"Rotarian" style Masonry

[CLewey44]

My question is, with Masonry's numbers dropping exponentially in every single state nearly in the U.S. and Canada, is the day and age of Rotary Club(meaning more external community-based organization) style Masonry ending? If so, where is Masonry headed and why the huge loss in interest over the last several decades? Should lodges lean more esoteric or hold course? More individual-centered and focus on the Craft? Possibly invitation only where members 'decide ahead of time' on a man and can then control the quality and flow of new members more? Or will Freemasonry be completely gone in the next 50-100 years? What can be done to reverse these numbers? Does Masonry need a reformation and possibly refocus it's purpose in lodge at risk of losing further members to change? (You gotta break some eggs to make an omelet tho) Any thoughts?

Some stats from 2015, not sure how accurate they are but probably pretty close.

http://www.msana.com/msastats.asp

 

[Glen Cook]

http://www.masonicrestorationfoundation.org/

 

[CLewey44]

http://www.masonicrestorationfoundation.org/

I've seen this website before and I think it's fantastic in ideation. I wonder if it'll ever fully take hold? I've been to a Veritas Lodge in Norman and it was such a positive experience and what I imagined Masonry to be like before I joined. My wish would be for the Craft to start leaning back in that direction.

 

[Tyler Atkinson]

I'm new to masonry but I did notice at my EA the room was pretty slim as far as members. I live around pretty small towns and in the last few years the few local lodges we did have have been shutdown I guess because of low membership. I think technology is part of the problem. I would guess a couple of years ago you would have to actually get out of the house and socialize. Now you can talk to people around the globe without even leaving your recliner. Technology, in my opinion, has somehow taken the excitement and mystery because it's so easy to find on the internet. Anyone else agree?

 

[CLewey44]

I'm new to masonry but I did notice at my EA the room was pretty slim as far as members. I live around pretty small towns and in the last few years the few local lodges we did have have been shutdown I guess because of low membership. I think technology is part of the problem. I would guess a couple of years ago you would have to actually get out of the house and socialize. Now you can talk to people around the globe without even leaving your recliner. Technology, in my opinion, has somehow taken the excitement and mystery because it's so easy to find on the internet. Anyone else agree?

Certainly some truth to that. People don't get out like they use to with TV overload, internet, social media etc. There are literally dozens of REALLY good tv shows now where as 30 years ago there was only a handful and 30 years before that, there was like one good show and so-on. That could effect membership but I think that ties into the Rotary Club style that Masonry has evolved into the last 100+ years. Maybe with 4M members in the 60s brought too many changes and opinions and thus took away from the heart of Masonry. It made it more digestible for the public if all we were doing was pancake breakfasts and raising money for Prevent Blindness etc. Those things are nice but a person can volunteer a million different ways and maybe Masonry is now sort of considered a volunteer group as I presumed before joining. The focus should be brought back on the individual and focus on the virtues and tenets instead of raising money for this or that. We should be pillars of our community but I think that involves more of our thought processes and behavior than how we "give back" to the community in monetary or other similar ways.

 

[JJones]

I'm new to masonry but I did notice at my EA the room was pretty slim as far as members. I live around pretty small towns and in the last few years the few local lodges we did have have been shutdown I guess because of low membership. I think technology is part of the problem. I would guess a couple of years ago you would have to actually get out of the house and socialize. Now you can talk to people around the globe without even leaving your recliner. Technology, in my opinion, has somehow taken the excitement and mystery because it's so easy to find on the internet. Anyone else agree?

People have always had distractions. I don't believe the fact that most our distractions have become electronic is the cause of our problem.

Membership numbers decrease dramatically and the cause for this is the fact that an entire generation flocked to our fraternity in large numbers, which gave us an over-inflated membership in most parts of the USA. That generation is, unfortunately, reaching the age where they are beginning to pass away and there aren't enough men petitioning to replace them. Large memberships are assumed to be the norm by many but the reality is that membership is returning to equilibrium.

 

[CLewey44]

People have always had distractions. I don't believe the fact that most our distractions have become electronic is the cause of our problem.

Membership numbers decrease dramatically and the cause for this is the fact that an entire generation flocked to our fraternity in large numbers, which gave us an over-inflated membership in most parts of the USA. That generation is, unfortunately, reaching the age where they are beginning to pass away and there aren't enough men petitioning to replace them. Large memberships are assumed to be the norm by many but the reality is that membership is returning to equilibrium.

