We all know the issues we're having with declining membership.  The, wait for them to come to us, days are looooooooooong gone.  Unfortunately, Freemasonry is 300 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.  The world no longer knows Freemasonry exists, nor does it know what we do.  It’s like we’ve stopped trying to grow.  We’ve kept it in the lodge room and the place is a mess.  Well, no longer.

For those of you that don't know, the Northern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite has put together excellent materials which all Masonic Bodies may use to recruit new Masons.  I'm not in the Scottish Rite, but I'll steal a good idea from anyone.  It's called Not Just a Man. A Mason.



As Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons, I decided we will utilize this resource, not for the purpose to recruit solely and ultimately for our Order; but to grow the ranks of Freemasonry, without favor to any of its Bodies.  Only in this way will all Masonic Organizations grow and prosper.  I believe our charities are the way to not only help, aid and assist others, which is our charge; but to also grow the fraternity.  Every day, good men walk for cures and ring bells because they want to aid and assist others.  They don’t realize it, but they’re already Freemasons in their hearts.  Let’s tell them, “This is who we are and this is what we do.”  Every Mason should be able to stand up and give a 5-10 minute talk on our charities.  Even the ones of organizations he's not a member of.  Every single person on earth has some kind of connection with something we do.  We need to find and push that button.  Just my $0.02.

The Brothers of my Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt #322 in Green Bay, decided to grab the idea and run.  Yesterday was our second day at the Green Bay Wednesday Farmer's Market.  The Lodge purchased a double banner display and I purchased another.  We setup a stall, handed out materials about Masonry in general and the charities of all our bodies in particular.  We also had members from the other three lodges in town come and help.  My Lady was there with her spinning wheel making yarn.  Yes, people still do that.  Her spinning draws the kids with their mom's and dads.

It was another great day.  Did we get 400 new members?  No.  We did greet every single person that walked by.  We actively engaged the public.  That's now hundreds of people that associate the Square and Compasses with people that tell strangers, "Hello.", "Good afternoon.", "Beautiful day, isn't it?", "How are you today?".  We spoke to everyone that stopped.  We answered questions - even stupid ones.  We told people who we are and what we do.

There was a young man who came by at the market two weeks ago.  He had been there to work the VFW booth.  I had talked with him for almost an hour then.  Yesterday, he came and asked for a petition.  Gooooaaaalllllll!

I talked to a guy and his wife visiting from out of state yesterday.  He's done the Moose, but felt like something was missing.  We talked for at least 30 minutes.  His wife wanted to know about ladies organizations.  We had a Brother and his Lady there that are in Eastern Star talk with her.  He now has my card and phone number.  I have no doubt that when they get home he's going to find a lodge.

There was a Brother from an other state that stopped and was in absolute shock at what we were doing.  He wanted how we could get away with recruiting.  I told him that, by our Code, we couldn't entice someone to join.  So as long as we're not handing out toasters, we're good.

If anyone wants any information or has questions about what we're doing, just let me know.

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The only thing I could see in those photos: 

I completely agree with the OP.

I grew up with Masons all around me (Fathers of school friends), in and out of their houses all the time. NEVER once saw anything that gave an indication that they were Masons.

I had literally never heard of Masonry until my police chief (friend) one day asked me if I knew anything about them and was interested. My trust in him is the only reason that I later met with him and another officer of the Lodge and joined. He was Master of the Lodge in an adjacent town and that is the Lodge I joined 37 yrs ago.

My Lodge issues a scholarship, but none of them ever come to the Lodge to thank us, talk to us about what career they are pursuing, etc. We have zero visibility in the area to the general population except for the annual Chip event done in conjunction with the town's health fair. I don't recall that even 1 man who brought their kids to the Chip event ever joined the Lodge after that.

If you know nothing about the org, never heard of it, etc. why would you ask to join and who would you ask if you didn't know that anyone you knew was a Mason? That is the problem we face if we don't "advertise".

