As a youngster nerd status came naturally....and as my girlfriend will argue is still firmly in place.
Being that nerd, the typewriter was a mystery to me that needed to be unlocked. The mysteries became unlocked thanks to a spinster neighbor and "typing" class in both junior high and high school. I realized that computers were going to come into age and that typing would be a useful tool not only for that technology but for typing papers in college.
When my sons were in school I insisted on typing classes....but they are now referred to as keyboarding. There was something about the clicking of the keys and the striking of the letters on the paper that made the whole mysterious process even more alluring.
How does this all relate to our fraternity must be the question in your mind. I read many articles about the supposed demise of our craft, many are written by very young Masonic bloggers, writers, and students of the craft. By very young I mean those in their late twenties and early thirties...by Masonic standards that is very young.
They do raise some good points about what the "lodge" does other than degree work. They claim that there are not enough activities outside of the usual meetings and degree work. I have to concur with that observation.
Those same articles seem to always get around to talking about how the younger generation communicates and the types of activities they desire and seek out. At some point in most of the articles they spend a fair amount of time discussing the various "hi-tech" devices and means which are an integral part of the younger generation's life.....I have to add, that age line seems to be increasing....everywhere I go there are people with their head bent down toward their phone.
A major theme of the articles also point out that membership numbers are declining and they tend to place the blame on the lodges for not being relevant to the needs of prospective members. While I am willing to partially accept that blame, I can't go along with that theory 100%.
All organizations are experiencing a decline in membership and another factor....participation of those who are already members. The last generation and a half were not joiners....many studies say that this is going to change...that the now young generation will be joiners.....time will tell as they say. I'm not sure if we can become relevant enough to help change and shape an entire generation...and by we I mean all organizations....churches, civic groups, fraternities and the like.
One factor affecting our local area is the decline in population. We have approximately 16+ lodges in our "local" area....this seems to be too many for the amount of membership of those lodges. Due to keeping the buildings going and the bills paid....much of the extra effort and time is devoted to raising money to keep the doors open.
So back to the "hi-tech" theme.....these articles talk often about social media and other hi-tech ways of communicating with members of the lodge and also prospective members as well. They speak of new brothers doing exhaustive research on line before joining only to find out that all too often they know more than many of the existing brothers.....because their needs are not met in regards to learning more of the history, tradition, and meaning of the craft, so they move on to other ventures.
Another disturbing trend in some circles is negative talk regarding the ritual and degree work. To me the degree work and the ritual work is what separates us from the animal groups, the moose, eagles, elk, water buffalo, etc. Freemasonry is rich in tradition, teachings and symbolism. The Supreme Commander of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction has made some speeches and wrote some articles about how he feels that the degree work of the Scottish Rite is hampering it's efforts at recruiting and retaining new members....that went over like a lead balloon in Bay City.
Social media has a huge footprint in society today. My contention has been that Freemasonry was the original social media. It provided then and provides today, a vehicle for social interaction, education, and the betterment of man. Unfortunately today many rely on the various social media outlets as a means of social interaction. A few are realizing that they need to get their head out of the electronics and be around some living breathing humans.....thus was man made for the social and active life, the noblest part of the work of God.....there's that darn ritual, written hundreds of years ago and it's still relevant....imagine that.
I acknowledge that we as a fraternity need to take the lessons we espouse much more seriously, I'm not advocating to not have fun, but we need to re-educate ourselves so we can educate the newly made Masons and this will meet one of their needs.....but it requires dedication on our part.
Communication is always bantered about as a concern....and that famous pop culture line...." what we have here, is a failure to communicate".....in our area we are very fortunate...several years ago a Yahoo group was formed for the communication of upcoming events, sickness, death, etc. The idea has been shared with other Masonic groups but many have a hard time grasping the concept. We here in the local area are so used to it that it is referenced almost without thought by the brothers of the area....it has become a very reliable and useful tool.....but many other groups can't grasp how it can be beneficial.
Contrasting the process of becoming a Mason today to that of 34 years ago, things have changed drastically. When I joined we were told what time to be there, what to wear, etc. We followed it because we were joining them and we were to conform to their rules and customs. We had a six page one letter key lesson to learn to become proficient and we were assigned a teacher, a mentor to guide us through the process. Today a man is voted on to receive the degrees of Masonry, he tells us when he can take his degrees, nobody recommends what the candidate should wear, often they show up in shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops.....I'm sure he is real comfortable when we are all in shirt and tie or suit or tux,. he spends about a half an hour with a brother before doing his proficiency and he is rushed through the next two degrees....the whole process can be done in 3-4 weeks......then more cases than not he's never heard from again. That is the reality....it's not how it is designed to work by the Grand Lodge....but that is reality in more lodges than I care to acknowledge. No real studying, no real mentoring, just a rush to the mighty Master Mason degree.