I agree with that. That's sort of what I was alluding to as well. Maybe Masonry isn't something that's suppose to have 4M members. Or even 1M members in the U.S. Look at the SRICF, they are in most cases, the cream of the crop and in most states, only 72 are allowed to join. Bro Glen put a great website that I've observed before that is really where Masonry needs to start heading for long term survival or it's going to lose its younger members potentially. As I've said before too, if lodges are closing, perhaps the 'business model' is failing and sometimes cutting away the fat allows for more quality growth. As you said on another forum, we have to guard the west for sure.

 

[CLewey44]

Is the ritual as powerful as when you first joined?

I think it's really the same as far as ritual, floorwork etc but there seems to be a lack of follow-up to the degrees these days to maintain our knowledge. I bet most members can't even name the virtues and tenets much less practice them on a daily basis, or at least try to.

 

[dfreybur]

Masonry changes over the generations. The generation who viewed us as a service club is dying of old age.

It's also easy to see lodges that are thriving and growing. My mother lodge absorbed two other lodges while I was in the line. I've attended a lot of thriving and growing lodges.

It's easy to see lodges losing members and dying out. One of my lodges had to consolidate to survive. But the consolidated lodge continues to thrive.

On the one hand I've discussed with young Brothers what they are interested in. It's usually philosophy, history, meaning rather than service or insurance.

On the other hand we can be Darwinic about the process. Let shrinking lodges die and what remains will be the thriving lodges. Do what they do.

 

[CLewey44]

Masonry changes over the generations. The generation who viewed us as a service club is dying of old age.

It's also easy to see lodges that are thriving and growing. My mother lodge absorbed two other lodges while I was in the line. I've attended a lot of thriving and growing lodges.

It's easy to see lodges losing members and dying out. One of my lodges had to consolidate to survive. But the consolidated lodge continues to thrive.

On the one hand I've discussed with young Brothers what they are interested in. It's usually philosophy, history, meaning rather than service or insurance.

On the other hand we can be Darwinic about the process. Let shrinking lodges die and what remains will be the thriving lodges. Do what they do.

Great points. I mentioned that before on another forum that we need to consolidate more. I think it only makes sense really. I think too it'd allow for better venues as well and better events without having to raise dues. It'd bring more of a European style which is where Masonry is much more respected. Instead of 5 or 6+ lodges in Wichita Falls, TX, for example, one big lodge would be more memorable and allow for more fellowship.

 

[Bloke]

I am not a fan of consolidation, what I am a fan of is changing an idea of what a good lodge is. In the States, there is a focus on size of lodges being a measure of success and not connectedness and retention. I think (as TO lodges used to) to promote the idea that a lodge of 20-30 guys is okay. Indeed, they can offer huge opportunities because they are nimble and offer much of the membership to get involved in work. The great downfall is a less income, but you need to set up your lodge to accommodate that, for instance we set up our building to operate with no masonic income but rely on external sources to keep the place going. I think we need to loose the idea a lodge needs to have to be 80 strong to be successful.

 

[CLewey44]

I am not a fan of consolidation, what I am a fan of is changing an idea of what a good lodge is. In the States, there is a focus on size of lodges being a measure of success and not connectedness and retention. I think (as TO lodges used to) to promote the idea that a lodge of 20-30 guys is okay. Indeed, they can offer huge opportunities because they are nimble and offer much of the membership to get involved in work. The great downfall is a less income, but you need to set up your lodge to accommodate that, for instance we set up our building to operate with no masonic income but rely on external sources to keep the place going. I think we need to loose the idea a lodge needs to have to be 80 strong to be successful.

I see what you mean and I agree in a way. I think the best way to have small to medium size QUALITY lodges will simply take time. Consolidation is inevitable with the losses going on here in the U.S. We flooded the 'market' in a way that it can't sustain itself with these losses. Just in the last 20 years, Masonry stats have dropped in half. That's astounding really. I use to say it'd be nice to have 100 people in lodge all of the time, but I think 15-30 but in a quality, small lodge, with quality members would be much better than 50-100 of what we've all thought and said as lesser quality members maybe in a poor surroundings. That'd be crowded and probably overwhelming frankly. I'm sure I've been viewed as a lesser member myself at some point whether missing lines or something but in general.

