# A look at our national membership statistics



## cemab4y (Jul 9, 2011)

See

http://www.msana.com/msastats.asp

Here are the membership statistics, broken down by state. The latest data available is from 2009. The Grand Lodges around the state, provide the membership statistics. 

U.S. Grand Lodges Membership


STATE MEMBERSHIP 2009 MEMBERSHIP 2008 GAIN/LOSS 

ALABAMA    28,386 30,122 -1,736 
ALASKA    1,935 1,982 -47 
ARIZONA   9,023 9,315 -292 
ARKANSAS 15,027 16,094 -1,067 
CALIFORNIA   58,889 63,497 -4,608 
COLORADO 10,742 11,421 -679 
CONNECTICUT 13,432 13,926 -494 
DELAWARE    5,150 5,260 -110 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 4,312 4,434 -122 
FLORIDA   47,471 48,658 -1,187 
GEORGIA 44,523 45,736 -1,213 
HAWAII     1,643 1,733 -90 
IDAHO     4,191 4,225 -34 
ILLINOIS 68,308 68,562 -254 
INDIANA 66,006 67,777 -1,771 
IOWA 22,466 23,140 -674 
KANSAS 24,091 25,115 -1,024 
KENTUCKY 47,747 48,408 -661 
LOUISIANA  20,070 22,006 -1,936 
MAINE 19,968 20,363 -395 
MARYLAND 16,477 17,054 -577 
MASSACHUSETTS   36,518 36,848 -330 
MICHIGAN 39,189 41,185 -1,996 
MINNESOTA 15,182 15,782 -600 
MISSISSIPPI 19,774 20,493 -719 
MISSOURI 51,000 51,500 -500 
MONTANA 6,342 6,605 -263 
NEBRASKA 13,038 13,498 -460 
NEVADA   4,316 4,390 -74 
NEW HAMPSHIRE 6,928 7,156 -228 
NEW JERSEY   26,073 27,297 -1,224 
NEW MEXICO   * 5,227 5,211 16 
NEW YORK      48,051 49,082 -1,031 
NORTH CAROLINA 45,685 46,300 -615 
NORTH DAKOTA   3,151 3,269 -118 
OHIO   108,332 110,250 -1,918 
OKLAHOMA    26,572 27,723 -1,151 
OREGON 9,970 10,330 -360 
PENNSYLVANIA   114,447 117,584 -3,137 
RHODE ISLAND   * 4,326 4,183 143 
SOUTH CAROLINA 40,798 41,597 -799 
SOUTH DAKOTA 6,262 6,372 -110 
TENNESSEE 46,156 46,828 -672 
TEXAS   92,656 95,289 -2,633 
UTAH 1,920 1,963 -43 
VERMONT   6,466 6,823 -357 
VIRGINIA 39,238 39,839 -601 
WASHINGTON     17,109 17,682 -573 
WEST VIRGINIA 22,078 22,557 -479 
WISCONSIN 13,328 14,134 -806 
WYOMING     4,070 4,225 -155 

 Totals 1,404,059 1,444,823 -40,764 






* Increase over 2008

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Should we be concerned about this trend? Should Lodges and Grand Lodges, make changes in their programs and policies, to reverse this trend?


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Jul 9, 2011)

Should we be concerned, no. A lot of this has to do exclusively with death and the poor economic situation in the U.S.

Quality, not Quantity.


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## Beathard (Jul 9, 2011)

Texas had about a 2% drop. Considering the economy and the pre-Vietnam membership starting to expire, I think we are doing ok. California is approaching 10%. That seems like an issue.


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## LukeD (Jul 9, 2011)

I wonder what contributed to the increase in Rhode Island and New Mexico. Although a small increase, it was decent for their already low membership numbers.  It would be interesting to see what the statistics are for the PH grand lodges.


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## Traveling Man (Jul 9, 2011)

cemab4y said:


> Should we be concerned about this trend? Should Lodges and Grand Lodges, make changes in their programs and policies, to reverse this trend?



Should we be concerned; only if we are concerned about quantity and not quality. It appears that any actions taken by the cgmna hasn't seemed to have stemmed this tide.

Yes I’m concerned, some jurisdictions are completely eliminating the memory work, while others are implementing ODCs, while others are actually making requirements more stringent.

