# Endowed Memberships



## Blake Bowden

Vote


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## jonesvilletexas

I did not won’t to vote twice so I had to vote No, only because so many lodges are hurting because it has been sold to our brothers by Grand Lodge as a way to not pay dues and not for the real reason it was intended.
There is no way that the funds paid by GL will compensate the Blue Lodge each year and if we receive 0$’s this year and pay back the premium it will cost the lodge.
The intent was, and is still a great


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## rhitland

I concur with Brother Jones. Some Lodges endow every member and rely on that return but not having all the facts or not looking at the whole picture could put these lodges in a tight spot this year. I know one Lodge that gets most all of it's moneys from endowment returns for the year and they are no small lodge so it is going to get real hairy for them. A Brother in our Lodge had mentioned the idea of seting up an endowment for the Lodge same idea as GL endowment but you do not split money with GL. All in all we should all be endowed but if we are still alive pay our dues my lodge charges $100 a year that is about 35cents a day a rock bottom bargain for Freemasonry.


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## nick1368

I was given an edowment by my Father In Law who is MM.  I choose to still pay the difference between what the return is on my endowment and what the yearly dues are.


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## Bro Mike

I was also given an endowed membership.  And I have been wondering what to do to help out the lodge.  I think you have a great idea.



nick1368 said:


> I was given an edowment by my Father In Law who is MM.  I choose to still pay the difference between what the return is on my endowment and what the yearly dues are.


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## js4253

We should remember that our Lodge needs our monetary support NOW. The endowment fund is designed to provide monetary support when you die. It is kind of like setting up a trust fund for your children. You still take care of your children while you are alive but you are establishing an endowment that will continue when you are gone.


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## GMO

Thank you Bro. for the helping understand the endowment issue.  It is an easy way for a Mason can pass something along to his Lodge.  As long as he is hale and harty, he needs to support the lodge in the best way he can.

Gonzales #30


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## Bigmel

Yes, I am endowed and I gave my son one when he was Raised.  We still pay dues and assist the lodge when they need help.  I hope that it may help my lodge after i am gone.


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## Hippie19950

I appreciate the information as well. I have not been able to get answers that really helped me. I had thought that by endowing it was a way for a Brother to be able to assist the Lodge with an income that would always be there whether or not he was able to pay dues. I also figured it was good for him, because he would have to contribute each year. But, after I started hearing bad news about no returns on the investment, I thought it was not such a good idea. After being at Grand Lodge, and seeing there was no real support to get money back to the local Lodges when times were tough, I think the yearly dues may be the best way to help locally. The GL will still get their money that way, but more importantly the local Lodge will definitely be supported. I also had questions about continuing to pay dues, or making contributions after endowment, and thought that would be good for those who could afford it. I am glad to see this information out here.


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## HKTidwell

First I've looked into an endowed membership and will in the future pursue becoming endowed.  Most of our endowed members, are not required to pay yearly dues however they do.  Their purpose was to assist the lodge and set the extra money aside for emergencies or things that we would like to do.  I think this is a great way to do things, IMHO.


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## Ashton Lawson

I have considered becoming an endowed member, because it's been sold to me as good for the lodge, and it's only $500. Additionally, I'm 31 years old, and so I'm buying a lifetime membership for roughly the price of 7 years of dues. From what I have seen and heard from others though, and in adding the numbers on my own, it seems to me that it's hardly good for the lodge in terms of helping keep it solvent or in ensuring that the lodge has enough money to operate.

We send the $500 (or more) off to Grand Lodge, and the lodge might, maybe get a return every once in a while that just might, if we're lucky cover Per Capita. How did the lodge get sold on this idea? More importantly, how did the lodge get convinced to sell this idea to their members as a reasonable alternative to paying dues? I understand perfectly the idea of contributing to an endowment fund to serve as a means of financial support to the lodge after you die, but the idea of utilizing the endowment option as a means to replace dues is simply ludicrous and makes no financial sense. It places the lodge in a position of gambling with it's financial solvency on the shaky hopes that a return will even be sufficient to cover Per Capita, and perhaps miraculously, enough to put a few dollars in the bank as well. Some Endowed Mason's end up paying dues anyway, because they aren't blind to this reality, but those who don't end up unintentionally hurting their lodge by leaving it starved of revenue.

