Pointing out the Elephant...

So for a while we have been looking at different threads that show problems with the administration of Masonry and various states of Grand Lodges. These have taken place in the threads "Per Capita...", "Proposed Racism Resolution", and various others. Many times I have seen people posting refuting claims that Masonry is in a disillusion however today I read an article from the Masonic Service Association of North America that says just what we have been claiming on here. It seems our issues or gripes have been well documented and presented to Grand Masters all of the world at the annual Grand Master's Conference that MSANA hosts or at least participates in.


The Article I am refering to is called "About Time" and can be found at http://www.msana.com/aboutime_foreword.asp. Be sure and read it all since it spreads over several pages.
Some of the eyeopenig issues listed that I found are:

2. What is is currently happening within Freemasonry?
 There is a slight movement toward wanting to educate the public about the fraternity.
 There is recognition that traditional communications tools have failed to heighten public awareness.
 The inclusion of family members at Masonic events has produced mixed results.
 Masonry is no longer identified as an elite organization.
 There are disagreements regarding priorities of financial commitments to Masonic buildings and charitable obligations versus starting new programs.
 Current Masons do not understand the true meaning of our fraternity.
 A reliance on historic heroes inhibits Masons from achieving contemporary significance.

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Heck they even list ways to help:

Take action now
1.Beginning at the lodge level, plan meaningful activities that put Masonic values into action. Consider how you and your lodge can make each and every activity uniquely Masonic. Listed below are just a few suggestions that place a focus on using your time to its greatest Masonic advantage:
2.Apply concepts of education and self-improvement to current print and non-print communications tools of individual lodges, Grand Lodges, and national Masonic organizations and societies.
3.Improve the environment of lodge-based fellowship; refresh the look of the lodge; welcome new members; improve presentation skills; provide mentoring to study degrees; and strengthen communications skills.
4.Organize group activities based on education and self-improvement that can enrich lodge-centered fellowship such as: welcoming committees, lodge renovation and clean-up campaigns, leadership development conferences, mentor meetings, workshops on such things as Masonic ritual, history, symbolism, architectural works, arts and cultural works.
5.Initiate workshops on personal growth topics. Learn more about Masonry.
6.Call on local educational faculty: expert lecturers on topics of unique interest to the lodge members that enrich the body, mind, and spirit of the brothers.
7.Tap the talents of individual members and build a community of experts to help Masons to help themselves and their communities.
8.Improve community accessibility to Masonry through public outreach and program hosting.
9.Offer Masonic recognition and incentive programs for educational initiatives, visitor programs and Chambers of Commerce presentations.
10.Honor the Mason within yourself.
11.Share success stories with other lodges.

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The work began in 2004 when the Conference of Grand Masters asked the Masonic Information Center (MIC) to look into the possibility of creating a National Masonic Public Awareness Program. We accepted the challenge. By accepting that challenge, we assumed a greater responsibility: to test the integrity of what we wanted to communicate to the public about Freemasonry. We had to ask the tough question of ourselves: Who are we as a fraternal organization within the context of the 21st century?

There was little argument among our group that Masons were not the first organization wanting to improve their public image, and we knew that we could no longer gloss over our situation’s complexity. In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman quotes business organization consultant Michael Hammer:

One thing that tells me a company is in trouble is when they tell me how good they were in the past. Same with countries. You don’t want to forget your identity. I am glad you were great in the 14th century, but that was then and this is now. When memories exceed dreams, the end is near.

Our Masonic memories are to be treasured, but our Masonic dreams have faltered. Simply put, we have forgotten our Masonic identity so that our memories truly do exceed our dreams. It is about time we brought our actions in line with our aspirations.

Thus began our study. Over a year later, we offer this report as a fraternal call to action. It is neither a step-by-step plan nor a scholarly document. It is our way of communicating to our fraternity the need to focus on making Masonry relevant to our changing communities and our 21st century lives. The style of the report is conversational and easy-to-read, representing the deliberations, fact-finding, and talking points of the Task Force. We ask you, as fellow Masons, to heed the call and to take the initiative to participate in building our own destiny, brother by brother, lodge by lodge.