Yup.....Lots of that around there too!

"If you know nothing about the org, never heard of it, etc. why would you ask to join and who would you ask if you didn't know that anyone you knew was a Mason? That is the problem we face if we don't "advertise".

I tend to agree with this.
I am a brand new Mason. I haven't even done the return on my MM degree yet (got the degree at the last meeting before going dark).

But, I grew up in a family of Masons. My dad was a Past Master. My Grandfather was a Past Master. Pretty much every male in my family on both sides of my family were Masons going back a hundred years and probably a lot longer. I got my Fellow Craft at a lodge about 10 miles away from where I live and my Dad and Grandfather, and Uncles.................names were on all kinds of plaques at that lodge..................

Not one of them ever said anything about it to me. I can remember asking my dad what it was all about (I don't know how old I was) and he said, if you want to know about it, some day ask me about it and we will discuss it. And I said to him, I am asking you about it right now .

But, pretty much as soon as I was out of high school, I was gone from the area where I grew up and where most of my family lived. And I didn't return for 30+ years.

Anyway, I joined the lodge at age 55 and all those Masons in my family with one exception (my cousin) are long dead. My dad was the type of guy that wouldn't bend in any way, ever. If he wasn't supposed to recruit people to Masonry, then he wasn't going to do it, no how, no way. Doesn't matter if it's your own flesh and blood.

when i joined, they had just passed a ruling that you could recruit.    almost ten years later, most guys still dont, even myself.

what I do is if someone asks about the symbol on my car or something else, i use that to open a discussion. I give them a few minutes of my time and close it with, if you want to know how to join, just ask me and i will provide you with the tools to do so.

Saw some pictures in the newsletter this month.

Big long post but even you don't explain what the organization is about, why I should join, and what benefit it brings to my community.

What am I missing?

What's the point of joining? What benefit does it bring me? Is it like the Elk's Lodge and other community social organizations? Because those are in decline for a number of reasons.

Blue Laws have been repealed, you can now drink in peace. Social dinners and get togethers are the community are needed anymore due to social media and the internet. Most people are migratory due to careers and job markets these days. Etc.

Seriously, what does membership entitles?

Both of you point out exactly what is wrong with Masons who wait to be begged by someone to join something they know absolutely nothing about. As I stated earlier in this thread, if it weren't for my police chief friend asking if I wanted to learn what it was about (I really didn't until I joined) and my trust in him as a personal friend, I would never have joined either.

To answer your questions, here are two Masonic sources explanations. I hope that helps answer some of your question.

http://www.trowel.com/flamason/what.htm

http://www.prospectlodge.org/mason-m.htm

Your first link already threw me off in the first few sentences.

even though almost everyone has a father or grandfather or uncle who was a Mason

No one in my family was a Mason. Not my Father, Grandfather, Uncles, or Great Grandfather. I'm not English. I'm Spanish. It makes it sound like you have to be of Anglophone ancestry to have a connection.

Second link also screwed the pooch in the first few sentences.

being a Mason means the kind of deep satisfaction that comes only from selfless giving; from doing for others without asking, or expecting, anything in return

I get that without being part of a group. I donate my own time to fight for better gun rights. I assist my community and neighbors when needed. I volunteer in many ways.

It means sharing the values of our nation's founding fathers; men who believe in the brotherhood of man are firmly rooted in the Constitution of the United States

I do that without being a Mason.

Again....

Why should I join? What does it bring me that other groups can't? What benefits to I get? What do the Masons do?

If they want to stop dropping in numbers. Become public about what they do. ADVERTISE

I've been a Mason for 37 yrs,  but I'm told that years and years before my time it seems that indeed it ran in families. Nobody in my family was or is a Mason other than me. My Wife's Father and Uncles were all Masons.

In today's world it is whoever shows up and decides to apply, white, brown, black, anglo, Jewish, Christian, Hispanic, whatever. Hopefully no states discriminate these days (I'm only familiar with Masonry in Mass, so don't want to assume about other areas of the Country).