This program strikes me as something that was cooked up with good intentions, but was executed in a way that was a result of faulty thinking. We added yet another badge to stamp our name on, and in so doing have put a knife to the throat of the lodge.


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## Wingnut

rule of unintended consequences...


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## Christopher

nick1368 said:


> I was given an edowment by my Father In Law who is MM.  I choose to still pay the difference between what the return is on my endowment and what the yearly dues are.



That's all well and good, and I'm sure the lodge appreciates that, but that doesn't put any money in the lodge's pocket for keeping the lights on or the A/C running.  Not trying to attack you, Brother, I'm just pointing out that yearly dues only partially go toward paying the Grand Lodge returns.  So, even if Grand Lodge were sending lodges enough returns from their endowed memberships to cover the Grand Lodge per capita, that still doesn't help the lodge.  It simply means the endowed members aren't costing the lodge.

I think one of the main reasons endowed memberships are so attractive is the practice of suspending members for non-payment of dues.  I won't get the thread off-topic with an opinion on this policy, but I know that I worry about losing one of the things I love most, my membership in my lodge, because I happened to be in a tight spot one December.  I think endowments are a terrible idea, especially for the lodges, but if I can find $500 I certainly plan to endow so I don't have to worry anymore.


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## rhitland

I like the resolution that says if you are endowed no GL dues best but would be satisfied with no the other resolution that says if endowment do not pay then the lodge does not either.  I want to see Grand Lodge thrive but if I had to choose I would put as much of the financial burden on GL as I could so the lodges in the community could have money to do Masonic "stuff".  Straining the bank accounts of individual lodges to keep GL's bank account in the black will lead to hundreds of lodges demise big and small.  then where does GL get their money?  GL will have no choose but to scale down at that point and if scale down is inevitable why not start now?


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## Hippie19950

I agree Brother Rhit,
   If they continue to raise things that affect the Blue Lodges, we won't be able to turn the lights on to find our way into the Lodge Room... Our Lodge is near that category now. It is because in the past, several gave up, and made no plans for the future, just kind of "we'll make it somehow". Now they aren't there, and we are being hit by those decisions. We are doing a little better. We are making plans 2-4 years down the road. We are looking at who will be Officers and so on. We just raised our dues $10.00, as they had not been raised in about 20 + years. Now, GL is taking that $10.00, plus we have to add $.75 to it, to make the $25.00 they want. We are working harder, cutting back on expenses, and looking to the Brethren, as well as the community for more assistance. We are getting some, but as everyone keeps saying, "Times are tough", so we are doing more cutting back than anything. I have been sent home from my job for the first time in over 35 years, and told they would call when there was work. It's been over a month now. I am a contract employee, so there are no benefits for me. I do have some work in my little shop at home and can get by with it for a little longer, but I am not the only one in this situation. My employer is like the GL, wants those in the lower echelon to cut back, and give more. Rather than cut the labor rate, or give decent discounts, he remained at his full charges. He has hurt himself, because the regular employees are now at home, but they are drawing unemployment. It just shows, you can cut too much, in the wrong places, and then NOT have anything... Had the boss cut the rates, and talked to us about our pay, we could all be in better shape. GL can do that, but will they?? We have asked about some of the expenses, but don't know what they are, and have not yet got an answer. Maybe we won't. I think my SW asked about an expense account of around $160,000.00 and what it actually went for. We're still waiting... I don't have the exact answer, but I do know many are looking at the endowments so they don't have to worry about the Lodge Dues going up. Many are not worried beyond that, even though the Lodge is not getting anything back from the investment. Last year there was talk of returning all the endowments. Many were all for that, until they discovered there was talk of returning $300.00 on a $500.00 investment. If these were being invested in a manner in which we were ALL seeing something good from them, they would be good, but right now, only those using the money are getting any benefit.


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## Ashton Lawson

To add another thought on this, I looked at the last 10 years of returns on roughly $60,000 worth of endowment units. We've averaged about $1500 a year, when we've gotten money, and that's been for around 6-7 years when there was a return. $60K invested in a moderate bond with a guaranteed return of roughly 3% would have yielded us about $1800 a year, and had we put it in a money market account with a higher yield of around 6%, that'd be about $3600 a year.

Who sold us this garbage again?