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This information was presented to the Grand Master's Conference almost 5 years ago yet the state of Masonry, in Texas at least, remains the same. If you look at the programs that a few of the Grand Masters have come up with each has fallen way short. The LAMP program many Lodges know nothing about and when we asked the LAMP Committee Chairman to speak at our Lodge he rambled on and gave a story about the "Dew of Herman" that had nothing to do with Lodge Assistance Mentor Program. The Additional Lodge Light Program has been outdated for 10+ years and the LIFE Program is lacking as well. We have a Wardens Retreat that allows Lodge Administration to go to but it is held in Waco and it costs a pretty penny for members to attend. The things I listened to when I attended were all things I could have heard at a very well planned Masters, Wardens, and Secretary meeting had these not turned into places for Masons to have titles read and listen to a speaker that normally has nothing to offer other than a story to tell or a program that we have all seen 50+ times.

The point I am trying to make is we have to do better. We have to do better as Lodges, MWSAs, MSBs, DDGMs, DIs, Committees, Grand Lodge Officers, and Masons. We have to expect more as well from all of these. To have committees that are funded but have no measurable achievements in a time that we are running at a $300,000.00 deficit are damning. To have programs out there that accomplish nothing is a waste. We need to raise the bar and not lower it. It is time for feelings to get hurt and for people to step move forward or step aside.

It is very apparent that the GLoTX is not the only one having this issue as you can see by the article produced by an internationally known organization. I would like everyone to read this article and take time to think about the experience you have had. We have become an organization that just because you are a Past Master or DDGM it doesn't mean squat because in three years time anyone can do it. Heck DDGMs are being appointed and they can't find their way in a Law Book much less have knowledge of it. It has become an organization of who can accumulate the most titles in the fastest time and not an organization of changing lives.

We have a huge oppurtunity to rebuild this organization from the ground up. According to Grand Lodge figures we expect to make $525,000 off dues which divided by $7.25 which is what each dues paying member (excludes 50+ yr) pays leaves just over 72,000 dues paying members which also counts plural members so the actual number is closer to 60,000 est. of dues paying members. So 60,000 members that are not a 50+ yr Mason so it is about to get bare in Texas. I pray that we have our minds right because I know we have to change our ways of doing things and get away from the distractions of focus of the principal tenets.

Better days are upon us but in order to get up we must fall.

I'd like to see dues go up to a minimum of $200-$300 a year. Minimum.

What does this accomplish?

Ashton Lawson said:

I'd like to see dues go up to a minimum of $200-$300 a year. Minimum.

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i don't think throwing money at this is going to solve these problems.

In my mind, a few things.

1. Masonry is WAY too cheap.
2. Most lodges are in extremely poor financial condition due to very little income coming in the door. In order to keep the doors open, the brethren end up wasting way too much quality fellowship and learning time on poorly thought out fundraisers that are usually loosely disguised as charity of some kind or another.
3. Masonry is WAY too cheap.
4. The stress that poor financial conditions cause lodges, can greatly impact the brotherly love, relief, and truth that the brethren have amongst each other.
5. Masonry is WAY too cheap.

I strongly believe that Masonry has been cheapened, not only because the guards at the West Gate have abandoned their posts, but because access to the Fraternity costs less than nearly any new toy I can pick up for myself without my budget noticing. It's not that I make a great amount of money, it's just that the impact Masonry has on my pocketbook gives it nearly zero perceived value from an economic perspective. If people can't feel the impact of wanting something and getting it, it's value is intrinsically less to them. This is why no matter how wealthy people become, they seek out costlier and more unattainable treasures.

We could solve the financial problem of most lodges nearly overnight, if dues were simply adjusted to begin to reflect the value of the craft. Strengthening the guard at the West Gate is not the only way to give Masonry perceived value. If men want it, they will pay for it no matter the cost. For far too long, Masonry has survived on the back of the dues paying, card-carrying, 50-year absent Mason. The craft is in the beginnings of its death throes, as your post above indicates, because men have placed no more value in Masonry than a sub-$100 check that they write once a year to keep their artificial badge current. Many hundreds of thousands of these men probably don't even recall what the real badge of a Mason is, and would very likely show you their dues card if you asked for their badge.

Let me put it in perspective.

I paid $1500 for Satellite TV this year. $1500 for my cell phone. $1500+ for Movie Nights.

That's $4500 in entertainment, and I haven't even touched on things like Dining Out, recreation, sports, and hobbies. That's probably lower than the average American.

Masonry is WAY too cheap.

I agree with Masonry being too cheap but I feel in order to create an expense like that you must have a $200 - $300 product and I don't think we have that right now. We need to get back to the basics and reinvent the wheel. Nothing new but how it used to be done before it became watered down. Then we can look at an increase. Otherwise we charge for a product we can't deliver.

