# Stephen Dafoe Challenged Freemasonry To Shape Up Or Die Years Ago



## Squire Bentley (Dec 1, 2018)

Stephen Dafoe Challenged Freemasonry To Shape Up Or Die Years Ago
http://freemasoninformation.com/201...ged-freemasonry-to-shape-up-or-die-years-ago/


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## David612 (Dec 1, 2018)

yeah people have been complaining and predicting the end of the craft for ever-
We are still here, warts and all.


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## Glen Cook (Dec 2, 2018)

And then, as I recollect, he left the fraternity.


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## coachn (Dec 2, 2018)

David612 said:


> yeah people have been complaining and predicting the end of the craft for ever-
> We are still here, warts and all.


Yes, and while we continue to smolder in the ashes the train tracks and supporting infrastructure are being abandoned due to lack of passengers.


Glen Cook said:


> And then, as I recollect, he left the fraternity.


Statistically, anyone looking at the numbers could have predicted that next step on his part in our Freemasonic process.  The odds were definitely in his favor. 

Considering the odds, those who remain within the Organization for any length of time are rare.


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## Winter (Dec 3, 2018)

Another doom and gloom article that points to the aberration of the membership numbers of the 1950's as if it was the norm and is where we are supposed to be as an organization and the decline since is a problem that we need to correct.  Let. Them. Go.  Want to bring us back to the meaningful organization we were meant to be?  It's actually quite simple.

1. Focus on meaningful ritual - not rote memorization and poor delivery
2. Focus on education and understanding the teachings of the Craft
3. Raise the standards for entrance and only accept the best - who cares about total numbers!
4. Close the West Gate! Stop advertising, stop the outreach, stop trying to attract new members.  If you have a quality Masonic body, they will come to you.
5. Ditch the buildings. Worst decision we ever made. Go back to meeting in more intimate spaces so you aren't forced to recruit just to keep the lights on.
6. Put the focus back on Making Masons, not members. Slow the degree progress so that attaining the next degree is a feat that has meaning.

This isn't an exhaustive list but they are issues that we can begin with.  Too many Grand Lodges, my own included, seem bent on "modernizing" the Craft to attract the younger members. "Put a petition in their hand!" The focus is too often on making membership goals instead of making the Mason the goal.


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## Glen Cook (Dec 3, 2018)

Winter said:


> ...
> .....
> 4. Close the West Gate! Stop advertising, stop the outreach, stop trying to attract new members.  If you have a quality Masonic body, they will come to you.
> .....


Could I just address this point?  I will stop going/coming from a Masonic meeting at a fuel station, wearing formal wear, and I will be asked where I’m going. I’ll say a masonic meeting, and they don’t know what that is. The word Freemasonry isn’t a clue for them.

So, I think there may be a medium point to address both of our concerns.


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## Winter (Dec 3, 2018)

Glen Cook said:


> Could I just address this point?  I will stop going/coming from a Masonic meeting at a fuel station, wearing formal wear, and I will be asked where I’m going. I’ll say a masonic meeting, amd they don’t know what that is. The word Freemasonry isn’t a clue for them.
> So, I think there may be a medium point to address both of our concerns.



I've had the same encounter, so I know what you're talking about.  I think that point was more to the jurisdictions that have changed to allow active recruitment.  My GL actually created a pocket petition to make it easier to put one in people's hand as if we are supposed to carry them around and hand them to strangers after a chance encounter.  I was very disheartened when they took that route.


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## Glen Cook (Dec 3, 2018)

Winter said:


> I've had the same encounter, so I know what you're talking about.  I think that point was more to the jurisdictions that have changed to allow active recruitment.  My GL actually created a pocket petition to make it easier to put one in people's hand as if we are supposed to carry them around and hand them to strangers after a chance encounter.  I was very disheartened when they took that route.


In part ego, but I’m not risking my reputation on a chance encounter.


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## Brother JC (Dec 4, 2018)

@Winter   My Mother Lodge told us to keep petitions in our glove box, our pockets, on hand at all times! Something I never agreed with.


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## hanzosbm (Dec 4, 2018)

Glen Cook said:


> Could I just address this point?  I will stop going/coming from a Masonic meeting at a fuel station, wearing formal wear, and I will be asked where I’m going. I’ll say a masonic meeting, amd they don’t know what that is. The word Freemasonry isn’t a clue for them.
> 
> So, I think there may be a medium point to address both of our concerns.



To my mind, what that says is that he was not duly and truly prepared.  Obviously, ritual varies, but most I'm familiar with have something to the effect of being prepared in your heart before seeking admission.  In the age of the internet, if a man is looking for an organization for self improvement and/or deeper philosophy/esoteric teachings/the mysteries/whatever you want to call it, it wouldn't take him long to come across a wikipedia page on the Freemasons.  If he hasn't ever heard of us, then he probably wasn't interested in what we do.  In which case, in my opinion, he doesn't belong here.


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## Glen Cook (Dec 4, 2018)

hanzosbm said:


> To my mind, what that says is that he was not duly and truly prepared.  Obviously, ritual varies, but most I'm familiar with have something to the effect of being prepared in your heart before seeking admission.  In the age of the internet, if a man is looking for an organization for self improvement and/or deeper philosophy/esoteric teachings/the mysteries/whatever you want to call it, it wouldn't take him long to come across a wikipedia page on the Freemasons.  If he hasn't ever heard of us, then he probably wasn't interested in what we do.  In which case, in my opinion, he doesn't belong here.


This wasn’t anybody looking to petition. It was a shop clerk, amd it wasn’t a one off. It’s a recurrent theme. I’d lived in the Salt Lake area for six years and had no idea there was a masonic  temple.


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## hanzosbm (Dec 4, 2018)

Glen Cook said:


> This wasn’t anybody looking to petition. It was a shop clerk, amd it wasn’t a one off. It’s a recurrent theme. I’d lived in the Salt Lake area for six years and had no idea there was a masonic  temple.


Why does it matter if people know who we are?


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## Glen Cook (Dec 5, 2018)

hanzosbm said:


> Why does it matter if people know who we are?


How do people join something of which they know nothing?  Or, something they think has gone the way of the Knights of Pythias?  

Do people really do a search for “organization esoteric teachings?”


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## hanzosbm (Dec 5, 2018)

Glen Cook said:


> How do people join something of which they know nothing?
> ...
> Do people really do a search for “organization esoteric teachings?”


There is plenty of information out there about us, it's just a matter of men searching for what we offer. Regarding whether people search for "organization esoteric teachings", I would say absolutely. 

If they didn't start off interested in what we have to offer, regardless of if they knew who we are or not, then why do we care?


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