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'The Elitist Inside'

CLewey44

Registered User
Yeah, I thought so too. Some sort of provocative statements too but then again, some pretty legit statements too.
 

JJones

Moderator
Dues are too low, I believe this very firmly. I think he's suggesting that we raise them too high but there's got to be a middle ground somewhere.

I'm starting to believe there's a real disconnect between the predominant generation we currently have in the fraternity and my generation, which is what we are trying to attract. The GI generation seems to feel that dues need to be low while the Millenials expect Freemasonry to be expensive and they are generally surprised when they find out it is not. This is part of the reason I suspect we don't stick around. (In fact, I'm the only Millenial I know of that has remained active in the fraternity for as long as I have...which I think is a little over ten years).

I actually had a guy my age expect to pay a few thousand dollars to become a mason when everything was said and done. He was very surprised, and a little disappointed, that it was so cheap and easy to join.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
The GI generation seems to feel that dues need to be low while the Millenials expect Freemasonry to be expensive and they are generally surprised when they find out it is not.
True. Al lot of the older guys around get outraged and threaten to leave the lodge if you talk about raising dues.
This is part of the reason I suspect we don't stick around. (In fact, I'm the only Millenial I know of that has remained active in the fraternity for as long as I have...which I think is a little over ten years).
This is sad.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Dues are too low, I believe this very firmly. I think he's suggesting that we raise them too high but there's got to be a middle ground somewhere.

I'm starting to believe there's a real disconnect between the predominant generation we currently have in the fraternity and my generation, which is what we are trying to attract. The GI generation seems to feel that dues need to be low while the Millenials expect Freemasonry to be expensive and they are generally surprised when they find out it is not. This is part of the reason I suspect we don't stick around. (In fact, I'm the only Millenial I know of that has remained active in the fraternity for as long as I have...which I think is a little over ten years).

I actually had a guy my age expect to pay a few thousand dollars to become a mason when everything was said and done. He was very surprised, and a little disappointed, that it was so cheap and easy to join.

My thoughts too.
 

chrmc

Registered User
One of my friends usually say that if something is easy to obtain and cheap to maintain people usually won't value it.
Not saying that we need to charge a lot just for the sake of it, but what you are willing to pay for something and how much you value it is linked to some degree.
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
All i know is that my Lodge raised dues a couple of times but had to reverse those hikes the following year.

I wasn't Sec'y then so i don't know the exact math percentage of lost membership. But we did find ourselves with a very steep drop in membership. They began to come back the following year every time after we amended our by-laws covering dues.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
One of my friends usually say that if something is easy to obtain and cheap to maintain people usually won't value it.
Not saying that we need to charge a lot just for the sake of it, but what you are willing to pay for something and how much you value it is linked to some degree.
Totally. I don't know if it'll ever get through to some members. Dues actually may be pretty much spot on in some lodges as I know some lodges that have 10s of thousands of dollars saved up. Some may even have 100s or more. With that said, that money should be going back into the lodge for updates, guest speakers, and nice dinners/events. Not just Little Caesars (not a knock against them lol) and carpet that is 40 years old, wood paneling walls. Young folks walk in a see that, they are turned off.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
"We don't have doctors, lawyers, and businessmen joining."

Our lodges are full of lawyers and business people. I only know a few Doctors, but they have very little social life and are constantly working...

Out of interest, I just looked at employment at my mother lodge;
Architect 1
Currency Trader 1
Employee 7
Farmer 1
Gov Servant 1
Lawyer 2
Medical 1
Nurse 3
Pensioner 2
Retired 10
Self Employed 1
Small Business Owner 6 (and ones another farmer who retails his harvest)
Student 3
Tradesperson 1
Unknown 1

I'm one of those professions he lists as not joining the Craft (business person, not a lawyer). My lodges does are about $240 and $350 for each craft lodge (plus a GL fee of $114, noting its about .79 AUD to $1 USD, average Australia wage is $80K, USA $81K PA).

The blog was interesting, but I get the feeling very Nth American centric... however he is right, look at the history of a building, and you will often find a patron who was a brother - we just don't seem to get those anymore in the English speaking world.....
 

CLewey44

Registered User
"We don't have doctors, lawyers, and businessmen joining."

Our lodges are full of lawyers and business people. I only know a few Doctors, but they have very little social life and are constantly working...

Out of interest, I just looked at employment at my mother lodge;
Architect 1
Currency Trader 1
Employee 7
Farmer 1
Gov Servant 1
Lawyer 2
Medical 1
Nurse 3
Pensioner 2
Retired 10
Self Employed 1
Small Business Owner 6 (and ones another farmer who retails his harvest)
Student 3
Tradesperson 1
Unknown 1

I'm one of those professions he lists as not joining the Craft (business person, not a lawyer). My lodges does are about $240 and $350 for each craft lodge (plus a GL fee of $114, noting its about .79 AUD to $1 USD, average Australia wage is $80K, USA $81K PA).

The blog was interesting, but I get the feeling very Nth American centric... however he is right, look at the history of a building, and you will often find a patron who was a brother - we just don't seem to get those anymore in the English speaking world.....

Who's the 'Unknown' guy lol.
 

Elexir

Registered User
"The blog was interesting, but I get the feeling very Nth American centric... however he is right, look at the history of a building, and you will often find a patron who was a brother - we just don't seem to get those anymore in the English speaking world.....

My English seen to fail me here. So you mean patron as person paying for a buildnig?
 

Bloke

Premium Member
My English seen to fail me here. So you mean patron as person paying for a buildnig?
Yes, that's what I mean. (or making a substantial contribution, or one of several, or donating land to build). It's quite common in the histories of local Freemasonry here.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
I to expected there to be more rich and powerful people. My cousin got me in. Now in a couple of days I'm joining the York rite in a one day festival. At the end of the day I will be a member of the Knights templar

Sent from my SM-G360T1 using My Freemasonry mobile app
Nice, a buddy of mine may be apart of the ritual team there in Norman. WM in Edmond this year. No, I'm not rich either lol.
 
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