Membership Numbers

Membership Numbers

This article is not based on membership numbers in any particular juristiction.

The talk of Lodge Membership numbers dropping has been an issue for many discussions over the last few years. Members are leaving, Lodges are becoming less attended and meetings are becoming boring (my next article!).

This is what is being said about Freemasonry in general.

What can we do, we keep saying?

I think we have to be radical, bold and open our eyes!

I agree Lodges membership has been growing since the early 1900s (and declining now) but before that they were stable, entertaining and served their purpose.

With the influx of more people joining Masonry, more Lodges have been created to keep up with the demand. This kept increasing until what we have today.

We have Lodges every year being formed which is diluting our ever decreasing numbers further and diluting even more the ability for individual Lodges to thrive.

Do we really need 30 Craft Lodges in a small Masonic hall or rural town with only 12 or 15 members struggling to keep the old traditions of the Lodge alive? I think not, as this is not doing the Craft or its members a lot of good at all.

Let us think this through. Why don’t we, for the next 20 years, not allow any more Lodges to be formed. Wouldn’t that assist us?

Any new recruits could be directed towards smaller Lodges that need the members, especially the older Lodges from the 1800s as these are our history. Failing Lodges should also direct their members to the older lodges. This way I think the membership would continue at the same size as it is but the size of lodges would be inclined to grow.

With the extra members, the Lodges will function adequately, become sharper and more active, ultimately stronger.

Think of the buzz that would give with 50-100 members at each meeting.

I have been told “what about progression”. Not every member wishes to progress to the chair but there is nothing wrong with knife and fork Masons. We could build a team of charity Stewards and Almoners. Members could still learn parts of the ritual which can be used at meetings and done alternately between them. We have all discussed how quickly members get to sit in the East now, and hear the older Brethren say “In my day it took eons of years before you got on the ladder”. Is this not traditional Masonry as it used to be, 7 years an EA?

Also people have said it is not the size of the Lodge but the quality that counts. This is true but what quality is there in 10 men meeting each Lodge night!

Peter Dowling- 27 Dec 2007.

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of any Grand Masonic jurisdiction or any other Masonic related body.