Also please note the greatest losses by percentage are attributed to dropout; not mortality rates alone. 
(Dropout) =  snpd + demit  > mortality rate…
As indicated by data collected elsewhere, not the msana site. The greatest decline has been in the last 20 years.


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## THemenway (Jul 10, 2011)

I'd be interested to see the numbers for only new members from each year. Can you acees them?
I guess it might not give an accurate number representation for that exact year, depending on if they count you at initiation or at actually becoming a MM.


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Jul 10, 2011)

THemenway said:


> I'd be interested to see the numbers for only new members from each year. Can you acees them?
> I guess it might not give an accurate number representation for that exact year, depending on if they count you at initiation or at actually becoming a MM.



I am almost certain that only Master Masons would be counted in the population since they are Full Members.


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## cemab4y (Jul 11, 2011)

For a more detailed statistical profile, you should contact the Masonic Service Association of North America.  http://www.msana.org 

You can also contact the Grand Lodge office in any of the states you are interested in. Masonic membership is not secret.

I personally, find these statistics frightening. The fact is, we are losing more Masons to suspensions (for non-payment of dues)/demits/resignations, than we are to deaths. This says a lot. We are more interested in getting men to join, than we are in giving our membership a quality Masonic experience, that will keep them active and on the rolls. 

All indications are that the membership numbers are bound to get worse. When the WW2 and early 1950's generation leaves the active craft, to attend the Celestial Lodge, we will be in real trouble. 

What is the death rate for Masons? Same as for every one else. 100%


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## Jacob Johnson (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm not so sure that we'll be in all that much trouble when the Greatest Generation are gone. We're still making masons. And YOUNG ones, too, who are very involved.


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## Zack (Jul 13, 2011)

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling...."


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## cemab4y (Jul 13, 2011)

Masonry hit its peak, in the late 1940's and early 1950's. We will never hit those numbers again. When the WW2 generation is gone, the numbers of Masons will decrease, and the average age of Masons will decrease. This is why the Masonic Renewal Task Force, studied the membership situation, and made certain recommendations to the various Grand Lodges around the USA. 

I am not saying that Masonry is "doomed", but we should be prepared for the decline. Grand Lodges need to have procedures in place, to enable lodges that cannot sustain themselves, to consolidate or fold. Masonic charities need to prepare for the subsequent drop in contributions. Appendant/Concordant bodies will feel the drop as well.

When I joined the Shrine in 1989, there were 990,000 Nobles. Today, there are about 400,000 Nobles. Many Shrine centers are shrinking, and being forced to sell off their assets. (Afifi Shrine, Tacoma Wash, is having to sell some of their real estate).

Some Grand Lodges (Maryland and Mass) are taking charge of the situation, and holding open houses, and taking steps to increase the visibility of Freemasonry, and explaining to men , the value of our Craft. Masonry is experiencing some growth in Southern California.


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## cemab4y (Jul 13, 2011)

Check out this interesting article:

http://www.themasonictrowel.com/leadership/management/renewal/crisis_what_crisis.htm


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## cemab4y (Jul 13, 2011)

Also: Check out:

http://www.freemasoninformation.com/2009/06/there’s-a-hole-in-our-bucket/


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## Joseph_OConnor (Jul 14, 2011)

Great post and follow up articles. Thanks for the info


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## JJones (Jul 15, 2011)

> All indications are that the membership numbers are bound to get worse.  When the WW2 and early 1950's generation leaves the active craft, to  attend the Celestial Lodge, we will be in real trouble.



In my opinion, this will cause issues but it's nothing near as catastrophic as it's often made out to be.  The membership was really booming during the WW2 generation and because of this we experienced growth in lodges that hasn't really been experienced before.  When these brothers are no longer with us I think we'll be looking at numbers that will start looking more stable.  They might not be as large as we're used to but masonry wasn't ever intended to be as big as it is anyhow IMO.

I think the real problem will come from all of these lodges, both grand and regular, that became dependent over time on the income from these large numbers.  This, when coupled with the economy, could cause many lodges to have to close their doors and it might also create tension between the brethren and their respective Grand Lodges as they demand more money to keep themselves running.


