I'll still participate just not as an officer.It's the same in Louisiana but my thing is why join if your not going to participate ??
And one can also say, if you insist on keeping the uniform, you accept that most young men won't want to participate.If you want to participate, you accept the uniform.
And one can also say, if you insist on keeping the uniform, you accept that most young men won't want to participate.
That's fine. Young people today have too much of a sense of entitlement and getting their own way. Commanderies shouldn't have to cater to everyone's demands. It is a voluntary organization.
I think people today want more out of Freemasonry, I think those that are joining today are less entitled when it comes to light in Masonry than those in the past. They are going out of their way to find information that most never tried to learn or where never thought. I agree I'm looking too learn to improve myself through knowledge, I spent four years in the Marine Corp where I learned Drill,and drill has now to with self improvement.That's fine. Young people today have too much of a sense of entitlement and getting their own way. Commanderies shouldn't have to cater to everyone's demands. It is a voluntary organization.
We don't.Just like begin a Grand Lodge Officer they have their own style of Blazers too.
That's fine. Young people today have too much of a sense of entitlement and getting their own way. Commanderies shouldn't have to cater to everyone's demands. It is a voluntary organization.
What I was defending is an organization not bending to people saying, "I'd join if you change to suit me."
I'll still participate just not as an officer.
Perhaps it is a byproduct of me being asked to be an officer, but the uniforms seem less silly to me than they once did. I dunno, I guess they're growing on me or something. The cost really is a major drawback though.
I wonder though, is the uniform actually something stopping new members from *joining*, or rather is it an obstacle to retaining membership? It doesn't seem to me that new members would point to the uniform as a reason not to join. Most complaints like that don't occur until they've already joined. After all, like most everybody says, you don't need the uniform to be a member or attend meetings, just to be an officer. So it seems to me this topic should be thought of two ways: 1) why is it hard to get new members? and 2) why can't we retain members?
Both of these are lengthy topics, but as the title of this thread is "joining", I'll comment there.
Did anyone read this month's KT magazine? In it, there was an article talking about membership retention and active participation between "festival"/"class" degrees/orders and individual conferral of degrees/orders. The article stated that there was markedly less participation in members who received orders via festival versus individual conferral. Stay with me here. I can't help but notice in my own Masonic career that I am much more invested in Blue Lodge, Chapter, and Council, than I am in the Commandery. The difference? I received all my blue, red, and purple (if you will) degrees right there in my own lodge/c&c. It really struck a chord and made an impact receiving my degrees first hand rather than be side-lined for the whole thing. Conversely, I received my orders from the side-line during a Commandery only class/festival (as my Commandery could not get together to put them on), with only very little participation granted me toward the very end. Don't get me wrong, the Commandery that put on the Orders did a superb job, but it's just not the same and I would be hard pressed to say that the Orders had much if any impact on me personally/emotionally the way the rest did.
Now, my ultimate point: Is it possible that the majority of men are receiving their Chapter and Council degrees in festival/class format rather than individually, thus creating a slew of non-active c&c members? Once they see how little attention and care is given to them in the bodies leading up to the Commandery, why would they spend more money and commit time to something that they (might) perceive little value to them? Perhaps some investigation may be given to the local Chapters and Councils to see what their retention looks like. After all, just as the Blue Lodge is the fertile ground for new Royal Arch Masons, so is the Chapter the fertile ground for new Sir Knights. Men who only seek a title will get the orders then leave anyway, the ones who aren't only groping for titles, may just be disenchanted exactly how much more Light the YR provides.
/EDIT: Thus I come back around to my arguments that, while festivals are seen as a necessity, they are, in the long run, a bad idea.
Perhaps it is a byproduct of me being asked to be an officer, but the uniforms seem less silly to me than they once did. I dunno, I guess they're growing on me or something. The cost really is a major drawback though.
I wonder though, is the uniform actually something stopping new members from *joining*, or rather is it an obstacle to retaining membership? It doesn't seem to me that new members would point to the uniform as a reason not to join. Most complaints like that don't occur until they've already joined. After all, like most everybody says, you don't need the uniform to be a member or attend meetings, just to be an officer. So it seems to me this topic should be thought of two ways: 1) why is it hard to get new members? and 2) why can't we retain members?
Both of these are lengthy topics, but as the title of this thread is "joining", I'll comment there.
Did anyone read this month's KT magazine? In it, there was an article talking about membership retention and active participation between "festival"/"class" degrees/orders and individual conferral of degrees/orders. The article stated that there was markedly less participation in members who received orders via festival versus individual conferral. Stay with me here. I can't help but notice in my own Masonic career that I am much more invested in Blue Lodge, Chapter, and Council, than I am in the Commandery. The difference? I received all my blue, red, and purple (if you will) degrees right there in my own lodge/c&c. It really struck a chord and made an impact receiving my degrees first hand rather than be side-lined for the whole thing. Conversely, I received my orders from the side-line during a Commandery only class/festival (as my Commandery could not get together to put them on), with only very little participation granted me toward the very end. Don't get me wrong, the Commandery that put on the Orders did a superb job, but it's just not the same and I would be hard pressed to say that the Orders had much if any impact on me personally/emotionally the way the rest did.
Now, my ultimate point: Is it possible that the majority of men are receiving their Chapter and Council degrees in festival/class format rather than individually, thus creating a slew of non-active c&c members? Once they see how little attention and care is given to them in the bodies leading up to the Commandery, why would they spend more money and commit time to something that they (might) perceive little value to them? Perhaps some investigation may be given to the local Chapters and Councils to see what their retention looks like. After all, just as the Blue Lodge is the fertile ground for new Royal Arch Masons, so is the Chapter the fertile ground for new Sir Knights. Men who only seek a title will get the orders then leave anyway, the ones who aren't only groping for titles, may just be disenchanted exactly how much more Light the YR provides.
/EDIT: Thus I come back around to my arguments that, while festivals are seen as a necessity, they are, in the long run, a bad idea.
I don't look at it that way, although I certainly see what you mean. If a Commandrie doesn't want to change their uniform in hopes of attracting younger members then they're completely in their right to do so. However, what if -existing- members dislike the uniforms? I think it's also within their rights to work towards change if they see fit.
I think this is the basic issue. It's very hard to balance your work, school, kids gymnastics/youth baseball, blue lodge, your other blue lodge, oh and an appendant body.I have petitioned, and I have gotten as far as the Royal Arch degree. For me, it comes down to time. If there is a place for me and the meetings are later in the week (Thurs or Friday), I'll probably be involved. I've heard a lot about Commandery and I am interested, but I will have to get there to see for myself.