Planning Tools
Planning Tools provides information to help you plan a successful year as Master and sets in place a foundation for a stronger lodge. Summarized sections from the Lodge Leadership Manual will appear here monthly. You are encouraged to work on each step in this planning process. This information was developed by Past Masters who saw it work successfully in their lodge. If you want to work ahead, see the Lodge Leadership Manual on this Web site.
Section 6 – Membership
This sixth installment contains ideas and actions for Membership in your Lodge. If you want to review the previous months’ sections, click here.
Recruiting quality men to join Freemasonry is the lifeblood of your lodge’s success.
Despite having 150,000 more males today, Nebraska has dropped from 40,000 members in 1966 to about 14,000. During that time, we didn’t change to meet the needs of modern men. To increase membership, you must build a relevant and meaningful program for your lodge.
On average, after the first year of membership, 80 percent of all new members don’t return to lodge. Appealing programs, not just ritual work, attract and keep members.
Only about 25 percent of men indicate they are “favorably interested” in joining groups. Of that percentage, only 2 percent show definite interest while the other 23 percent “may be interested.”
Masonry competes with other fraternal and civic organizations for a small pool of men. Does your lodge have a program that can compete with these organizations?
When a member feels good about Freemasonry and what he is gaining from it, he will be active and talk enthusiastically to others about it. This is the most effective recruitment tool possible, emanating from a well-designed program targeted to meet his and Freemasonry’s wants and needs.
What Men Want from Freemasonry
As surveys show, Masons want our fraternity to provide:
Better fellowship and opportunities to make new friends.
Leadership opportunities, improved leadership training and to be well led.
Greater civic involvement, public charities, pride in the accomplishments of the Craft.
Improved Masonic education and understanding by Masons.
A higher profile for Freemasonry, more open to the public, greater visibility and more pride in the organization.
Active commitment to the needs of youth.
Higher quality degrees presented more dramatically and understandably.
Improved meetings with entertaining and interesting programs.
Improved leadership training and more opportunities to be a leader.
Opportunities for family involvement in Lodge.
Self-improvement.
Some benefits men want in their lives:
85 percent want more friends.
Nearly 100 percent want to make new connections.
Nearly all married men want better time with their family.
80 percent want to play a role of importance in their community.
60 percent want more opportunities to lead.
Of those who might join Masonry:
75 percent said groups excluding wives from membership were unappealing.
- 70 percent said they objected to a dress code.
- 72 percent said they do not find memorizing materials appealing.
- 88 percent found racially exclusive organizations unappealing.
- 92 percent said quality of leadership was important in their decision to join.
- 92 percent said a group’s charitable efforts were important to their decision.
Who Wants to Join?
Recent surveys show the following men are most likely to join Masonry:
- Between the ages of 35-55.
- College educated.
- Unmarried.
- Professionals (as opposed to blue collar workers).
- Live in rural communities.
Although our primary target age range is 35-55, don’t ignore men of other ages. But, men in this age group are usually looking to be active, to get involved or to network with others. They are established and likely to maintain roots in your community, resulting in members who could be life-long, contributing members.
Recruiting New Members
Your first step is to set a goal. Review your lodge’s losses the past five years, and estimate how many Masons you expect to lose in the coming year. Add a percentage of growth to your previous year’s membership total, such as 5 or 10 percent. Don’t make it too low or too high, but more than what you’re comfortable achieving so you and your members stretch to reach your goal.
Develop a presentation for your members informing them of the consequences of failing to grow membership. Review membership for the past 5, 10 or 20 years. Then, forecast your lodge’s membership in the coming year. Show the impact on lodge finances resulting from lost dues, which could affect your ability to maintain your building, participate in your community and hold activities.
Appoint a Membership Committee chairman who works hard and is committed to your lodge’s success. Members should trust him as someone who will do what’s needed to increase membership.