Price out the guys who are just showing up to cheat the Steward out of a bowl of bad soup, and you can start that process. I'm honestly not sure how else to begin.

owls84 said:

I agree with Masonry being too cheap but I feel in order to create an expense like that you must have a $200 - $300 product and I don't think we have that right now. We need to get back to the basics and reinvent the wheel. Nothing new but how it used to be done before it became watered down. Then we can look at an increase. Otherwise we charge for a product we can't deliver.

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Ditto!!!

Ashton Lawson said:

Price out the guys who are just showing up to cheat the Steward out of a bowl of bad soup, and you can start that process. I'm honestly not sure how else to begin.

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Ditto again!!!

An interesting perspective, Brothers. As a newer (5 years) and youngish (45) Mason in Illinois I echo your concerns and ideas. I agree: we've become so obsessed with business meetings, fretting over rapidly dwindling treasuries and a desire to make this a social organization that appeals to the masses that we've forgotten the hidden mysteries, traditions and exclusiveness of the Craft. I agree to make the cost of participation high to attract those that see the value. But then give us the tools, enthusiasm and ability to bring back the honor, mystique and intrigue our Brothers once so highly treasured.

Although I agree with the statements above that masonry is "too cheap" I feel we must be very careful in how this is discussed.

I for one defintely don't want to convey the idea that the depth of a pocketbook should determine ones eligibilty to become a member. Some of the finest men/masons I have had the honor of knowing have lived on the edge of poverty for years. These same men, even in their financial situations have given more to others than most people I know including myself have. They do this by giving of themselves doing what we as a fraternity obligate ourselves to do; looking out for each other, checking in on our widows, mowing a brother's lawn when he is ill, visiting him in the hospital to help raise his spirts and missing a day of needed work to attend his funeral.

The fulfillment of the promises made in our obligations is what defines us as masons. If we truly want to see our fraternity reach the heights of old we must hold ourselves accountable and fullfill those obligations.

As owls84 said in his original post "The point I am trying to make is we have to do better. We have to do better as Lodges, MWSAs, MSBs, DDGMs, DIs, Committees, Grand Lodge Officers, and Masons. We have to expect more as well from all of these. To have committees that are funded but have no measurable achievements in a time that we are running at a $300,000.00 deficit are damning. To have programs out there that accomplish nothing is a waste. We need to raise the bar and not lower it. It is time for feelings to get hurt and for people to step move forward or step aside."

I couldn't agree more. Masonry cannot be allowed to measure a man's worth by the amount of money he makes. We are all on the level, and to raise the dues to $200-$300 would be intentionally removing good masons who cannot afford that type of dues increase. To say that Masonry is too cheap is strictly an opinon. Masonry is not cheap for me...Financially it is not a problem, but I usually devote a couple hours every day to doing something in Masonry...And for that devotion I pay a huge fee...Time away from my family. To me, that time away from them is a bigger sacrifice than two or three hundred dollars, that time is priceless. I do it, not to get recognition in lodge or some award, but because I believe Masonry can change the world, if we would just take the time to work at it.

Raising dues, per capita, or whatever does nothing to improve Masonry. If we want Masonry to improve then we must go out and improve it. Get out in your communities and be seen. Take the younger or less experienced masons under your wing and show them what masonry is about. Help those less fortunate than you...And probably most importantly, present yourself honorably at all times, especially when out in public. In my opinion, that's the way we can change Masonry.

Masonry is only cheap if you allow it to be.

Sidewinder said:

................. I do it, not to get recognition in lodge or some award, but because I believe Masonry can change the world, if we would just take the time to work at it.

Raising dues, per capita, or whatever does nothing to improve Masonry. If we want Masonry to improve then we must go out and improve it. Get out in your communities and be seen. Take the younger or less experienced masons under your wing and show them what masonry is about. Help those less fortunate than you...And probably most importantly, present yourself honorably at all times, especially when out in public. In my opinion, that's the way we can change Masonry.

Masonry is only cheap if you allow it to be.

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Well said brother!!! I do however think that we need to look at what we are paying in dues, we must adjust them so that lodges can take care of themselves without having to have a fundraiser to pay light bills or insurance. Our lodge was on the verge of being insolvent just 3-4 years ago but after doubling our dues(which there was quite the heated discussion on) we have become stable again and it is amazing the difference in the atmosphere around the lodge because the worry is no longer there. For those brother who could not afford the increase allowances are made without question.

