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Has the time come to reach out and ask for new members?

Les Verts

Registered User
Given the ongoing decline of numbers in the Gentle Craft, has the time come to reach out and ask for new members? Through the years, I've met a good few men who would probably make fine Masons but never asked for a petition. I don't hide my membership and have a great pride in the Gentle Craft but perhaps we need to change our approach. A friend and colleague joined the Knights of Columbus some years ago after an invitation from a member - he was welcomed as a new member and is now an active Knight. Thoughts? Comments?
 

jermy Bell

Registered User
I dont see a reason not to. But just remember, be careful on who you invite, because if they really aren't who they seem, it is very hard for some reason to get them out.
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
That would certainly be a lot easier than becoming such an exceptional human being that people would be attracted to the craft.
 
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Winter

Premium Member
If potential brothers are not coming to you and knocking on the door asking to join, the problem isn't whether you can ask someone to join or not. It is because they do not see anything interesting enough to them that makes them cross the street. Fix that and you will never have to go beat the bushes for members. This is not new information. So many Brothers have crowed this from the rooftops for years to little effect. And the road map to a more engaging Lodge experience is no secret either with stacks of books and treatise on the subject. What good is it to ask someone to join if you don't change the problem that is causing people to not come find you?
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
If you want to be better, act better. When I saw that my Lodge had nothing to teach me I joined Toastmasters. They have an actual program that teaches Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic. Using their program I designed and presented short talks on Masonic topics in open Lodge. However I was not able to find any Brothers who were interested in participating in a Masonic Speakers group.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
My way around the "No Solicitation" rule is simple. If I know someone that I believe would be an asset to Masonry I simply bring up Freemasonry in a conversation and talk about what a worthwhile and interesting organization it is. If he then asks how to become a Mason my reaction is: "Well, since you asked....."
 

Forthright

Registered User
has the time come to reach out and ask for new members?

It was never a bad time to talk to people in your network about it if they show interest. And to generally have conversation with good people in your life about what they want out of life. No change today.

If you have the right relationship with someone, I see no harm in suggesting that they look into Freemasonry, and providing them the means to do that. Rather than outline every little thing you can/can't do with potential members, just refer back to the principles: it's important they know what they're doing and come of their own free will and accord. That probably means offering real inducements is not a good idea. But offering honest discussion & your opinion, well if that's ever off-limits, we're all in trouble.
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
Forthright, post: 210181, member: 23448“]If you have the right relationship with someone, I see no harm in suggesting that they look into Freemasonry [/QUOTE]

I can think of some harm. It is my opinion that if you: talk to a man about joining, if you hand him a petition, or sign a petition, you have accepted an obligation to make him feel like he is your brother. The fewer people who feel an obligation to make the new man feel like a Brother the greater the chance that he will stop coming back.
 

Elexir

Registered User
The tide has being going out on modern Freemasonry for some centuries. Blavatsky, writing in the 1880s, said that no Masonic lodges still had the genuine secrets. (She did not state that no Masons had the genuine secrets.)

The task of that which what we call Freemasonry still exists and it is evident that the human race feels the need to manage the planetary temple.

I have no doubt that Earth humans will develop new social institutions to promote that purpose. The current Covid19 event is making space for the new by disrupting existing economic and social patterns.

I am optimistic for the real Freemasonry, but hopefully it will learn from ancient Scottish Masonry and not have Grand Lodges.

Madame Blavatsky did get a lot of things wrong.
Böhme is better.

The "ancient scottish freemasonry" still survives since the stuarts named their sucessor and gave him authority. Considering that it has either been transferd down the line or it died inside a GL.
 

Jim In Bozeman Montana

Registered User
Forthright, post: 210181, member: 23448“]If you have the right relationship with someone, I see no harm in suggesting that they look into Freemasonry

I can think of some harm. It is my opinion that if you: talk to a man about joining, if you hand him a petition, or sign a petition, you have accepted an obligation to make him feel like he is your brother. The fewer people who feel an obligation to make the new man feel like a Brother the greater the chance that he will stop coming back.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, but I am confused by your wording. Do you mean to say "The more Brothers who make a new Brother feel welcomed and valued the better. The new Brother is then more likely to stay active."?
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
It is called "love bombing" and the term was coined by a church.
Hmmmmm. Well, this conversation has taken such an interesting turn that I am no longer sure that the message I hoped to convey in my original post was clear. I was trying to say that if we don’t treat our new Brothers like Brothers it might be our fault if they do not return.

Perhaps this belief is based on my personal experience. When I was raised I attended Lodge religiously. It was a small rural Lodge so it was just me and a bunch of GOPM’s (Grumpy Old Past Masters). After a year I really felt like no one cared if I showed up or not. No one talked to me unless it was to ask me to perform some task. Quite honestly I began to think “I know what it means to be a Mason and these guys don’t”. (My father and grandfather were Mason’s, so Masonry was something very meaningful to me) I almost quit attending Lodge.

