It's about time! (A good read)

[crono782]

I encourage all brethren to read this publication if you have not already seen it:
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/its_about_time.htm

Even if you disagree with some or all of it, it discusses some good topics to digest and discuss. (I especially dig Part IV, point #2 & 3 in particular).
It won't take long to peruse and is a thoughtfully written call to action for the current state of Freemasonry. I had never seen this until now. I will certainly be sharing it with my lodge.

EDIT: link to the original source here: http://www.msana.com/aboutime_foreword.asp

 

[cemab4y]

This is an excellent document, and should be mandatory reading for all Freemasons. I am continually astounded by the Masons I meet, in person and on line, who are convinced that there is no problem!

When I point to the membership rosters, provided by the Grand Lodges, which show declines, people say: "Masonry isn't losing members, we had three new EA's last year".

 

[Blake Bowden]

I am continually astounded by the Masons I meet, in person and on line, who are convinced that there is no problem!

They're probably running for the Grand South.

 

[Blake Bowden]

What REALLY caught my eye were the 2012 membership statistics....

After years of declining membership, Freemasonry in Texas may be on the upswing. According to the MSNA, membership went from 88,896 to 93,188 in 2012 for an increase of 4,292!

That being said, I give absolutely 0 credit to the Grand Lodge of Texas for the increase. I believe the Internet and numerous facebook pages promoting the Craft are reigniting interest in the Craft. Maybe I'm just grumpy.

 

[dfreybur]

What REALLY caught my eye were the 2012 membership statistics....

After years of declining membership, Freemasonry in Texas may be on the upswing. According to the MSNA, membership went from 88,896 to 93,188 in 2012 for an increase of 4,292!

That's because membership is a trailing indicator not a leading indicator. The leading indicator is the number of degrees and that number has been increasing nation wide for a while. Degree counts show input as a leading indicator. Membership counts show output as a trailing indicator.

Is the input no longer a problem? Discussion of invitation suggests not. Thing is we now have plenty of young brothers to work with.

We do have an output problem. We see losses by death and by both demit and NPD.

I suggest losses by death should not be viewed as a problem. The elderly brothers who die were brothers when they died. That means whatever Masonry was for each individual brother it was good enough to stay a member for life. We've seen large swings of petitioners across the decades and the large number of deaths now is the result of a previous upswing. It was predictable well in advance.

Losses by demit and NPD are a very different story. What do the young brothers want? Fail to deliver that and they leave. Some proactively work towards what they want but most are reactive. This is a feature of how humanity works - Most are followers.

When I read the article it told what Masonry focused on in each century. Now we are in a new century. We'll need a new focus. Correlate that with what young brothers want and an assortment of answers suggest themselves.

What are the successful lodges doing? Traditional Observance lodges and those who do most of the TO activities thrive. Lodges that have full social calendars thrive. Lodges that worry about falling membership fail.

I think it's time I read topics like The Purpose Driven Life, Seven Habits of Effective People and other books about merging the goal and the journey.