Blue Lodge Dues

"Why, dues were $20.00 when I joined 60 years ago, and they got no reason to change! That's what's wrong with this country, people let things change! I remember in my day, back in 19-tickety-seven--we had to say 'tickety' because the Kaiser had stolen all our FIVES! I went down to the drugstore, wearing an onion on my belt, which was the fashion of the day. And there it was, plain as day. So, you see. That's my whole point."

Two options here. $100.00 per year in dues or a one time payment of $500.00 to become an endowed member. That is where we currently stand.

Perhaps someone may want to look at the possibility of a resolution that would allow a member on a fixed income (SSN, retired, out of work) to pay the minimum GL amount and the rest of the members pay a different amount such as the $200. I know for the Lodges I was a member we would pay dues for anyone that told us they were on hard times. Too often members won't even tell you. I know there is nothing that would allow some members pay one fee and others pay another. You could go as far as saying the member must have 25 years of continual service to qualify for the exemption. Every secretary could get this information with their database. Brainstorming out loud.

Our lodge has options for brothers on fixed income in our guidelines, but it's mostly just for older brethren.

The problem with raising dues is you almost -have- to increase the price for endowed membership or it'll start looking far more appealing than continuously paying your dues yearly. Don't lodges usually end up losing money from endowed members or have returns become strong and stable enough?

JJones said:

Our lodge has options for brothers on fixed income in our guidelines, but it's mostly just for older brethren.

The problem with raising dues is you almost -have- to increase the price for endowed membership or it'll start looking far more appealing than continuously paying your dues yearly. Don't lodges usually end up losing money from endowed members or have returns become strong and stable enough?

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Lodges had lifetime memberships before the endowed memberships. My mother lodge had it so you would pay 20 years worth of dues to "lock in a rate" then after 20 you didn't have to pay any more, and you had the same rate. When lodges stopped inreasing dues regularly, this became unappealing. After the endowment started became extinct

S&F,
-Bro Vick.

$83 a year

Lodge budget around $5000

I pay $65 for my KY lodge, and $85 for my Mass lodge. I feel that dues are way too LOW, and should be increased annually. I have seen proposals, like going back to 1925, and multiplying for inflation. That would make my KY lodge dues about $400 per year.

My KY lodge is able to operate, pay all its bills, and show a slight surplus. (They have some additional income, such as a CD, and some rental payments made by the appendant bodies). If an unexpected expense crops up, like a new carpet, or a new water heater, the lodge will throw a fund-raiser.

A lodge should never throw a fundraiser to make repairs to their building . My lodge needed to remodel our old building and all money came from the members by donations out of their own pockets . Look at it this way , would you throw a fundraiser to replace the hot water heater in your home , or replace the roof on your house ? No you would not , your home belongs to you and you should pay for it yourself . Same with your lodge , it belongs to all the members and when we needed to make the necessary repairs , the Craft wrote the checks . If a lodge's dues are not high enough to cover any repairs or a remodel , then the brethren should be writing the checks . IF the members can not afford to do that , then maybe they do not need a lodge building since they can not afford to take care of it themselves .

We should not be relying on money from the community to make repairs or remodeling our lodges .

I spend more than $200/month on cokes! That's gotta go. Boom, lodge dues taken care of!

Ashlar said:

A lodge should never throw a fundraiser to make repairs to their building . My lodge needed to remodel our old building and all money came from the members by donations out of their own pockets . Look at it this way , would you throw a fundraiser to replace the hot water heater in your home , or replace the roof on your house ? No you would not , your home belongs to you and you should pay for it yourself . Same with your lodge , it belongs to all the members and when we needed to make the necessary repairs , the Craft wrote the checks . If a lodge's dues are not high enough to cover any repairs or a remodel , then the brethren should be writing the checks . IF the members can not afford to do that , then maybe they do not need a lodge building since they can not afford to take care of it themselves .

We should not be relying on money from the community to make repairs or remodeling our lodges .

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Well said. I firmly believe that the purpose of public fundraisers is for the sole purpose of benefiting the public. Your analogy is spot on. My Lodge would never consider (at least I hope) a fundraiser for our benefit.

