# Pointing out the Elephant...



## owls84 (Aug 6, 2010)

So for a while we have been looking at different threads that show problems with the administration of Masonry and various states of Grand Lodges. These have taken place in the threads "Per Capita...", "Proposed Racism Resolution", and various others. Many times I have seen people posting refuting claims that Masonry is in a disillusion however today I read an article from the Masonic Service Association of North America that says just what we have been claiming on here. It seems our issues or gripes have been well documented and presented to Grand Masters all of the world at the annual Grand Master's Conference that MSANA hosts or at least participates in. 


The Article I am refering to is called _"About Time"_ and can be found at http://www.msana.com/aboutime_foreword.asp. Be sure and read it all since it spreads over several pages. 
Some of the eyeopenig issues listed that I found are: 


> *2. What is is currently happening within Freemasonry?*
> Â There is a slight movement toward wanting to educate the public about the fraternity.
> Â There is recognition that traditional communications tools have failed to heighten public awareness.
> Â The inclusion of family members at Masonic events has produced mixed results.
> ...



Heck they even list ways to help:


> *Take action now*
> 1.Beginning at the lodge level, plan meaningful activities that put Masonic values into action. Consider how you and your lodge can make each and every activity uniquely Masonic. Listed below are just a few suggestions that place a focus on using your time to its greatest Masonic advantage:
> 2.Apply concepts of education and self-improvement to current print and non-print communications tools of individual lodges, Grand Lodges, and national Masonic organizations and societies.
> 3.Improve the environment of lodge-based fellowship; refresh the look of the lodge; welcome new members; improve presentation skills; provide mentoring to study degrees; and strengthen communications skills.
> ...





> The work began in 2004 when the Conference of Grand Masters asked the Masonic Information Center (MIC) to look into the possibility of creating a National Masonic Public Awareness Program. We accepted the challenge. By accepting that challenge, we assumed a greater responsibility: to test the integrity of what we wanted to communicate to the public about Freemasonry. We had to ask the tough question of ourselves: Who are we as a fraternal organization within the context of the 21st century?
> 
> There was little argument among our group that Masons were not the first organization wanting to improve their public image, and we knew that we could no longer gloss over our situation’s complexity. In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman quotes business organization consultant Michael Hammer:
> 
> ...



This information was presented to the Grand Master's Conference almost 5 years ago yet the state of Masonry, in Texas at least, remains the same. If you look at the programs that a few of the Grand Masters have come up with each has fallen way short. The LAMP program many Lodges know nothing about and when we asked the LAMP Committee Chairman to speak at our Lodge he rambled on and gave a story about the "Dew of Herman" that had nothing to do with Lodge Assistance Mentor Program. The Additional Lodge Light Program has been outdated for 10+ years and the LIFE Program is lacking as well. We have a Wardens Retreat that allows Lodge Administration to go to but it is held in Waco and it costs a pretty penny for members to attend. The things I listened to when I attended were all things I could have heard at a very well planned Masters, Wardens, and Secretary meeting had these not turned into places for Masons to have titles read and listen to a speaker that normally has nothing to offer other than a story to tell or a program that we have all seen 50+ times. 

The point I am trying to make is we have to do better. We have to do better as Lodges, MWSAs, MSBs, DDGMs, DIs, Committees, Grand Lodge Officers, and Masons. We have to expect more as well from all of these. To have committees that are funded but have no measurable achievements in a time that we are running at a $300,000.00 deficit are damning. To have programs out there that accomplish nothing is a waste. We need to raise the bar and not lower it. It is time for feelings to get hurt and for people to step move forward or step aside. 

It is very apparent that the GLoTX is not the only one having this issue as you can see by the article produced by an internationally known organization. I would like everyone to read this article and take time to think about the experience you have had. We have become an organization that just because you are a Past Master or DDGM it doesn't mean squat because in three years time anyone can do it. Heck DDGMs are being appointed and they can't find their way in a Law Book much less have knowledge of it. It has become an organization of who can accumulate the most titles in the fastest time and not an organization of changing lives. 

We have a huge oppurtunity to rebuild this organization from the ground up. According to Grand Lodge figures we expect to make $525,000 off dues which divided by $7.25 which is what each dues paying member (excludes 50+ yr) pays leaves just over 72,000 dues paying members which also counts plural members so the actual number is closer to 60,000 est. of dues paying members. So 60,000 members that are not a 50+ yr Mason so it is about to get bare in Texas. I pray that we have our minds right because I know we have to change our ways of doing things and get away from the distractions of focus of the principal tenets. 

Better days are upon us but in order to get up we must fall.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 6, 2010)

I'd like to see dues go up to a minimum of $200-$300 a year. Minimum.


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## owls84 (Aug 6, 2010)

What does this accomplish?


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## JTM (Aug 6, 2010)

Ashton Lawson said:


> I'd like to see dues go up to a minimum of $200-$300 a year. Minimum.


 i don't think throwing money at this is going to solve these problems.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 6, 2010)

In my mind, a few things.

1. Masonry is WAY too cheap. 
2. Most lodges are in extremely poor financial condition due to very little income coming in the door. In order to keep the doors open, the brethren end up wasting way too much quality fellowship and learning time on poorly thought out fundraisers that are usually loosely disguised as charity of some kind or another. 
3. Masonry is WAY too cheap.
4. The stress that poor financial conditions cause lodges, can greatly impact the brotherly love, relief, and truth that the brethren have amongst each other. 
5. Masonry is WAY too cheap.

I strongly believe that Masonry has been cheapened, not only because the guards at the West Gate have abandoned their posts, but because access to the Fraternity costs less than nearly any new toy I can pick up for myself without my budget noticing. It's not that I make a great amount of money, it's just that the impact Masonry has on my pocketbook gives it nearly zero perceived value from an economic perspective. If people can't feel the impact of wanting something and getting it, it's value is intrinsically less to them. This is why no matter how wealthy people become, they seek out costlier and more unattainable treasures.

We could solve the financial problem of most lodges nearly overnight, if dues were simply adjusted to begin to reflect the value of the craft. Strengthening the guard at the West Gate is not the only way to give Masonry perceived value. If men want it, they will pay for it no matter the cost. For far too long, Masonry has survived on the back of the dues paying, card-carrying, 50-year absent Mason. The craft is in the beginnings of its death throes, as your post above indicates, because men have placed no more value in Masonry than a sub-$100 check that they write once a year to keep their artificial badge current. Many hundreds of thousands of these men probably don't even recall what the real badge of a Mason is, and would very likely show you their dues card if you asked for their badge.

Let me put it in perspective.

I paid $1500 for Satellite TV this year. $1500 for my cell phone. $1500+ for Movie Nights. 

That's $4500 in entertainment, and I haven't even touched on things like Dining Out, recreation, sports, and hobbies. That's probably lower than the average American.

Masonry is WAY too cheap.


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## owls84 (Aug 6, 2010)

I agree with Masonry being too cheap but I feel in order to create an expense like that you must have a $200 - $300 product and I don't think we have that right now. We need to get back to the basics and reinvent the wheel. Nothing new but how it used to be done before it became watered down. Then we can look at an increase. Otherwise we charge for a product we can't deliver.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 6, 2010)

Price out the guys who are just showing up to cheat the Steward out of a bowl of bad soup, and you can start that process. I'm honestly not sure how else to begin.


