QUOTE:
I noticed that some lodges have a broken website, or no website. It suggests to me that they either don't want new members or they are incompetent. If so, I have to respect that by not petitioning.
Perhaps that want me to think they are incompetent? Seems unlikely.
Another possibility would be that lodges want to be secret, but that is contradicted by all authoritative sources saying clearly that masonry is not a secret fraternity but a fraternity with secrets.
There was a comment that younger people do all the work. This is what I'd expect. Like any family. You pay your dues and prove yourself so that you can relax a bit when older. As it should be. I respect that. end QUOTE
Your observation about the quality/quantity of masonic websites, is exactly on point. Not all lodges (and Grand Lodges) have embraced the 'net with equal enthusiasm.
Lodge websites run the whole spectrum. Some are terrific, some are mediocre, some are awful, and many lodges have no internet presence at all! I visit a lot of websites, and I always cringe when I see a lodge advertising a fish-fry that occurred three years ago!
I encounter your experience often. A young man sees a documentary about Masonry on "Discovery" channel. Then he googles Freemasonry in his home town. There is no webpage, and he assumes that there is no lodge in his town, or that the lodge is not interested in new members.
(I am sending you a URL for a discussion, that I would like you to see. Some Masons actually are opposed to their lodge having any internet presence)
Your contention that Masonry is not secret, is quite correct. Masons wear rings, belt buckles, ballcaps, etc. Many states have an official Masonic license plate issued by their Dept of Motor Vehicles. Masonic buildings are clearly marked and visible. There are hundreds of books and internet sites, promoting the Craft. There are secrets, but very very few. I like to compare Masonry to a football team. Practice sessions are held in private, often under tight security. But the team takes the field on Sunday, on national television, and what they practiced in secret is broadcast to all the world. So it is in Masonry.
One minor nit to pick: Masonry is a non-profit organization. The huge majority of work is done by volunteers. In some lodges, the younger men are there for every event, and donating many man-hours of labor. In some lodges, the retired members have more free time, and they are in every event, also donating their time and labor. If you petition, and join our Craft you will see this.