Freemasons
– an Endangered Species?
(co-authored by John Belton)
Presented to Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, London 14 September
2000 , and first published in AQC Vol. 113.
Introduction
The dilemma of falling numbers
in Freemasonry is not a new one, but the full awareness of it is a relatively
recent occurrence. Largely and
initially, it was seen as a problem that was happening somewhere else,
in another country or in another Lodge. While some Lodges have been
prepared to concede that ‘our Lodge is having a difficult time’, a full
realisation of the increasing gravity of the situation has been exacerbated
in many areas because the method of manual record-keeping did not lend
itself to easy access and analysis.
Symptoms were visible from the mid-1960s, but at that early stage
it was not possible to know that the trend would continue until the
present. Thus where the ‘problem’, where it was identified, was seen
primarily and initially to be primarily a masonic one in terms of its
causation. That view has persisted to this day to some extent.
In the
By the mid-1990s, however, what Freemasonry now clearly describes as ‘its problem’ was a phenomenon that afflicted much of society. It is only in the 1990s that the issue of decreasing participation began to attract the attention of academic researchers. Before looking in detail at the masonic ‘problem’, it is worth reviewing published evidence concerning changes in society generally. This will establish a framework and background against which we, as freemasons, must judge our situation. It is also against this background that we must decide what response should be made and how the issue membership issues should be addressed.
The Decline in Civic Participation
Putnam
examined the huge decline of social participation in the
While Putnam is quantitative, Sacks [ii] followed a philosophical approach to the subject. He was unequivocal in saying that the new century heralds an era of immense and potentially destabilising change. We do not know what tomorrow will be like, but we do know that it will not be like today [iii]
And within a single generation, possibly the most profound climate change took place in the West since the days of Constantine [iv] .
Sacks’ thesis is that we have moved from being a liberal society to being a libertarian one. What this means is that the old liberal concept of accepting that freedom carries with it responsibilities has been replaced by the libertarian concept that one accepts ones rights and owes nothing back to society in return.
In Sacks’ view
The libertarianism (of the 1960’s) was radically different. Its project was little short of the elimination of morality in its traditional forms. Punishment was no longer retributive. Benefits were no longer administered on the basis of merit. Neither the family nor the school were to be the places where virtues were taught or customs passed on across the generations. The cultural concepts of morality – individual responsibility, the internalisation of restraint – had come to seem scientifically misguided and psychologically damaging [v] .
Sacks contended that the seeds of this were laid 200 years earlier, during the Enlightenment, with the ideas of ‘ethics and political philosophy’ and it was not till a third, the growth of the State after the Second World War, that libertarian lifestyles became possible for more than an elite. He commented on this new lifestyle that
As
an abstract individual I am substitutable, expendable, merely temporarily
useful to others as they are to me
[vi]
.
These thoughts have serious implications for the future of Freemasonry. We may not like what we see, but most informed observers believe that there is no going back to what, in terms of numbers of members, was the heyday after World War II. It is imperative that we, as freemasons understand, as never before, the society of which they are part, from where the members come, and in which they live and work on a daily basis.
A Renaissance?
This immediately begs the question ‘Is a renaissance necessary?’ After all, the common argument is often that organised Freemasonry has been in existence for well over 300 years, it is the largest non-political and non-religious body in the world and we have always come through before.
This ‘commonly-held belief’ seems to be less closely adhered to by many informed observers in more recent years, particularly at Grand Lodge level. The seemingly unremitting decline in membership has seen reactions in many Grand Lodges involving
· a ‘new openness’,
· marketing and
· a range of activities designed to retain membership and attract new adherents.
Yet throughout the English-speaking Craft, at least, the decline continues unabated.
Clearly a growing number of freemasons believe that a renaissance is necessary. Yet just what form it should take and how to achieve it seems obscure to many. Some, perhaps, see renaissance in terms of holding and increasing their membership, because the resultant declining income from a shrinking membership base is and will be felt keenly within many masonic bureaucracies. For the grass roots members, the quality of their masonic experience and a clearer definition of Masonic values, perhaps, may be more important.
If one accepts that a masonic renaissance is necessary, then the modern emphasis appears to revolve around harnessing new technology for the exchange of ideas, concepts and (successful or failed) strategies between activists. The use of the Internet and e-mail groups is one recent phenomenon is this process.
The Civic Problem and Freemasonry
The view that falling numbers is a temporary manifestation seems to be often accompanied by a rationale of
· the perilous state of the economy;
· poor quality candidates;
· the libertarian attitudes of youth;
· the modern pressures of work and home and
· the wide range of social diversions available today. (Indeed, it is true that most of these diversions did not exist even 50 years ago when church and Lodge were more prominent among the fewer social avenues available in life, at least to the so-called middle classes.)
Conversely,
the evidence to be presented below suggests that to assume a membership
revival will occur of its own volition is highly unlikely. Further, that while the external mitigating factors demonstrated by
Putnam and Sacks are valid, the arresting of the membership problem
within Freemasonry will depend on
·
a clear analysis;
·
sound forward strategy and
·
motivated leadership.
Discovering the Scale of the Problem
An indicative
snapshot of masonic membership decline is evidenced in recent research
in the Mellor Lodge no. 3844 (
The Mellor Lodge results demonstrated, at least in this case, that some of the popular Masonic conceptions of Lodges gaining fewer candidates, and fewer young candidates, may be incorrect. What is clear from the data is the decreasing length of time from Initiation to Resignation or Exclusion, down from over 20+ years in the 1950s to approximately 5 years in the 1980s.
Table 1
Analysis of the membership Data of the Mellor Lodge 3844 (EC)
|
Period |
No. of Candidates |
No. of Joiners |
Av. Age of Candidates |
Av. Years To WM |
Av. Years to Resignation/ Exclusion |
% Resignation/ Excluded |
|
1945-49 |
4 |
0 |
39.5 |
10.5 |
23.0 |
100% |
|
1950-54 |
13 |
0 |
41.1 |
11.8 |
25.6 |
54% |
|
1955-59 |
10 |
0 |
42.8 |
11.0 |
16.6 |
70% |
|
1960-64 |
10 |
3 |
41.5 |
9.6 |
17.2 |
80% |
|
1965-69 |
6 |
2 |
37.2 |
10.0 |
16.0 |
50% |
|
1970-74 |
10 |
3 |
42.7 |
8.3 |
13.4 |
60% |
|
1975-79 |
8 |
2 |
33.4 |
8.5 |
9.8 |
75% |
|
1980-84 |
10 |
3 |
47.4 |
7.0 |
8.3 |
40% |
|
1985-89 |
8 |
4 |
39.5 |
5.5 |
5.3 |
50% |
|
1990-94 |
7 |
2 |
39.1 |
N/A |
3.7 |
38% |
Source: John Belton ‘The Missing Master Mason’ [viii] and the Membership Register of Mellor Lodge 3844 EC as at Jan 1999
Given this result, it was decided to perform similar analyses for other Lodges to obtain a wider sampling. Data was obtained from the following Lodges abroad and the results are given in Tables 2 & 3 below.