Sadly that is a reflection of our society today.....today is the age of instant gratification...instantaneous results....nobody wants to start at the bottom and work their way up the ladder, learn the tricks of the trade as they say, they want to come in as Chairman of the Board....me, me, me.....nothing is earned it's given on a silver platter. The days of telling a candidate when and where to be, what to wear and what to expect seem to have fallen by the wayside. The mention of starting as a steward and working ones way up is practically unheard of in today's Masonic environment. One of my pet peeves is that a man comes in and takes his EA degree and after the lectures is afforded a seat in the East, that new brother now has less to look forward to. I believe the first time I sat in the East was during my first term as JW on advanced officers night or it might have even been as SW....I remember thinking that it had taken some time to achieve and that moment meant so much more to me, because I had worked for it and paid my dues, I didn't start my journey there, it was a stop made much later and it meant a lot to me.
The Grand Lodge of Michigan has implemented several plans, two very important ones are the 6-step program and the Mentor program. The 6-step allows the lodge to get to know the potential candidate and also allows the petitioner to get to know the lodge. If there seems to be a fit between the potential candidate and the lodge, the last step is to hand the man a petition......lodges can't seem to get away from the old theory of shoving a petition in a man's face, at the first hint of a question about joining the lodge. Many of us brothers who have been around for a while dream of the day when a candidate actually worked at becoming proficient....I think those days are gone for good and will never be returned to....thus the need for Mentors. The Grand Lodge has a terrific Mentor program and encourages every lodge to assign a Mentor to the newly made Mason....unfortunately this too falls by the wayside for whatever reason.
It seems almost ironic that the majority of the articles talking about the demise of the craft always reference the lack of activities outside of meetings and degree work. I've been approached by brothers who seem to preface their remarks with why doesn't the Grand Lodge or why doesn't the district do such and such. My response is always, wow, that sounds like a great idea....why don't you put some things together, get some organization to your ideas, then I will help you get it implemented, invariably their response is I can't do that, or I don't have the time to organize it. Great ideas are usually great, terrific ideas start with great ideas with the originator being the catalyst to make it happen.
Another topic always bantered around is family oriented activities, which can include the wife and kids. The argument is that if a brother is going to take time away from his wife and children then the lodge needs to offer activities with the family in mind. What are those types of activities....obviously Lodge picnics don't meet the criteria, most I have attended are usually light in attendance. Several lodges and other apendant bodies have baseball trips, the challenge there is the price...taking 4-6 to a ball game adds up rather quickly, there are several minor league teams in the area which are more affordable, would that work? I wish I knew what the magic answer is.....the sad part is that there isn't a magic answer.....one never knows what will motivate people to action, to actually show up and participate. The key to any activity is to motivate people to "make" time for the activity....all the planning in the world can not guarantee a great turn out....it seems all the planets need to be aligned to pull off a successful event.
I've read plenty of articles talking about the condition of the craft, even the potential demise....but rarely are any viable solutions offered up. In our local area we are blessed with King Solomon's Club, in recent memory we would always have 100+ for big events......now we are lucky to see 50....why is that....I feel we can attribute the low numbers to one thing....leadership....or more aptly said the lack of leadership on the local lodge level.
Leadership is also motivation of the members....one should be strong but fair in leading a lodge, but being a motivator is also a key attribute for a good leader. Planning is a must but motivating the members to actually participate in activities is the key to success. This is where some good old fashioned networking comes in....press the flesh...shake some hands, make some phone calls, send some text messages, blast it on Facebook, Twitter and such...face to face contact along with some flyers and word-of-mouth advertisement can lead to success for planned events.
The challenges facing our fraternity today are challenges facing all fraternities, churches, civic groups, etc. While I agree that the lodges need other activities beyond boring business meetings and degree work, I'm unclear about what type of activities will motivate the brothers and their families to "make" time for any activity. It's hard to compete with the constantly moving electronic fodder that is called entertainment these days. Back in the day, many lodges and apendant bodies had entertainment shows of various kinds, but variety shows were very popular on any of the three channels available on TV. Today there are hundreds if not thousands of channels available on TV, not to mention video games, computers, laptops, tablets, phones and the list goes on.
