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Ideas For Membership

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Rite Notes Membership and Recruiting Grand York Rite Bodies of Florida 15 February 2010
Ideas For Membership​

As we approach our Spring Degree festivals, let us look at ways that we can not only perform our different degrees in a manner in which the candidates will return to their Blue Lodges and speak to others about what their impressions and experiences were, but in a way that we may draw others into our way of thinking and our belief that York Rite is the way to continue our Masonic education.

Do “fresh ideas†relative to membership programs ever become transformed into a working plan with a defined objective in our Commandery? Do you need some fresh ideas?
Ideas for menbership; Never underestimate the value and power of the ordinary being implemented with extraordinary zeal and diligence.

1. Name a class in honor of a well-liked or influential local lodge member.
2. Perform at least one of the Degrees or Orders in special costumes that are not normally used..
3. Do one of the Degrees or Orders in a special or historical location.
4. Confer some of the work in a Temple that may not have a York Rite Body established there. Bring the mountain to Mohammed.
5. Everyone likes a deal–Consider reducing or eliminating the fee, or include one years dues free of charge.
6. Honor the “first line signers†locally! Have a dinner for them or give them free dues for a year also.
7. Establish a joint one-day class with the Shrine, and work to establish new members for each organization.
8. Exchange mailing lists with a nearby Scottish Rite Valley, and work to establish new members for each organization.
9. Provide good speakers for Blue Lodges, but send someone not from the local area.
10. Provide a Knights Templar program for an Eastern Star Chapter dresses in Templar uniform. Let the ladies talk Templary to their husbands.
11. Establish purely social events for the Commandery. The list is endless of possible social functions. The point is to build comaraderie and the family of Templary without the “business†of the Order directing the agenda. Dinners, picnics, going to a dinner theater etc. It’s all up to your imagination.

Companions and Sir Knights, the ideas are endless, but they must be put into practice.
Our Feb/March festivals will begin by the time you receive this. Lets continue our work during this period and began the process of bringing new brothers into our bodies. Allow them to take a seat in the leadership of the body. If all seats are filled, encourage them to get involved in the ritual work as part of a degree team, but let them know that they are needed.

Note: If any York Rite Bodies plan weekend festivals, Short of Time or Slow Classes, please let me know, with the date, time, location and contact person, and I will put it in the next newsletter, and on the website. Remember, Membership and Retention is everyone’s business.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
Someone has been watching what is done in the Scottish Rite it appears. (at least Valley of Dallas)
 

MGM357

Registered User
What I would like to see is try to keep the Festivals from looking and feeling like a stampede at a cattle auction. It has become like a double edged sword, it's good to see the number of canidates increase, but there seems to be a loss of that personal touch that comes when a canidate is involved during the degree. 12 to 14 hours to squeeze in all of the degrees and orders can be very overwhelming for a canidate. No disrespect to the ones who work at the Festivals, but maybe the Chapter and Councils should try not to be so dependent on the Festivals. We should help each other by forming degree teams and have the degrees confered at the canidate's home C&C.

I also HIGHLY recommend that each canidate should have the Order of the Temple conferred upon himself at his Conclave. If I could do it over again, I would have had it done at my Conclave. I also would like to see one day more Companions and Sir Knights than canidates attending the Festivals.
 

Raven

Registered User
I really have no way to compare a Festival to a standard method, but I can honestly say that the York Rite Festival that was held today at Holland #1 was absolutely overwhelming! All that I was able to grasp was strikingly beautiful and very memorable. All that devoted their valuable time, effort and assistance are to be applauded. As a new Companion and Sir Knight, I see many hours in my learning to be an assistance in serving my Chapter, Council & Commandery.


What I would like to see is try to keep the Festivals from looking and feeling like a stampede at a cattle auction. It has become like a double edged sword, it's good to see the number of canidates increase, but there seems to be a loss of that personal touch that comes when a canidate is involved during the degree. 12 to 14 hours to squeeze in all of the degrees and orders can be very overwhelming for a canidate. No disrespect to the ones who work at the Festivals, but maybe the Chapter and Councils should try not to be so dependent on the Festivals. We should help each other by forming degree teams and have the degrees confered at the canidate's home C&C.

I also HIGHLY recommend that each canidate should have the Order of the Temple conferred upon himself at his Conclave. If I could do it over again, I would have had it done at my Conclave. I also would like to see one day more Companions and Sir Knights than canidates attending the Festivals.
 

cambridgemason

Premium Member
Premium Member
The last two years we have had some of the members of my Royal Arch Chapter go to the Blue Lodges that make up the District that our Chapter is in, and give a talk on the York Rite. We also last year held a Chapter Table Lodge, which we honored the presiding Masters of those Blue Lodges. We plan on having one every year, and plan on doing it at the three different Masonic Buildings that those Lodges meet in.
 
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