# Bait & Switch, I Quit



## Squire Bentley

Here is another article that follows on the heels of Brother Salman Sheika's article on "Why I Left Freemasonry." Perhaps in totally different experiences we can find some common themes here. And perhaps we can make our Lodges better Lodges. In the interest of Masonic improvement I offer you:

http://freemasoninformation.com/2018/11/bait-switch-i-quit/


Brother Frederic L. Milliken


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## dfreybur

JamestheJust said:


> The problem is that the brethren have not undertaken the work of the FC.



We need to tell the young guys someone about how and why it's on them to make the value they seek. It's part teaching masculine initiative. It's part that the best teacher is the one inside. It's part not expecting stuff on a silver platter. This cluster is one more example of the type of secrets we could shout from the roof top and it still remains secret.


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## CLewey44

JamestheJust said:


> >need to tell the young guys
> 
> I have taught hundreds of people, in workshops and individually, how to access the hidden mysteries of nature and science, but less than 10 practiced for more than a few weeks what they had learned.
> 
> I suspect that humans that apply themselves to spiritual science have largely been reborn in other worlds.   Those here now are often content to await the rising tide that lifts all boats.



IDK, maybe so, but committing that much time in this life can be very daunting for those of us in reality.


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## Rifleman1776

Very long dissertation that ended up saying nothing. He is free to do as he wishes. If the Masonic experience has little to no meaning to him then he should leave. The lead-in article said annual dues should be $500.00. I doubt that more than two members of my Lodge could afford that. We are about $30.00 and several members have to ask for temporary deferment to make that payment.


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## CLewey44

I think raising them is probably risky business, especially raising them ten fold but I must say, if they do raise them like that, the building better be looking pristine inside and out, no more Little Caesar's on paper plates and a Victorian Age vibe.


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## Winter

CLewey44 said:


> I think raising them is probably risky business, especially raising them ten fold but I must say, if they do raise them like that, the building better be looking pristine inside and out, no more Little Caesar's on paper plates and a Victorian Age vibe.



The TO Lodge I belong to took the plunge with having dues that were much higher than the other Lodges in our GL.  The higher price for initiation and dues means it is a serious consideration for a prospective brother.  While there have been arguments that it is elitist to exclude someone who cannot afford the dues, at the end of the day, the Masonic experience has value and we should not be ashamed to put that price tag on it.  

Along with that was an enforced dress code (dark suit and tie, officers must wear tuxedos), required attendance (Secretary must be contacted reason if unable to make the meeting), limited membership (max of 50 members of the Lodge), and a more involved experience with every meeting having a festive board.  Most definitely not Little Caesars! Rather than trying to maintain an aging building, we opted to make an arrangement with a local private club to take over one of the floors twice a month for out meetings.  All of our Lodge furniture is kept in a box, we set up one of the rooms on the floor as the lodge room, have our meeting, and then retire to the dining room for a meal prepared by the club.  We don't have to worry about building maintenance or preparing the meal or cleaning up so every Brother can participate in the meeting.  Including EAs since we meet on the 1st degree unless conferring a higher degree.


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## Brother JC

There is a similar lodge near here, meets in a private club, hand-crafted officer’s aprons, higher dues... and an Initiation fee of $1,000.00.


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## David612

The cost of dues should be enough to have the lodge financially viable going forward- if the brethren want to eat crap food off paper plates in a rundown old building that’s fine, if they want to eat only the finest in their gold lodge building that’s fine too-
We are $400 per year plus dining fees every meeting-


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## CLewey44

Winter said:


> The TO Lodge I belong to took the plunge with having dues that were much higher than the other Lodges in our GL.  The higher price for initiation and dues means it is a serious consideration for a prospective brother.  While there have been arguments that it is elitist to exclude someone who cannot afford the dues, at the end of the day, the Masonic experience has value and we should not be ashamed to put that price tag on it.
> 
> Along with that was an enforced dress code (dark suit and tie, officers must wear tuxedos), required attendance (Secretary must be contacted reason if unable to make the meeting), limited membership (max of 50 members of the Lodge), and a more involved experience with every meeting having a festive board.  Most definitely not Little Caesars! Rather than trying to maintain an aging building, we opted to make an arrangement with a local private club to take over one of the floors twice a month for out meetings.  All of our Lodge furniture is kept in a box, we set up one of the rooms on the floor as the lodge room, have our meeting, and then retire to the dining room for a meal prepared by the club.  We don't have to worry about building maintenance or preparing the meal or cleaning up so every Brother can participate in the meeting.  Including EAs since we meet on the 1st degree unless conferring a higher degree.


This is sort of how most young Masons thought it'd be and hopefully will become one day. If you don't mind me asking, how much are your dues for a 50 person lodge and that great experience like that?


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## Winter

CLewey44 said:


> This is sort of how most young Masons thought it'd be and hopefully will become one day. If you don't mind me asking, how much are your dues for a 50 person lodge and that great experience like that?



Annual dues are $200 a year.  Not as much as some TO Lodges have raised dues cost. But it is enough that joining is, or should be, a serious consideration. In addition, you have to pay for your meal and drinks at each meeting, which isn't too over the top and is usually anywhere between $20 and $40 depending on what you order.  Also nice, because we meet at a private club that has multiple bars throughout the building and not a Masonic building we can meet for a drink before lodge begins and then relax with a glass and cigars afterward having great discussions.