Ask the most successful recruiters in your lodge how they recruit new members. Also, ask your brothers why they became and remain Masons. Use this information to recruit others.
Consider establishing new member teams among active members by age groups to develop ways to appeal to other men their age. Empower them to pursue prospective members as they see fit.
After making a list of prospective members, ask the members who recommended the prospects to meet with them and discuss Masonry. Men respond best when Masonry is explained to them face-to-face by a friend. Set a time when the Worshipful Master can also attend, and any other brother who knows the prospect well, or a member of the Membership Committee.
Don’t take too much of the prospect’s time and don’t try to “oversell” him on Masonry. Tell him why you are a Mason and what it means to you. Give him the basics, and then present him with a petition and invite him to join. If he won’t make a decision at that time, change the subject or part ways for the evening. After a couple days, follow up with a call to ask if he has any questions and whether he’s made a decision. Be positive and upbeat.
If you plan to hold a “Who are the Masons?” meeting, invite him and his wife to attend. These meetings have proven to be very effective in recruiting new members. Check out how to plan a “Who Are the Masons?” Meeting. A Sample Letter to Prospective Members is included to invite men and their wives to attend.
Forms/Information to Help You Recruit
Your best prospects are men your members already know. Most Masons become perplexed when asked to provide the names of men who may want to join our fraternity. Getting your members to think about the areas of their lives where they interact with men may make them aware of men they hadn’t previously considered.
At your next meeting, distribute the Prospective Lodge Members form. Read each category aloud and ask members to write the names of men they know. Give them time to fill out the sheet after reading each category. Gather the forms and make a record of all prospective members using the Prospective New Members Tracking Chart.
Utilize several Methods to Become an Effective Masonic Recruiter.
Once you have identified prospective members, recruiting is the next and most critical step. You must provide prospective members with accurate and meaningful information about your lodge and Freemasonry. In addition to making a “Famous Masons“ fact sheet, give them the most recent four-color membership brochure that answers many questions about Masonry. It is available from the Grand Lodge Office.
It is equally important that you and your members are able to speak knowledgeably about Masonry. Give your brothers a copy of the Responses to Common Concerns men may have about joining.
Also, consider giving them Ten Reasons to Become a Mason, which explains the advantages of membership.
Visitation (or Investigating) Committees
Once a man signs a petition, the Master appoints a Visitation (or Investigating) Committee immediately after the petition is read in lodge. This applies not only to petitions for initiation, but also petitions for affiliation, advancement, dual or plural membership and all applications for reinstatement after suspension for more than three years for nonpayment of dues.
The Investigating Committee is the guardian of the portals. Its report at the next meeting of the lodge will determine the ballot. The future of your lodge rests squarely on the quality of the new members who are accepted.
The committee’s duties are twofold. The first is to investigate the eligibility of the candidate, his character and his fitness for membership. The second duty is to give the candidate and his family a positive first impression of Freemasonry and answer questions.
The committee contacts the candidate to arrange a meeting with him (and his family, if desired). It may be best to arrange for the candidate to meet the committee at the lodge. Consider meeting him there prior to or after another scheduled event to make the most of active members’ time and to preview Masonic activities for the prospect. Ensure the interview is friendly and promotes dialogue. Ask the following questions:
- Belief in a Supreme Being. A man must believe in a Supreme Being to become a Mason. This does not mean he must be Christian. No other religious test may be given.
- Age. A candidate must be at least 18 years old and must not be in his dotage (feebleness of mind).
- Jurisdiction. He must have resided continuously with the jurisdiction of the state for six months immediately preceding and at the time his petition is received by the lodge.
- Occupation. The candidate’s occupation may be indicative of his character. However, there are no legal occupations identified by the Grand Lodge of Nebraska that would render a candidate ineligible.
- Prior petition. Check if the candidate previously petitioned any lodge, and if so, check the outcome of the first petition and verify that the required six months have passed from the date of the ballot to the date the new petition was received. If the candidate did petition another lodge, that lodge has three years jurisdiction over the candidate.