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## rhitland

Does Grand Lodge get a % of the earnings on each $100 a lodge has invested?


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## rhitland

Holly smokes they do not get a cut and our returns are still that bad, WOAH!

Art. 318a. Endowed Membership.
For accounting and investment purposes the Endowed
Membership Fund shall be composed of endowment units with a par
value of $100 each. The net asset value of an endowment unit may
vary from one investment period to the next. All endowment units
shall be credited and allocated to the Endowed Lodges.
Annually, not later than the first day of August, Endowed
Lodges shall receive a distribution from the Endowed Membership
Fund computed as follows:
1. $5.00 per endowment unit, provided the distribution may
be reduced so the distribution shall not cause the net asset
value of an endowment unit to be less than $100.00 after the
distribution.
2. Plus 60% of realized income in excess of $5.00 per year per
endowment unit.
3. Plus any excess in net asset value per endowment unit over
$110.00 after the above distribution shall be paid to the
Endowed Lodges.
No distribution shall be paid for any endowed membership unit
until August 1 of the 2nd Masonic calendar year after such endowment
membership unit is received by the Grand Secretary.
An administration fee not to exceed five percent (5%) of the
annual distribution paid to the Endowed Lodges may be deducted
from the distribution before payment is made to the Endowed
Lodges.


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## MacFie

well, up to but not to exceed 5% of a cut.


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## rhitland

true if a lodge did its own endowment system that would cut that 5% fee out.  The more this talked about the more I see myself voting to give the money back to lodges as soon as we hit $100 per unit and a lodge can get its full investment back.


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## Ashton Lawson

My lodge could definitely use the $60K in the kitty a lot more than they can the nothing we've seen the last 3 years...


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## Wingnut

These help GL only, period.  If the lodges didnt have to pay per capita or the 'endowments' were set up at the lodge or even district level then I could see them being helpful.


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## Dave in Waco

I would agree the money should go back to the Lodges and let each manage their own.  Right now, the lodges are losing value on their Endowments, not seeing any returns from those Endowments, and then still having to cover the per capita that the Endowments are supposed to cover.  With the increase in per capita becoming almost a necessity, it becomes an even bigger stick that the lodges are being beaten with as lodges have to increase their dues to cover the regular members and having to fork over an even bigger chunk for Endowed members that are supposed to be covered.


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## peace out

I've always liked things simple.  Wouldn't it be easier to do it as follows?

Yearly dues...check
Budget met on yearly dues....check
Eliminate need for financial gymnastics...check
Members still allowed to give extra if they feel so inclined and within permitting abilities...check

I can see the appeal of endowments but there shouldn't be dependance on them IMVHO


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## Bro. Kurt P.M.

I was given an endowment as a gift from my parents and I do think it's a great idea. with that said I do give to my lodge to pay for per capita and I give extra because I am there every tuesday and thursday. I drink the coffee and enjoy the air conditioning. I use the lodge on a regular basis so I give to the lodge on a regular basis more than the cost of dues. I look at it like this "your money is where the heart is".


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## Christopher

Bro. Kurt, why do you think that endowments are a great idea?


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## jwhoff

Endowed in my home lodge but paying yearly dues (so far) in my affiliated lodge.  Even before the investments went south, I always contributed yearly dues in memory of my father and older brother (also endowed before his death.)  

Agree, our lodges and TxGL need the money now.  So I'm going to throw some money into the general kitty of both to get us over the hump.  If we stay the course and work together we'll get there.  Folks there were Grand Lodges opening new facilities during the 1930s.  Louisiana did it in 1938.  We can survive ... and we WILL!


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## Timothy Fleischer

I think for men who are elderly, this is a great gift.
For young men, an Endowed Membership is a cheap way out of paying our dues. I do not have an Endowed Membership. I pay the $60 per year. 
Our small lodge has a high percentage of 50 year members and endowed members, so we struggle along each year with limited funds.
The Endowment should be a Brother's continuing gift to the lodge he has spent a lifetime in, not a way to get out of paying his dues for a lifetime.

Tim Fleischer
Salado Masonic Lodge #296


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## jwhoff

Brother Fleischer,

You are so very right!  The endowment is not meant to be a free ticket through masonry.  I think most masons agree that they get much more out of masonry that the yearly dues cover.  Much more. I applaud your commintment and appreciate your viewpoint.  Hopefully, in this time of monetary need we all reflect upon our love for this brotherhood, comment ourselves, and grow stronger.


