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Cost of Dues

dfreybur

Premium Member
Here in Texas, I am a member of 3 lodges, the dues for them are $75.00, $120.00 and $150.00

I find it bizarre the numbers are different, even though I know that it's because specific fees go to specific funds. My Texas lodge put up a vote to have the fees the same to the candidate for each degree, vote failed so we charge like that as well.
 

rpbrown

Premium Member
I find it bizarre the numbers are different, even though I know that it's because specific fees go to specific funds. My Texas lodge put up a vote to have the fees the same to the candidate for each degree, vote failed so we charge like that as well.

I agree. In my mother lodge, our degree fee is $125.00 for each payable before you receive each degree. Both of my other lodges charge a flat $500.00 for all 3 degrees payable before you receive the first degree.
 

Keith C

Registered User
I agree. In my mother lodge, our degree fee is $125.00 for each payable before you receive each degree. Both of my other lodges charge a flat $500.00 for all 3 degrees payable before you receive the first degree.

Our initiation fee is $350.00 payable before the first degree is conferred. After the 3rd degree yearly dues ore due which is $90.00, pro-rated based on when you are raised.

One of the things I found odd was all of the questions about if the fee or dues would be a hardship when I was being interviewed. I mean they obviously got to know me, knew I was in the process of buying a newer / bigger house, had newer cars, 2 motorcycles and my kids were out of college - Did they really think $400.00 or so would cause issues for my family? Now that I am an officer I see why they ask so much. The number of Brothers on the list for NPD is hard to believe, and now that I have to take 1/4 of that list to make phone calls, I get it!

I think our dues should actually be higher, but we do pay all of our bills, and have a large amount of funds in investments, so I can see why most WMs are very reluctant to even discuss that! I just think that membership in this awesome organization is "Worth" way more than $90.00 a year. A lot of people spend more than that on coffee each month!
 

rpbrown

Premium Member
Our initiation fee is $350.00 payable before the first degree is conferred. After the 3rd degree yearly dues ore due which is $90.00, pro-rated based on when you are raised.

One of the things I found odd was all of the questions about if the fee or dues would be a hardship when I was being interviewed. I mean they obviously got to know me, knew I was in the process of buying a newer / bigger house, had newer cars, 2 motorcycles and my kids were out of college - Did they really think $400.00 or so would cause issues for my family? Now that I am an officer I see why they ask so much. The number of Brothers on the list for NPD is hard to believe, and now that I have to take 1/4 of that list to make phone calls, I get it!

I think our dues should actually be higher, but we do pay all of our bills, and have a large amount of funds in investments, so I can see why most WMs are very reluctant to even discuss that! I just think that membership in this awesome organization is "Worth" way more than $90.00 a year. A lot of people spend more than that on coffee each month!

I understand the flat fee because if someone pays that much, they are more likely to go all the way through the degrees. However, we are attracting some younger blood, some of which are still in college, and the flat degree fees is too much for them to financially handle. I tend to lean to separate fees for each degree.
 

Imightbejim

Registered User
My new lodge is $100/yr. We are in a fairly cheap area, own our building, and from what I know so far are financially healthy. I've talked to friends from other parts of the country and their dues seem about the same. Depends on where you are, I guess.
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
$120/yr for my lodge here in Texas.... personally I feel it needs to be raised.
There are many masons living on a fixed income that would disagree with raising anything. But then again, we're in a decline of membership, so raising dues so high that people can't afford it will finish it off.
 

chrmc

Registered User
There are many masons living on a fixed income that would disagree with raising anything. But then again, we're in a decline of membership, so raising dues so high that people can't afford it will finish it off.

And I'm sorry, but I have to call BS on that one. The idea that fixed income is the reason why we can't raise anything just doesn't hold water to me. I usually that if you can't pay a dollar a day, then you just don't value it enough. We all spend much more on many other things - both people that have fixed income and certainly people that don't.

Likewise a general raising of dues, does not mean that the lodge can't accomodate the couple of members they have that it would impact financially. There are many, many possibilities there.

To me, it's a bad execuse to keep perpetuating poor finances in lodges.
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
$120/yr for my lodge here in Texas.... personally I feel it needs to be raised.
There are many masons living on a fixed income that would disagree with raising anything. But then again, we're in a decline of membership, so raising dues so high that people can't afford it will finish
And I'm sorry, but I have to call BS on that one. The idea that fixed income is the reason why we can't raise anything just doesn't hold water to me. I usually that if you can't pay a dollar a day, then you just don't value it enough. We all spend much more on many other things - both people that have fixed income and certainly people that don't.

Likewise a general raising of dues, does not mean that the lodge can't accomodate the couple of members they have that it would impact financially. There are many, many possibilities there.

To me, it's a bad execuse to keep perpetuating poor finances in lodges.
Well sir, most of my lodge is full of 70 - 85 year old brothers. Matter of fact we had one that just turned 94 a month ago. I do know for fact that that most of them are on a fixed income. We don't have kids rushing the doors to petition to become free masons that would cushion some of the burden. Illinois wants to raise per capita, and dues. Sounds a bit of greed in the ranks to me. But you are right. Like everything else, you gotta pay to play.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Nope, not T.O., but we do take a lot of cues from the T.O. movement. Mostly, we just wanted to be able to do more as a lodge, and figured that Freemasonry is worth at least a can of coke a day.

Nice, sounds like you fellas are doing quite well.
 

texanmason

Registered User
Nice, sounds like you fellas are doing quite well.

It's been a wild ride. We recently put on Texas MasoniCon 2018, and our Temple was an absolute madhouse for the weekend (in the best way). Without raising our dues, we wouldn't have been able to cover the upfront costs for the event.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
It's been a wild ride. We recently put on Texas MasoniCon 2018, and our Temple was an absolute madhouse for the weekend (in the best way). Without raising our dues, we wouldn't have been able to cover the upfront costs for the event.
That sounds very interesting. We need to do that up here in WNY.
 
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