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## David Duke (Aug 7, 2010)

owls84 said:


> I agree with Masonry being too cheap but I feel in order to create an expense like that you must have a $200 - $300 product and I don't think we have that right now. We need to get back to the basics and reinvent the wheel. Nothing new but how it used to be done before it became watered down. Then we can look at an increase. Otherwise we charge for a product we can't deliver.



Ditto!!!


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## David Duke (Aug 7, 2010)

Ashton Lawson said:


> Price out the guys who are just showing up to cheat the Steward out of a bowl of bad soup, and you can start that process. I'm honestly not sure how else to begin.



Ditto again!!!


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## dekalbmason (Aug 8, 2010)

An interesting perspective, Brothers. As a newer (5 years) and youngish (45) Mason in Illinois I echo your concerns and ideas. I agree: we've become so obsessed with business meetings, fretting over rapidly dwindling treasuries and a desire to make this a social organization that appeals to the masses that we've forgotten the hidden mysteries, traditions and exclusiveness of the Craft. I agree to make the cost of participation high to attract those that see the value. But then give us the tools, enthusiasm and ability to bring back the honor, mystique and intrigue our Brothers once so highly treasured.


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## David Duke (Aug 8, 2010)

Although I agree with the statements above that masonry is "too cheap" I feel we must be very careful in how this is discussed.

I for one defintely don't want to convey the idea that the depth of a pocketbook should determine ones eligibilty to become a member. Some of the finest men/masons I have had the honor of knowing have lived on the edge of poverty for years. These same men, even in their financial situations have given more to others than most people I know including myself have. They do this by giving of themselves doing what we as a fraternity obligate ourselves to do; looking out for each other, checking in on our widows, mowing a brother's lawn when he is ill, visiting him in the hospital to help raise his spirts and missing a day of needed work to attend his funeral.

The fulfillment of the promises made in our obligations is what defines us as masons. If we truly want to see our fraternity reach the heights of old we must hold ourselves accountable and fullfill those obligations.

As owls84 said in his original post "The point I am trying to make is we have to do better. We have to do better as Lodges, MWSAs, MSBs, DDGMs, DIs, Committees, Grand Lodge Officers, and Masons. We have to expect more as well from all of these. To have committees that are funded but have no measurable achievements in a time that we are running at a $300,000.00 deficit are damning. To have programs out there that accomplish nothing is a waste. We need to raise the bar and not lower it. It is time for feelings to get hurt and for people to step move forward or step aside."


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## Sidewinder (Aug 9, 2010)

I couldn't agree more.  Masonry cannot be allowed to measure a man's worth by the amount of money he makes.  We are all on the level, and to raise the dues to $200-$300 would be intentionally removing good masons who cannot afford that type of dues increase.  To say that Masonry is too cheap is strictly an opinon.  Masonry is not cheap for me...Financially it is not a problem, but I usually devote a couple hours every day to doing something in Masonry...And for that devotion I pay a huge fee...Time away from my family.  To me, that time away from them is a bigger sacrifice than two or three hundred dollars, that time is priceless.  I do it, not to get recognition in lodge or some award, but because I believe Masonry can change the world, if we would just take the time to work at it.

Raising dues, per capita, or whatever does nothing to improve Masonry.  If we want Masonry to improve then we must go out and improve it.  Get out in your communities and be seen.  Take the younger or less experienced masons under your wing and show them what masonry is about.  Help those less fortunate than you...And probably most importantly, present yourself honorably at all times, especially when out in public.  In my opinion, that's the way we can change Masonry.

Masonry is only cheap if you allow it to be.


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## David Duke (Aug 9, 2010)

Sidewinder said:


> ................. I do it, not to get recognition in lodge or some award, but because I believe Masonry can change the world, if we would just take the time to work at it.
> 
> Raising dues, per capita, or whatever does nothing to improve Masonry. If we want Masonry to improve then we must go out and improve it. Get out in your communities and be seen. Take the younger or less experienced masons under your wing and show them what masonry is about. Help those less fortunate than you...And probably most importantly, present yourself honorably at all times, especially when out in public. In my opinion, that's the way we can change Masonry.
> 
> Masonry is only cheap if you allow it to be.


 
Well said brother!!!  I do however think that we need to look at what we are paying in dues, we must adjust them so that lodges can take care of themselves without having to have a fundraiser to pay light bills or insurance.  Our lodge was on the verge of being insolvent just 3-4 years ago but after doubling our dues(which there was quite the heated discussion on) we have become stable again and it is amazing the difference in the atmosphere around the lodge because the worry is no longer there.  For those brother who could not afford the increase allowances are made without question.

The simple truth to me is that we must take care of ourselves before we can help others. Just to clarify my "ditto" remark above in regards to the food line donations; nothing burns my hide anymore than seeing a $1.00 donation put in the pot from someone who I know positively has the resourses to give more and that same person complaining in lodge about how much  the lodge has to spend to cover the shortages in the kitchen. We must face the fact that almost everything has went up in cost, we cannot sit back and wait for someone else to cover the loss we must all step up and pay our fair share if we can.


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## Sidewinder (Aug 9, 2010)

If a lodge is hurting and the only way out of a hard situation is to raise the dues, then by all means raise the dues, but to raise the dues of all lodges simply because Masonry is cheap seems to me to limit our membership to strictly the upper class.  And like every mason knows, there are great men in this world that don't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.  And at the same time, there are masons out there with more money than they know what to do with, that I wouldn't want to sit in lodge with.

I too hate seeing a brother that I know is well off, put a dollar or nothing at all in the kitty and then have the nerve to go back for seconds or thirds.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 9, 2010)

I realize that time is a more valuable resource than money, but many of our lodges are poor and penniless themselves, and trying to provide support in the community is near impossible when the brethren are strapped with just managing to leep the doors open. The stress levels in these situations are miserable, and so are the discussions on how to raise money to patch the holes. Forget fixing problems when you're broke, all you can hope to do is patch them up and hope the fix holds. My opinion is that we can't tolerate this slow bleed any longer and still hope to keep the doors of the lodge intact. 

I am told that the average annual dues at most lodges in Texas is about $60. Annual Federal poverty guidelines are set at $10,830.00 for a single person without any type of assistance from any other source. That puts annual dues at about .55% of the annual income of a person in actual poverty. A person making minimum wage, assuming a 40hr week will clear $15,080.00 per yearwithout any type of assistance from any other source. That income puts annual dues at about .39% of annual income. 

I think that speaks for itself in regards to where our dues are right now. Assuming that most Masons aren't in destitute poverty, there are no/or rare few Masons out there who are paying more than 1% of their income in annual dues, because even the impoverished among us are only paying an average of .55%. 

Is $2-$300 really so much money? Really? Even for the utterly destiture, that's less than 3% of their annual income.


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## owls84 (Aug 9, 2010)

Here is the problem with those figures. Right now in America for every dollar a person makes they spend almost $1.08. Debt is at an all time high and in the perfect world your figures would hold true but from a cashflow stand point Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and truly can't find room due to debt. With the current economic state more and more people are getting out of debt but families still struggle. To go up at to $300 right now it could be a crippling blow to our fraternity. We have people that are keeping Lodge doors open by pluraling and many men could not afford to do so killing a lot of historical Lodges. As I am a fan of consolidating Lodges in many instances, but to kill the only Lodge in a County that has survived several years on plural membership could be a devistation to rural Lodges. 