·
Granite Lodge no.446 (
·
·
Ashlar Lodge no.29 (
·
Lord Salton Lodge no.98 (
·
Cooroora Lodge no.232 (
Table 2
Average years to Resignation
/ Exclusion by period of Initiation
|
Period |
Mellor #3844 |
Mellor
[xiv]
#1774 |
Welbeck #2890 |
#124 |
Granite #446 |
Cooroora #232 Q’sland |
Lord Salton #98 Q’sland |
Ashlar #19 |
|
1945-49 |
23.0 |
15.4 |
18.0 |
15.7 |
12.5 |
20.4 |
N/A |
17.8 |
|
1950-54 |
25.6 |
20.2 |
26.2 |
17.4 |
14.7 |
16.8 |
26.3 |
18.8 |
|
1955-59 |
16.6 |
14.5 |
13.4 |
13.2 |
16.1 |
13.6 |
21.3 |
14.3 |
|
1960-64 |
16.1 |
17.6 |
10.0 |
12.6 |
14.4 |
16.2 |
17.0 |
14.5 |
|
1965-69 |
16.0 |
13.8 |
19.7 |
12.0 |
15.6 |
15.3 |
16.0 |
15.3 |
|
1970-74 |
13.8 |
10.6 |
13.3 |
10.8 |
14.2 |
N/A |
12.8 |
11.7 |
|
1975-79 |
9.8 |
8.1 |
11.0 |
8.4 |
7.6 |
9.0 |
9.8 |
9.6 |
|
1980-84 |
8.3 |
8.2 |
10.7 |
6.5 |
8.8 |
4.8 |
8.3 |
6.5 |
|
1985-89 |
5.3 |
2.5 |
6.2 |
4.8 |
7.8 |
6.0 |
5.0 |
N/A |
|
1990-94 |
3.7 |
3.8 |
4.5 |
N/A |
4.0 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
N/A |
Source: Belton ‘The Missing Master Mason’ [xv] and Lodge Membership Registers
Table 3
% Resignations / Exclusions
by period of Initiation
|
Period |
Mellor #3844 |
Mellor #1774 |
Welbeck #2890 |
#124 |
Granite #446 |
Cooroora #232 Q’sland |
Lord Salton #98 Q’sland |
Ashlar #19 |
|
1945-49 |
100% |
61% |
33% |
56% |
31% |
44% |
N/A |
39% |
|
1950-54 |
54% |
71% |
25% |
59% |
28% |
83% |
25% |
43% |
|
1955-59 |
70% |
73% |
33% |
64% |
36% |
89% |
30% |
51% |
|
1960-64 |
80% |
64% |
8% |
72% |
31% |
63% |
73% |
41% |
|
1965-69 |
50% |
50% |
27% |
40% |
31% |
50% |
50% |
43% |
|
1970-74 |
60% |
64% |
25% |
65% |
18% |
nil |
70% |
60% |
|
1975-79 |
86% |
89% |
31% |
62% |
19% |
100% |
62% |
47% |
|
1980-84 |
40% |
67% |
36% |
74% |
47% |
100% |
40% |
60% |
|
1985-89 |
50% |
29% |
50% |
28% |
25% |
100% |
25% |
N/A |
|
1990-94 |
38% |
75% |
44% |
N/A |
23% |
37% |
43% |
N/A |
Source: Belton ‘The Missing Master Mason’ and Lodge Membership Registers
It is interesting
to compare the similar results for Welbeck Lodge No. 2890 (
Very similar trends indicating an increasingly shorter period of membership of the Craft are demonstrated in all these Lodges. Table 3 demonstrates that a significant percentage of candidates have resigned even from the most recent cohorts.
Considering
the data further, it would seem clear that each succeeding cohort remained
within the Craft for a shorter period of time and all the Lodges
show a very marked fall in membership duration from the second half
of the 1970s onwards. There is
initial evidence that the last two decades have been marked also by
an increasing proportion of Exclusions for NPD (non payment of dues)
instead of Resignations (where dues were paid up to date). Furthermore,
an increasing occurrence of Initiates failing to take the Second and
Third Degrees appeared in
Other
Inferences
A number of other conclusions can be drawn from the collected data:
· Age at Initiation
Over the past 50 years the average age of candidates has varied little within a Lodge, being within a band of plus or minus 5 years and the norm is 40 years of age. There is no evidence that the average age of Initiation has increased over time and thus any attempt to recruit and retain younger members (i.e. less than 35) en masse is likely to prove unsuccessful.
· Years to the Mastership
A marked trend is that the time to become Master of a Lodge has reduced from 10+ years to 5-7 years. It is well understood that this is a highly visible effect in any ‘declining’ Lodge and one must wonder how many members are lost due to the effort of having to learn the procedures of a Lodge and its ritual in half the ‘traditional’ length of time. The anecdotal evidence is that resignations of ‘newer’ freemasons while holding floor offices has increased. It is also self-evident that because there are fewer Master Masons available to move through to the office of Master that a greater percentage are being ‘forced’ down the resignation route. In the past they might not have chosen to do so, or to have done so with the current haste. They may have been happy to remain attending members only.
·
Losses by Exclusion and NPD
There is a noticeable tendency in the last 15 years for the percentage of losses for the reason of non-payment of dues to have increased. This could be indicative that the strength of ties between a member and his Lodge is weakening and the imperative to resign as a paid up member is, therefore, less important. Of course, if a Brother has no intention of joining another Lodge, there is no incentive to resign ‘clear of dues’. Further quantitative work is needed to look at this factor and qualitative work to determine the real reasons for resignations and exclusions. The written or verbal reasons given by those resigning, whose Proposers and Seconders are probably still members, would benefit from more impartial investigation. The bias potentially introduced by the normal desire not to be gratuitously hurtful to one’s acquaintances, or to be intimidated by senior freemasons, requires independent research.
