instead of filling a chair, we have a void. I have to move from SS to JD to sometimes Tiler. It gets annoying but don't know how to fix it.
 
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