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Lodge attendance

Bro. A

Registered User
I agree, to a point. When I became I Mason, I worked a normal work schedule. A few years ago, I had to switch to schedules and now I work until 10 PM Monday through Thursday most of the year. I do try to make it to Lodge when I work days. I do NOT want to stop paying dues simply because my work schedule necessitates me missing Lodge more often than not (and I'm not willing to change jobs...I've been at my current job for 9 years and love it).

That's understandable. Your life outside of lodge does come first. At least you're making some effort to attend lodge.
 
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Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Young Mason's (Masonic age) have other more experienced members to look up to. As they progress, that perspective starts to change. Now they are becoming the ones people look up to. The innocence is gone and that feeling can't be recaptured...ever...

So, you either become the mason you once looked up to, accept the fact that life is evolving or you don't and fade away.
 

Winter

Premium Member
That's understandable. Your life outside if lodge does come first. At least you're making some effort to attend lodge.

In my opinion, this is one of the fundamental problems with how we teach newly initiated brothers. We always stress that Freemasonry shouldn't interfere with your life. That pretty much everything comes before the Craft and that's OK, we understand. What we should tell a new Brother, or more importantly petitioners, is that Freemasonry is a commitment to something important. That it will take time and effort and they will need to make space for it in their life. That if they intend to put Freemasonry on the back burner after they are initiated that maybe they should reconsider about joining at this time. If we set expectations up front we would likely waste a lot less time initiating members we never see again after their MM degree. We do not have to accept every petition that comes before the Lodge!

But none of this works if we don't hold our current membership to the same standards. We all have life. And if your job has shift work or travel, of course there is understanding. But if your only excuse is that you just don't feel like being part of your Lodge, maybe there needs to be a conversation about how you can work to reinvigorate your zeal. You must have joined for something, right?

And that second part is useless if a Lodge has nothing to offer. What good is it to put butts in seats if they show up to an uninspired meeting to haggle over a few bills and try to guilt someone into mowing the lawn or shoveling the walk.

I get the OP's argument. I really do. He sees Brothers paying lip service to the Order but not actually working to be a part of it other than pay dues. I don't know the magic bullet to fix the problem, but I am 98.3% positive that the solution begins with the Lodge creating a meaningful program that Brothers, new and old, want to participate in as they inculcate a sense of belonging and purpose that makes you want to be as active as you can be.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
My Lodge requires a member to call the secretary before a meeting if you cannot attend with the reason. Excessive absenteeism can result in penalties.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
What sort of penalties ?
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Greetings Brethren,
This question has probably been addressed before, but I'll still ask it.
What could be possibly be a reason why brothers don't attend lodge and how would you go about getting them back?

Our membership is 46 - it is the biggest we've had for years. One Bro is in a Nursing home, another spends half his time in hospital, one has a really bad back, two live interstate, one is permanently rostered on the night we meet, two live in the country over 150 kms away. One is living over seas. That gives us a pool of about 37 who might turn up. Our attendance varies from about 35 to 50% at the moment. That's really poor, but we've had several working and on overseas holidays so I will be watching closely from this month... We can keep track of them all because we don't have 100 members.. If we did, we'd be breaking it up into some sort of groups to allow the Almoner and officers to follow up.

I think 40-45 members is a sweet spot, and you need most of them turning up.. Like Bro Winter says, at 50 (or 60) you either need to decide to change what you are doing, or calve another lodge..

Bro A - after 15 years I will tell you a secret.. lodge is boring for me if I just sit there.. I need a job.. or something new.. I know I should be saying the ceremonial still inspires me (it does, it does, but I don't need to see another degree to know that.. I just need to reflect on it or discuss it). I turn up to support the lodge and carry forward the warrant. I turn up to see my friends. I turn up to help (even if it is the dishes).. Some folk just come and plonk their butt down, grumble and eat and leave because they are "knife and folk masons", but by and large it is this simple, assuming you are not inhibited by work or family or exhaustion, there needs to be a reason to got to lodge and the reason needs to be some sort of value.. for me, it is helping and social, and making Freemasons (the irony of which, that's mainly done outside lodge, not within it)... for those members not showing up, they obviously see some value in paying their dues.. but not in attending.. would that not be where you look ?
 

Mark Stockdale

Premium Member
I attended an Installation last night and met a Brother from my Mother Lodge that hasn't attended for over 3 years. He pays his test fees but due to being a long distance lorry driver, he is never home during the week, leaving home on the Monday morning and returning Friday evening, (I've known him most of my life, and he has always been a driver), he does however attend a nearby Lodge that meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday, so is still active in Freemasonry. Although I would love to see him in our Mother Lodge, I can't fault his work ethic or his commitment to Freemasonry.
 