Data from English Provincial Grand Lodges
The reports and work referred to above are all that was available to the present authors and each piece of research represents the state of knowledge at the time. In commenting on them there is no weighting - that some reports are more or less worthy than others. Clearly, some means of exchanging reports and strategies would be of benefit to all involved. The problem has global social roots and some of the successful strategies that may be developed, could well be applicable elsewhere. Recent research in several English Provincial Grand Lodges adds to the picture:
1.
The remit of this committee was to consider and report on
· all aspects of membership;
· the impact of other masonic Orders on the Craft and
· to consider the need for masonic education.
The methodology involved questionnaires being sent to the Secretaries of all Lodges in the Province and to individual ‘newest’ Lodge members, and covered the period 1983 to 1993. The Report also included a series of recommendations for improvement in Lodges’ working practices and a request to discuss these in open Lodge and report back on any that were adopted. The Province then totalled almost 80 Lodges and 4000 memberships.
The Derbyshire
Report states that membership had declined over the decade by 11.8%
(after adjusting for dual membership) or 9.7% (not adjusted) and notes
that if new Lodges had not been formed the decline would have been 17.8%.
This is against a background of a 25.3% reduction in the number of Grand
Lodge Certificates issued for the
1983 43.8 years 1988 44.0 years 1993 44.9 years
This correlates with the data from individual Lodges around the world quoted above, which show little change over 50 years.
Table 3 of the same Report records the responses to the question: “For the meeting next after the Installation meeting please indicate the actual number of members attending by Master Mason or Past Master”. The results were, in the ratio of Master Masons to Past Masters:
1983 1.6 MM : 1 PM 1988 1.4 MM : 1 PM 1993 1.1 MM : 1 PM
As the decline in numbers of Initiates is gradual, one can only assume that (with the benefit of hindsight, that most exact of sciences) this was some of the earliest English evidence for a shorter duration of active participation and membership of the Craft.
2.
The Essex Report (January 1997) examines membership statistics and local demographics and reports a loss of Provincial membership of between 11% and 18% (they had some trouble reconciling some of the data available) over the period 1981 to 1995 – some 14 years. This rate of reduction is considerably less than the loss experienced in Provinces of a ‘metropolitan’ nature although the reasons for this (as also in the case for Derbyshire) are as yet unclear and merit further research. The Report also examined the reasons for leaving and the demographics of the county.
3.
The introduction of computerised
database records in the
In 1997, the Province had about 12,000 dues-paying memberships (i.e. including dual memberships), 10,529 individual freemasons and 407 Lodges. The analysis only considered numbers of individual members and those ‘Initiated into and still a member of an East Lancashire Lodge’. The extrapolation to 2010 considered the effect of time on
· those who were members at the end of 1997 and
· those who might be expected to join from 1998 till 2010.
These two groups were analysed separately.
The membership of the Province as at 31 December 1997 was analysed using the following methodology:
1. This group was considered without the addition of any new candidates, those being considered separately
2. Resignations were assumed to remain at the average levels of 1996-1997, those being the only years for which full data was available. The data for both these years was similar and thus assumed to be typical.
It was thus possible to model the hypothetical situations where only mortality or resignations applied and to measure the relative effects. Thus the situation where only resignations and no mortality applied, the calculations yielded the following:
Table 4
|
RESIGNATIONS |
1997 actual |
1998 estimate |
2002 estimate |
2007 estimate |
2010 estimate |
|
No. of Freemasons |
10529 |
9900 |
7800 |
6000 |
5100 |
|
Cumulative loss |
|
6% |
26% |
43% |
51% |
3. Mortality was calculated using Table ‘a(90)’ of the Institute of Actuaries (normally used for the calculation of annuities). There was no adjustment made to take account of the increased longevity between 1990 and 1998 onwards; this is estimated at one year per decade. The effect of mortality might thus be slightly overstated.
For the situation where only mortality applied and there were no resignations the results were as follows:
Table 5
|
MORTALITY |
1997 actual |
1998 estimate |
2002 estimate |
2007 estimate |
2010 estimate |
|
No. of Freemasons |
10529 |
10300 |
9300 |
8000 |
7200 |
|
Cumulative loss |
|
2% |
12% |
24% |
32% |
4. When the effects of both Mortality and Resignation are combined in a single calculation it becomes clear that resignations are the prime factor. In effect members tend to resign before they (statistically) stand a significant risk of dying! This represents the forecast for future membership numbers, thus:
Table 6
|
MORTALITY & RESIGNATION |
1997 actual |
1998 estimate |
2002 estimate |
2007 estimate |
2010 estimate |
|
No. of Freemasons |
10529 |
9689 |
7593 |
5727 |
4825 |
|
Cumulative loss |
|
8% |
28% |
46% |
54% |
It is possible, however, to delve more deeply into the data and in particular the data on resignations and for those resigning or being excluded in a particular year to express those resignations in ‘Years in the Craft until Resignation’. The results are visually shown in the following graph:
The data shows a rate of resignation of existing members of 25% in 5 years, 43% in 10 years and 51% by 2010. This is indicative that interest in the Craft among its newer members wanes fairly rapidly and especially in the case of exclusions indicates significantly reduced interest at least 2 years before exclusion.
The issuing of Grand Lodge Certificates by UGLE has shown a steady reduction over the past 15 years and this trend was extrapolated to 2010. The reduction is approximately 4% p.a. compound in new members joining.
Applying this data to the Province of East Lancashire (more specific data not being available for the Province) indicates that the number of new members will reduce significantly.
Table 7
|
NEW MEMBERS |
1997 actual |
1998 estimate |
2002 estimate |
2007 estimate |
2010 estimate |
|
No. of New Freemasons |
370 |
362 |
311 |
246 |
214 |
|
Cumulative reduction |
|
|
16% |
33% |
42% |
|
New Freemasons per Lodge |
0.9 |
0.9 |
0.75 |
0.6 |
0.5 |
In summary,
these forecasts show a net reduction in the number of individual members
of between 5.7% and 6.4% per annum.
If these forecasts turn out to be reasonably accurate then there
are financial implications for masonic halls, charities and the number
of viable Lodges. These figures are within the range experienced
by other Grand Lodges.
