I've seen some advertising for Masonry on television from time to time here in New England. Usually with a competent actor playing Benjamin Franklin with an "Ask one to Be One" message and emphasizing Masonic history in the United States.
That's nice and all--I personally respond to that history, because I know it and, well, I'm a Freemason and four other generations of men in my family (at least) were before me--but I'm not sure what that does for people who don't know anything about our fraternity.
My blue lodge gained as many people as they lost (to death) in the last year as our annual report pointed out last night at our annual communication, though from the year before, that leaves us UP by two. We're an active part of the community in everything from our bean suppers to our blood drives to our participation in a large local festival of national recognition in the town where our lodge is. We're in better shape than many others, but still could be doing better. At least I can say that we have a full contingent of progressive officers. We just formed a committee last night to look into this issue of not only retention (which is difficult aside from line officers and other officers) and increasing our visibility in the community. Our newly-chartered DeMolay chapter will surely help as the boys are VERY serious (they suggested it as the nearest chapter was far away) and I suspect many of them, some of whom will attain their 18th birthday within the next year or two will draw them to petition the Lodge and already four more boys were initiatied into DeMolay last month who are attached now to our new chapter.