They donate to various charities. In my area it's dyslexia, local scholarships, Shriners Burns Institutes, Shriners Crippled Children Hospital (nothing is billed to families of those that are treated at the hospitals), etc. It is a fellowship where all men are treated equal . . . rich, poor, high or low social status means nothing.

Some Lodges are quite visible in their areas whereas some like to do things but don't advertise or make public what they do (which I think is foolish, but I'm just a peon not a leader here).

Since I've never been an officer I'll let others fill in some of the other stuff.

This is something I have been vaguely interested in over the last several years. I am 41. My boss is a Mason I’m pretty sure but has never discussed it with me.

I was actually having a discussion at family dinner this evening and my 65 year old dad and I talked a little about it. He is not a Mason. My maternal great grandfather was and is the only person I know for sure was in my family.

My dad said he thinks there is some protocol to asking a Mason about membership. I respect my boss a lot and would consider it an honor to maybe talk with him about it and maybe have him as a mentor.

Is there some special protocol or can I just ask?

You walk up to him and you say, hey boss, are you a Mason?

That's what you literally do.   Good luck on your possible journey.l

@Miami_JBT

Holy wall of text, Batman!

Spanish Masonry seems to have a fairly old tradition.  It's survived both religious and socialist persecution.  Some quick googling found some things on Spanish Freemasonry.  Take them for what they may, or may not be, worth.

Wiki

Grand lodge of Spain

News Article

Yes, everyone has those things they do to help others.  At least I hope they do.  Those things take many forms, for many causes and they’re by-in-large great things.

We place a heavy emphasis on doing for our fellows and fellow man because it's the right thing to do. All Freemasons promise, known as obligate, themselves to do six things. To help, aid and assist others. And to never cheat, wrong or defraud them. Why do we place such a heavy emphasis on these things? Because we understand that sometimes life sucks and we'd like to help.

Different Masonic organizations “adopt” a cause and typically make it the charity sponsored by their members.  The best known, of course is Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Here are some of the charities I am personally very actively involved in:

Royal Arch Research and Assistance (RARA) is the philanthropy of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, International. RARA funds research into Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD). Since its conception in 1974, RARA has been the world’s leading philanthropy dedicated to helping children with CAPD.

Central Auditory Processing Disorder is a hearing problem that affects about 5% of school-aged children. Children with this condition can't process what they hear in the same way other kids do because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate. Something interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech. Many of the precursor symptoms of auditory processing disorders are seen in some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These symptoms include trouble paying attention and remembering information, poor listening skills, difficulty in processing information, behavioral problems, difficulty with comprehending language, and anxiety or confusion in social situations. RARA has committed $1,000,000 to Autism Speaks in an effort to correlate signs of CAPD in toddlers who have Autism. With the right therapy, children with CAPD can be successful in school and life. Early diagnosis is important, because when the condition isn't caught and treated early, a child can have speech and language delays or problems learning in school.

Cryptic Mason Medical Research Foundation (CMMRF) supports the Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, (ICVBM), located at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Richard Roudebush Veteran's Administration Medical Center  located at Indianapolis Indiana.  
Because blood vessels are important in maintaining the health or repairing almost all tissues, practically all diseases turn out to have a vascular component connected to their origin or remediation. Diabetes, stroke, poor circulation, heart failure, wound healing, and many other diseases share the common denominator of blood vessels.  Centering our contributions to an organization that addresses so many different health concerns, both nationally and internationally, allows our supporters to share in all these medical advancements, regardless of geography.
Through the advanced and clinical research, conducted by ICVBM and supported by CMMRF, advancements are being made to discover cures for many of today's health problems, prevent major diseases, and finally to save lives. We invite you to become a part of this team and join our partnership in discovery.  This amazing research will impact the lives of every person on Earth.  ICVBM is the premier leader in the future of medicine.

Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF) supports research that can help launch the careers of clinical or basic researchers committed to the prevention and cure of potentially blinding diseases in infants and children. KTEF supports clinical or basic research on conditions that can or may eventually be treated or prevented. Examples include but are not limited to amblyopia, congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity, ocular malformations, congenital nystagmus and other hereditary eye diseases such as retinal dystrophies or retinoblastoma.

An excellent question.  The answer to which is – I don’t know why you should join.  If you are already doing the things you feel bring you satisfaction in improving yourself while helping others, then you probably don’t have a reason.  As for myself, I can give the short version.

Six generations before me were Freemasons.  However, I was an Army Officer and a Police Officer, it just wasn’t on my mind.

In the Army I had a series of EXTREMELY high stress/zero defects assignments and frankly I was a hard core, hard-nosed asshole.  That spilled over to my family.  I realized my family was suffering from what I had to become professionally and they didn’t deserve that.  So, I resigned my commission.  I was a cop before the Army, so being a cop after was just what I knew.  Guess what?  I was still an asshole, dealing with assholes every day.  I’m sure you can relate to that.  Again, my family was suffering.  So, let’s stop that shit too.  Now I have a regular, well kind of, occupation in a profession that helps people:  Safety Engineer/Consultant.

My behavior improved, but something was missing.  One day it just clicked, “Maybe Freemasonry has been what’s missing.”  I was driving past the local Masonic Center and there was a car in the parking lot.  I rang the doorbell, Al Malmberg came to the door.  Ding, ding, ding; we have a winner!  The lessons taught and the tools given me through Freemasonry were exactly what I needed.  I can still be an asshole, when necessary.  But, I’m not an asshole 24/7.  The changes I made to my life because of my joining Freemasonry saved my family.

Freemasonry isn’t, and never has been, a “What’s in it for me?” organization.  Do you get something out of it?  Absolutely, which for me I explained above.  If a man is looking for an “advantage” in business or social stature because of membership, he’s in the wrong place.

I really don't like the, "We make good men better", thing. I don't believe we do that. Freemasonry NEVER asks a man to stop doing those things he already does!  I believe we give them more opportunity to do what they do, by using the concepts, principles and precepts of Freemasonry.

Masonic philosophy isn't unique. It's been around since time began. What is unique is that we move it to the forefront, point these things out and teach men that by recognizing, understanding and applying these concepts, principles and precepts he makes himself the better man while helping others. That is the true secret of Freemasonry.

We give good men the tools to make themselves better.  The Biblical account of the building of King Solomon's Temple is used allegorically to teach a man to build his own moral and spiritual temple. As King Solomon's Temple was an attempt to build the most perfect place to worship G-d, so should man attempt to build his own perfect internal temple to the glory of G-d.

Another way to explain what we do is to explain what we believe.  I didn’t write this, but I’ll shamelessly steal it.

Because I am a Freemason ….

… I believe that freedom of religion is an inalienable human right and tolerance an indispensable trait of human character. Therefore, I will stand in my lodge with Brothers of all faiths, and respect their belief, as they respect mine, and I will demonstrate the spirit of Brotherhood in all aspects of my life.

… I know that education and the rational use of the mind are the keys to facing the problems of humanity. Therefore, I will bring my questions and ideas to my lodge, and strive to advance the growth of my mind alongside my Brothers.

… I know that the rich tradition of Freemasonry and its framework of ritual are important platforms for growth and learning. Therefore, I vow to stand upon these platforms to improve myself as a human being, and I vow to help in the mission of the Craft to provide tools, atmosphere, challenges and motivation to help each Brother do the same.

… I know that charity is the distinguishing human virtue, and that personal community service is the best demonstration of one’s commitment to humanity. I acknowledge that words without deeds are meaningless, and I vow to work with my Lodge to provide service to the community, and to promote charity, friendship, morality, harmony, integrity, fidelity and love.