We need to get the horse back in front of the buggy. If 1 out of 4 EAs become a Master Mason we are screwing ourselves not doing a better job with these guys. That shows me that if we gained 2000 members last year (total guess) we could have gained 8000 had we been better mentors and found out why these guys joined in the first place. If you have $100 dues like I have at FW 148 I would rather have 4 times the man power than 1 guy paying $300. If I have 3 guys that are great guys that are representing Masonry with a Square and Compasses on everything they own then I am more likely to grow my membership from thier friends and family. We have to change the way we look at things. Lets put Masonry back in the public eye as much as possible but do it wisely. We need to allow Lodges to support a little league team or put up a sign on the fence at the ball park. Get floats for the parades all over the state. Everyone thinks advertising is  expensive but we can find things in the communities that are little to no costs.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't disagree with that at all, and I definitely think we need to have a specific goal in mind before raising our dues. Putting more money in the pot isn't going to do anything as far as making improvements to the lodge or its programs unless we first decide what we need or want the extra money for. Ultimately though, I don't think the net results of improving programs or our product is going to be possible in our current overall (Texas) financial state. True, there are some lodges with remarkably deep pockets and assets, but there are others who have no cash and a dilapidated building as their only item of worth. 

Eventually, those money problems will have to be addressed, as they will not go away on their own. We need a topdown re-evaluation of everything we do, both at the GL level and at the local lodge level. If we don't collectively figure out a comprehensive multi-faceted approach to addressing the elephant in the room...well...he'll address us eventually.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 9, 2010)

I think the phrase, "Masonry is too CHEAP" says it all.  Masonry is too cheap, and not from just a monetary stand point.  Think about what each of had to do to join.  We filled out a petition, had to know a few people involved in Masonry, pay our $60 on average, sit down with 3 people to answer a few questions, and wait the almost 2 months from turning the petition in to be brought into the Lodge.  Not very high hurdles to begin with unless you consider the fact that it is the internal not the external we like to point out that makes a man a Mason.  Then once a man gets into a Lodge, all that is required of him to stay is to continue to pay his $60 each year.  But what happened to his internal qualifications?  

We talka bout contributing to the relief of widows and orphans, which the GL does and the Lodge does as a whole, but why aren't we getting the individual brothers more involved in that.  I know not everyone can afford to contribute money, but there is the more valuable time.  To borrow an idea from my old university, they had one day a year where the university took part in what they called, "Steppin' Out", where they went out into the community to volunteer.  The university in question is Baylor, which up until 1995, had a 150 year history of having a University President who was a Mason.  By why doesn't Texas Masonry adopt something like this for Masons all over the state to be required to step out into their communities and donate their time and skill?  It would give all Masons a purpose in their community and a chase to contribute to it, all the while giving us an increased presence in the community, thus increasing our profile and bettering our reputation while getting more members involved.


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## LRG (Aug 9, 2010)

"Masonry is too cheap", I don't think so.

It took me over 5 months of hard every day work to become a Master Mason. Not including the every day today honing of the Craft. Many lodges that are in trouble are due to that era of time to when the brethren got lazy(they quit doing public work). We are dealing with a couple generation gaps that just reaped from what the elders produced and now are answer is to raise dues. lets raise them by $20.00 per brother and get away from the $200.-$300.00 range. We should be examining what got us here in the first place, fix that and BUDGET. If you brethren can so afford to pay an increase in dues, than make a donation to your lodge. I agree, if we can keep those who knock on our doors, the better off we would be, or would we.
As I was once steward and got jacked a many of times( some knew what they were doing) I refused to allow the lodge to pay for my mistake, but it wasn't my mistake and yet I chose to dig in my pocket to pay for those brethren who thought that it was above them.
Before any increase, I would first like to see a true budget set in stone, which would show true strength and wisdom


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 9, 2010)

LRG said:


> It took me over 5 months of hard every day work to become a Master Mason. Not including the every day today honing of the Craft. Many lodges that are in trouble are due to that era of time to when the brethren got lazy(they quit doing public work). We are dealing with a couple generation gaps that just reaped from what the elders produced and now are answer is to raise dues. lets raise them by $20.00 per brother and get away from the $200.-$300.00 range. We should be examining what got us here in the first place, fix that and BUDGET. If you brethren can so afford to pay an increase in dues, than make a donation to your lodge. I agree, if we can keep those who knock on our doors, the better off we would be, or would we.



Dues will almost have to be increased in a lot of Lodges.  Some haven't increased dues in those couple of generations.  It's not all about Lodges practicing responsible budgeting.  Right now, in my own Lodge, we are losing money just by what we bring in versus what we already pay GL and rent for our Lodge room.  That's not taking into account other operating costs of Lodge.  So increasing dues is not just something that GL wants.  

Working hard to be a Mason shouldn't be something that is done for a few months until one becomes a Master Mason.  I work hard at it every week.  This week alone I have a work night, a FC degree, 2 committee meetings, plus the JW Retreat and the Lodge website to redesign.  Other then the JW Retreat this weekend and the website, that's fairly close to a standard week for me.  While working hard in the Lodge is a big part of Masonry, so is the Lodge being a big part of the community.  And that being part of the community is the other part of Masonry being too cheap right now.  But if Masonry is truly to have real value, it is us that will have to give it that value.  

I know right now, in my Lodge, the WM, SW, JW, SD, and JD have been involved together in planning not just this year, but mapping out the next 5 years for the Lodge, considering that the 5 of us represent the next 5 years of the Lodge.  This year we set as a goal for those 5 years to go for the Vanguard Award.  But we are planning beyond that.  We are setting the Lodge up to where achieving a Vanguard Award is a lofty goal for the Lodge to work toward, but to make it where the Lodge expects to fulfill the Vanguard qualifications every year because it becomes the norm for the Lodge.  We are taking the steps to not just have a single good year, but to put the foundation in place where the single good year we have planned becomes the new standard for the following year.  

So yes, Masonry is too cheap, and the increased cost we should be paying isn't just in cash.


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## Sidewinder (Aug 10, 2010)

I think that we all agree that some lodges must raise dues, where other have no need to.  I also think that we all agree that regardless of the dues we pay, we as an organization must get out in the public eye more, we must find a way to retain our membership, we must find a way to get new membership (without recruiting), and we must budget the money that we do have.

A wise mason once told me that, "You'll get out of Masonry what you put into it."  And whether it is money or time that our lodges are lacking, that is up to each lodge to determine, but we as individuals must be prepared to supply either of these when called upon by our lodge.  If my lodge needs more money, then I have no problem in paying my share.  In fact, if I see that a dues increase is a must for my lodge, then I will bring it to the attention of the lodge in a form of a motion.  But to throw a blanket on all the lodges in the state of Texas is not fair to the lodges that have managed their money properly.  I know where my lodge is lacking and we will continue to work to strengthen ourselves where we are weak.  And if I don't see our weaknesses, someone else in my lodge will, because I am fortunate to share my lodge with men much wiser than I.

Just as I feel that it is the responsibility of individual lodges to find solutions to their financial problems, it is also the responsibility of our Grand Lodge to do the same.  If our Grand Lodge must raise our per capita, then so be it, but first make sure all other avenues have been studied prior to an increase.

That's all I have to say about that.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 10, 2010)

Sidewinder said:


> Just as I feel that it is the responsibility of individual lodges to find solutions to their financial problems, it is also the responsibility of our Grand Lodge to do the same. If our Grand Lodge must raise our per capita, then so be it, but first make sure all other avenues have been studied prior to an increase.



True, but as Master Masons and members of a Texas Lodge, we are members of Grand Lodge.  So we are responsibile for what happens to and within the Grand Lodge as much as our own Lodges.