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## choppersteve03 (Jul 15, 2011)

Man thats kind of troubling,there is only 22,000 dues paying brothers in Iowa.


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## cemab4y (Jul 15, 2011)

A steep decline in our membership numbers, is cause for concern. Two (2) lodges that I belonged to in the past, have had to consolidate. These lodges (Glebe 181, Arlington VA, and Master Builder 911,Tonawanda NY) are "gone with the wind". I feel sad, whenever any lodge has to close up. With the decline in numbers, more and more lodges will cease to exist. Some lodges are surviving, only because their Grand Lodges permit plural memberships. When the plural members, that are supporting multiple lodges, pass on to the Celestial Lodge, all of their lodges will close up.

I believe sincerely, that we can reverse this trend ,and keep true to our ancient landmarks. Bringing in ODC's and eliminating memory work, are only 'band-aids', and will not get Masonry growing again. 

We need to look back at our past, and see what brought men into Masonry in the 20th century. We can glean ideas, and modernize them, into the 21st century experience. 

We need to drop this silly prohibition against inviting men into Masonry. There are many good men out there, who would make fine Masons, but they are unaware about the procedure for applying. The internet is making learning about Masonry, and the application procedures much easier, but we still have a long way to go.

100 years ago, most men spent their entire lives within 75 miles of their birthplace. Now we are scattered all over the map. The practices and customs of Freemasonry, which were perfectly fine in 1911, do not cut any ice in 2011.


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## Benton (Jul 15, 2011)

> We need to drop this silly prohibition against inviting men into Masonry.



While I agree with your sentiment, I'm very hesitant about that one. While I was president of my college fraternity, we had three 'rush classes.' (For those unfamiliar, think York Rite Festival, but more involved and drawn out over an entire semester.) We learned the hard way that if someone wanted to join, but ever expressed even a hint of doubt, they would most likely go inactive immediately after finishing the process, if they finished the process at all. It was only those who came 'of their own free will and accord' who stuck around and truly dedicated themselves to our fraternity. And for four years, that truth panned out. 

We already (in Texas, at least) have the ability to extend a 'neutrally worded invitation' to men we believe might be a good fit for the fraternity. Invite them to check things out, visit the lodge during an open meal, etc, and decide on their own. Personally, I think that's more than enough, and already perfectly within (Texas) Masonic Law. Obviously, this may not be the case for other jurisdictions.

But anyway, to address the point, in Texas we do, to an extent, have the ability to invite men to the fraternity, short of solicitation. Even so, I don't think that's really an issue. The issue, to me, it seems, is more one of retention than initiation. Probably beating a dead horse, as it's been discussed to death on these boards. But, it absolutely needs discussing.


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## cemab4y (Jul 15, 2011)

I do not agree that the problem of retention has been over-discussed. We need to examine this phenomenon carefully. If we cannot appeal to our own membership base, how can we attract and retain _new_ members? Masonry is losing more members to suspensions (non-payment of dues), resignations, and demits, than we are to deaths. Therefore, we cannot just state that the loss of membership is due to the departure of the WW2 generation. 

Mass. and Maryland have state-wide open houses, where _every_ lodge in the entire state is open on a Saturday morning. Mass. has two of these events annually (April and October). There is absolutely nothing in our ancient landmarks that is prohibitive of placing Masonry in the public eye.


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## LukeD (Jul 15, 2011)

Well said Bro Benton.  I know it's beating a dead horse, but how do you retain members? Some say quality over quantity, and they are not concerned about dwindling numbers. For the small town Lodges, filling chairs is becoming more difficult, and positions are just being recycled. Being fairly new, it's sad to sit in one of these struggling Lodges. I'm sure it's even harder for the brothers who remembers the Lodge being more full and active.


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## cemab4y (Jul 15, 2011)

It is good to have this discussion. We need to offer all of our members, a quality lodge experience. If our meetings are enjoyable, and our rituals spiffy, and our programs interesting, and our meals delicious, we will have men banging on the doors trying to get in. 

If our meetings are boring, with nothing except paying the bills, and reading the sick list, we should not be surprised at dwindling attendance. 

If being a Mason were an exciting, and stimulating experience, and men could see value in being a Mason, we could turn this problem around.