But then something interesting happened. The next time a petition was read in Lodge I recognized the man’s name although we had never met. (It was a small town) So I sought him out. I introduced myself, told him I had heard his petition read in Lodge, and that if he was accepted we would be Brothers so I wanted to get to know him. I invited him to my home. I showed him my Masonic books and offered to loan him one if he wanted. I fixed him lunch. All this happened before he was raised. After he was raised I sat next to him in Lodge and explained things like whose column was up and why, J&B, and the reasons behind why certain things happened in Lodge. In short, I treated him like a brother.

Interestingly, when the next petition was read in Lodge he treated the petitioner the way I had treated him. Apparently because he thought that’s how Masons acted. So yes, I have an attitude. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe ignoring the new guy is some kind of traditional Masonic hazing that I just don’t know about. Either way I am going to keep doing what I do unless I am told not to. I hope that’s clear.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Hmmmmm. Well, this conversation has taken such an interesting turn that I am no longer sure that the message I hoped to convey in my original post was clear. I was trying to say that if we don’t treat our new Brothers like Brothers it might be our fault if they do not return.

Perhaps this belief is based on my personal experience. When I was raised I attended Lodge religiously. It was a small rural Lodge so it was just me and a bunch of GOPM’s (Grumpy Old Past Masters). After a year I really felt like no one cared if I showed up or not. No one talked to me unless it was to ask me to perform some task. Quite honestly I began to think “I know what it means to be a Mason and these guys don’t”. (My father and grandfather were Mason’s, so Masonry was something very meaningful to me) I almost quit attending Lodge.

But then something interesting happened. The next time a petition was read in Lodge I recognized the man’s name although we had never met. (It was a small town) So I sought him out. I introduced myself, told him I had heard his petition read in Lodge, and that if he was accepted we would be Brothers so I wanted to get to know him. I invited him to my home. I showed him my Masonic books and offered to loan him one if he wanted. I fixed him lunch. All this happened before he was raised. After he was raised I sat next to him in Lodge and explained things like whose column was up and why, J&B, and the reasons behind why certain things happened in Lodge. In short, I treated him like a brother.

Interestingly, when the next petition was read in Lodge he treated the petitioner the way I had treated him. Apparently because he thought that’s how Masons acted. So yes, I have an attitude. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe ignoring the new guy is some kind of traditional Masonic hazing that I just don’t know about. Either way I am going to keep doing what I do unless I am told not to. I hope that’s clear.
I vehemently disagree with you Brother, if someone tells to you stop, please don't !
Well done. I need more members like you. We all do.
 

Brother RG

Registered User
If potential brothers are not coming to you and knocking on the door asking to join, the problem isn't whether you can ask someone to join or not. It is because they do not see anything interesting enough to them that makes them cross the street. Fix that and you will never have to go beat the bushes for members. This is not new information. So many Brothers have crowed this from the rooftops for years to little effect. And the road map to a more engaging Lodge experience is no secret either with stacks of books and treatise on the subject. What good is it to ask someone to join if you don't change the problem that is causing people to not come find you?

I agree! The question I get asked a lot is what do Freemasons do... If we were not out there doing some type of Charity work or anything to be part of the community what would i be able to tell someone to even gain a little interest. Luckily i have a small Youtube channel that has some of the events we have participated in and i direct them to that, then thats when i get the "thats awesome' acknowledgement! I actually have three individuals who want to join but with this halt we can't proceed.

My advice is utilize the social media tools to an extent, you're not promoting but you can show how you are working. We are in a virtual era, so lets utilize the virtual platforms to show our charity work. Food banks, clothes drives, holiday presence, etc. Show the people that Square and Compass and they will start knocking!
 

Winter

Premium Member
I agree! The question I get asked a lot is what do Freemasons do... If we were not out there doing some type of Charity work or anything to be part of the community what would i be able to tell someone to even gain a little interest. [snip]
Food banks, clothes drives, holiday presence, etc. Show the people that Square and Compass and they will start knocking!

Those are all laudable endeavors. But none of them are the actual purpose of Freemasonry. It seems like you are portraying the Craft as a charity/volunteer group.
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
Those are all laudable endeavors. But none of them are the actual purpose of Freemasonry. It seems like you are portraying the Craft as a charity/volunteer group.
Every time I see a statement like this I feel compelled to point out that it seems like the number of Masons who know the actual purpose of Freemasonry is either few or none. Those who claim to know the actual secrets are keeping them so secret that they never pass them on. This leaves each man to guess at the secrets as best he can and make his Masonry the best way he can. We call it a fraternity but in my experience Freemasonry is a very lonely road. Or perhaps I am just to dense to get it.
 
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