Page 5 - 2018 Summer

mentor and give “good and wholesome
Masonic T r i bune instructions” to our newly Raised Mason
Masonic Tribune
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“every day and every way.”
Mentoring begins within the local Lodge,
YES, WE CAN TURN THE FOLLOWING by letting this new brother know that the
AROUND! Lodge is there for him. By providing him
MEMBERSHIP RETENTION AND REVI- with a copy of the Washington Masonic
TALIZATION Code, Standard Work and Lodge Officers
Handbook you will be providing the nec-
ince being elected as your Senior essary tools to advance his knowledge of
SGrand Warden last summer I have Masonry thru encouragement and building
written three articles for the Masonic Tri- confidence in the young mason to read
bune. The subjects I have chosen to ad- and ask questions. The Masonic Services
dress in this article are MEMBERSHIP Association of North America is a good
RETENTION and REVITALIZATION which resource for Masonic education materials
I believe are important for our Grand Juris- for use in advancing his Masonic experi-
diction to grow and be here for our children ence. Lodge meetings should focus more
and their children’s children. Growing our on Masonic education instead of conduct-
RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Brother
membership with quality members is vital
ing a boring business meeting. When we
to ensure that Freemasonry will continue
accepted his initiation fee, an obligation
ARDEN Charles E. Wood Jurisdiction. a better person.
to both growth and survive in our Grand
was made to help make our new Brother
MEMBERSHIP RETENTION
My question to the readers is, “Are we do-
ing what we obligated ourselves to?” We
Statistical data tells us that we do not have
have what many new members are in
an attraction problem because we are get-
search of, and need to do a better job of
ting as many new members initiated as
we are losing through attrition. It has been
Education is the key to success and keep-
noted by other commentators that we are
SENIOR Grand W
ing new members into the future.
losing more members through demits and delivering what our Fraternity is all about.
non-payment of dues than we initiate an- MEMBERSHIP REVITALIZATION
nually, resulting in a slightly declining mem-
bership over the past years. Therefore, as I The next item I would like to address is
see it, we have a retention problem and not revitalization. Lodges have a lot of good
an attraction problem. talent out there that is being wasted. We
need to ask pointed questions as to why
Today, the membership committee is us- you are no longer coming to Lodge meet-
ing two questionnaires to find out the root ings before we can solve this problem and
causes for this current trend, because there get these members back in Lodge again.
is more than one cause. One questionnaire When was the last time we reached out to
addresses those who have not advanced a Brother and asked why are you not at-
and become Master Masons. The second tending Lodge? Have we given this mem-
questionnaire will address those that have ber a reason to attend? Has his Masonic
been dropped for Non-Payment of Dues experience been what he was looking for?
(NPD) and who have demitted from the It has been said, that you cannot solve a
Fraternity. Once we compile the results problem if the root causes are not known.
from the returned questionnaires, we will It is my belief that a good Masonic expe-
have the necessary base to start ad- rience is a formula for continued involve-
dressing the root causes. ment in the Lodge.
It is my belief that it is up to each Mas- IN CLOSING
ter Mason to search out and correct
our membership problem just as it is I would like to direct you to the Grand
the function of the Lodge to educate, Lodge Long-Range Planning Committee
article that was in last year’s summer edi-
(Continued on Page 6)
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