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## JJones (Jul 15, 2011)

> I know it's beating a dead horse, but how do you retain members?



I've done a bit of reading on this and I think retention comes down to a couple key points:

1.  It starts in the West.  When a candidate is interviewed we need to find out why he wishes to join and what his expectations are.  I know of a few brothers who joined for a little bit and eventually left because they didn't know what they were joining.  One EA we had left because he thought the lodge was supposed to be like a church!  I rant about the West a lot but I really feel strongly about this.

2.  Nobody wanted to join a memory club.  People don't enjoy sitting around after work and arguing about finances either.  We need programs both inside and outside of the lodge room that promote masonic education and foster brotherhood.

There you have it.  I'm not saying it's a miracle fix-all or that it will work for every lodge but it's pretty straight forward.  Only let people join that you think have realistic expectations and you expect beyond a reasonable doubt to stick with the lodge.  Also, if people have fun at lodge then they'll come.  Lots of people, after working all day, just want to have fun and relax.  If they have two options: lodge or TV then they'll pick whatever they'll enjoy the most.  It's just our job to make them turn off their TV. 



> For the small town Lodges, filling chairs is becoming more difficult,  and positions are just being recycled. Being fairly new, it's sad to sit  in one of these struggling Lodges. I'm sure it's even harder for the  brothers who remembers the Lodge being more full and active.



Sometimes there's really no option but to close our doors or merge with another lodge.  Many lodges barely have enough members present to hold stated meetings most the time and a lot of those brothers are only members because they hold dual membership.

Don't get me wrong, I love history and I'm a very sentimental kind of guy, but sometimes people just don't know when it's time to let things go.  If a lodge can barely meet, can't contribute anything to the community, and can't get new/young membership then what's the point in staying open?



> and our rituals spiffy,



Define spiffy please.  Some brothers seem to think a ritual needs to be immaculate and beat themselves up because they failed to do the impossible.  The candidate doesn't know when you mess up unless you make it obvious and in many cases they may never know it, even after learning the rituals themselves, unless it was pointed out to them.


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## cemab4y (Jul 15, 2011)

"Spiffy" is the opposite of "sloppy". I visit a lot of lodges (13 states, WashDC, and 5 foreign countries). I cringe when I see an opening ceremony, where the officers flub their lines, or when the officers giggle and chuckle like children. Masonic ceremonies should be performed with seriousness and precision. The lines should be delivered cleanly and crisply ("trippingly" on the tongue- Hamlet). 

Masonic ceremony is _theater_, and should be _performed._

Ritual is only one small part of the Masonic experience. But Masonry is more than the sum of its parts. The Masonic experience should be valuable and exciting for all of the participants. 

When Masonry loses value, Masonry will lose members. When all the members are gone, Masonry is gone. Gone with the wind.


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## choppersteve03 (Jul 15, 2011)

Tuesdays gone with  the wind.


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## jwhoff (Jul 15, 2011)

Well, I don't necessarily disagree with the death rate numbers.  And ... there is always the chance that the sky is falling.

Let's all hope that The Greatest Generation continues to be the one with the greatest test.  I'm not so sure The Next Generation might not be strongly tested as well.  Especially if we continue to feel "so entitled."


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## Mac (Jul 15, 2011)

cemab4y said:


> If our meetings are boring, with nothing except paying the bills, and reading the sick list, we should not be surprised at dwindling attendance.
> 
> If being a Mason were an exciting, and stimulating experience, and men could see value in being a Mason, we could turn this problem around.



I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly.  I didn't join the Freemasons to listen to a boring recitation of last week's boring recitation of the minutes ad nauseum.  I joined to learn more about myself, about being a man, and about being a better person in the context of a brotherhood.

So long as there long and monotone readings of the minutes, you will find me checking facebook until I hear the motion to accept them as read.  Others who don't see the potential of the fraternity, might not even stick around to do that.  Why be bored in a chair in a lodge, when you could be just as bored elsewhere?


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## cemab4y (Jul 15, 2011)

Modern technology can help. The minutes of each meeting, should be posted on the lodge website, and/or the facebook page. Printed hard copies can be provided prior to the meeting. Then the lodge can just vote. Determine if there are errors/deletions/additions to the minutes. After any necessary edits, then just vote.


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