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## Plustax

Not quite sure about it all. My first impression is that it's good because many (or most I would guess) get it while they still have a decent income and are working. Again, thinking of the future when one becomes older and is on a "fixed" income that may not be able to afford the annual dues at that time. We all know that dues are increasing everywhere in the U.S. so becoming an Endowed member is further justified in getting it now while it can be afforded. At least this is the reason that I applied for Endowed membership last month. I figured that in a few years I will no longer be working and may not be able to afford the membership dues. I've seen members that all they have is SS and are struggling to meet annual dues which in many places are already over $100. Economic times are hard everywhere... GL and members as well.....


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## robert leachman

I bought my endowment right after I was raised.
This thread reminds me that I need to get over there and give some money for my per captia!


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## Plustax

I've seen some post here that there endowment was $500. Is it $500 or $700 this year?


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## Dave in Waco

Plustax said:


> I've seen some post here that there endowment was $500. Is it $500 or $700 this year?



Endowments in Texas are set by the individual lodges, but have a minimum amount of $500.  Lodges can change the amount once a year at the meeting they elect officers at.


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## Plustax

Dave in Waco said:


> Endowments in Texas are set by the individual lodges, but have a minimum amount of $500. Lodges can change the amount once a year at the meeting they elect officers at.



So in may case I paid $700.  Does that mean that our local lodge was able to keep the $200?


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## Dave in Waco

Plustax said:


> So in may case I paid $700. Does that mean that our local lodge was able to keep the $200?



No, it all goes into GL.  When it goes into GL it's divided into units, each worth $100.  Depending on the investments made by GL with the Endowment Fund, the value of those units flucuate throughout the year.  Although this rule is suspended at the moment, when those units exceed the value of $100, money is distributed from the fund back to the lodges based on a combination of the value time the number of units.  So if GL were to pay back $5 a unit to the lodge, a lodge with $500 endowments would receive back $25 per endowed member for their 5 units, while your lodge would receive back $35 because of their $700 being worth 7 units.  And the money paid back to the lodge is meant to offset your per capita dues that each lodge pays to GL per member.  

It's kind of like buying stock.  Each share is of stock is $100 with a minimum sale of 5 shares.  When the company decides to pay dividends, they set an amount to pay back per share.  The more shares a person owns, the more money they get back.  But in this case, the lodge owns those shares, they bought for you, in the hopes the dividends will pay for their expense back to the company.

I hope I just didn't confuse you more.


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## Beathard

Very well said.  100% correct.  Are you part of Grand Lodge or Just very well informed?


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## Dave in Waco

Beathard said:


> Very well said. 100% correct. Are you part of Grand Lodge or Just very well informed?



I've spent a lot time going over lodge finance this year.


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## Beathard

You explained it better than our DDGM did...


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## js4253

robert leachman said:


> I bought my endowment right after I was raised.
> This thread reminds me that I need to get over there and give some money for my per captia!


 
You are right Robert.  Most Endowed Members are inactive and not aware that the Lodges are not recieving any money for their endowment.  This year we sent out a letter explaining the situation and many Brothers responded with a generous donation.  Thank You for thinking of Your Lodge.


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## Dave in Waco

js4253 said:


> You are right Robert. Most Endowed Members are inactive and not aware that the Lodges are not recieving any money for their endowment. This year we sent out a letter explaining the situation and many Brothers responded with a generous donation. Thank You for thinking of Your Lodge.



I've heard many lodges have been doing this and getting like responses from their endowed members.  It's always nice to see even inactive brothers guarding against their lodge's light going out.


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## Beathard

Hopefully the lack of payment from the endowment funds will cease this year.  The new rules for payment should help.  It still might not be enough not to go to the endowed members, but it will help.  Fundraising is another way to make up the difference when the membership cannot do so...


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## kilo

I'm endowed in two lodges, and I do pay the per capita in the belief that it is the right thing to do. To me the endowment is to leave something for the lodge when I'm no longer there.


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## Dave in Waco

kilo said:


> I'm endowed in two lodges, and I do pay the per capita in the belief that it is the right thing to do. To me the endowment is to leave something for the lodge when I'm no longer there.