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## owls84 (Aug 10, 2010)

Dave in Waco said:


> True, but as Master Masons and members of a Texas Lodge, we are members of Grand Lodge.  So we are responsibile for what happens to and within the Grand Lodge as much as our own Lodges.


 
The only objection to this I have is that yes are all "members" of Grand Lodge only Past Masters and Lodge Proxys are voting "Members". This requires us to do something we should have been doing all along.

Every year at this time guys from all over the state will be coming around to meet with MWSAs, MSBs, and Grand Lodge functions to earn your Grand South vote. We need to go to these and ask tough hard to answer questions. Ask questions about the conditions of our current Grand Lodge and what are thier ideas for retention and local Lodge aid. We have tried in the past to get these guys in the past on MoTx for questions and answers but none have. This year we will try the same. I know one is on board and the others have yet to be notified. But we as Master Masons need to be more responsible because the guy that is elected this year has a direct effect on our future. It is time as I said to step up and raise the bar.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 10, 2010)

Then I would say it's time we started organizing our bloc for the Grand Communication this year.


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## Sirius (Aug 10, 2010)

owls84 said:


> But we as Master Masons need to be more responsible because the guy that  is elected this year has a direct effect on our future. It is time as I  said to step up and raise the bar.


 
In what ways do you think the standard should be raised? And for whom? Just candidates for office or should we have accountability from our lodges also?


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## owls84 (Aug 11, 2010)

I personally think this is a top down problem. I would like to see the standard raised on knowledge and leadership. When you crack open a book on Masonry from 1920 the education that is taught in the book is unimaginable. The depth of the symbolism is not taught anymore. Let me rephrase that into Claudy's words. The symbols taught are but the allegories are not. We teach the first layer or the obvious meaning but it is the other layers, or allegories, that are keeping people hooked. 

It has already been said that we need to get back to basics. Our Grand Lodge budget is broke and so are our Lodges. How can we correct this? Eliminate programs that cost money and have no effect. From the top down everything we do should be analyzed. Why not turn our process into a Quality Management System that requires the whole system to be broken down and looked at each year. At minimum goals and requirements should be set for each and every committee. If a committee is under performing then it should be cut. For too long we have seen Grand Master after Grand Master after Grand Master start a program jut for it to suffer the next year. We keep it going because Grand Master So and So started it but it is not being properly funded or just doesn't work it should be cut. 

Bottom line is we need to hold people accountable from the top down. If a Lodge is not functioning, educating, spreading light, or is falling down to the point it is not safe we need to hold the members accountable. Many people say "Id help my Lodge if they asked" but when the time comes they send their money in and don't lift a finger. The average number of members that show up to stated meetings is around 20% and the number that show up regularly on other meeting nights is 10%. That is poor. I recently visited a Lodge that looked like it should have been condemned. Problem is all it needs is a little time. They had funding but no people. This is where a DDGM should step in and organize a Lodge assistance day and ask Brothers from the district to join forces and help slap paint on the walls. We have to do better at selling our Lodges. It goes back to taking pride in what we do. 

So to finally answer your question, it is from the top down. As Grand Master you need to hold your committees and DDGMs accountable by giving measurable goals for each and be evaluating at all times. Committee appointments should not have terms but as needed. Don't get me started on the CoW boys because I feel all their little special "Perks" should go away. We are all on the level so what makes their committee more important than the rest? That needs to be evaluated as well. DDGMs should be well versed brethren and if they do a good enough jobs they should be reappointed. Does anyone else think it is a good idea to continue to put people in a DDGM spot so they learn the jobs then they are out? Why not have them serve more than one year if they are willing? They would get to know the Lodges more and how each works. 

As Lodges we should be asking our membership why? Why did you join? Why do you come to Lodge? Why do you not come to Lodge? Why did you get your EA or FC and not come back? Address these issues. What makes your members enjoy it? If it is fundraising then do that. If it is degree school then do that. If it is fellowship then do that. If it is all of the above the do it all. We have to do better of giving people options and allowing them to experience all of what Masonry has to offer. 

As members we need to demand the above. Brother Rhit did a great paper about demanding what you enjoy in Masonry. We as Masons take a different journey in life and we enjoy a diverse meaning of what Masonry is. If we each take our definition and put it together we can offer a HUGE thing to people. People want to join Masonry by the hundreds but we need to do better at granting them the ability to take their own path and do away with the term "This is how we have always done it" and pick up "Well no one has done it that way. Feel free to make it your own." because it is our own. 

When I say raise the bar I mean it. Days are numbered for many of our members and you will see a huge shift. Younger members are asking more and more admin questions and we are getting frustrated because it can offer so much more if we would let it. That is what I mean by move forward or move out of the way. Either way you have to move the direction is your choice.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 11, 2010)

As the 80 year old Sec for my Lodge has been telling all the younger Masons in my Lodge for the last year, "This is your time to decisions for the Lodge, because you're the ones that will have to live with them."


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## Sirius (Aug 11, 2010)

owls84 said:


> I would like to see the standard raised on knowledge and leadership.
> 
> When I say raise the bar I mean it.



How would you accomplish this? Legislatively? Or do you feel that we ,as the Grand West, should just 'hold more men accountable'? Should the Grand Lodge mandate such things? 

You've got a lot of nice thoughts, but how do they become reality?


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 11, 2010)

Sirius said:


> How would you accomplish this? Legislatively? Or do you feel that we ,as the Grand West, should just 'hold more men accountable'? Should the Grand Lodge mandate such things?
> 
> You've got a lot of nice thoughts, but how do they become reality?


 
I think it's going to have to start at the Lodge level first.  One of my great pleasures is visiting Lodges.  As I do so, I pick up on things I feel some Lodges are doing well and try to get them implimented in my Lodge.  Right now in my Lodge we have the men who are in line to lead the Lodge this year as well as the next 4 putting in place a 5 year plan to raise the bar by getting a Vanguard Award this year as well as getting off "cruise control."  We as the current and future leaders in the Lodge are putting in place our own higher standards for ourselves so those following behind us will have higher expectations of them when it comes their time.

Our plans include providing entertaining and informative educational programs in the Lodge.  Inviting inactive and visiting brothers to come see the things we are doing and getting them involved in the things we are doing.  We have practice for our degree team and those wanting to be part of the team, and we don't always take the same part as we challenge each other to learn bigger roles.  Already we have the other Lodges we share our Lodge room with scheduling their degrees on our work night, because they know we will be there and can fill in parts where needed.  We have activities planned that will put us out in the community, and we are making sure that it get publicity in the local papers and if possible the news.  But these activities are designed not just to help the community, but to increase the profile of Masonry in the community.  By getting Brothers visiting our Lodge as we do these things, some of them will hopefully filter into other Lodges.  When that happens it not only adds strength to your own Lodge but to the other Lodges as well.  And when we start having strong Lodges pushing themselves and each other, it won't take long for those Lodges to demand more of and push Grand Lodge to raise its own bar.  

We have a nucleus of people here on this board, and this is where the change in the Lodges can start from.


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## Sirius (Aug 11, 2010)

Dave in Waco said:


> We have a nucleus of people here on this board, and this is where the change in the Lodges can start from.


 
Very true indeed. Good work at your lodge. It takes courage and hard work to make things like that happen. Keep it up.


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## owls84 (Aug 11, 2010)

To me it starts at the Lodge. The Lodges need to raise the bar locally in ways I have been saying but some need to be "Tradition" changes. We need to get out of the habit of doing things because that is how it was always done. We need to demand answers and continue to ask why? Letâ€™s turn into the spoiled 2 yr old. We should all be asking the question; Why? Why? Why? 