Evidence from Grand Lodges
The research undertaken for this paper has shown that there is relatively little communication between officials of the many Grand Lodges around the world who are concerned with the problem. Perhaps the materials that arrive from other Grand Lodges addressed to the Grand Secretary are simply filed or that papers published in Research Journals only go to the libraries. There may also be a generalised assumption that everywhere else is different and that there is little to learn from other jurisdictions. A review of published materials would seem to indicate that this is a false assumption.
1. Grand Lodge
of New Jersey (1987)
This Grand Lodge’s Bi-centenary Book [xx] states that in 1959 the Grand Lodge reached an all time high of 107,649 members and 298 Lodges and that it had shrunk by 1986 to 59,017 members and 205 Lodges. That is a decline of 45% in members and 30% in Lodges.
In Chapter 9, its authors comment:
As early as 1958 Grand Lodge recognised the peculiar problems plaguing city Lodges. It notes the deterioration of the cities, and loss or lack of suitable meeting places, the scarcity of protected parking facilities, and the matter of personal safety [xxi] .
They also note the movement of population from
urban to suburban and rural communities and the increase in individualism.
Recovery is dependant upon our ability to convey those impressions (the importance and value and significance of membership of the Craft), a clarification of our aims, an improvement in our leadership, a renewal of our purpose, a commitment to preserve that which is good and which we hold in trust for those yet to follow in our path [xxii] .
In 1995 membership had fallen further to 44,992; that is a further 24% reduction in 9 years. This is in spite of having recognised the problem and having adopted some of the remedial actions that were required. This situation is mirrored across the USA.
2. Grand Lodge
of Ireland (1994 and 1998)
The 1994 ‘Programme for Change – The Way Forward’ [xxiii] while not explicit about any problem in membership deals with the following matters
· masonic image;
· membership;
· charity;
· policy;
· administrative development and communication.
It is, in fact, an exhortation to the members to be more positive about (their) Freemasonry.
Four years later the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, writing in AQC 110, [xxiv] offered an objective treatise on the role of ‘Freemasonry in Society’. This represents a ‘public’ return to the consideration of masonic values by members of the Craft and firmly places freemasons as within and part of society rather than something apart and remote from the daily pressures and rapid rate of change. Here too we find an open and willing acceptance that contraction is inevitable:
Will our time come
again? I think it will – not perhaps an exact replica of the past, for
we cannot turn back the clock, but a slimmer, trimmer version with new
vigour and enthusiasm ready to meet the new millennium.
3. Grand Lodge
of New Zealand (1984 – 1997)
While it does not seem to have been determined definitively why Australasia has experienced its rapid and drastic decline in numbers, one of the first attempts to raise the issue based on quantitative analysis, was in 1986 by Busfield [xxv] . His efforts appear to have fallen on stony ground at the time. Perhaps the Craft was not ready for such revelations a decade ago. The theme of the need for action was picked up again, this time by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand itself, in its Strategic Plan 1994 to 2000 which set out the strategy to be followed to the year 2000, and again by Pottinger in 1997 [xxvi] . However, it is necessary to look at some of the statistics that lie behind the issues.
Table 8
|
Year |
Actual Member Numbers (a) |
1982 GL Member Forecast (b) |
1996 Member Forecast (a) |
Actual Lodge number |
1996 Lodge Forecast |
|
1963 |
47,137 |
|
|
424 |
|
|
1970 |
44,219 |
|
|
430 |
|
|
1975 |
41,493 |
|
|
433 |
|
|
1980 |
37,466 |
|
|
428 |
|
|
1985 |
33,076 |
|
|
417 |
|
|
1986 |
|
32,800 |
|
|
|
|
1990 |
25,912 |
|
|
377 |
|
|
1991 |
|
29,520 |
|
|
|
|
1995 |
20,444 |
|
|
344 |
|
|
1996 |
|
26,528 |
|
|
|
|
2000 |
|
|
15,300 |
|
304 |
|
2001 |
|
23,912 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
10,000 |
|
185 |
Source: (a) Pottinger.
Busfield noted, with some irony, that while the 1982 ‘Condition of the Craft Committee’, against a background of a 25% fall in membership between 1963 and 1982, was forecasting a further decrease of 30% by 2001 the view from the top was that all was well. He notes the words of the Grand Masters as follows:
· 1981 ‘…I can assert that there is growing evidence to show that we have arrested the decline … the future now offers real hope of improvement’
· 1982 ‘…the decline is showing signs of levelling off and we will, I am confident, show an increase in the near future’
· 1983 referring to the decline (848 compared with 815 the previous year) ‘This indicates that with the co-operation and support of all members there will be an early return to increasing membership’
· 1984 ‘We have inherited a wonderful institution which I believe is in a healthy condition…’
Busfield quoted other examples of the discrepancy between the figures and the views of the senior management. Clearly such instances are less than helpful in presenting a coherent view and strategy to the membership in general. The fact that membership estimates for the year 2001 have been reduced by 40% between 1982 and 1996 is, indicative perhaps of the real nettle not having been grasped.
Pottinger [xxvii] also noted the high incidence of older members with 44% being over 70 years of age and 18% over the age of 80. The annual loss of members in the mid-1990s due to mortality has been 600-650. Resignations and ‘struck offs’ have been more or less constant at 1150. There has been a total annual decline of about 1700-1800 per year (i.e. approximately 10% of membership per annum). He contended that this will be maintained at least for the next six years and noted that to offset
the losses from mortality,
resignation and struck offs in 1996 requires each and every Lodge to
introduce 5.2 new members. Manifestly this is not possible, let alone
expecting to continue at this annual level for a further six years.
This is not to assume that new members are not important to the organisation.
To the contrary, this has to be the single most important purpose of
the organisation. It transcends all politics and power. Without this
dedicated focus there can be little future of any consequence. Unfortunately,
as Lodge numbers fall, so will initiate intake levels…. The burden of
the future will fall on the critical few who survive
[xxviii]
.
There are some freemasons around the world who nurture a hope that numbers will return to past levels. For New Zealand to do so they would not only need to recruit 10% new members each year to level peg but probably they would need a further 10% to start to build the numbers back up again – and to do this on a year in year out basis. Such expectations flies in the face of history.
The market research behind the ‘1993 Strategic Plan’ disclosed an attitude gap between the older majority and the younger minority. Pottinger commented that this older majority
grew up in yesterday’s business. Their attitudes, expectations and values were formed in an earlier time and they naturally tend to apply the lessons of the past to the present. Indeed as in many businesses, what happened in the past is regarded as normal. It is futile to restore “normality” since it is only the reality of yesterday. …The task is not to impose yesterday’s ‘normal’ on a changed today, but to change the organisation to fit the new realities.