The simple truth to me is that we must take care of ourselves before we can help others. Just to clarify my "ditto" remark above in regards to the food line donations; nothing burns my hide anymore than seeing a $1.00 donation put in the pot from someone who I know positively has the resourses to give more and that same person complaining in lodge about how much the lodge has to spend to cover the shortages in the kitchen. We must face the fact that almost everything has went up in cost, we cannot sit back and wait for someone else to cover the loss we must all step up and pay our fair share if we can.

If a lodge is hurting and the only way out of a hard situation is to raise the dues, then by all means raise the dues, but to raise the dues of all lodges simply because Masonry is cheap seems to me to limit our membership to strictly the upper class. And like every mason knows, there are great men in this world that don't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. And at the same time, there are masons out there with more money than they know what to do with, that I wouldn't want to sit in lodge with.

I too hate seeing a brother that I know is well off, put a dollar or nothing at all in the kitty and then have the nerve to go back for seconds or thirds.

I realize that time is a more valuable resource than money, but many of our lodges are poor and penniless themselves, and trying to provide support in the community is near impossible when the brethren are strapped with just managing to leep the doors open. The stress levels in these situations are miserable, and so are the discussions on how to raise money to patch the holes. Forget fixing problems when you're broke, all you can hope to do is patch them up and hope the fix holds. My opinion is that we can't tolerate this slow bleed any longer and still hope to keep the doors of the lodge intact.

I am told that the average annual dues at most lodges in Texas is about $60. Annual Federal poverty guidelines are set at $10,830.00 for a single person without any type of assistance from any other source. That puts annual dues at about .55% of the annual income of a person in actual poverty. A person making minimum wage, assuming a 40hr week will clear $15,080.00 per yearwithout any type of assistance from any other source. That income puts annual dues at about .39% of annual income.

I think that speaks for itself in regards to where our dues are right now. Assuming that most Masons aren't in destitute poverty, there are no/or rare few Masons out there who are paying more than 1% of their income in annual dues, because even the impoverished among us are only paying an average of .55%.

Is $2-$300 really so much money? Really? Even for the utterly destiture, that's less than 3% of their annual income.

Here is the problem with those figures. Right now in America for every dollar a person makes they spend almost $1.08. Debt is at an all time high and in the perfect world your figures would hold true but from a cashflow stand point Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and truly can't find room due to debt. With the current economic state more and more people are getting out of debt but families still struggle. To go up at to $300 right now it could be a crippling blow to our fraternity. We have people that are keeping Lodge doors open by pluraling and many men could not afford to do so killing a lot of historical Lodges. As I am a fan of consolidating Lodges in many instances, but to kill the only Lodge in a County that has survived several years on plural membership could be a devistation to rural Lodges.

We need to get the horse back in front of the buggy. If 1 out of 4 EAs become a Master Mason we are screwing ourselves not doing a better job with these guys. That shows me that if we gained 2000 members last year (total guess) we could have gained 8000 had we been better mentors and found out why these guys joined in the first place. If you have $100 dues like I have at FW 148 I would rather have 4 times the man power than 1 guy paying $300. If I have 3 guys that are great guys that are representing Masonry with a Square and Compasses on everything they own then I am more likely to grow my membership from thier friends and family. We have to change the way we look at things. Lets put Masonry back in the public eye as much as possible but do it wisely. We need to allow Lodges to support a little league team or put up a sign on the fence at the ball park. Get floats for the parades all over the state. Everyone thinks advertising is expensive but we can find things in the communities that are little to no costs.

I don't disagree with that at all, and I definitely think we need to have a specific goal in mind before raising our dues. Putting more money in the pot isn't going to do anything as far as making improvements to the lodge or its programs unless we first decide what we need or want the extra money for. Ultimately though, I don't think the net results of improving programs or our product is going to be possible in our current overall (Texas) financial state. True, there are some lodges with remarkably deep pockets and assets, but there are others who have no cash and a dilapidated building as their only item of worth.

Eventually, those money problems will have to be addressed, as they will not go away on their own. We need a topdown re-evaluation of everything we do, both at the GL level and at the local lodge level. If we don't collectively figure out a comprehensive multi-faceted approach to addressing the elephant in the room...well...he'll address us eventually.

