The Fall of Masonry

[Bryan Longwell]

I'm looking for the research and graphs on the steady decline of Masonry and I know I've seen the graphs and I cant find them. Anyone know where I can get my hands on them.

If there are 2.5 Million mainstream freemasons today and our #s keep dwindling as they have been at what date will masonry hit 0 members etc... please help

Sent from my SM-G965U using My Freemasonry mobile app

 

[LK600]

You can look here, but I know there is far more recent information out there.

http://bessel.org/mas_stat_info.htm

 

[Winter]

You are assuming the decline in membership will ultimately result in zero membership. It is more likely the decline is a natural progression to a more realistic and sustainable number of Masons after the aberration of the post WWII boom. We keep looking at the numbers up to the 60s as what we should be expecting when realistically our fraternity should be much smaller as we focus on the initiatic rites and developing Masons, not just members. Instead, Grand Lodges continually try to inject new innovations to get back to those unrealistic numbers.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[jermy Bell]

I don't think it'll happen, grand lodge loves the money to much.

 

[LK600]

The lodges to which I belong keep losing EAs, new MMs, and PMs. I think the product on offer is defective.

I disagree. The product is perfect... it's delivery tends to be lacking. The practice and continued study (in my limited experience) has been relegated to 2 - 10 minutes before what many seem to believe is the actual duty... paying of bills, reading minutes, and getting home as quickly as possible.

 

[Winter]

I have been surveying elderly brethren and so far all have said that the ritual was more intense when they were first in Masonry.

The Ritual hasn't changed. So it isn't the product that is defective, rather the delivery is.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Elexir]

I have been surveying elderly brethren and so far all have said that the ritual was more intense when they were first in Masonry.

Using this as an argument also asume that ritual is universal. If the ritual is less intense then the delivery has changed.

 

[Elexir]

>then the delivery has changed
or:
- the brethren have changed
- the GAOTU is now using a different frequency band
- the Kali Yuga is peaking
- the Aquarian Age is removing the social institutions of the past cycle
- the human race has outgrown existing Masonic formats
- etc

The funny thing is the the older members I know dont see any diffrence in the ritual we use here from when they joined. Some grumble a bit about not being able to smoke indoors but thats another thing.

A lodge I used to visit often hold meetings twice a week to be able to keep up with the initiations, passings and raisings and even so it takes about a year to join.

 

[Glen Cook]

The funny thing is the the older members I know dont see any diffrence in the ritual we use here from when they joined. Some grumble a bit about not being able to smoke indoors but thats another thing.

A lodge I used to visit often hold meetings twice a week to be able to keep up with the initiations, passings and raisings and even so it takes about a year to join.

Not sure what counts as “older”, but I’ve been in almost 25 years, and was grand lecturer for my mother jurisdiction. I see no difference.

 

[dfreybur]

A comment on the subject line "The Fall of Masonry".

The Winter of Masonry in the US was the 1840s. Plus sa change, plus sa meme chose.

 

[CLewey44]

I disagree. The product is perfect... it's delivery tends to be lacking. The practice and continued study (in my limited experience) has been relegated to 2 - 10 minutes before what many seem to believe is the actual duty... paying of bills, reading minutes, and getting home as quickly as possible.

Agreed. I think the product is great too but not sure about the demand. The braided belt, car phones, denim shorts, VCRs, chorded telephones and disposable cameras were all useful, practical and/or great products but the demand is just not there. They've either been replaced by something better in the eye of the consumer (Binge watching Netflix, part-time job, etc) or simply went out of style.

 

[Bloke]

The Ritual hasn't changed. So it isn't the product that is defective, rather the delivery is.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Our Ritual seems to change every meeting

 

[Winter]

Our Ritual seems to change every meeting

I know what you mean. LoL. It seems a lot of jurisdictions have placed less emphasis on memorization.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Zack]

Pride. Loss of pride.

 

[Warrior1256]

I disagree. The product is perfect... it's delivery tends to be lacking.

Agreed!

I have been surveying elderly brethren and so far all have said that the ritual was more intense when they were first in Masonry.

They also had to walk twenty miles each way to school in ten feet of snow.