However, some of this is going to require legislation. Things like CoW benefits, repealing laws that now are used to hinder our public image, and others that need to be added to improve our way of thinking and show our modern values while stressing our traditional ones. We have several coming up this year and the Annual Communications this year will be one for the ages. We are going to see where Texas Masonry really stands and I for one look forward to it. 

It all boils down to giving responsibility to those that need it and holding people accountable when they under perform. Most of the ideas are changing the way we do business but some are going to be needed as legislative changes. Little by little you are seeing these introduced.


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## JTM (Aug 12, 2010)

you know, i keep hearing this "masonry is too cheap" thing.  

total malarchy. 

part of the reason we have all these debt problems is that we have the attitude "if we throw money at problems, they disappear."  this is true, they do disappear, but because someone else put forth the work to make them go away... it's horribly cost inefficient.


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## owls84 (Aug 12, 2010)

Personally I think that if you compare what we pay to what we get right now it is overpriced but if you look at other Grand Lodge Programs across the US and England for that matter, we are under priced. If they came to me and said we want to focus on education and we cut all the crap out of our budget and we will be putting a website together that is top notch instead of a geocitys website that is hard to read and maneuver along with well funded database system with a candidate education program to go with it I would raise dues by $50 tohelp fund these programs. That being said we need measurable goals and checks and balances.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 12, 2010)

JTM said:


> you know, i keep hearing this "masonry is too cheap" thing.
> 
> total malarchy.
> 
> part of the reason we have all these debt problems is that we have the attitude "if we throw money at problems, they disappear." this is true, they do disappear, but because someone else put forth the work to make them go away... it's horribly cost inefficient.



It seems to me that you're making the mistake of assuming that the phrase "Masonry is too cheap" is only referring to money.


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## JTM (Aug 12, 2010)

well, yea.  i'll agree with the other ways it's meant.


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## Wingnut (Aug 12, 2010)

Masonry is to cheap!  I spend more for lunch in one business week than I spend in dues at 1 lodge for a year.  I spend more in 1 month for lunch than I do for dues at 3 lodges for a year.  Many *members *I know put in the aprox 75 hours of study to turn in their proficiency and have spent maybe 10 hours over the next year doing anything Masonry related.  If it takes more energy and effort to cook a brisket than it does to become a Mason there is little if any incentive to put anything back into it.  Back around 1860 men would spend more than a months income for annual dues!  THAT, my brothers is a commitment and one that you wouldnt easily or lightly walk away from.  You were invested and vested in the fraternity and cared what became of it.

Where does the problem lie and where do we start making changes?  At the same place we first became a mason.  If people want to point fingers, all you have to do is walk into any lodge building in any city in any state.  Look to that wall of photos.  Its those Past Masters that vote(d) and established the way things are.  THEY are our Brothers and Im willing to bet my last dollar that not a single one of them woke up one day and said "How can I screw up Masonry today?"  I have 100% faith that every one of them and every decision they made and practice they put in place was, at the time, what they considered was what is best for Masonry.  Further, not a single one of them made the changes on their own.  Change MUST start in the lodge.  Voting someone into the next chair because they "have been in the lodge forever and show up every now and then and he wants to be in the chairs and he is s nice guy" must stop.  There is a huge list of what we need to change, but I can trim it down pretty fast and to a pretty small list, and Ill unashamedly steal the idea from a late friend and Brother: (quick someone name this CA brother!)  Masonry isnt about ME changing THEM, its about ME changing ME.  Start there and all lodges will move along pretty darn well.

These discussions always remind of US politics:  everyone hates the way the government is run.  Yet almost every poll shows its "THEM" thats screwing things up, not MY congress critter!  Ill vote for him again!  How else can you explain Charlie Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Harry Reid?


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## Zack (Aug 12, 2010)

That would be WBrother Theron Dunn.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 12, 2010)

I tihnk you make a good point Bro. Wyndell.  We have to fix the ME before the WE.  The changes start at the individual Lodges first.  That's the exact reason our Lodge is been looking at ourselves and making plans for the next 5 years to raise our common standards to an unusual height.  If we can get enough Lodges doing this, then we can start pushing these standards up to the Grand Lodge level.


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## Wingnut (Aug 14, 2010)

Zack said:


> That would be WBrother Theron Dunn.


 
Excellent Bro Zack!


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## LRG (Aug 15, 2010)

This has become a great thread and as you can see we are all on the right track, using are Tools.


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## Frater Cliff Porter (Aug 15, 2010)

If you charge for Masonry you have to get off your duff and provide something for the money you are charging.  The real elephant in the room is that Masonry is chalk full of idea havers and very few doers.  

If you begin to charge for Masonry, Masons are going to want fulfilling, stimulating, and challenging programs at lodge.  That takes hard work, planing and constant care.  

I don't believe Grand Lodges can fix Masonry anymore than I believe more government can fix our country.  GL's are supposed to be nothing more than the administrative head of a large volunteer group, not some sort of ruling class whose whims and fashions are the rule of the day.

We don't need GL's to fix this problem and in many ways we don't need their permission to fix it.  Success is addictive and if you charge accordingly in your lodges to bring fulfilling programs, your numbers stabilize and the membership is excited and involved...even if your Grand Lodge doesn't like the fact that you are doing things a little different, it will be unpopular to work against you.

Then prevailing attitudes will change and you will find that your GL supports you and other lodges line up to emulate you.

This takes work.  And from my personal experience it takes a couple of solid doers who are comfortable with the fact that a couple of Brothers will need to do the lions share of all the work at first and for a long while until others feel comfortable jumping in.

My lodge charges $400 to join and $365 dues and $42 per capita to the Grand Lodge for a total of $407 a year and I am certain we are the most expensive lodge in Colorado.  We have a several year waiting list to become a member, our success is incredible, and we still work our butts off to provide quality programs.  In August we are hosting the MRF National Symposium and bring in Timothy Freke from the U.K. to discuss Gnosticism.

Anyway, I agree...fund Masonry adequately to provide quality programs...but then we need to provide quality programs.


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## peace out (Aug 15, 2010)

I was just passed from the NE corner to the middle chamber, so my perspective is narrow and probably naive.  However, my view of the entrance into Masonry is crystal clear and I can already see some cracks worthy of attention.

A primary point of issue I have seen is a lack of visibility and complacency.  It's not unfathomable why numbers have swelled lately given the media attention via books and movies.  Heck, that's one of the sparks for my initial investigation.  Why is it I almost had to beg someone to talk to me about Masonry?  Why did I get the feeling people weren't jumping at the chance to work with me for the EA proficiency?  As others have already said, there's a complacency in the ranks.  When I did my EA test last week, another EA initiate came to watch.  I quickly introduced myself to him.  He has been an initiate for several months and apparently has only been trying to work with one person to prepare for the prof.  Now, I am sure that could partly fall on him, but I instantly gave him my contact info and offered to get him going on it.  It just didn't seem like anyone was excited to help him.  It seems like there wasn't much excitement at all except for a few. 

Well, there is a huge lack in civility, morals, and ethics in the world and I think the Masonic Lodges can be one of the bright lights on the "north" of the world.  It doesn't take money, just time, desire, excitement, respect, effort, and goals.  But we first have to bind together in our Lodges.  We first have to really feel like true brothers with common goals before we can go out and start making differences.  Complacency, I fear.  But it is this current atmosphere that excites me.  Maybe it's the doer in me that likes the challenge of bringing a Lodge from the edge to the beauty that once was.  Imagine another portrait of a future president adorned in the regalia of a Mason like that of Washington!