That was the real original intent.  But many purchased as a way to automatically have dues paid, since it was paying off for the lodges.


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## JJones

I voted 'no' because of the way endowments are being handled right now.  It's my opinion that endowments should be local and not go to Grand Lodge.  Lots of lodges would have benefited from actually being able to keep all of that money and just keep paying the per capita each year instead of sending it to Waco and having to keep scrapping by.


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## Beathard

I think people miss the point of endowments. An endowment is there to provide for the long term financial security of the lodge. Long term is after we die and move on to the celestial lodge. An added benefit is not paying dues. But we as masons have an obligation to support the lodge now. If the endowment does not return enough funds to cover the costs of operation, we as members need to step up and pay more. I am an endowed member. I pay my per capita. I also work every single fundraiser, sell raffle tickets, etc. The endowment is part of my legacy.


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## Michaelstedman81

I gotta be honest and admit that before reading the posts in this thread and the thread I started asking about endowments, I really did think that the reason for the endowments was so that Brothers didn't have to keep paying dues.  That is the way the information was provided to me before.  I was told that purchasing the endowment was for the purpose of not having to pay dues, which also prevents having to pay higher dues in the future each time the dues are raised.

I know see that that was the opinion of one man, and that might have been his sole purpose of purchasing an endowment.  I was wondering why I was hearing so many issues about dues, endowments, returns, and all that when I was visiting other lodges lately.  Now, I do have a better understanding of the purpose of purchasing an endowment and I like the idea of it better now.  I like the idea that if I purchased the endowment I am contributing something to my lodge that will continue to give to the lodge even after I am gone.  

So, my intention now is to purchase my endowment when I get certain things taken care of and have the financial opportunity to do so.  Then instead of paying just my "per capita", I plan on paying the regular dues price.  That way I am not only contributing to keeping the lights on for the next year, but also for the years to come that I will be involved in Masonry and also beyond.


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## JJones

> I like the idea that if I purchased the endowment I am contributing something to my lodge that will continue to give to the lodge even after I am gone.



Maybe I've misunderstood all along, if so then someone please correct me.  It was my understanding that the amount of money you pay for endowment actually goes to Grand Lodge.  The endowments get invested by GL and all lodges are supposed to see some sort of monetary return for it each year, though the returns have been halted due to the economy.


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## Beathard

You are correct.  There was a rule that stated that the interest could not be destributed unless the fund was at 100%.  Last year the fund was at 80%.  That means that for every $500 paid in, the fund only had $400.  The idea was all of the interest would go to replacing the endowment until it was at full strength.  It is approaching full strength now.  Also they changed the rules so that a portion of the interest could be paid even if the fund was not at 100%.  Why is it not at 100%?  Bad investments during a bad economy?


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## Michaelstedman81

JJones said:


> Maybe I've misunderstood all along, if so then someone please correct me. It was my understanding that the amount of money you pay for endowment actually goes to Grand Lodge. The endowments get invested by GL and all lodges are supposed to see some sort of monetary return for it each year, though the returns have been halted due to the economy.






Beathard said:


> You are correct. There was a rule that stated that the interest could not be destributed unless the fund was at 100%. Last year the fund was at 80%. That means that for every $500 paid in, the fund only had $400. The idea was all of the interest would go to replacing the endowment until it was at full strength. It is approaching full strength now. Also they changed the rules so that a portion of the interest could be paid even if the fund was not at 100%. Why is it not at 100%? Bad investments during a bad economy?



I'm sorry if I confused things up a bit Bro. Jones.  All this endowment stuff is still pretty new to me as I stated.  Hahah, so don't listen to what I post in this forum as I'm just trying to learn it all and get it straight...lol 

Thank you Bro. Beathard for extra info.  Just to confirm, generally what is supposed to happen if I did get an endowment is the GLoT would give an amount of money from the interest from the fund back to my lodge?  If that is the case, does each lodge get an equal share of the interest, or does each lodge get a certain amount according to  how many endowed members they have?


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## Bill Lins

Michaelstedman81 said:


> does each lodge get an equal share of the interest, or does each lodge get a certain amount according to how many endowed members they have?