- Does the candidate know of any reason he cannot or should not become a Freemason? The answer to this question could disclose mental reservations concerning Masonry or information about the candidate that may require further investigation.
- His petition must be submitted of his own free will and accord. Undue pressure shall not be applied to convince him to become a Mason.
- Financial ability and special benefits. He should have financial potential and authority to pay his dues and fees. He must understand that he will not receive personal advancement, either financial or otherwise, and that the lodge is not an insurance, burial or relief society. He should also understand that his acceptance relies entirely on a unanimous secret ballot and there is no obligation to accept him or offer any reason or justification for denial.
- When concluding the investigation, the committee should contact the brethren who signed his petition. Any rumor casting discredit on his integrity, morals or record should be thoroughly investigated.
- The report consists of a favorable or unfavorable response in the space provided on a candidate’s petition. Do not hesitate to make an unfavorable report if there is reasonable doubt in your mind that the candidate is not qualified in every respect to be a just and upright Mason.
Recommendation of Degrees
You can also petition a man without his knowledge, enabling his degree work to start as soon as he agrees to become a member. This method is outlined in the bylaws of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska in Chapter IX, Sec. 2-913). Attach a Form for the Recommendation of a Candidate for the Degrees of Masonry to a regular petition, which is in draft form and not signed by the proposed candidate. A candidate may be proposed for initiation by presenting the form with the signature of three brothers, who constitute the investigation committee. The form is read at a stated meeting of the lodge. The form can be found here.
At the next stated meeting (after a 30-day layover) of the lodge, following the proposal of the candidate, the petition is put to a vote with a favorable ballot subject to the subsequent completion of the petition by the proposed candidate. Satisfactory answers must be completed to the questions posed on the petition but not limited to: a belief in a supreme being, and questions as to health, financial responsibility, and not having been rejected by another lodge within the time period set out in the bylaws of Grand Lodge. The petition must be signed by the candidate and applicable fees paid prior to his presenting himself for initiation.
After election, the Master will select one of the three proposing brothers to inform the candidate he has been elected to join the fraternity upon completion of the petition. This petition must be returned to the lodge within 60 days of his election. If not, the Master declares the petition null and void. Then, it is duly recorded in the records of the lodge.
If a proposal is not found to be favorable by the lodge, it will be held only by the restriction that a new proposal cannot be made until six months have passed since the last one. The proposed candidate will not be informed of this rejection and would not be held responsible for Sections 2-906, 2-907 & 2-908.
Preparing for the EA Degree
Once a man commits to become a Mason, your work has just begun to make him feel comfortable and assimilate him into the lodge. Ensure his experience is positive by informing him of what to expect.
Of men who were suspended from their lodges for non-payment of dues, 66 percent said it was not what they expected. They said they were not prepared for the initiation. It surprised them and they felt uncomfortable and embarrassed. A good way to prepare a man for this experience is to send him a Letter to the EA Candidate.
Appoint Lodge Members to Mentor Candidates
Assign a mentor to each candidate to work with him while progressing through the degrees and beyond. The mentor’s duties are:
- To attend each stated and special meeting for six months.
- To personally call and invite the new member to each meeting.
- To provide transportation, if required.
- To follow up after each degree to answer his questions.
- To personally introduce the new Mason to lodge brothers.
- To contact the family and answer any questions they may have, if necessary.
- Identify the new member’s Masonic friends and invite them to his initiation.
- Provide names of committee chairs and urge him to call them to volunteer.
In addition, mentors must:
Inform the brothers about the interests of new members.
Encourage brothers to connect with new members by relating their names and what is unique about them.
Invite the new member to a sporting event, and ask him to invite his friends.
Take a photo of the new members and place it on the bulletin board.
Ask for feedback from the new member about how he feels about his membership in your lodge. As he makes more friends in lodge, the mentor can begin withdrawing, if desired.