Bro. A

Registered User
Thanks for all of the feedback my brothers. Even though I would like to see more brothers attend lodge, can't make them. Everyone has a reason.

I'll tell you this... I'm going to continue to attend and support my lodge; and visit the lodges within our district. My work inside the lodge and outside will be done no matter what. Hopefully I'll get to meet some of you good brothers in person along this great journey. Until then, keep spreading that cement of brotherly love and affection. SMIB!
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Out of 500...
That’s even below the “average” of 10% most lodges claim.
Ahh, I didn't read that far back. This is why I would like to consolidate lodges more for a better experience during meetings. We have as few as seven or eight show up. We have 100-something members. Mathematically makes sense what you're saying. I'd love to go to a meeting with 45 guys there.
 

Keith C

Registered User
500 is unreal! That lodge should have calved decades ago.
Our trestleboard always contains the following;
*** The attendance of all Paideia Lodge officers and members is required. Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible. ***

Actually the Lodge is the result of a MERGER of 2 Lodges in 2014! One Lodge had a building, few funds and did not have enough Brothers willing to serve as Officers to continue, the Other had decent attendance, members willing to serve as officers and a decent bank account from the forced "Eminent Domain" sale of their Lodge Hall building. The Lodge without a building was meeting in the Building of the other Lodge for several years before the merged.

Everyone knows the membership roles are bloated, many are very elderly and can't attend, many have retired and moved out of the area, but they still pay dues and want to remain members of the Lodge where they were Entered, Passed and Raised.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Excessive absenteeism can result in penalties.
In my lodges if this concerns an officer he can be removed from office.
I am sure we would be down to about 45-50 members if we decided to start issuing "fines" for non-attendance! Of course I am sure we would never be permitted to do that in the first place!
Same here!
Here's what I'm getting at. Why get into ANY organization, pay dues, fees and what have you, and not be an ACTIVE member?
I've wondered this myself. I've seen people that join Masonic appendant bodies just to get the title and never attended or participated. I refered to them as "Title Hunters".
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
In my opinion, this is one of the fundamental problems with how we teach newly initiated brothers. We always stress that Freemasonry shouldn't interfere with your life. That pretty much everything comes before the Craft and that's OK, we understand. What we should tell a new Brother, or more importantly petitioners, is that Freemasonry is a commitment to something important. That it will take time and effort and they will need to make space for it in their life. That if they intend to put Freemasonry on the back burner after they are initiated that maybe they should reconsider about joining at this time.
Great point Brother!
Averages around 45. have seen as low as 30 and around 100 for a District Visitation.
Wow! Great!
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
There is a brother from a lodge down south of us here in southern Illinois that can bring the 3rd degree to life. He can scare the hell out of you and make you feel like you did the actual killing. He knows where to be soft spoken and when to climax the character he is playing. And when in the West makes you wonder if your gonna get past the West gate. I've over heard brothers leaving saying what was that ? A degree or a actual trial. These are the brothers that I admire the most.
 

Bro. A

Registered User
There is a brother from a lodge down south of us here in southern Illinois that can bring the 3rd degree to life. He can scare the hell out of you and make you feel like you did the actual killing. He knows where to be soft spoken and when to climax the character he is playing. And when in the West makes you wonder if your gonna get past the West gate. I've over heard brothers leaving saying what was that ? A degree or a actual trial. These are the brothers that I admire the most.

I know exactly what you're talking about. We have a brother here that's the same way. It will send a chill down your spine!
 

Bro. A

Registered User
In my lodges if this concerns an officer he can be removed from office.

Same here!

I've wondered this myself. I've seen people that join Masonic appendant bodies just to get the title and never attended or participated. I refered to them as "Title Hunters".

YES!!! A shame that people do that.
 

Schuetz

Registered User
There is a brother from a lodge down south of us here in southern Illinois that can bring the 3rd degree to life. He can scare the hell out of you and make you feel like you did the actual killing. He knows where to be soft spoken and when to climax the character he is playing. And when in the West makes you wonder if your gonna get past the West gate. I've over heard brothers leaving saying what was that ? A degree or a actual trial. These are the brothers that I admire the most.
Since I'm fairly close, do tell who. I know Paul Parks makes a good 3rd ruffian, especially the confession.

Q. E. L. Schuetz, M.M.
Shekinah Lodge No. 241 • IL
Murphysboro Lodge No. 498 • IL
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
Since I'm fairly close, do tell who. I know Paul Parks makes a good 3rd ruffian, especially the confession.

Q. E. L. Schuetz, M.M.
Shekinah Lodge No. 241 • IL
Murphysboro Lodge No. 498 • IL
His name is Steve Poole I think from Thompsonville ? Raleigh .
 
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