Our challenges are real....but there comes a time when people realize that they are truly created to be social beings and eventually come from behind their electronics. Maybe that's how we should market ourselves....as the original Social Media....with real-live humans interacting with one another in a "social" setting. It's odd that the term Social-Media is bantered about without even thinking about what the term means...."Social" meaning to interact with one another....the Media is simply the medium used for socialization.....we tend to use the most powerful form of intelligence....the human mind, body, and soul.....even the most powerful computer with the most advanced software pales in comparison to the human brain, add into that the body and soul and it's the most advanced machine known to man......after all it was divinely created.
I had the pleasure of catching the tail-end of a Fellowcraft degree last night at my home lodge. In addressing the candidate during the closing remarks, I mentioned that if he talked to some old-timers that they will often say that the Fellowcraft degree is considered the education degree. This title comes from a time hundreds of years ago when a formal education system was not in place. For many brothers during those times the education they received at a Fellowcraft degree was their only education regarding the 5 human senses and the 7 liberal arts and sciences along with a short lesson on the 5 orders of architecture which was much more prevalent then as opposed to modern building techniques.
My short talk could very well be the only talk that some brothers ever hear about our history and tradition. This aspect about our craft needs to be talked about much more frequently. In the majority of the articles I've recently read about the younger members seeking more substance to the degrees and meetings they attend....most of the comments come around to a thirst among these brothers seeking more knowledge about this great craft. Many of the older brothers know about this history and tradition but for whatever reason tend to dismiss it or can't communicate it to the newly made brothers of this marvelous fraternity.
Again, the Grand Lodge of Michigan has strongly encouraged a Lodge Education Officer be put in place to offer up short talks at the regular meetings of the lodges throughout the state. I have found that many lodges do have an active LEO and many of the short talks are very good. This should be a requirement for all lodges in my opinion. Too often these programs have cold water thrown on them by the overall membership of the lodges.
Indeed all of this is quite puzzling. Why do men seek out joining the fraternity? Is it because they have one or more friend that always talks about the great time they have with craft? Is it because they learn that a family member is a brother or maybe a relative who has passed on was a brother? Is it because of the mystery surrounding the craft? Is it a love of history and tradition? Is it plain curiosity? By following the 6-step program, my belief is that we will find out.....when the man becomes a brother and has an assigned mentor, he will be more likely to return.....if we meet his needs and open ourselves up to "listening" to his thoughts and desires.....we may try some new things that will lead to increased interest.....if we back up the process with continuing education about the craft it may just excite his curiosity to do some studying on his own about the craft.
It's easy to point out the deficiencies of the craft.....but it's extremely difficult to develop programs and activities that will appeal to a broad spectrum of the brothers and their families. Actually I would wager that if they were posed that question they would not have an immediate response. Somehow it all relates back to the process of getting to know the men who are joining the fraternity, to pick their brain and assess their wants and desires.....if we can make that assessment, will we be willing to respond vigorously to their ideas and meet their expectations???
The Grand Lodge of Michigan has implemented several plans, two very important ones are the 6-step program and the Mentor program. The 6-step allows the lodge to get to know the potential candidate and also allows the petitioner to get to know the lodge. If there seems to be a fit between the potential candidate and the lodge, the last step is to hand the man a petition......lodges can't seem to get away from the old theory of shoving a petition in a man's face, at the first hint of a question about joining the lodge. Many of us brothers who have been around for a while dream of the day when a candidate actually worked at becoming proficient....I think those days are gone for good and will never be returned to....thus the need for Mentors. The Grand Lodge has a terrific Mentor program and encourages every lodge to assign a Mentor to the newly made Mason....unfortunately this too falls by the wayside for whatever reason.
It seems almost ironic that the majority of the articles talking about the demise of the craft always reference the lack of activities outside of meetings and degree work. I've been approached by brothers who seem to preface their remarks with why doesn't the Grand Lodge or why doesn't the district do such and such. My response is always, wow, that sounds like a great idea....why don't you put some things together, get some organization to your ideas, then I will help you get it implemented, invariably their response is I can't do that, or I don't have the time to organize it. Great ideas are usually great, terrific ideas start with great ideas with the originator being the catalyst to make it happen.
Another topic always bantered around is family oriented activities, which can include the wife and kids. The argument is that if a brother is going to take time away from his wife and children then the lodge needs to offer activities with the family in mind. What are those types of activities....obviously Lodge picnics don't meet the criteria, most I have attended are usually light in attendance. Several lodges and other apendant bodies have baseball trips, the challenge there is the price...taking 4-6 to a ball game adds up rather quickly, there are several minor league teams in the area which are more affordable, would that work? I wish I knew what the magic answer is.....the sad part is that there isn't a magic answer.....one never knows what will motivate people to action, to actually show up and participate. The key to any activity is to motivate people to "make" time for the activity....all the planning in the world can not guarantee a great turn out....it seems all the planets need to be aligned to pull off a successful event.