I haven't read over the website Bro Cook posted in a while but I think it mentions having higher dues as a way to 'guard the west'. That's no fun for anyone but it'd make people take it a little more serious than dropping $35 a year and never showing up. If viewed as a gym or country club and you're paying those higher fees, you'll go and likely there'll be great fellowship. Membership will wane but it already is anyways. At least this way you get people in that really want to be there.

 

[JJones]

A lodge with 100 or even 50 members is too large in my opinion. Lodges should be small and tightly knit, which creates a feeling of community and strengthens fraternal bonds. I also believe that smaller lodges mean we have to be more selective and that will lead to higher retention.

Who knows how many brethren that are members of my lodge and I pass them on the street without knowing because I've never even seen them in lodge before.

 

[Bloke]

A lodge with 100 or even 50 members is too large in my opinion. Lodges should be small and tightly knit, which creates a feeling of community and strengthens fraternal bonds. I also believe that smaller lodges mean we have to be more selective and that will lead to higher retention.

Who knows how many brethren that are members of my lodge and I pass them on the street without knowing because I've never even seen them in lodge before.

Many of the warrants issued here in the 1920's were given to only a handful of brothers who then seemed to recruit a lot of new masons in the period of growth following WW1. Most files I've looked at post ww2, already seemed to have a reasonable (30ish) number of petitioners for the warrant, but I am far from having looked at all the files our GL has - only a handful relevant to lodges I've been involved in or that had a association with Institutions (like masonic centres) that I have an interest in..

 

[JJones]

I read this quote several weeks ago elsewhere, it feels relevant:

From 1907-08 GL Ohio Grand Communications from MWB Horace Irvin

"Number of members August 31, 1907: 68,679

The net gain is 3,574. This is next to the largest gain, 1903 still being the banner year.

By comparison with previous years this seems to be but little more than a normal increase. I can not avoid this feeling, however, that some of our Lodges measure prosperity more by the number of admissions than by the quality of them. Brethren, we are making too many Masons. Many of our Lodges, especially our city Lodges, are too large. There can be no spirit of Fraternity where there is no personal acquaintance or close personal contact. There is no Masonry where there is no Fraternity. I would rather belong to a small Lodge, doing a limited amount of work each year, where all remembered and practised the five points of fellowship, than belong to a Lodge of from five hundred to a thousand members, every one of whom were students of Masonic Philosophy, but too engrossed in the study of it to remember the meeting night of their Lodge or the names of its officers. More Fraternity and less ancient history; more knocks at the homes of your less fortunate Brethren and fewer knocks at the doors of your preparation rooms, will promote the healthiest kind of growth in our Lodges and the fullest realization of the high ideals of Masonry."

 

[Matt L]

In my state we have approximately 39,000 Master Masons, about 9000 are over 80 years of age.

 

[dfreybur]

Lodge size is one of those things that evolves. In the US there used to be a lot of small lodges. Then about WWI there was a decision across most of the US to grow lodges huge and stop hiving new lodges. One reason was money. With a lot of members the lodges could afford magnificent buildings which we can no longer afford.

An issue we now in the US is some lodges continue to shrink while others grow. There are lodges with 50-100 in attendance at every event. None discuss hiving a new lodge. Yet. We could restore that tradition. Lodges are *supposed* to live and die, but that fact has been forgotten in much of the US.

 

[Glen Cook]

...

... Lodges are *supposed* to live and die, but that fact has been forgotten in much of the US.

We went through this with a Utah Lodge this month in a former mining town. At one time, GL were they hesitant to grant charters to lodges in mining towns, as the lodges would close when the miners moved on. The attitude changed in the perhaps late twentieth century, and great resources were devoted to keeping these lodges open.

 

[Blake Bowden]

I was solicited to join Rotary but it didn't interest me. I did join the Elks, but since my initiation I haven't been back. Why? The initiation meant very little to me and the sense of Brotherhood wasn't there. I think those organizations will fold before Freemasonry.

 

[Zack]

II think those organizations will fold before Freemasonry.

The business connections will keep Rotary going as well as alcohol for the Elks.