....Here is a question regarding multiple Lodges meeting in one building (not multiple bodies, but multiple Blue Lodges) ... why not just have one Lodge?
For so many reasons.... different character of the lodges and interests of its members, a preference for small lodges (that's my preference, once a lodge is over 50 it looses its cohesion, and I think of Lodge Vitruvian which limits is membership to 36
http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/lodge-vitruvian-at-age-15.html ), different traditions for example a Theatre or School Lodge versus a Military Lodge... different focuses, such as lodges that focus on com unity service (charity) versus esoterica.
"So, as wonderful as some of the Masonic Lodges of the 19th and early 20th Century were and are, the days when they represented realistic options is over. Freemasonry, even if it is able to stem the tide of a receding membership, must come to grips with a new condition. Freemasonry must, at least in this regard, prepare to return to an older practice, one of lodges without real estate. Lodges can rent space in buildings, and smaller ones may meet in homes. This is not simply a matter of losing real estate. It also means that in the future, lodges will need more portable and lighter weight furniture and props. Such a lodge cannot deal with pillars and altars that require several people and hand trucks to move."
Your thoughts?
I actually manage two buildings and have a lot of experience in making them financially viable and carrying out improvement works.
One lesson I have learned is the challenges, models, solutions and financials vary between location -especially in the city and country lodges. For instance cities often have a hire market you can identify, whereas country lodges often don't - and when they do, often older country towns have an over supply of facilities - especially in places where populations have shrunk post WW2.
Here, the situation varies a lot and lodges meeting in buildings they own, occupied by either a single or multiple masonic organization, Grand Lodge owns some buildings, generally when owners consolidate and/or pass on ownership and associated problems to GL, lodges rent spaces, generally in community facilities or use spaces on an ad hoc basis (the last Installation I went to on Saturday was held in one of the city's premier private clubs. There is a growing trend here to meet in non-masonic private and premium social clubs - the next warrant to be issued will do that very thing.... This reflects a cash rich but time poor membership looking for a quality experience - which they are willing to pay for. Last Saturday's installation was $140 a plate and had over 100 people (including ladies) at dinner.. That cash rich time poor member does not want to be moving furniture around as you suggest, its often sighted in lodge histories as being of great annoyance and a reason lodges strove to own their own premise.
Some lodges, vary how they meet, using a masonic centre for their meeting, but dining on and off site where a higher quality meal can be served using venue staff to prepare, serve and clear - and wash up. Being able to provide a decent meal is really important to the prosperity of the lodge, regardless of the budget of its members.
I don't think a lodge needs to own the building they meet in. That said, I got involved in Masonic Buildings to preserve the building my mother lodge is part owner of - its a historic building and one of a shrinking number... In my experience, many Brothers join because of affinity with the past (esp deceased family members who were brothers) and meeting in a sterile office building or temporary lodge room does not have that same historic feel or direct link to the past - its leverage which is seeing our lodges grow. This is counter to what our GL is providing, premium and modern space, but a lot of my members of my two craft lodges prefer to be in a historic setting with continuity linked to strong history.
Whenever I conduct a tour of one of our buildings, and I have shown over a thousand through them, I always end up in the lodge room saying " this room is the reason the building exists" and that in some ways it can be considered a set of a play, where all the props and such needed are in place for the monthly meeting. That certainly makes things easier when setting up the lodge, but creates a cost centre and worry some often not see as worth it, the trick is changing the building from a liability to an asset and almost always that starts with changing a financial loss to a financial surplus. Chasing that aim, I've brought in over $400K over external rent to help support our buildings.
Folding light masonic furniture is still used. The best example in our state is at Walhalla where all the pedestals, originally used by miners, folds, but it is now located in a permanent lodge building. You can see the lodge room here
http://www.lodgedevotion.net/devoti...walhalla-lodge-no-69-and-its-building-2012-05
Another thing I know - once a building is sold, the current membership base cannot create the wealth to build anew - we don't need to do that, all we need to do to preserve the inheritance they created is finding the maintenance cost, and even if that averages $15K per year, its only $300 a week - surely we can generate that - the trick is management and realising these buildings were often built to be supported by lodge rents along, and if that can longer be achieved, you need to diversify your income, particularly by engaging with external hires with some creativity and intelligence.