The issues of timing and the concept of paradigm were introduced by Pottinger and he stated:
Business has well
documented the failures that occur from being either too early or too
late with change and new ideas. Equally
well documented is the hopelessness of trying to revive a failed concept
or product. Although some of
the initiatives in the strategic plan of 1993 have been implemented,
it has largely failed. It failed
not because of its content, but because it was launched too early for
the society and market. The next initiative has to be timed perfectly,
or it too will fail.
This poses an enormous challenge for Freemasonry which has its roots in traditionalism and conservatism set in an ‘autocratic’ environment in which decisions flow down the chain to be obeyed and few real avenues exist to pass messages back through the hierarchy, and with a generally low-perceived benefit from trying. This is perhaps Freemasonry’s paradigm – it must create an environment where new and possibly radical thought is encouraged and two-way communication is considered essential. Only then can the process of renewal and renaissance start.
Finally, Pottinger looked at who is going to deliver the future. He commented that:
The new leader will
be a man of vision. He will understand the paradox of the competing
needs to retain the past, yet meet what will by then have become very
urgent needs of a new future. His leadership support will be determined
not by the past successes, but future promise. He will understand that
“We must not let our past, however glorious, get in the way of our future”.
If the membership figures are anything to go by Freemasonry will be seeking quite a few such men.
4. Grand Lodge
of
Table 9
Grand Lodge of
|
Year |
Members |
Candidates |
Demits |
Deaths |
Lodges |
Av. No. per Lodge |
|
1987 |
12730 |
332 |
533 |
308 |
156 |
81 |
|
1988 |
12234 |
284 |
626 |
324 |
156 |
78 |
|
1989 |
11824 |
281 |
551 |
283 |
155 |
76 |
|
1990 |
11408 |
318 |
571 |
311 |
156 |
73 |
|
1991 |
10989 |
290 |
529 |
309 |
153 |
71 |
|
1992 |
10657 |
290 |
521 |
223 |
146 |
73 |
|
1993 |
10303 |
296 |
534 |
250 |
145 |
71 |
|
1994 |
9986 |
260 |
478 |
231 |
145 |
69 |
|
1995 |
9641 |
262 |
486 |
245 |
144 |
67 |
|
1996 |
9308 |
263 |
446 |
263 |
141 |
66 |
Source: Grand Lodge of
5. Grand East
of the
The 1998
the GEN issued the Rapport van de Commissie Toekomst Verkenning
[xxxi]
concerning membership matters.
The GEN is concerned not only about the ‘quality and quantity’
of Freemasonry in the
The Report
contains considerable quantitative analysis against a background where
the GEN have moved from a long period of stable membership to one where
the average age is increasing and the actual numbers are decreasing. Over the past 12.5 years it identifies 15 Lodges
starting, 54 growing and 77 shrinking together with a further 29 possibly
not able to carry on other than in the short term. The demographics of (an ageing)
The current rate of new members is about 3% per annum and only 39% of current members have joined in the last 12.5 years. This is against a background where the Order needs 50% or more new members over the same period to maintain stability. The Report states that while this is a big percentage, it is important to try and maintain an age balance within the Order that matches that of the community in general. The current annual reduction in membership of 2.5% per annum is forecast to increase to 3% per annum, and this will lead to a further ‘greying’ of the Order. If current trends continue the Report foresees that by 2020 the Order will be a ‘club only for old men’ and that it may then only have a life of 10 or 20 years remaining. They see the difference in vitality between men in their 50s being much greater than those in their 60s as being a factor of import in trying to achieve renewal and propose both new Lodges and the use of technology. They counsel avoidance of fear of the Internet and see it as a valuable tool to strengthen contact between Brethren regardless of place, age, health or disability.
In short, this Report argues for a full reappraisal of
· the objectives (in a business sense) of the Craft;
· a realignment of its moral and spiritual values with those of today’s society and
a re-balancing of managerial and ceremonial functions.
The Report is clear that a failure to grapple effectively with the issues will lead to the virtual extinction of the Craft in the next 30-40 years in Holland.
6. United Grand Lodge of New South Wales
Kellerman in the 1992 Kellerman Lecture for New South Wales entitled ‘The Challenge of the Changes in Membership in New South Wales’ [xxxii] provided a review of the past 50 years and the remedial actions that have been taken. Membership numbers reached their peak in 1958 at 135,000 although the period of 1954-1958 saw an increase of less than 5% compared with an increase of about 30% in the preceding period of 1949-1953. This trend has continued to date with numbers falling to 40,000 in 1991 (and 34,000 in 1995).
The early 1960s saw Lodges responding with more interesting programs and the Danks Report was commissioned in 1964 to investigate the problems. The implemented parts of its report were
· the reintroduction of the NSW Freemason;
· formation of The Research Lodge of NSW no. 971 and
· the development of policies for improving the image of Freemasonry;
· carefully planned measures were instituted to improve the relationship between Brethren and Lodges and between Lodges and Grand Lodge, and to involve families.
Nonetheless, membership continued to decline and so, in 1968 the Danks Commission was reconvened. It found that the majority of Lodges had not adopted the recommendations of its 1965 Report. Membership continued to decline down from 135,000 in 1958 to 102,292 in 1969 – a decrease of 24%.
The 1970s saw the following developments:
· considerable consolidation of Lodges;
· efforts in masonic education were redoubled;
· booklets prepared and issued;
· District Education Officers appointed and a Lodge system of masonic education introduced;
· a building fund was created to build a new Masonic Centre in Sydney and to fund improvements to all masonic buildings.
Asher [xxxiii] read a paper at the 1976 communication of Grand Lodge of NSW. Some of his recommendations were accepted and some not. Membership continued to shrink from 102,292 in 1969 to 77,448 in 1979, representing a decrease of almost 25%.
Kellerman noted: ‘The 1980’s saw increased effort and widespread activity, in an attempt to solve the problem which had become alarming’. The focus of activity was on improving educational facilities, efficiency of Lodges and the masonic image. Further booklets, brochures and video and audio tapes were issued. New measures were introduced to allow for men who did not know a freemason to join or be cross-sponsored into Lodges. Measures to improve membership produced disappointing results, although the decline was lessened in part. Daylight Lodges proved successful (and currently number 36) by bringing back to ‘active service’ those who had resigned or ceased to be active in their own Lodges. A ‘Caring Officer’ scheme was introduced to ensure that brethren and their families were not left without masonic contact.
