I put "crack down on bigotry and racism", and by that I mean that lodges should work very hard to look open-minded and accepting. My experience has been that inside a lodgeroom, tolerance is very real. However, outside a lodgeroom, either at dinner, or even just in public, Masons can be very opinionated about religion and politics, and at times downright mean about other opinions. While everyone is entitled to speak their mind and have their opinions, even strong opinions, I wonder sometimes how many men might have become Masons except they didn't think they'd be accepted because of derogatory comments about their political, religious, or social positions made by Masons going about their lives.
Whatever the personal opinion of individual Masons, the fact is that the younger generation that lodges are trying so hard to court and bring in are very socially and religiously liberal, and much more likely to be politically liberal, too, even in Texas. So I think it will help our ability to bring in new and younger members if individual Masons try to look a little less intimidating to people less conservative than themselves when out in public.
At the end of the day, I think the biggest part of our issue with membership is our public perception as a "good ol' boys" club. Public service won't change that. Open houses won't change that. People will just be more inclined to think well of the good ol' boys or be more informed of what they're doing. We have to get people to stop saying "You're a Mason? I think my grandfather was a Mason." If the average Millennial can't picture someone his age or of his political or other persuasion being a Mason, then we have a serious problem.