I very much look forward to learning more from y'alls wisdom here and to the time where I can help apply ideas to my lodge.  

I like this thread and this entire forum.  What a great place Masons might meet for pseudo work!


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 15, 2010)

I believe you've made some good observations Brother.  I just attended the Junior Warden's Retreat this weekend, and one of the things they stressed was that in 1977, we lost 15% of EA's.  30 years later in 2007, that percentage rose to 33% loss of EA's.  I do believe what you said is a prime example of why we have been losing so many EA's.  One of the things my Lodge has done in addition to having mentor, we also have a weekly work night.  It gives a chance for the EA to be involved with many of the brothers in the Lodge instead of having to depend on a single mentor.  Since we've been doing this, we haven't lost an EA.


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## JEbeling (Aug 16, 2010)

The Elephant in the room is : maybe we should shorten the EA work... ! make the second and third sections optional.. ? now before we hear from the committee on Hope and Change (Work) .. ! when Grand Master Jack Kelly did this in his year we lost very few.. ! 

Do we shoot our self in the foot when we are so hard headed .. ! rather than shorten the work we will except loosing 33% of the EA's..?


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## Blake Bowden (Aug 16, 2010)

The retention problem with EA's is obvious: lack of education prior to joining or lack of support once they do.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

blake said:


> The retention problem with EA's is obvious: lack of education prior to joining or lack of support once they do.



I completely agree.  At the JW Retreat this weekend, one of the JW's there spoke about a man who joined because he honestly thought we were actively trying to bring about the destruction of all the world governments.  Unfortunately, this didn't come out until after he had been initiated.  That lead to a discussion about properly investigating candidates.  One suggestion that was brought it, was for the married guys on Investigation committees was to take your wife when you do an investigation, especially for married candidates.  Because let's face it, if you ask any Brother who has been deeply involved in the Craft how they are able to be so active in Freemasonry, the first answer most will give is, "Because my wife let's me."  I heard that answer many times this weekend from the Grand Master on down, and it's true.

Then once you have a newly initiated EA, it's very important that you get him involved as soon as you can.  A good idea for that I heard, is to during his first meeting, appoint him to a Greeting Committee.  His duties are simply to greet everyone who walks in for meetings regardless of if they are another EA, new MM, 50 year MM who's a PM, or other visitor.  But it gives the EA a purpose in the Lodge while helping him to meet all his new brothers and they meet him.  And for the brothers in the Lodge, it puts a face and person with the name as they get to know him.


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## JEbeling (Aug 16, 2010)

Thats great Dave.. ! but 33% of our EA's are not advancing..? I don't have all the answers but we don't seem to be addressing the problem.. ! we keep looking over it hoping for some divine intervention.. ! every Grand Lodge has shorten the work.. ! they are starting membership drives.. ! doing everything they can at the Grand Lodge level to help the lodges.. ! our Grand Lodge goes out of its way to make things hard on EA's and new Worshipful Masters.. ! they seem to want fewer mason but all holding a certificate and club of Committe on Hope and Change (work) .. ! and when you talk to them about this they all say "well its so easy"... ? yeah for some its easy but other have trouble with it.. ! sometime its a matter of time others seem to have a hard time retaining the work.. ! but what ever the problem is.. ! we need to work around it to advance more of our EA's


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

Personally, I don't think it's the amount of work the EA's have to turn in.  Lessening the work to me will devalue the degree.  It's like any accomplishment, the one you are most proud of is the one you had to work the most at.  As many have pointed out already Masonry is cheap in Texas, so why cheapen the EA degree even more, after all that is every Mason's foundation and without a good foundation your building will crumble.

The secret is getting EA's involved.  When you belong to something, and not just simply a member, you become more vested in it.  When young EA's are set to work in the Lodge on some type of greeting committee, they are given a purpose in the Lodge and a better sense of belonging to the Lodge.  The brothers become his friends and not just the group of strangers who belong to the same club.  The Lodge becomes his home and he has invested his time and energy into making the Lodge a better place and into his home.  And when people are at home in a place and with the people there, they will spend time there.

Plus you have to look at lessening the work in another manner.  If a guy comes in and only has to do half the work you had to do to get to the same level, does that really make him an equal in your eyes?  Will you feel that he has truly achieved the same stand of being a MM or would you always see him as a  MM* (* - turned in lesser work)?


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## Frater Cliff Porter (Aug 16, 2010)

It is foolish to look at a symptom and believe that the problem is resolved by lowering a standard or creating relativism.  This would be like saying that 33 percent of all marriages end in divorce due to adultery...so we should encourage polyamory and change the standard that multiple sex partners is standard and given....this way marriages won't end in divorce due to philandery, we will just make philandering the new standard.

It will not work, does not treat the problem, and will not fulfill those who are trying to seek the messages and meanings, the deeper meanings, of Masonry.

Get ride of the sporks and foons, stop pretending things are fine, stop believing that we can do the same thing over and over to larger groups of men and eventually it will fix the problem.

We need to immediately:

Follow our obligations and educate our Brothers

Let Masonry shrink when it needs to. (In other words the same 15 guys in a town can't keep pretending that both blue lodges are fine, that the YR, SR, Shrine, White Shrine, Amaranth, High 12, Eastern Star, etc....are all healthy.  We should pull pack when needed, let the (hold on to your seats here) LESS IMPORTANT groups die or shrink away when their is not a realistic population to support them.  

Get ride of unrealistic meeting schedules.  Meet once a month for education and make it count.  Put time, effort, and yes money into the meeting.  Occidental Lodge in Colorado started doing just that and meeting attendance is up 250%.  At my home lodge we suffer higher than 100% attendance at every meeting.  It works.  Limit your business meetings to the number actually needed...4, 6, 12 whatever, but get in, get out and handle business.  Keep business and educational awareness and degree work separate.  

This is important...if Masonry is special we have to treat it as such.

Plastic forks, crappy food, rushed degrees, and little to no care given to the temple does not communicate WE CARE and THIS IS SPECIAL.

Time you say...I don't have the time...well, back to my other point.  Join less stuff and lets all turn to Blue Lodge.  Until we heal blue lodge, everything suffers and all the appendant bodies in the world will not save blue lodge...the tail doesn't wag the dog.


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## JEbeling (Aug 16, 2010)

Well you see thats the problem.. ! everytime anyone address the problem you hear words like "Devalue" or what ever word they chose that refers to some type of uneducated EA...? but when you meet other brothern from other Grand Lodges.. ! do we view them as second class masons' because they didn't learn the second and third section of the EA...? 

It boils down to matter of numbers.. ! if we go from 264,000 in the 60's to 120,000 in the 2010's .. ! we hear that all orginizations are having membership problems.. ! but we don't seem to be able to address ours.. ! it just seems like we are willing to live or die protecting some notion that this was handed down from the Grand Lodge of England and must be defended... ! most of the work we do was developed in the 1930's to 40's and very few Grand Lodges have any where close to the amout of the EA work..?


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

Bro. Cliff, I understand what you are saying and believe you make some good points.  Even at the Blue Lodge level in my town, we have 8 Lodges in a city with a population of just over 100,000. and another 8 in surrounding towns.  Many have memberships of 100+, but most of those members haven't adorned the Lodge room in decades.  Many of those same Lodges couldn't open an EA Lodge on a normal stated meeting night for lack of people.  Many of those Lodges need to either merge or go dark.

Out of curiosity Bro. Cliff, could you provide an outline and/or example of one of your meetings?