A far-reaching enquiry by a ‘Commission for the Future’ reported in November 1990 and its Report was issued a year later [xxxiv] . Some of the recommendations were accepted:
· ‘proper solicitation’ was changed to ‘invitation to apply’;
· a special recruitment drive was instituted (’10 for 1 in 1991’) to recruit one new member for every 10 in a Lodge;
· advertisements placed in newspapers and
· a regular magazine mailed from Grand Lodge to each Brother and lapsed member.
By 1995, numbers had fallen from 47,813 in 1989 to 34,000 – a decrease of almost 30%. By 1995 membership had fallen to 25% of its peak in 1958.
Kellerman now considers that Freemasonry has reached a turning point where, in the light of what has been attempted and its results, he accepts implicitly that all attempts to maintain Freemasonry in its current form will fail. He wonders:
Questions might be
asked, but are we asking the right questions?’ ‘Are we clear on what
the central core of Freemasonry really is?’ ‘Why should we seek to preserve
it?’, ‘If we do preserve it, in what form should it be done?’
[xxxv]
He reflects that:
We can change, but
we will not be willing to do so unless we believe firmly that Freemasonry
is essential to mankind’s moral stability, a fact not widely recognised.
[xxxvi]
7. Grand Lodge
of Scotland (1997 - 1998)
Before examining the progress made by the Grand Lodge of Scotland in addressing the issues it is worth commenting on the factors that make any quantitative analysis of membership in Scotland virtually impossible. It is normal for many Lodges to offer ‘Life Membership’. Once an Initiate has paid his ‘Commutation’ fee to a Lodge he is a member for life regardless of whether he has ever attended since paying the fee. Indeed, many such members have not been seen for decades. This means that Lodges, in terms of their nominal members, may seem large but it is possible for a Lodge of, say, 400 members to struggle to fill the floor offices at meetings. Many Lodges also send little by way of written correspondence to members. Such may be as little as copies of the Annual Programmes. It is quite likely that Lodges have a poor knowledge of many of their members. If the Secretary is less than assiduous there may easily be members on the books who have moved or died some years ago.
The 1997 Yearbook of the Grand Lodge of Scotland contained an article by William Russell [xxxvii] entitled ‘Whither are we Travelling’. Russell started by stating that
The Wailing Wall
is crowded these days. Masonic leaders, great and small, are lined up,
each awaiting his turn to lift up his voice in lamentation. The figures
are showing a falling in membership.
The Quarterly Communication of August 1998, however, included the Report of Working Party No. 1 - ‘Can Advancement replace Apathy and Abandonment?’ [xxxviii] The remit of this Working Party was
· to investigate and report on why so many members are lost to the Scottish Craft;
· to investigate and report with appropriate recommendations and
to consider how more effective ‘Masonic Education’ should be encouraged.
The Working Party identified that the Craft had two problems
· fewer Candidates and
· many of those Candidates soon disappeared from active membership (the quantitative analysis undertaken by the authors is able to confirm those findings).
They endeavoured to research the reasons for ‘lost’ members and were disappointed by the results.
In terms of loss of members, it was noted that there is a need to make serious efforts to retain members. The Report proposes:
· an improved education and instruction process;
· asking Lodges to give serious consideration to the frequency of their regular meetings (normally Scottish Craft Lodges meet every two weeks);
· Lodges reconsider the content of their meetings;
· Lodges should consider the sharing of premises;
· Lodges should consider mergers;
· for lapsed members Lodges should communicate with them, arrange lapsed members’ meetings and inform lapsed members of any special events.
The Report acknowledged that early steps need to be taken to deal with the problem of new members feeling abandoned. It recommended
· the establishment by Lodges of a system of education and instruction to enable Intrants (i.e. entrants/candidates) to learn about the Craft;
· the introduction of a buddy system;
· social activities and family involvement and
· decreasing the ‘them and us’ problems.
In terms of the image of the Craft, they proposed the appointment of a professional firm of public relations consultants, with material produced to be distributed throughout the Craft. They commented that
Consideration should be given to the nature and content of business transacted at regular meetings of Grand Lodge; that business should be conducted expeditiously and where meetings are short that time should be given additional business, or an address or discussion. [xxxix]
It is noteworthy that all these ‘prescriptions’ have been implemented with great gusto by several Australian Grand Lodges within the last two decades, but with no discernible result in stemming membership loss.
The penultimate paragraph of the Working Party Report are quoted verbatim and speaks for itself.
While there are many
able and dedicated men within the Scottish Craft in many cases the importance
of an office or rank to the man may seem to him more relevant than what
he can give to the Craft in that Office or rank. “If its not broken
don't fix it” is often advanced as a platitude for doing nothing within
the Craft. It is human nature to prefer an easy life. However the simple
fact is that in many important aspects of its work the Craft is indeed
broken and desperately needs to be fixed, whether we like it or not.
The “fixing” needs the wholehearted commitment of all of those Brethren
entrusted with positions of leadership, authority, and influence within
the Scottish Craft. If apathy is not reversed the Craft must inevitably
continue on its less than graceful decline. Are we really prepared to
sit back and let that happen?
[xl]
The Report was accepted in December 1998, with the Working Party being reconvened to address and implement specific areas.
8. United Grand Lodge of Victoria
Thornton in his paper ‘Nine out of Ten Freemasons would attack Moscow in Winter’ [xli] reflected that Charles XII of Sweden in 1709, Napoleon in 1812 and Hitler in 1941 all attempted to take Moscow and failed.
He explored the historic intake of men into Freemasonry noting the large influxes after the Boer War, World War I and World War II. He noted the role played by the Craft in the reintegration of servicemen into society and reflects that, in terms of the acceptance by these men of the full values of Freemasonry, something may have been lost. Until about 60 years ago, Freemasonry in Victoria cost three weeks average salary to join and one weeks salary as annual dues, Installation banquets were an art form and speeches were long, repetitive and tedious. The advent of ‘cut price’ Freemasonry subsequent to World War II, Thornton claimed, drove out the ‘Knife and Fork Mason’ or those who saw Freemasonry as a means of continuing to drink after 6.00 p.m. when the hotels shut, and led to calls for a reduction in the number and length of speeches.
