James A. Barbour, 32°
1752 W. Wood Street, Emmaus, Pennsylvania 18049–3324

A few days ago, I was listening to a radio talk show and heard a caller comment on several famous people "doing anything it took to win." One of the persons referred to was a prominent political figure and the other a famous sports personality. At the time, I was thinking about Masonry in general and our membership programs in particular. I began wondering about the push going on for new members and whether or not we are falling into the "doing whatever it takes" category.

Of course, membership is important. Without members, we would have no Fraternity. However, we must not start looking just for quantity without looking for quality first. We still have our committees to interview candidates and the members to vote regarding who is worthy and well qualified to join our ranks. Yes, it is important for our Fraternity to change, but only in ways which will not affect Masonry's tenets or landmarks.

Before we can even begin to address new membership issues, we need first to examine our existing members and ourselves. What boggles my mind is how we can have Lodges with 300, 400, or even 500 members, but when a Degree is conferred, there are only a couple of sideliners, usually Past Masters or the Brothers who sponsored the candidate. The same goes for Stated Meetings where there are usually the same 20 to 30 Brothers—on a good month. When I received my Degrees, there were over 200 Brothers there. I was in awe of the support and felt Brotherhood like never before. Think about how you would feel if, when you received your Degrees, there were only the Officers and, possibly, one or two of your friends in attendance. It would look as if the Lodge were dying. Despite this dire situation, before we start "doing whatever it takes" to get new members, we need to get back to basics in our Lodges. Here are some questions we need to ask ourselves.

1. How are we keeping our Brethren informed of Lodge events? Do we have a newsletter, web page, e-mail list, or Lodge calendar that is frequently updated? If in a Temple building, do we post our information where all Lodges can see it?
2. How do we find out if a Brother has passed, is ill, or needs some assistance at home or just to get to a Lodge meeting? How often do we call the Brothers of the Lodge? Do we have a committee to call proactively on at least a monthly basis? Are we just waiting to see an obituary in the newspaper, when it is too late to see if the Brother needed some attention or assistance? Do we have a ride committee, which is available to drive a Brother to Lodge if needed?
3. Do we involve the families of the Brothers more than once or twice a year? Have we had a Lodge dinner, awards ceremony, pancake breakfast, or similar events open to families and friends of our Brethren?
4. Do we do more in Lodge than read the minutes of the last meeting, pay bills, and read and vote on petitions, if we have them? How often is a speaker brought in to educate, inform, or entertain the Brethren? How often do the committees actually give a presentation asking for assistance and describing their goals, actions, and members? Does the Lodge's Education Officer actually give reviews of the ritual or provide other Masonic information to the Craft to enlighten them?
5. Do we greet visitors warmly? When an unknown Brother shows up at Lodge, do you have an Officer and one or two members assigned to make that Brother feel welcome, introduce him to Lodge members, and sit with him during Lodge so that the Brother is not alone? Do we as members introduce ourselves to those we don't know at our meetings or do we just stand around in our own group of Brothers that we have known for many years, virtually ignoring any unknown visitors?
6. Once a Brother is entered, passed, and raised, what programs do we have beyond the memorization that will make him feel welcome, part of the Fraternity, and involved in the Lodge? Do we have a New Members Night where the newly raised Brother is given further instruction on the various points of Lodge etiquette, visitation, and ritual? He has experienced the ritual, but does he understand it? If not, it can be confusing and meaningless. How about a mentor for the new Brother, someone to assist him on a personal level in every area?

My belief is that consistently addressing at least these six things above will have an instant and lasting effect on members not just to attend but also to become involved in meetings and Degree work. With a Lodge of 400 members, I see no reason why at least 40 of them, plus the Officers, could not attend a meeting. With the right philosophy in the Lodge and involvement by the members, every one of the above actions could be implemented easily.

I love our Craft and want to see it continue to flourish. Once we have addressed the issues plaguing Lodge involvement, we can begin to address the issue of membership—if still needed by then. Without "doing whatever it takes" to get new members, we can increase the involvement of the Brethren and experience a natural resurgence in our petitions. Only then can we begin to look at what we have been doing in and around our communities to show the world the wonderful philosophy and fellowship we call Freemasonry.

James A. Barbour is a Project Manager for Global Network Technology Services. He is a member of Tusler–Summit Lodge No. 263 in Roseville, Minn., and of the Valley of St. Paul. A recent job change shifted his residence to Emmaus, Penn. While in Minnesota, Bro. Barbour was responsible for redesigning and maintaining his Lodge's web pages and involved in many Lodge and S.R. activities. He comes from a line of Masons that include his grandfather, who was coroneted a 33° for his work in the Valley of Pittsburgh.