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## CLewey44

Winter said:


> Annual dues are $200 a year.  Not as much as some TO Lodges have raised dues cost. But it is enough that joining is, or should be, a serious consideration. In addition, you have to pay for your meal and drinks at each meeting, which isn't too over the top and is usually anywhere between $20 and $40 depending on what you order.  Also nice, because we meet at a private club that has multiple bars throughout the building and not a Masonic building we can meet for a drink before lodge begins and then relax with a glass and cigars afterward having great discussions.


That sounds spot on and not much more than many BLs.


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## Winter

CLewey44 said:


> That sounds spot on and not much more than many BLs.



It is orders higher than most of the Lodges in the state considerign that dues have been kept artificially low for decades as an attempt to retain members.  And we know how that went.  When you consider that we don't have to maintain a building and meet in a more traditional style using someone else's back room, that money goes directly to funding our Lodge, our scholarships, or whatever other programs the Lodge wants to do.


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## CLewey44

Winter said:


> It is orders higher than most of the Lodges in the state considerign that dues have been kept artificially low for decades as an attempt to retain members.  And we know how that went.  When you consider that we don't have to maintain a building and meet in a more traditional style using someone else's back room, that money goes directly to funding our Lodge, our scholarships, or whatever other programs the Lodge wants to do.


That's awesome for sure. I say the more invested (emotionally or financially) you are in something, the more serious you'll take it. I've heard a lot of people complain about typical blue lodge experiences but I've never once heard anyone complain about T.O. lodges. The only people that do complain about T.O. lodges are guys that aren't members of them.


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## Winter

CLewey44 said:


> That's awesome for sure. I say the more invested (emotionally or financially) you are in something, the more serious you'll take it. I've heard a lot of people complain about typical blue lodge experiences but I've never once heard anyone complain about T.O. lodges. The only people that do complain about T.O. lodges are guys that aren't members of them.



The number one complaint about TO Lodges is that the increased cost is seen as exclusionary. And that argument does have a point.  But what is the alternative? Make it free so everyone can participate?


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## Brother JC

People complain about $300 a year dues but spend $1,500 a year on their global chain coffee, or several hundred a month on the gym they never attend. It’s an invalid argument.


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## dfreybur

Brother JC said:


> There is a similar lodge near here, meets in a private club, hand-crafted officer’s aprons, higher dues... and an Initiation fee of $1,000.00.



Plenty of the magnificent older buildings in our order were funded by degree fees that were high at the time. It's how Masonry developed a reputation for being expensive. The night I was raised they handed be my dues bill and I asked "This is per month, right?"


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## CLewey44

Brother JC said:


> People complain about $300 a year dues but spend $1,500 a year on their global chain coffee, or several hundred a month on the gym they never attend. It’s and invalid argument.


Agreed, but if they are paying 100s a month on gym memberships, they need to have their head examined lol. That may be CA prices....


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## hanzosbm

Something I wanted to add to help out some of the lodges out there looking to make things easier, our Lodge (we call it European Concept rather than TO, it's basically the same thing but we aren't strict observance) meets in a room in the Scottish Rite building, so we also don't have to discuss building care.  In addition, we pay our rent and utilities once per year, right after we collect dues.  The beauty of this is that with the exception of catering costs for special events, we only have to vote on paying the bills once per year.  Our stated meetings last an average of 20 minutes (and a lot of that time is taken up by California's Jewel March, which, in a lodge room that can seat hundreds, takes awhile) leaving us the rest of the time to present papers and have discussions. 

Changing your billing structure to once per year is a relatively easy thing to do and save a lot of time throughout the year.


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## Brother JC

CLewey44 said:


> Agreed, but if they are paying 100s a month on gym memberships, they need to have their head examined lol. That may be CA prices....



Not being a gym rat I had to check nearby; even at $60 a month you could join a “pricey” lodge and still have money for nice dinners.


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## CLewey44

Brother JC said:


> Not being a gym rat I had to check nearby; even at $60 a month you could join a “pricey” lodge and still have money for nice dinners.


Oh for sure.


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## hanzosbm

Hey, there's an idea!  For those who want to own their own building, find one with enough space to also put in a gym for the brothers.  Not only would it be easier to swallow the cost of dues, it would be a great way to spend time with your brothers.


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## CLewey44

hanzosbm said:


> Hey, there's an idea!  For those who want to own their own building, find one with enough space to also put in a gym for the brothers.  Not only would it be easier to swallow the cost of dues, it would be a great way to spend time with your brothers.


Love it


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## Winter

hanzosbm said:


> Hey, there's an idea!  For those who want to own their own building, find one with enough space to also put in a gym for the brothers.  Not only would it be easier to swallow the cost of dues, it would be a great way to spend time with your brothers.


If you really want to make bank, make it a gym only in January and the rest of the year a bar called "Resolutions".

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## CLewey44

Winter said:


> If you really want to make bank, make it a gym only in January and the rest of the year a bar called "Resolutions".
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


LOLOLOLOL!


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## Winter

CLewey44 said:


> This is sort of how most young Masons thought it'd be and hopefully will become one day. If you don't mind me asking, how much are your dues for a 50 person lodge and that great experience like that?



I spoke too soon! I received a letter from our Secretary today that dues have been raised to $400 a year and if you reside out of state to $200 a year.



hanzosbm said:


> Something I wanted to add to help out some of the lodges out there looking to make things easier, our Lodge (we call it European Concept rather than TO, it's basically the same thing but we aren't strict observance) meets in a room in the Scottish Rite building, so we also don't have to discuss building care.



Our Lodge would more accurately be describes as an EC Lodge as well.


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