Does your Lodge have superfluities



 

While sitting on my front porch having a stick, I had a thought. What is a good number of Lodge Membership?  Now, I am sure today's thought is going to set some Brothers on fire. If it does, good. Because it is causing us to think.

Thursday, while attending Temple, I heard of the days when we had X Hundred members. Some Lodges still do, but rarely have those numbers in a meeting. Sure, people join for their own reasons. Some use the Blue Lodge as a springboard for other groups. Be it the York Rite, Scottish Rite, Shrine, etc. I get it, we all have our own “Masonic Journey”. I will keep my personal comments about that to myself.  Other than to say that if you do not have a firm foundation, you have nothing.

But thinking about my Masonic Ed piece, which I am honestly very proud of. Something came to mind.  

Does your Lodge have superfluities? Do you have 10 Brothers who attend, but 100+ on the rolls?  While you have those 90 on the rolls, continue to take new petitions for membership? Being excited about all the degree work you have lined up.  Why?

At MasonicCon Kansas last year, I heard a Brother say he would rather sit in Lodge with 20 Brothers who were fired up for Masonry than 200 who held a dues card. True statement.

But why are those 180 Brothers missing? Some may have moved, some may have passed, and the Lodge does not know. Some may have become disconnected because Masonry was not what they felt or thought it really was. There are countless reasons.

I can only speak to a few of these issues. First and foremost, how many of the Brothers in your books are EA or FC and have not yet been raised to a MM?  How many of them have it been some time between degrees? I know I am a firm believer that it should take a bit of time. But you know what I mean.  Has your Lodge or their mentor reached out to see how they are doing?

For those Brothers that have moved out of your Jurisdiction have you reached out to see if they have connected with a Lodge in the jurisdiction where they reside?

Sometimes, retention and taking care of the Brothers we have is far more important than initiating a new one.

I am saying this because when our friend, whom we made a Brother, knelt and took his obligation that we witnessed, we swore with him….so we owe him.

If there be any fault in that….I am equally guilty MEKS….

 

I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly 

 

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