… I know that my obligation to community extends beyond my local sphere and is partially fulfilled in my patriotism- love of my country, obedience to its laws and celebration of the freedoms and opportunities it symbolizes.

… I know that leadership is best demonstrated by commitment to serving others. I will therefore participate in, and help work at improving individual leadership skills, while serving the Brothers of my lodge to the best of my ability.

… I know that friendship, fidelity and family are the foundations of a well-lived life. I therefore vow to be a faithful friend to my Brothers, while expecting my lodge to respect my personal obligations, and to treat family as though my family were their own.

… I know that the last great lesson of Freemasonry – the value of personal integrity and the sanctity of one’s word – is a lesson for all people in all times. I therefore vow to be a man of my word.

… I know that Freemasonry’s power is best exercised when its Light is shared with the world at large. I therefore vow to bring the best of myself to my lodge, in order that my growth might be fostered and nurtured, and to present myself to the world as a working Freemason, on the path to building a more perfect temple.

Because I am a Freemason, these values and aspirations are the guideposts for my progress through life.

If you have any questions I'd be more than happy to answer them.  There are a couple of things I can't.

- I can't show you the secret grip.  (It's on the internet.)
- I can't tell you the secret words to open the door to where we keep the plans for world domination.  (They're on the internet.)
- I can't tell you the dialog in the various Degrees.  (It's on the internet.)

I can't not tell you because they're huge, earth shattering secrets.  It's simply because I promised my Brothers I wouldn't.  And the number one rule is that a Mason's word is his bond.

PSI, well said Brother!

I'm brand new, but my lodge just had this discussion.

We have about 100 members on the books who pay dues. According to the WM, 19 of them have been in lodge at least once this year (I won't pay dues until next year so I don't know if he was counting me or not).

On one hand, nice to have the revenue. But it puts a lot of strain on us when we do charity or community work since it's always the same guys, especially since some of the officers have commitments beyond what a normal Mason would have on top of being at all the activities.

A few lodges in our area have merged over the years. We absorbed a neighboring lodge some years ago and hardly any of them still come around.

We're based in a fairly small town and have some nice connections there and in the surrounding area.

This year we've had one guy join and get through MM who seems to be active and participating, and me (Fellowcraft this month).  A couple of others have done their degrees and not come back. Of course, a lot of Masons are older and we lose some every year when they pass away.

I'm not looking to come in as the new guy and tell anyone what they're doing wrong. But over the next few years I'm definitely going to watch and learn and try to figure out what works as far as getting new, quality people into the organization.

Thanks for the tip. I have it bookmarked on Amazon and will order it soon. I want to be in this for the long haul and I want an active Lodge to be part of.

My Lodge is kind of small but the core guys are very involved, and most of them are young enough to have some years left yet. I drive past a lot of bigger lodges to go to this one, because I wanted to join the lodge with my friend who was the one I first started asking about being a Mason.

indeed

We were out again this morning.  27° at 0600 and there we were.  Another good time was had by all.

We gave out several cards.  I have no doubt one young man will be at Tuesday's dinner.  We talked for a good while and said he'd been thinking about it for a while, but didn't know how to start.  He has a card with my name and phone number.

Three women wanted cards for their husbands.  All of them had had family who had been Masons.  One lady asked about Eastern Star.  She had been a member years ago before she moved here.

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What event? Or did u just set up on a random sidewalk?

Saturday's morning Farmer's Market.

We have a farmers market in our parking lot every Friday.

I bet nobody in Lodge even thought about setting up a booth every now and again.

I heard on the radio the other day that the Red Cross is hurting for venues to host blood drives.  We're looking into that as well.  During a blood drive would be an excellent time to have some information available on Masonic charities.  The folks there are already doing something for others.

Not a bad time for an open house.

We are a huge lodge... but we have a really hard time getting "the public" to attend functions.

Our Blood drives never get us more than 20 units.... Our district has a blood drive and they get 50.  Personally, I think that sucks. Maybe that's how it is these days, but I dont know.

Good luck with yours.