Thornton then asked the question ‘Is Freemasonry in decline?’ and concluded ‘No’ on the grounds that:
The moral and ethical teaching it espouses has not altered and will always be part of a democratic, civilised society. What is in decline is the annual total financial membership of the United Grand Lodge of Victoria. The distinction must be made or we will continue to advocate fixing something that is not broken. We need to concentrate on the number of Freemasons in our Lodges, not on the number of paid up members, for when the latter rises as a percentage of the community, the former falls as a percentage of Lodge members. [xlii]
This is a powerful argument for the identification of good practice, maintenance of quality and the cessation of the pursuit of numbers per se . He commented that quality and attendance falls
when ability is spread too thinly, when we have too many Lodges, when the habits of the past form a legacy for the future, and when Grand Lodge is autocratic but weak. [xliii]
Thus, Thornton came full circle by saying that, in the frenzied pursuit of numbers Freemasonry is trying ‘to take Moscow in Winter’, we are seeking to get men to join who are not suited and are inevitably doomed to fail in the enterprise because we are failing to learn the lessons of history.
This tendency of Freemasonry
to codify and institutionalise is widespread and is something to be
guarded against. Thornton is unequivocal in stating that it is about
time that Lodges were trusted, To Grand Lodges he states:
Be autocratic by all means,
but be strong and trust your offspring, not weak and expect them to
backslide.
[xliv]
Do Different Practices protect
from Decline?
It is useful to reflect on the
fact that if one looks at Grand Lodges where numbers are falling there
are a large variety of differences in custom and practice:
·
early or late tyling;
·
Lodges opened in either the First or Third Degrees;
·
large or small numbers;
·
different rituals (e.g. American Webb or English
Emulation);
·
candidates with either a vast amount of work to
learn or little to do;
·
Degrees conferred by Lodge members or Degree teams;
·
single or multiple (and in some cases mass) Initiations;
·
after-proceedings varying from banquets to simple
‘harmony’ and
·
dues vary from £10-30 ($15 to 45) up to in excess
of £100 ($160) or more.
The
mere fact is that in spite of all these differences, masonic membership
is consistently falling virtually everywhere in the English-speaking
masonic world.
The present writers are thus drawn to the conclusion that no particular style of working protects against falling numbers, and this would be supportive of the hypothesis that the root cause of the decline is related to changes within society. That is not to say that changes in current practice would not mitigate the rate of decline.
Do Internal Factors Exacerbate the Decline?
Notwithstanding the social reasons for membership decline it is worth considering some of the factors that cause Freemasonry to be a traditionalist organisation. It was not always thus. In the 18th century it was a new organisation which emerged following the decline in ‘power’ of the churches allowing new organisations to appear, allowing Freemasonry to espouse a set of moral and social values that were, for the time, quite revolutionary.
Those social changes are now history and thus have effectively become part of the establishment, certainly so by latter part of this century. The masonic design of valuing tradition has ensured that much of the Craft largely works on the principle that what started as custom and practice developed into tradition or convention, and must now considered to be a landmark of the Lodge, Grand Lodge and the Order in general. The central problem is that Freemasonry and change are not happy bedfellows.
Numerical Aspects of the Decline
The decline in the number of Initiates has been going on for many years and a similar pattern has, and is, being experienced by many organisations, whether social, religious, charitable, civic or fraternal. It is salutary to briefly compare the membership situation in other organisations. For example, churchgoing has suffered greatly and this is reflected in both Catholic and Protestant faiths. A recent article in The Sunday Times [xlv] indicated that the Church of England has suffered a decline in attendance by 50% over the past 50 years to below one million and are decreasing at a rate of 600 per week, equivalent to an annual compound decrease of just over 3%.
· If one assumes that changes in Society have induced a smaller pool of men joining civic and social organisations generally, then it follows that the future membership of Freemasonry must necessarily be drawn from this diminished and diminishing potential population base. It follows that the Craft is effectively a membership competitor with a myriad of other organisations. To assume that these social competitors will face this crisis passively would be an error of judgement.
· Declining membership longevity is partly linked to factors within society and is strongly related to the degree in which the promise and delivery of the ‘masonic product’ is perceived by its newer members. If these men are to be retained the Craft must ensure that its packaging of the product conforms in general terms with the organisational and cultural norms of the day. Freemasonry must be, and be seen to be, part of society as it currently exists. It must broadly reflect society’s views as far as is possible, albeit within the compass of its historic conventions, which freemasons perceive as the Landmarks of the Order – however undefined they may be. If Freemasonry fails in this area, the pattern of decline through lower membership intake on the one hand, and increasing resignations on the other, will continue unabated.
· It is interesting to reflect that Toffler commented on the issue of ‘transience’, as follows.
The people of the
future live in a condition of ‘high transience’ – a condition in which
the duration of relationship is cut short, the throughput of relationships
extremely rapid. In their lives,
things, people, ideas and organisational structure all get ‘used up’
more quickly”
[xlvi]
.
In a Masonic context, the available data suggests that this is evident in the ever decreasing length of time to resignation and is manifested symptomatically in Lodges by empty Stewards benches, the absence of Master Masons from Lodges of Instruction or Lodge meetings, and the difficulty in getting them to accept and progress in the Lodge office.
The Vagaries of Membership
Prior to looking in detail at elements that have to be considered in any possible masonic renaissance, it is worth reflecting on the thought processes by which members determine the longevity or otherwise of their masonic membership.
Freemasonry does not consist of a homogenous population. Therefore, any prescription that does not take account its different social clusters and their often divergent needs is almost certainly doomed to failure. Similarly, it is clearly possible that any individual freemason could be described as ‘belonging’ to more than one grouping.
1.
The Rulers in the Craft
It is often felt by lower ranks within of the Craft that its ruling echelons, while acknowledged as strongly committed freemasons, are focused on preserving the status quo. In addition, whether correctly or otherwise, they are also seen concurrently as having to protect their power, privilege and position. Ordinary members are want to argue that their masonic leadership is far removed from the rigours of Lodge life and that the leaders have a masonic perspective not necessarily shared by the majority of members. It is immaterial whether this is true or not. It is the perception that is relevant.
2.
Reformists
These are members who consider that the need for change is ever more pressing and inevitable as numbers continue to fall. They appear to perceive the leaders of the Craft as considering them to be heretical troublemakers who should be side-lined and their opinions discounted.
3.