I've read plenty of articles talking about the condition of the craft, even the potential demise....but rarely are any viable solutions offered up. In our local area we are blessed with King Solomon's Club, in recent memory we would always have 100+ for big events......now we are lucky to see 50....why is that....I feel we can attribute the low numbers to one thing....leadership....or more aptly said the lack of leadership on the local lodge level.
Leadership is also motivation of the members....one should be strong but fair in leading a lodge, but being a motivator is also a key attribute for a good leader. Planning is a must but motivating the members to actually participate in activities is the key to success. This is where some good old fashioned networking comes in....press the flesh...shake some hands, make some phone calls, send some text messages, blast it on Facebook, Twitter and such...face to face contact along with some flyers and word-of-mouth advertisement can lead to success for planned events.
The challenges facing our fraternity today are challenges facing all fraternities, churches, civic groups, etc. While I agree that the lodges need other activities beyond boring business meetings and degree work, I'm unclear about what type of activities will motivate the brothers and their families to "make" time for any activity. It's hard to compete with the constantly moving electronic fodder that is called entertainment these days. Back in the day, many lodges and apendant bodies had entertainment shows of various kinds, but variety shows were very popular on any of the three channels available on TV. Today there are hundreds if not thousands of channels available on TV, not to mention video games, computers, laptops, tablets, phones and the list goes on.
Our challenges are real....but there comes a time when people realize that they are truly created to be social beings and eventually come from behind their electronics. Maybe that's how we should market ourselves....as the original Social Media....with real-live humans interacting with one another in a "social" setting. It's odd that the term Social-Media is bantered about without even thinking about what the term means...."Social" meaning to interact with one another....the Media is simply the medium used for socialization.....we tend to use the most powerful form of intelligence....the human mind, body, and soul.....even the most powerful computer with the most advanced software pales in comparison to the human brain, add into that the body and soul and it's the most advanced machine known to man......after all it was divinely created.
I had the pleasure of catching the tail-end of a Fellowcraft degree last night at my home lodge. In addressing the candidate during the closing remarks, I mentioned that if he talked to some old-timers that they will often say that the Fellowcraft degree is considered the education degree. This title comes from a time hundreds of years ago when a formal education system was not in place. For many brothers during those times the education they received at a Fellowcraft degree was their only education regarding the 5 human senses and the 7 liberal arts and sciences along with a short lesson on the 5 orders of architecture which was much more prevalent then as opposed to modern building techniques.
My short talk could very well be the only talk that some brothers ever hear about our history and tradition. This aspect about our craft needs to be talked about much more frequently. In the majority of the articles I've recently read about the younger members seeking more substance to the degrees and meetings they attend....most of the comments come around to a thirst among these brothers seeking more knowledge about this great craft. Many of the older brothers know about this history and tradition but for whatever reason tend to dismiss it or can't communicate it to the newly made brothers of this marvelous fraternity.
Again, the Grand Lodge of Michigan has strongly encouraged a Lodge Education Officer be put in place to offer up short talks at the regular meetings of the lodges throughout the state. I have found that many lodges do have an active LEO and many of the short talks are very good. This should be a requirement for all lodges in my opinion. Too often these programs have cold water thrown on them by the overall membership of the lodges.
Indeed all of this is quite puzzling. Why do men seek out joining the fraternity? Is it because they have one or more friend that always talks about the great time they have with craft? Is it because they learn that a family member is a brother or maybe a relative who has passed on was a brother? Is it because of the mystery surrounding the craft? Is it a love of history and tradition? Is it plain curiosity? By following the 6-step program, my belief is that we will find out.....when the man becomes a brother and has an assigned mentor, he will be more likely to return.....if we meet his needs and open ourselves up to "listening" to his thoughts and desires.....we may try some new things that will lead to increased interest.....if we back up the process with continuing education about the craft it may just excite his curiosity to do some studying on his own about the craft.
It's easy to point out the deficiencies of the craft.....but it's extremely difficult to develop programs and activities that will appeal to a broad spectrum of the brothers and their families. Actually I would wager that if they were posed that question they would not have an immediate response. Somehow it all relates back to the process of getting to know the men who are joining the fraternity, to pick their brain and assess their wants and desires.....if we can make that assessment, will we be willing to respond vigorously to their ideas and meet their expectations???
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