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## owls84 (Aug 16, 2010)

I donâ€™t think the amount of EA work is the issue. It is an ownership issue. Why would they become involved in something that is not theirs? What do we do with our EAs? Sit them with a Brother one on one every time they come to Lodge while the rest go practice a degree? How much ownership can one have in this process? We have begun to engage our EAs with educational programs and other means. Look at some of the other Grand Lodge educational programs. Now look at ours? How can you expect a new candidate to care if we don't care enough to update our *mandatory* programs in over 10 years? Itâ€™s sad. Since we have begun having EAs present papers and host educational programs we have about a 1 out of 6 dropout rate for the past 2 years. Our program has been sent to the education committee and it was handed to Tommy Griffin but not one person cared to contact us or follow up. 

To single out the amount of education the EA has to do I think is wrong. We require our EAs to present a paper whether they found it, or wrote it, along with peer review of their personality and approval of a mentor before they move to EA. Our results of retention have gone through the roof. So I respectfully disagree. I think we need to change the way we educate and show there is more to what we do than Q&A. If you look at the proceedings of the Q&A it is a direct result of the membership quality going down and the intent was for a measureable requirement is made so not just anyone would join. It was an elimination process. Problem is a majority of the older members don't know anything outside of the Q&A. They don't know that a lot of our ritual is Pagan and not Christian and focuses on Astrology and the movement of the planets and stars, nor do they care. Masonry to them is not what people are joining for. I have heard a guy that transferred to my Lodge from another flat out tell me that the other Lodge was a joke and we "get it". So want to know why people are leaving, then make it something worth staying for. Otherwise stand aside while the Lodges that â€œget itâ€ can grow but for Peteâ€™s sake donâ€™t make us the Kiwanians.


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## owls84 (Aug 16, 2010)

JEbeling said:


> The Elephant in the room is : maybe we should shorten the EA work... ! make the second and third sections optional.. ? now before we hear from the committee on Hope and Change (Work) .. ! when Grand Master Jack Kelly did this in his year we lost very few.. !
> 
> Do we shoot our self in the foot when we are so hard headed .. ! rather than shorten the work we will except loosing 33% of the EA's..?


 
Yeah the guys that joined during this time went NPD. Good solution. Lets get em through the Masters so they can just pay dues each year and not show up. Hell why not have one day degrees and put on many at once so there is no ownership or sacrifice.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

JEbeling said:


> Well you see thats the problem.. ! everytime anyone address the problem you hear words like "Devalue" or what ever word they chose that refers to some type of uneducated EA...? but when you meet other brothern from other Grand Lodges.. ! do we view them as second class masons' because they didn't learn the second and third section of the EA...?
> 
> It boils down to matter of numbers.. ! if we go from 264,000 in the 60's to 120,000 in the 2010's .. ! we hear that all orginizations are having membership problems.. ! but we don't seem to be able to address ours.. ! it just seems like we are willing to live or die protecting some notion that this was handed down from the Grand Lodge of England and must be defended... ! most of the work we do was developed in the 1930's to 40's and very few Grand Lodges have any where close to the amout of the EA work..?



Yes, I think a lot of people would look down a bit at those that didn't put in the same work they did.  Probably not openly, and probably not all.  There will still be those that would go above and beyond what is required of them.  They do it now when you look at some of the old PM's verses some of the new.  The old PM's conferred their degrees or at least had conferred a degree before they advanced to the East.  Now many of the old ones don't quite give the same respect to the newer PM's especially if they know they have never conferred a degree.  

I disagree that it boils down to numbers.  What would you rather have 200 people where you got work out of 10% or 50 people where you got work out of 90%?  Plus those numbers of 264,000 in the 60's to 120,00 in 2010 don't tell the whole story.  Right now, membership is on the rise in Texas.  The gap is coming from from the huge drop in new membership in the late 60's and 70's, when many young men chose not to follow in their father's footsteps, which included following them into Masonry.  Right now, we are still losing more Masons to death then we are bringing in as the demographics shift.  It used to be the 60+ demographic made up some 80-90% of all Masons in Texas.  That is shifting and the under 40 range now makes up about 25-30% of Texas Masons with that older generation making up less then 60%.

Regardless, lowering standards only serves one purpose and that is to elevate quanity usually at the cost of quality.


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## Sirius (Aug 16, 2010)

owls84 said:


> Our program has been sent to the education committee and it was handed to Tommy Griffin but not one person cared to contact us or follow up.
> 
> They don't know that a lot of our ritual is Pagan and not Christian and focuses on Astrology and the movement of the planets and stars, nor do they care. Masonry to them is not what people are joining for. I have heard a guy that transferred to my Lodge from another flat out tell me that the other Lodge was a joke and we "get it". So want to know why people are leaving, then make it something worth staying for. Otherwise stand aside while the Lodges that â€œget itâ€ can grow but for Peteâ€™s sake donâ€™t make us the Kiwanians.


 
I here a lot of call to action. But what is that action? Is there a legislative agenda that could fix some of these things. Just putting a paper in the hands of a  GM does not actually do anything. 

As for the Kiwians. I Agree whole heartily. And I've been called some ugly things for doing so. We are a lot more than just your run of the mill fraternity. But how do we preserve that? Again is there a way ,you think, to fix this using the power of the state wide organization?


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## Frater Cliff Porter (Aug 16, 2010)

Brother Dave the way we operate is this (insert disclaimer:  I am certain that lodges should be independent, free, and individual with their flavor, flare, and approach to Masonry.  I also believe that all lodges should fulfill their members and far to many Masons spend time talking about why we canâ€™t do something instead of trying something new):

A lodge meeting for our lodge looks/feels/sounds like this:

Brothers start to gather at the temple around 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays.  We have a Saturday meeting day so that we can work this way.  The â€œset up crewâ€ sets up the temple and then grabs a bit to eat together.

The regular attendees show up around 2:00 for the 3:00 p.m. meeting.  

Brothers are dress in tailcoat tuxedos with white pique shirt, vest, and tie.  The brothers also wear white gloves (most wear a pair of white cotton with a skull and cross bones stitched on the back of the hand with the numbers 198 in roman numerals circumscribing the skull.  This is the lodge uniform and we even have a by-law restricting the wearing of lapel pins.

Benadictine chant picked for its numerological and vibrational qualities is played as the brothers, led by the marshal process slowly into lodge.  First visitors are led in, then members, then officers.  All circumambulate the alter slowly prior to walking to their seat at the direction of the marshal.  All stand at the sign of Fidelity until the Master raps the gavel.

The room is set with many candles and this serves as the lighting source, except for the â€œGâ€ which is illuminated by a soft light shinning down upon it.

Lodge is opened using standard Colorado work.

We move to a period of meditation to quiet are minds and ready our spirits for the Work.

We present the speaker which could be and has been:

Authors of books such as Kevin Townley, Tim Hogan, Louis Sahagun, Dr. Casey Blood, Dr. Josh Gunn, Prof. Jim Garrette, etc.

or a Brother presenting a paper that is important to himâ€¦

or a Masonic speaker from a different lodge such as Ray Mahoney who walked us through some Native American drumming and explained similarities between Masonry, the Native American traditions, and Tarot.

or a Degree.  In which event only one Brother is done on any given night.  If it an EA degree he is picked up at his home in a large limousine by several Brothers who hoodwink him at his home  and he rides in silence to an undisclosed location where he will remove his hoodwink the Chamber of Reflection and spend an hour or so.  The answers to his questions will be read in lodge prior to initiation and we ascertain that there are no objections to proceeding with the work.

