Counterintuitive Secret to Masonic Lodge Growth
What if the best way to grow our Masonic lodges is actually to do less, not more? Sounds crazy, right? But here's the thing - this approach might be the key to making our lodges strong and popular again, just like they used to be.
In this edition of Daily Masonic Progress, we're going to uncover an old approach that will seem backward at first. We'll explore ideas that go against what most lodges are doing today to get new members. But if we applied this counterintuitive approach, it just might be the key to making our lodges strong and popular again.
But first, why is it that you can you walk into a Casio store and buy a watch yet if you tried to buy a Rolex, you'd have to wait for months, and once you got it, it only increased in value the longer you have it— but they both tell the same time?
Casio makes excellent timepieces. They're accurate, durable, and affordable. You can buy one almost anywhere. But because they're so readily available, they're not seen as special. They're tools, not treasures.
Rolex, on the other hand, has mastered the art of desire. They don't just sell watches; they sell an experience. They deliberately limit production, carefully select their dealers, and maintain long waiting lists for popular models.
But it's not just about being hard to get. Rolex backs up its exclusivity with quality, craftsmanship, and heritage. When you finally get that Rolex, you're not just buying a watch. It seems like we’ve stopped valuing the quality, craftsmanship and heritage of Freemasonry.
Just as a Rolex gains value over time due to its scarcity and quality, Freemasonry once held similar prestige and men waited years to join. What if the very basics of Freemasonry hold the key to growing our lodges?
The basics of Freemasonry are the performing of 3 degree ceremonies to initiate, pass, and raise Masons. At the very core of Freemasonry, a regular meeting should be performing one of these ceremonies. Our members tell us this - we get more people turning up when we have degree work than when we don't.
If a Lodge meets once a month, it has 12 meetings a year, one will always be an Installation. Therefore, you have 11 meetings to perform a degree ceremony. This means that at a minimum, a Lodge can Initiate 3 Masons a year (3.66 actually, 11 meetings divided by 3 degrees), but when you schedule this out on paper, it's actually closer to 5.
By focusing on these fundamental ceremonies, we create a predictable rhythm of meaningful experiences. This isn't mere nostalgia; it's a recognition that the heart of our Craft beats strongest when we engage in the very acts that define us as Masons.
By focusing on our three degree ceremonies, we create a predictable rhythm of meaningful experiences that keep members engaged and attending. But what happens in the months between these pivotal moments? Isn't a Mason's journey about more than just degree nights?
Imagine a newly initiated brother, full of enthusiasm, eager to progress through the degrees. Months pass, then years. His initial fervor fades, replaced by confusion and disappointment. "When will I be ready for the next step?" he wonders, but no clear answer comes.
The solution lies in structure. From the moment a man is initiated, he should see the road ahead. Six months to Fellowcraft, six more to Master Mason. Clear milestones, defined expectations, a journey with purpose.
Think about it like this: Freemasonry is a gym for the mind. If you go to a gym, you have a problem and a goal. You want to lose X kilos by this date or get X fit. The gym gives you a plan on how to get there. Doesn't this sound familiar? Having a plan laid out for the workmen so they can follow it - that's the symbolism of the tracing boards as well as the Skirret and Pencil.
By implementing this structured progress, we don't just create Masons; we create engaged, committed brothers who see their place in the grand design of the Craft.
Providing a clear six-month roadmap between degrees gives our members direction and purpose, much like a gym membership with defined fitness goals. Can we apply this structured approach to our recruitment process And if so, how might it change the way potential candidates view Freemasonry?
In lodges across the land, a troubling scene unfolds. Desperate for new members, we've flung our doors wide, eagerly ushering in any man who shows a glimmer of interest. But in our haste, we've forgotten a fundamental law of both nature and human desire: scarcity creates value.
The answer lies in controlled scarcity. Limit your initiations. Create a waiting list. When a potential candidate hears "We're full at the moment," something shifts in his perception. Suddenly, Masonic membership becomes a something to be earned, not a commodity to be consumed.
This isn't about elitism; it's about recognizing the value of what we offer and creating an environment where quality candidates are willing to wait, to prove their commitment before ever entering the lodge room.
Creating a waiting list for initiation and limiting new members has increased the perceived value of Masonic membership, making it something to be earned rather than consumed. Yet, doesn't this contradict our principle of universal brotherhood? Or is there a way to reconcile these seemingly opposing ideas?
A paradox plagues our Craft. We preach universal brotherhood, yet often act with narrow self-interest when it comes to lodge growth. We hoard candidates, viewing neighboring lodges as competitors rather than collaborators in a grand Masonic enterprise.
But what if there was a way to be both selfish and charitable in our approach to growth? Be selfish in maintaining your standards, your processes, your unique lodge culture. Don't compromise these for the sake of accommodating every potential candidate.
Yet, be charitable in your outlook. When you can't immediately accommodate a worthy candidate, don't view it as a loss. Instead, see it as an opportunity to strengthen the Craft as a whole. Direct these men to other lodges that can initiate them sooner.
This approach creates a rising tide that lifts all lodges. As more lodges operate at capacity, the perceived value of Freemasonry increases across the board.
By directing overflow candidates to other lodges, we've created a collaborative approach where all lodges benefit, like a rising tide that lifts all boats. But are we truly living up to our Masonic ideals if our actions don't align perfectly with our words? How can we ensure this approach embodies the very essence of our Craft?
We speak of quality, of commitment, of men who will be assets to the Craft. Yet our actions often tell a different story. We accept candidates hastily, compromise our standards, and act as if any warm body will do to fill our ranks.
The solution is elegant in its simplicity, yet profound in its impact: we must align our actions with our stated intentions. This means being truly selective in our membership process, not just paying lip service to the idea. It means valuing quality over quantity in our initiations, even if it means slower numerical growth.
Freemasonry teaches us to be conscious of our actions, and it warns us that our actions will determine the outcome. That's the lesson of the common gavel. By ensuring our actions speak the same truth as our words, we don't just talk about Masonic values – we embody them.
These methods may seem counterintuitive, even heretical to some. Why, when every lodge needs more members, should we be limiting how many Masons get in?
But remember, a lodge can only make 3 to 5 Masons a year properly. If we want quality members, engaged members, committed members, we need to act accordingly.
The time has come to reclaim this forgotten art of lodge growth.
In doing so, we won't just survive – we'll usher in a new golden age of Freemasonry, one worthy mason at a time.