Food for
thought:
Caution!!! Reading this just might inflame
you!
We had a great time
yesterday at our 14th District School of instruction, thanks to our
DDGL, Don Butto and our DDGM Larry Hudson.
Before taking charge of the membership drives in the other bodies, most
of you who regularly read the TMR know of my concerns for the bodies due to
attrition. Since then, membership and
participation issues have frequently surfaced from all bodies. This meeting reverberated the recrudescence
taking place in our district, and is fueling the flames throughout the
state.
Why are some lodges more
successful than others? This question
was addressed in one of our membership ambassador training sessions. As a former multi-unit hotel manager, the
first person looked at when troubleshooting a failing property was the
manager. So, think about your WM. As a lodge are you training those Wardens for
a future role leading your lodge? I
asked what does Wilkerson College teach, not to demean the work, but in earnest
to see what is lacking. This education
is left for the Warden on his own to pick up.
If your lodge is not having fund raisers, activities, and reaching out to
the brothers AND HIS FAMILY, you are not preparing him to take the east? If the upcoming Warden is unable to fulfill
his chair’s duties should he be allowed to move up? One doesn’t promote an assistant manager who
has poor attendance, no follow through, or poor employee relationships. In Masonry, somehow we feel we are doing the
Warden a disservice by not voting him into the next chair. Who are you really hurting? The consequence of an unprepared warden is a
decline in lodge membership, attendance, or income.
Something else they don’t
teach you at Wilkerson College is membership recruitment and retention. Is lodge only about Business, Fund Raisers,
Masonic Education, Code, By-laws, and Degree work? I recently had a brother tell me he was
thinking about leaving a body because he felt there was no fellowship. Do brothers join the lodge for work or
pleasure? One thing stands out! A big difference between active lodges and
struggling lodges is the programs and activities provided. Fund raisers can be
fun but they can also be work! Degree
work can be tedious and frustrating for some who have trouble learning and is
not the best place for a type A personality leader. Another more important difference is
outreach. Does your lodge have an
effective communication system? If you are still using Morse Code, you might
just be a little behind the times! Do
you have a multi-levels communication system?
Does your system adapt to the variant needs of the body? It doesn’t make sense to email a brother with
no computer. Nor does it make sense to
have a web page but no direct communication system such as a phone tree, email
list, facebook communication, text messaging, or other direct contact
method. The program has to reach the
intended market, otherwise it is of no use.
Do your members only meet for lodge or do they get together for family
dinners, exercise, running, biking, or other specific interest type events? What draws new members to your lodge? Other members, of course. Brothers will attract others with like
interests. Are you meeting the brother’s
family’s needs? What is the wife supposed to do while the brother attends
lodge? Are you providing masonic value
and morals to help raise his kids?
What? We have something for the
whole family! Why not start or further
develop an Eastern Star program, Rainbow, or Demolay program. Do so and you will be developing your future
lodge! You will also have a list of new
recruits for years to come.
Are
you afraid of change? Is this really
change? Even though this is 2014, your
grandparents were doing this and they had more membership. No they didn’t have
computers and this should be an eye opener.
They had personal contact. While
we have so much more, there is no substitution for personal contact. Although it
happens, the lodge is not the place for personal gain, other than the gain of a
greater masonic experience. Are you
being offered a greater masonic experience at your lodge? You can make the difference! Why not start with a family bbq(doesn’t have
to be a pig picken)? Start by
discovering your brother. Secondly,
don’t expect success by tomorrow. Get
your lodge on the same page and then accordingly develop. One plan does not fit all. Then, make sure to
invite the rest of us, because we like to share your masonic
experience!