 
Each Lodge gets a certain amount per investment unit, which is $100. Different Lodges charge different amounts for their endowed memberships, but each must be a minimum of $500.00. To keep everything uniform, the endowments are broken down into units. Say Lodge "A" charges $1500 for an endowed membership and has one endowed member, and say the return per unit is $10. That Lodge has 15 units and would receive a return of $150. Say Lodge "B" charges $500 for an endowed membership, and has 20 endowed members, including 5 who are deceased. That Lodge has 100 units and would receive a return of $1,000.


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## Michaelstedman81

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> That Lodge has 100 units and would receive a return of $1,000.




Ah, okay.  Thanks for breaking that down for me.  I'm starting to get the picture.  I'm sure as heck glad I joined this site...lol  It is amazing the things that I have found out on here..lol


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## davidterrell80

Yes... but, those of us who are have a responsibility to know what the GL returns to the Lodge will be each year, and pay the difference to ensure the Lodge is not hurt by our membership.

Also, consider making a donation each year to Lodge about dues time equivalent to a year's dues... specifying that it should be first used to anonymously remit the dues of any brother, especially one retired and living on fixed income, for whom dues might be a true hardship... and second, to help the widows.


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## Beathard

The secretary should be able to tell you once it is announced. I will try to remember to post it as well.


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## Bro_Vick

I think endowments are excellent ways for senior brothers and families of brothers past on to make sure they continue to give to the lodge.  I think endowments purchased by young men in the long run do the lodge more harm than good, and directly benefit the Grand Lodge, vice the individual lodge.

The Scottish Rite in San Antonio has a sliding scale based on age for endowed memberships, I think that blue lodges should look at a similar concept.  That way it is more equitable from the younger mason and the older mason.

S&F,
-Bro Vick


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## Michael Hatley

I used to think they were a good idea.  Until I realized we have something like 5 total dues paying members, and half of us will likely be granted lifetime memberships in a couple of years for going through the line.  

So pretty much all our lodge's income depends on how well (or how poorly) GL invests the endowment fund.  

My lodge something like 25 years ago sold its building and bought every living member endowments.  Seemed like a great idea at the time, because we could (and do) rent space on the cheap.  That is, until GL lost its shirt on the market and the endowment fund took a beating.  Now the investment looks a lot more iffy as compared to investing that money in a new building, then flipping it, etc.

For the individual who wants to do something long term for their lodge, sure, though I can think of other interesting things to do with $500 or so too.  But when you look at it from the perspective as an aggregate investment, it gets more iffy, and those are the terms I think you have to look at it.

You also have to factor in that a lot of lodges like mine have something like 1% of its members paying dues, the rest are endowed members.  So they become beholden on the endowment fund, and that has a way of working to stagnate a lodge in multiple ways.  In good times for the fund, fundraising is less of a priority.  Then all of a sudden when the money gets tight the brethren start tightening their belts, finger pointing and assorted drama.

Personally I think a healthier way to go about it is to have every member pay dues, but I'm not sure how to reverse the trend.


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## jwhoff

That's tough skidding brother.  Tough indeed.  I bought an endowed membership but continue to pay full dues to the lodge.  I was a little surprised to find out that many brothers still holding paying jobs aren't doing the same.  I plan to do the same with my second lodge. 

Can anyone out there justify anything else?  

Folks just what does masonry mean to you?  As long as I am gainfully (or less) employed I will continue on this route.  The endowment was to help my lodge(s) and appendant bodies after I'm gone.


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## Michael Hatley

I love the way you think, Brother.  And I will do the same, and be vocal about it, in the hopes that others do it as well.

For us I think it comes down to such a slow trickle of new members who have a fire in their belly.  Six total master masons in the last four years by my count and half of them are in the line.  So I have to give these men credit for keeping the lodge alive at all, by virtue of their dedication to show up week after week, year after year.

I tell you, I'd prefer it if eating and voting rights were not included in endowed memberships.  Reserve that level of permanency for lifetime memberships, which the lodge has only a limited number of to distribute.  Then shift the tradition from granting them to folks who sit in the east to granting them to brothers who are struggling to afford their dues, perhaps because of being on a fixed income or whatever.