Absolutely agree as well regarding fundraisers and public benefit. I only wish everyone shared that attitude.

I am in agreement, that lodges should "stand on their own". I would like for my lodge dues to INCREASE, so that we would have enough in our treasury, to pay our expenses, and have a "rainy day fund" to cover unexpected costs (new water heater, new carpet,etc. ).

On the other hand, I have no problem at all, with "fund-raisers" ,fish-fries, pancake breakfasts, etc. They are enjoyable for the lodge, and it gets us out into the "public eye". We generate good will in the community, and even pick up some petitions. For many people, a fund-raiser is the only time they will ever be in a Masonic lodge, and it will be the only contact they ever have with Masonry. The point I am trying to make, is that there are non-cash benefits to fund-raisers.

Non-profit organizations, have traditionally held events to obtain donations from the community, so that the non-profit can continue to operate, and provide services back to the community. Definetly a win-win situation for all concerned.

I know of a lodge in KY, which needed a new air-conditioning system. The lodge decided to dedicate a memorial plaque in their entrance hall. Anyone who donated $50-$100 (or more) will have their name engraved on a brass plate on the plaque. The lodge received enough donations (almost all from members of the lodge, and surrounding area lodges), to purchase the new air-conditioning.

cemab4y said:

On the other hand, I have no problem at all, with "fund-raisers" ,fish-fries, pancake breakfasts, etc. They are enjoyable for the lodge, and it gets us out into the "public eye".

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I do have a problem with them , I do not find them enjoyable because as a long standing officer and active member in my mother lodge , it is the same members working every function , and I am one of them . I am tired of working every function coming and going , watching the other brethren come in , eat and leave or not show up at all .

Yes many non-profits throw fundraisers to cover operating costs , but most all of these are service organizations (Lion's club , Red Cross , Salvation Army , etc; etc . Freemasonry is not a service organization . We are a group of men who's members just so happen to charitable .

Ashlar said:

A lodge should never throw a fundraiser to make repairs to their building . My lodge needed to remodel our old building and all money came from the members by donations out of their own pockets . Look at it this way , would you throw a fundraiser to replace the hot water heater in your home , or replace the roof on your house ? No you would not , your home belongs to you and you should pay for it yourself . Same with your lodge , it belongs to all the members and when we needed to make the necessary repairs , the Craft wrote the checks . If a lodge's dues are not high enough to cover any repairs or a remodel , then the brethren should be writing the checks . IF the members can not afford to do that , then maybe they do not need a lodge building since they can not afford to take care of it themselves .

We should not be relying on money from the community to make repairs or remodeling our lodges .

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I do see your point, and agree with it to a certain extent, but think it is viewing it a little simplistic.
I do not have a problem with a lodge doing a fundraiser to repair the roof, help the lodge economy etc. As I see it that is the communities way of helping the lodge, so we can give back to them. Many of the activities we undertake do not necessarily cost money, but they do cost time for the members and benefit the community. If the lodge was not there these charities would not be undertaken.

And on another note very much agree that it's a shame when we see that it's the same 10-20 brothers that help out with activities each time. How to get more brothers involved in charities, fundraisers and lodge activities could be a good topic for another discussion.

I am sorry , but it is not the communities responsibility to help pay our bills , make repairs etc; etc; just so we can help them out with our own charities . It is counter productive , we are taking their money so we can give them money , it just does not make sense to me . And if many projects do not cost money , then no fundraisers are needed , we are not paying our members to help the communities , it is supposed to be out of the goodness of our hearts .

Again , we are not a service organization , our charity is a product of being a Mason , it is not our sole purpose .

Okay , I am sorry for my posts BUT because of my second lodge I have a different mind set . When we make repairs or give to charities , all monies comes from the members by "passing the hat" . We do not believe in taking money from the community to help the community or the lodge . We take the stand that if we as a lodge want to help the community , then it should be up to the individual Mason by making a donation themselves to what ever cause it is , and we have some who write some big checks . I give what I can on my limited budget , but I perform my charities in other ways .