I think the phrase, "Masonry is too CHEAP" says it all. Masonry is too cheap, and not from just a monetary stand point. Think about what each of had to do to join. We filled out a petition, had to know a few people involved in Masonry, pay our $60 on average, sit down with 3 people to answer a few questions, and wait the almost 2 months from turning the petition in to be brought into the Lodge. Not very high hurdles to begin with unless you consider the fact that it is the internal not the external we like to point out that makes a man a Mason. Then once a man gets into a Lodge, all that is required of him to stay is to continue to pay his $60 each year. But what happened to his internal qualifications?

We talka bout contributing to the relief of widows and orphans, which the GL does and the Lodge does as a whole, but why aren't we getting the individual brothers more involved in that. I know not everyone can afford to contribute money, but there is the more valuable time. To borrow an idea from my old university, they had one day a year where the university took part in what they called, "Steppin' Out", where they went out into the community to volunteer. The university in question is Baylor, which up until 1995, had a 150 year history of having a University President who was a Mason. By why doesn't Texas Masonry adopt something like this for Masons all over the state to be required to step out into their communities and donate their time and skill? It would give all Masons a purpose in their community and a chase to contribute to it, all the while giving us an increased presence in the community, thus increasing our profile and bettering our reputation while getting more members involved.

"Masonry is too cheap", I don't think so.

It took me over 5 months of hard every day work to become a Master Mason. Not including the every day today honing of the Craft. Many lodges that are in trouble are due to that era of time to when the brethren got lazy(they quit doing public work). We are dealing with a couple generation gaps that just reaped from what the elders produced and now are answer is to raise dues. lets raise them by $20.00 per brother and get away from the $200.-$300.00 range. We should be examining what got us here in the first place, fix that and BUDGET. If you brethren can so afford to pay an increase in dues, than make a donation to your lodge. I agree, if we can keep those who knock on our doors, the better off we would be, or would we.
As I was once steward and got jacked a many of times( some knew what they were doing) I refused to allow the lodge to pay for my mistake, but it wasn't my mistake and yet I chose to dig in my pocket to pay for those brethren who thought that it was above them.
Before any increase, I would first like to see a true budget set in stone, which would show true strength and wisdom

LRG said:

It took me over 5 months of hard every day work to become a Master Mason. Not including the every day today honing of the Craft. Many lodges that are in trouble are due to that era of time to when the brethren got lazy(they quit doing public work). We are dealing with a couple generation gaps that just reaped from what the elders produced and now are answer is to raise dues. lets raise them by $20.00 per brother and get away from the $200.-$300.00 range. We should be examining what got us here in the first place, fix that and BUDGET. If you brethren can so afford to pay an increase in dues, than make a donation to your lodge. I agree, if we can keep those who knock on our doors, the better off we would be, or would we.

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Dues will almost have to be increased in a lot of Lodges. Some haven't increased dues in those couple of generations. It's not all about Lodges practicing responsible budgeting. Right now, in my own Lodge, we are losing money just by what we bring in versus what we already pay GL and rent for our Lodge room. That's not taking into account other operating costs of Lodge. So increasing dues is not just something that GL wants.

Working hard to be a Mason shouldn't be something that is done for a few months until one becomes a Master Mason. I work hard at it every week. This week alone I have a work night, a FC degree, 2 committee meetings, plus the JW Retreat and the Lodge website to redesign. Other then the JW Retreat this weekend and the website, that's fairly close to a standard week for me. While working hard in the Lodge is a big part of Masonry, so is the Lodge being a big part of the community. And that being part of the community is the other part of Masonry being too cheap right now. But if Masonry is truly to have real value, it is us that will have to give it that value.

I know right now, in my Lodge, the WM, SW, JW, SD, and JD have been involved together in planning not just this year, but mapping out the next 5 years for the Lodge, considering that the 5 of us represent the next 5 years of the Lodge. This year we set as a goal for those 5 years to go for the Vanguard Award. But we are planning beyond that. We are setting the Lodge up to where achieving a Vanguard Award is a lofty goal for the Lodge to work toward, but to make it where the Lodge expects to fulfill the Vanguard qualifications every year because it becomes the norm for the Lodge. We are taking the steps to not just have a single good year, but to put the foundation in place where the single good year we have planned becomes the new standard for the following year.

So yes, Masonry is too cheap, and the increased cost we should be paying isn't just in cash.