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## Timothy Fleischer

Michael Hatley said:


> I used to think they were a good idea.  Until I realized we have something like 5 total dues paying members, and half of us will likely be granted lifetime memberships in a couple of years for going through the line.
> 
> So pretty much all our lodge's income depends on how well (or how poorly) GL invests the endowment fund.
> 
> My lodge something like 25 years ago sold its building and bought every living member endowments.  Seemed like a great idea at the time, because we could (and do) rent space on the cheap.  That is, until GL lost its shirt on the market and the endowment fund took a beating.  Now the investment looks a lot more iffy as compared to investing that money in a new building, then flipping it, etc.



Why would your lodge award a Life membership for going through the line?? I would think that most Past Masters are even happier to pay dues because we have been neck-deep in our Lodge and know the need.


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## Michael Hatley

Hey, I just work here pardner - mind you don't bite my head off.  It has been their tradition a good bit and I'm still a youngin around there.

As far as I know, out of something like 50 living PMs (of our lodge and affiliates), if any are payin dues anymore it would be news to me.  

I think it is fair to say that the young fellas pretty well saved the lodge from goin under over the last year or so, and we've reached into our pockets on a *number* of initiatives, so remember  you are preachin to the choir.  And on the flipside I have a lot of love for some of those old timers, so I'm not lookin to throw stones, nor encourage it - just to think outside the box movin forward.

Also - one bit of our history, there are almost no baby boomers active in our lodge.  Folks in their 70s and 80s, and then it jumps down to 30s and 40s in the line.  My top signer, a very close brother, is 92.  I'd be more apt to drop the price of dues in his mailbox than I would be to demand he pay dues on a retirement that was fixed in 1980 or so, if you get my drift.


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## Benton

Michael Hatley said:


> Also - one bit of our history, there are almost no baby boomers active in our lodge.  Folks in their 70s and 80s, and then it jumps down to 30s and 40s in the line.  My top signer, a very close brother, is 92.  I'd be more apt to drop the price of dues in his mailbox than I would be to demand he pay dues on a retirement that was fixed in 1980 or so, if you get my drift.


 
That's pretty common in lodges, from what I've seen. Masonry basically skipped a generation, which is part of the numbers/financial problem we're having right now.


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## Michael Hatley

Yep, thats what I've seen too.  Plus the Silent Generation (Korean War, kids in WWII) and Gen X are both half the size of the Baby Boomers and Gen Y, both of which seem to have less affinity overall for masonry.  I'm generalizing, but it is just what I've seen in our lodge and the lodges that our members are affiliated with.

Our renaissance, imo,  depends upon reversing that trend and bringing in Gen Y in better numbers than the boomers.  And we have video games and the leading edge of European secularism to contend with.  Whole new ballgame.


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## jwhoff

davidterrell80 said:


> Yes... but, those of us who are have a responsibility to know what the GL returns to the Lodge will be each year, and pay the difference to ensure the Lodge is not hurt by our membership.
> 
> Also, consider making a donation each year to Lodge about dues time equivalent to a year's dues... specifying that it should be first used to anonymously remit the dues of any brother, especially one retired and living on fixed income, for whom dues might be a true hardship... and second, to help the widows.



This is common place at both my lodges.  It should be the rule, not the exception among all masonic lodges that understand their responsibilities to fellow brethren.  

Simply put brethren, we are here to help one another.  Many of us so positioned include endowed memberships as a way to help those coming in the future as well.  What better way to contribute to the betterment of the brotherhood?


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## dfreybur

I figure the *idea* is good bu the *implementation* is not.  The minimum size of the endowment needed to be changed to track the increases in dues but it was not changed.  Endowed trust funds use a ratio of balance to disbursement.  I figure the original implementation error was to express the payment as a dollar amount not as a multiplier on the current dues amount.

Dues amounts have also not tracked inflation.  That's a separate and additional discussion.


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## Bill Lins

dfreybur said:


> I figure the *idea* is good bu the *implementation* is not.  The minimum size of the endowment needed to be changed to track the increases in dues but it was not changed.  Endowed trust funds use a ratio of balance to disbursement.  I figure the original implementation error was to express the payment as a dollar amount not as a multiplier on the current dues amount.
> 
> Dues amounts have also not tracked inflation.  That's a separate and additional discussion.


GLoT Lodges are allowed to set both the amount of their dues and the price (in even $100 increments) of their endowed memberships.


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## dfreybur

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> GLoT Lodges are allowed to set both the amount of their dues and the price (in even $100 increments) of their endowed memberships.