We just moved into a new lodge building. The building needed painting. One older brother who was physically unable to work actually donate the paint and the supplies, and some of us other brothers donated a small amount each to get supplies also. We worked every Saturday morning and I found that it was a lot of the same brothers who donated their time and efforts, myself being one of them. We needed some more help than the small group that showed up each Saturday so we decided hey, lets make it a cookout...you want a burger? Grab a paint brush! Heck it worked! The lodge building now has a nice fresh coat of paint and the lodge did it on it's own. I know this concept can be debated but for one, I believe in the beehive concept of the lodge and the fraternity at large. We should all work together within our due bounds as Masons in order to give back. Fundraising for a charity or service group is certainly acceptable but fundraising for the lodge, in my opinion, makes it way too easy for brothers to become uninvolved in the well being of the lodge...it supports the whole "Hey the guys did a fundraiser so I am off the hook" mentality I think...charity is not all about money my Brothers. Time, effort and skill are sometimes more valuable than people think.

Ashlar said:

Okay , I am sorry for my posts BUT because of my second lodge I have a different mind set . When we make repairs or give to charities , all monies comes from the members by "passing the hat" . We do not believe in taking money from the community to help the community or the lodge . We take the stand that if we as a lodge want to help the community , then it should be up to the individual Mason by making a donation themselves to what ever cause it is , and we have some who write some big checks . I give what I can on my limited budget , but I perform my charities in other ways .

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Sorry to quote myself , but is it not we as Masons who are the men who are supposed to be charitable ? IF we are throwing fundraisers and taking the money of non-Masons to help with our own projects , then is it not the non-Masons who are the men and women being charitable ? Other than our time and energy , Are we not merely acting as the middle man in all this ? Now , if we are throwing a fundraiser and the brethren (and not from lodge funds) say they will match what is brought in from the community , then that is another story but ......

I am sorry , it just does not compute with me . We can not say we are being charitable when it is funds from non-Masons who are funding our charities . This is why my second lodge thinks the way it does .

Now , do not think I am anti-fundraising , if the Red Cross asked us (or we took it upon ourselves) to hold a fundraiser to raise funds for some natural disaster , then by all means , throw a fundraiser . If it is for some other outside (true) service org , then go for it , but I just do not think it is right to use outside , non-mason , money for a lodge charity .


A little story to prove my point , my mother lodge took it upon themselves to raise money for a church who needed to make repairs to their church . We threw a fundraising dinner . Over a thousand dollars was raised . Great , huh? Well only a couple of hundred came from the lodge members (we would have made more by passing the hat at our stated meeting and much of that paid for the food) , the rest came from the church members themselves . They could have given that money they "donated" to us directly to the church , and we could have passed the hat and it would have saved us both a lot of time .

My apologies for veering so far off topic . I can get passionate about certain subjects and fundraisers/charities are one of those subjects .

And all this is merely my opinion , I realize others think differently and more power to them , we are all brothers .

Ashlar said:

I am sorry , but it is not the communities responsibility to help pay our bills , make repairs etc; etc; just so we can help them out with our own charities . It is counter productive , we are taking their money so we can give them money , it just does not make sense to me . And if many projects do not cost money , then no fundraisers are needed , we are not paying our members to help the communities , it is supposed to be out of the goodness of our hearts .

Again , we are not a service organization , our charity is a product of being a Mason , it is not our sole purpose .

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I just think I have a very different opinion on fundraisers in the community than you do. We are not taking their money like a thief in the night. Just as our work helps us support them and does good, their support to us via fundraisers help us in various ways. It's a two way street. And the whole nature of fundraising means that it is voluntary to contribute. We are not forcing anyone.

I don't think you can find many organizations that do not use fundraising to support their operating expenses. Red cross, World Wildlife foundations, Shriners hospital etc. all use some of the money they get to pay the rent, fix holes in roofs and do similar good things. How is that different from the blue lodge?

I will agree that we need to be open and honest about what we are doing though. Having a fundraiser where we say the money is going to the needy, and then spending 90% of it on the lodge is not upright. But in my experience that is not what is happening either.