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Ideal Membership Number...

TCShelton

Founding Member
Premium Member
With all the talk about lodges losing members, needing to give up charters, etc, what do you guys think the ideal number of active, dues paying members is for a lodge to function properly?
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
To me this is hard to pin point a number. I feel that if Masonry, real Masonry is being taught the number can be as large as not to hinder this. I would like to brainstorm on ideas to ensure active membership. Things like you MUST attend 3 masonic functions during a year to retain your membership. It does the craft no good to have people carrying cards and not be active or have a clue. (I know there are good masons that are not active, this is more directed to the Brother that was raised and has never stepped foot in a lodge again). Now keep in mind I know that is not going to ever work because you have older members that can not travel but that is an idea.

To answer your question, if Masonry (not just getting together) is still effective then the Lodge can grow. At the point it become ineffective and politics plays a larger part than Masonry then it is too big. If a Lodge can not open or there is no additions to the line up in the last decade then we really need to analyze that lodge a little better. See if Masonry is still shining there.

I really don't know if this is ideal but its brainstorming.
 
J

JEbeling

Guest
Old English lodges .. ! when you reached a 30-40 members they had to split into two lodges.. ! all lodges were small.. !
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
a lodge needs at least 20 to 25 active members for the lodge to do all it needs and more if it wants to excell or else someone will be doing a ton of work.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
So we want smaller Lodges and more of them or less Lodges with more members in them or is it less members and less Lodges. Just confused what people would like to see?
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
So we want smaller Lodges and more of them or less Lodges with more members in them or is it less members and less Lodges. Just confused what people would like to see?

This is a by-product of what "we want to see" and is merly speculation on our part as to the best way to get there. Bigger Lodges, smaller, more or less it does not matter in the end really as long as a lodge can manage it's people and things not get out of hand which most can but there are a few who cannot handle their business and some cannot even pay there share in $$$ to be called a Lodge as cheap as that is. 14.50 a head is a small amount and all lodges should be able to handle this even if they have to dig into there pockets at the last minute. In the end what happens to the lodges will be up to them and I know every Mason on here would love to see every single one of them thrive and grow.
 

js4253

Premium Member
Premium Member
I would love to see every member of the lodge active. But, as we have discussed here, there are many members of our lodges in their dotage.
 

Nate Riley

Premium Member
For many Lodges, only 10% of their members are worth a crap...so humm..150-200?

A similar thought. I agree that somewhere between 25 - 50 is a nice size, as it makes for more intimate group. But is it possible to fund the lodge with so few members? Or do we need the less active brothers for there money (dues)?

So I am with you, a 200 member lodge with 10 to 20 percent active and everybody elso showing up occasionally.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Well if money is an issue...we have 186 members currently and 86 don't pay soo...the lodge is being funded by 100 members and degree fees.
 
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