Allowed, sure.  Problem is few do.  The advantage of "correctness by construction" approaches is they work in the face is predictable issues.  Setting the endowment amount as a multiplier on current dues is thus a "correctness by construction" approach while setting the endowment amount using a minimum is not.

In Illinois the life membership amount (name used for endowed membership almost everywhere outside of Texas) was set at 18 times in an era of high interest rates.  That too is a problem as the multiplier works a part of every decade long economic swing but also fails a part of every decade long economic swing.  Not as bad as an inflation based fixed number that works for a while and then fails forever, but still not right.  Votes come up to correct the multiplier about every 2-3 years in Illinois but none ever take the simple route of quoting what the GM says about the topic in his "town hall" meetings around the state.


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## JJones

> Allowed, sure. Problem is few do.



This may sound callous but I view it as natural selection at work.  Lodges know the returns on endowments are low (last year we gave the returns right back to GL) and many members treat endowed memberships as though they were life memberships.

I visited a nearby lodge several months ago which is over 90% endowed...one of the walls of their lodge is literally covered with endowment certificates.  I was also informed that their lodge is only receiving $200 or $300 a year in dues because of this.

We raised our endowments from $500 to $1k during our last stated meeting and I think this was a good move.


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## crono782

Personally, I'm still of the mindset that, if even if you purchase an endowed membership, you should still pay dues *if you are able to*. An endowed membership shouldn't be an "escape" from paying dues at the cost of the lodge, but give you the peace of mind knowing that, should a time come when you cannot pay your dues, your endowed membership carries you through. That's just me though.


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## jwhoff

crono782 said:


> Personally, I'm still of the mindset that, if even if you purchase an endowed membership, you should still pay dues *if you are able to*. An endowed membership shouldn't be an "escape" from paying dues at the cost of the lodge, but give you the peace of mind knowing that, should a time come when you cannot pay your dues, your endowed membership carries you through. That's just me though.



I consider my two endowments as insurance policies for myself when I am retired.  And, I do pay dews to both lodges yearly.  As well as throw in for lodge expenses and events throughout the year.  I could never pay back what masonry has done for my linage and myself over the many years.


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## DJGurkins

Since this has been an out of box experience. LOL Can a lodge endow without the GLoT. What I mean is can they offer a Bro. endowment and then invest the money themselves and keep all the returns. 
Another idea is to offer a Bro. who has been active for say 10 years in his lodge a endowment at the time of his retirement present him a endowment in appreciation but also to help him pay his dues when he retires and has a fixed income.
I know myself and a few other Brothers probably wont get 50yr pins so this might be a way to recognize them to.
 These are questions that I have been asking myself while reading this thread. But remember I am a EA and don't know Diddly yet. LOL


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## bupton52

DJGurkins said:


> Since this has been an out of box experience. LOL Can a lodge endow without the GLoT. What I mean is can they offer a Bro. endowment and then invest the money themselves and keep all the returns.
> Another idea is to offer a Bro. who has been active for say 10 years in his lodge a endowment at the time of his retirement present him a endowment in appreciation but also to help him pay his dues when he retires and has a fixed income.
> I know myself and a few other Brothers probably wont get 50yr pins so this might be a way to recognize them to.
> These are questions that I have been asking myself while reading this thread. But remember I am a EA and don't know Diddly yet. LOL



That's a very good question. 


S&F
Bro. Byron Upton


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## dfreybur

DJGurkins said:


> Since this has been an out of box experience. LOL Can a lodge endow without the GLoT. What I mean is can they offer a Bro. endowment and then invest the money themselves and keep all the returns.



That is how life membership funds work in California.  They are maintained by each lodge.  In Illinois the fund is maintained by GL.  So the way it works appears in the GL law book and what it says is the way it needs to be done in that jurisdiction.

If no life/endowed membership appears in the law book, maybe it could be done that way.  I bet GL would freak out at an individual lodge doing it, though.  The DDGM inspects the books annually and reports so GL would know soon enough.  Best not to do it without telling GL in such a jurisdiction.


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## Bill Lins

DJGurkins said:


> Can a lodge endow without the GLoT. What I mean is can they offer a Bro. endowment and then invest the money themselves and keep all the returns.


No. Art. 318a (7) states, in part: "Lodges are prohibited from donating or selling endowed memberships in any other manner than as provided in this Article..."


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