The degrees are practiced heavily by the members and those who do not step up during practice are seated for the degree and Brothers showing proficiency are put in their place.  We do not allow poor ritual work because we do not want to hurt someoneâ€™s feelings.  It hurts everyoneâ€™s feelings when someone does crappy work and it is disrespectful when people fail to practiceâ€¦.so we uphold this standard.

At the end of a meeting we have a formal meal around a set of tables set up in a â€œUâ€ pattern.

We have a small ritual to open dinner and we toast and have discussion.  We pay $25 a meal and enjoy it with wine, beer, and spirits.

When dinner is complete we usually wrap up with Scotch and cigars.

I usually return home around 10 p.m.

Many of the wives often get together and split a sitter or the like and it is not uncommon for me to beat my wife home on a lodge night as she is still hanging with the other wives and is out having a good time.

I love lodge and look forward to every minute of it.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

Brother Cliff, that sounds a lot like the English Lodges in its set up and formality.  As a side note, I remember Brother Cliff saying their dues are over $400 and I know dues over in English Lodges are usually at least that high and neither seems to have a shortage of members.  Again that can go back to Masonry here being too cheap.

But back to the subject, one can see how an EA degree would certainly make a strong impression upon a candidate.  A reflection chamber is something one of my Lodge brothers has brought up in our discussions.  With such attention to the details and getting skills honed to such a degree, it would put the candidate in awe that some much work had been done for his benefit.  

I love the idea of a formal Lodge meeting like that.  In Texas there are some things we wouldn't be able to do since by Grand Lodge Law all of our Lodge buildings are dry.  Plus most buildings are also "No Smoking" buildings.  Still I think there are some solid practices that we could adapt to our Lodges here.  I know for me personally, every degree should be almost a stage production in itself.  The players should all be practiced.  I know a few months ago I passed on my first chance to confer an EA because I was still stumbling on a part of it, and I didn't want to give the guy a bad degree especially on his first degree.

I do thank you for the valuable insight Brother Cliff.  Next time I'm in Colorado, I am definately looking you and your Lodge up Brother Cliff.


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## Frater Cliff Porter (Aug 16, 2010)

We love to share in lodge with visiting Brethren.  You are welcome in my home as well.


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## Ashton Lawson (Aug 16, 2010)

Your lodge sounds like heaven to me Cliff. Shame I can't get my wife to move to Colorado...and I've been trying for ten years!


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## Benton (Aug 16, 2010)

As an FC soon to be raised (looking at tomorrow night!), I'd like to jump in and add, shortening the EA work is NOT the answer. In fact, if anything, I wish there was a bit more to it or the FC to further explain many customs and symbolism not covered in the work! (Perhaps some of it will be further covered in the MM degree, I'll find out tomorrow.)

I'll further say, I think the dues ought to be upped, both because of what we can potentially do with the money (charity and programs within the lodges) and because they are kinda insultingly cheap right now. I'm a broke college student, but both of my college fraternities (I'm in two) are more expensive than Freemasonry. And one of them is the cheapest fraternity on campus!

So, Freemasonry is cheaper than any Greek organization at my University. I know that a couple of them are outrageously priced because of their houses, or all the alcohol they buy (not the frats I'm in!), but still. Coming out of the two fraternities I'm in, it was kind of a shock to find out that the oldest fraternity in the world was cheaper.  On the one hand, I was extremely relieved. Helps us poor youngins working on our degrees afford the fraternity! Still, it was kind of a jarring impression that isn't easily forgotten.

I think the biggest thing I've observed over the past months is simply we, as Masons, need to take pride in our fraternity and take it seriously. I'm not saying we don't need to laugh and joke around, shoot the bull and meet in fellowship! That's vital. But pretend when you're presenting work that its for a grade, or an job interview, or whatever. Whether you're the JD or the WM, every part is vital, and should be appropriately polished and respected. If we don't respect our work, no one else will. It's up to us to raise the standard. 

That said, if our lodge's dues had been $400, I wouldn't be petitioning for another two, maybe three years. That's out of my price range. When it's that expensive, you really do cut out some potential members. I'm for a price increase, but a modest one. No disrespect meant, Cliff, none at all. That's a viable price for some lodges, but not all. Which is the beauty of diversity in our lodges.

Anyway, to the point, I don't want my Masonry cheapened. Don't give me shorter EA work. Don't give me one day degrees. None of that garbage. The best things in life are worked for, by the sweat of the brow. We are to await the time with patience: Something we have far to little of in today's world! No, the answer isn't cheapening anything, making anything easier. It's taking pride in what we do and holding ourselves to a higher standard. Being a light in your community of virtue, charity, and manhood that others can look up to. That will drawn men into Freemasonry and keep them there.

My generation doesn't want a quicker, easier lunch like some people think. They may not know it yet, but they want to be challenged and presented with something of substance and value. Masonry can give them that, if we treat it properly.


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## Dave in Waco (Aug 16, 2010)

Very well said Brother John, and from a good point of view.  I see you will make a fine MM.  Good luck on your MM by the way.


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## David Duke (Aug 17, 2010)

Well said brother John, I think we ALL could learn some very valuable lessons from you!!

And I do wish I could attend your MM degree tonight, enjoy it you will remember it forever.


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## peace out (Aug 17, 2010)

Here, Here, Benton.  I see a trend in the generation in their 20s and 30s ( I am 34) that now are looking inwardly again, as opposed to the baby boom generation trend that left their father's path.  

I love religious talk, esoteric ideas, philosophy, and most especially the deeper meanings behind what we are learning as Masons.  I am an Aggie, and there is a saying around here (true or not) that General Patton once said "Give me an army and I'll win the battle, give me a handful of Aggies and I'll win the war."

This resounds in my very fiber.  I would rather attend lodge with only two people who were passionate than with 200 that really don't care.  I say, make it more honorable to be a Mason.  Don't up the dues, but up the ante.  Make certain requirements for initiates.  Make them feel like a part of it; that they are needed.

I see, Benton, that you were Passed over half a year after initiation.  Congrats.  I was initiated in mid June, passed my proficiency last week, and initiated as a FC the same night last week.  

In some ways, I am happy at the progression to MM, but in other ways, I would not mind being forced to wait the time with patience to be passed and subsequently raised.


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## rhitland (Aug 18, 2010)

Ashton Lawson said:


> Price out the guys who are just showing up to cheat the Steward out of a bowl of bad soup, and you can start that process. I'm honestly not sure how else to begin.



This is exactly where you start.  Plus nothing gets inactive members in lodge like talk of raising dues.


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## owls84 (Aug 18, 2010)

rhitland said:


> This is exactly where you start.  Plus nothing gets inactive members in lodge like talk of raising dues.


 
Or moving a building....


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## rhitland (Aug 18, 2010)

Benton said:


> My generation doesn't want a quicker, easier lunch like some people think. They may not know it yet, but they want to be challenged and presented with something of substance and value. Masonry can give them that, if we treat it properly.



Could not agree more but rarely in our society has one generation passed the torch without some razzing.  I believe it is a right of passage kinda the poke we need to step up to the new bar.  I look forward to hearing how you apply some of these changes to your lodge because i bet I will emulate a thing or two.


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## rhitland (Aug 18, 2010)

owls84 said:


> Or moving a building....



Heck yea that works like a champ come to find out.   It also created one of the best discussion in lodge I have ever been apart of where the brothers came out on the same page and ready to work together.


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