Watch for any loss of enthusiasm. If discovered, ask for the cause of it.
For more information about how to conduct a mentoring program, read the mentoring manual here.
Every brother must hold a diploma of proficiency as a Master Mason, or he is not allowed to hold office, demit from his lodge nor petition any other Masonic body for further degrees. He shall, however, be liable for payment of his lodge dues.
Each candidate must answer the questions contained in the degree proficiency manuals. He must also demonstrate the respective modes of recognition and perform the Standard Proficiency oral demonstration before he may advance to the next degree or be declared proficient when reaching the degree of a Master Mason. It is the Worshipful Maser’s responsibility to ensure the Standard Proficiency manual has been satisfactorily completed before the candidate demonstrates his proficiency in the modes of recognition in open lodge.
Participate with new members in a review of their reasons for becoming a Mason and the types of personal enrichment they hope to receive through membership in your lodge. Use that information to adjust your lodge’s plans. Follow-up later by asking how well your lodge is meeting their needs. Their satisfaction ensures they will remain a Mason and recommend lodge membership to others.
Communicate at least five times with new members within the first six months of membership. Make them comfortable when they come to lodge meetings and activities. And, call them if they miss a meeting. You may discover that your new members want benefits that differ from those of current members. You probably won’t need to change your lodge, but you will need to accommodate these needs. Don’t let old ways of doing business get in the way of future members.
One-Day Degrees
Due to the busy nature of today’s society, the Grand Lodge of Nebraska has created a method to accommodate the initiation of active candidates whose schedules prohibit spending three separate evenings over several months receiving the degrees of Freemasonry. The One-Day Degree starts with the EA Degree early in the morning, continues with the FC Degree and concludes with the MM Degree by late afternoon.
Offering the option of a One-Day Degree to new members helps to meet the needs of some men. It also eases the burden on your lodge degree teams who may tire of holding degrees continuously because your lodge is fortunate to have very good recruiters. If your degree teams contain newer members, the One-Day Degree program not only accommodates a candidate’s schedule, but that of the newer member as well. Do not allow a few brothers in your lodge to stifle this alternative approach to conferring degrees.
Delinquent Dues
An important aspect of retaining members is preventing them from becoming delinquent with their dues. Suspensions for non-payment of dues occurs at an alarming rate.
The Masonic Renewal Committee studied members suspended for non-payment of dues and found that 50 percent were not contacted prior to their suspension. Nearly 35 percent said they had no knowledge of being suspended, and another 35 percent could not be reached because their contact information was incorrect.
It is the responsibility of the chairman of Membership Retention to obtain from the Secretary a list of all members who are in arrears with dues before they are suspended the first day of April each year. Send a letter from the Secretary of the lodge to those on the list advising them their dues are in arrears and encourage them to become current.
Follow-up letters from the Secretary may be sent to those who do not respond after a specified period of time. See the sample Dues Notice Letters.
For members who do not respond, the most successful method is personal contact, either in person or by phone. It is probably best for those who signed his petition to contact him. A brother who is acquainted with him or a member of the Membership Committee is the next best choice.
In some cases, a brother is unable to pay his dues because of financial reasons. Perhaps he is in a care facility, has health problems, is financially distressed, or simply that he has not been brought into the fellowship of the fraternity. In these situations, the lodge can remit his dues.
Remember, the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth should not allow a member to be dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues. Consider creating a fund to pay for the annual Grand Lodge per capita for members who, for whatever reason, have not paid their annual dues. Solicit donations from your members to help these brothers.
To drop a member would mean the loss of several important benefits: his and his female relatives’ right to apply for admission to the Nebraska Masonic Home, membership in other Masonic organizations, availability of Masonic Funeral Services, eligibility to receive membership awards, and other rights and privileges afforded a Master Mason in good standing. Maintain the names of those in need of assistance in the strictest of confidence.