Traditionalists
These are those for whom change of any sort is anathema, for whom every tradition of a Lodge is a Landmark of the Order to remain unaltered and inalienable. While they do not necessarily form a large proportion of masonic membership, they invariably tend to be members of long-standing.
4.
The Compliant Majority
This grouping could probably be considered to be a large and silent majority who either come to Lodge with no agenda, or fail to attend and merely pay annual dues. Demonstrably, they are the financial lifeblood of most Lodges and happy to go along with whatever seems reasonable.
5.
The Already Resigned & the Absent Master Mason
As is patently the case from the data presented, many members have already voted with their feet and left the Craft. It is not necessarily that they were not committed members, but more likely that for them their Freemasonry was not perceived as value for their time and money. For this grouping, a modicum of evidence does exist in the form of the reducing time that membership is retained.
6.
The Quintessentialists
These are an almost invisible group and will believe strongly in the values of Freemasonry. They will often have experienced what they seem to consider to be for them the ‘Unacceptable Face of Freemasonry’. This can be viewed as a variety of manifestations, which may include nit picking, internal jealousies, and the on-going transmission of perceived useless habits that are preserved in concrete. In many ways their adherence to basic masonic values is something to be nurtured and grown.
Tackling the Problem
In considering possible solutions, it is necessary to note immediately that there is no universal panacea, although as demonstrated earlier, the membership decline in English-speaking Freemasonry is general and has little, if anything, to do with the practices of an individual Grand Lodge, or its constituent Lodges.
It becomes useful at this point to consider various prescriptions which could collectively assist in rectifying the problem.
1.
Responses from Grand (and Provincial Grand) Lodge to be a (presumptive)
‘Yes’
Many an experienced Secretary has been heard to say “if you want to do something its best to do it and then wait for higher authorities to find out later”. They have encountered queries to Grand (or Provincial Grand) Lodge often being met with a negative response. Masonic culture would probably benefit considerably from Grand and Provincial offices adopting a more positive stance to requests for advice. Wherever possible the response should be ‘Yes’, even if sometimes a qualified one.
2.
‘Brother, you have our permission to think’.
The flow of communications within the masonic structure has traditionally been associated with commands rather than requests. The result has been a tendency for both Lodges and individual freemasons not to think for themselves, but rather to follow the instructions from above. The changes that will be needed in the Craft to ensure its future survival as a relevant community body will require Lodges to take positive initiatives to develop and implement strategies for renaissance. This will require them to think and act.
It is likely that they will require telling that it is permissible to develop ideas, and within defined guidelines to implement those that suit the members of the Lodge. In short, there is a necessity to empower Lodges to plot their own destinies, to encourage each Lodge to adjust its thinking and practices to suit the needs of its members - which in many cases will be different to those of neighbouring Lodges.
3.
Outdated Grand Lodge management structures?
The governmental development of Freemasonry in the UK Grand Lodges occurred, historically, in the 18th century when autocracy, or at least oligarchy, was the pattern of political government. Liberal democracy as we would understand it today was then basically unknown, or at best, not admired. It is hardly surprising that the governmental structures of Freemasonry bequeathed to us largely mirror the times in which they were originally conceived. Indeed, a possibly valid early 20th century analogy might be the practices of the then British military hierarchy, where communications only flowed easily in one direction - downwards.
Grand Lodges formed after those in the UK, were erected over the past 200 years first in Europe and then progressively in the emancipated areas of the former British Empire. Very largely they followed the British model of masonic autocracy. Only in the USA, and to a lesser extent in Canada through American influences, were Grand Lodges conceived in a democratic manner again reflecting the political patterns of American society as it then stood. Even so, the membership decline in America has been more than comparable to other areas of English-speaking Freemasonry (see Appendix 1), indicating that the form of masonic government has effectively had no influence on membership decline.
This autocratic/oligarchic style of management has reputedly posed no problems in past eras, firstly, because its basis was then currently societal, and latterly because it became traditional – effectively and arguably yet another Landmark of the Order. In addition, it probably worked to the extent that anything works when times are robust and membership grows. However, once more difficult times appear this style of governance has great difficulty in responding to the need for change, as it is not designed for input from those whom it assumedly exists to serve. The probable expectations of late 20th-century candidates, who have been reared in a pluralist political democracy and within a society where such things as commerce and trade are handled very differently from that of the 18th century, are different from those of their forebears. Thus, it becomes understandable why modern members can readily feel isolated from, or unaware of, decisions which may affect them, made in the upper echelons of the Craft, and over which they have no influence through any means whatsoever.
4.
Internal versus External Openness
Many Grand Lodges have placed much emphasis on the need for openness, but purely in a sense of communicating outwards to the world in general. The first reaction noted in many Grand Lodges is denial that there is a problem. Invariably, this has been followed by a begrudging acknowledgement that membership decline does exist, but that the cause is external to the organisation. As noted by Putnam, the diversions available to modern men are infinitely wider than was the case even 30 years ago. This truth cannot be escaped.
It would appear, in observing the reactions of many Grand Lodges, that it is only when the problem becomes demonstrably acute that there is any real attempt to consider internal solutions. An initial matter requiring consideration is interior communications from Grand and Provincial Lodges, to its constituent Lodges and members. Those outpourings which do exist, such as official newsletters (in itself only a recent innovation in England, at least) are produced with an introspective focus – telling members what the hierarchy considers important, but which may or may not be of relevance to ordinary members themselves.
The end of the 20th century has seen the evolution of less autocratic management styles. The concept and practice of ‘empowerment’ within commerce and industry gives rise to the expectations of men (and members), many of whom have managerial jobs, that they have a (reasonable) entitlement to participate in the running of Lodges and to know what is happening in Provincial and Grand Lodges.
5.
Masonic Education and the European Freemasons
There appears to be a commonality of views amongst English-speaking Freemasonry that the membership decline of the Craft is a world-wide phenomena, in which Grand Lodges are equally effected. Clearly, this is the case as far the English-speaking world is concerned, this is the case (see Appendix 1). However, with some exceptions, there are a group of Grand Lodges wherein not only is membership not declining, but expanding – some at a prodigious rate. As already noted in passing, these are in Europe (again, see Appendix 1).
Those apologists who are aware of the continuing stability and expansion of numerical membership in much of Europe will point immediately to the fact that, as a percentage of population, European Grand Lodges have started at a very low base. Therefore their pool of candidates and thus their potentiality for expansion, is far greater than in English-speaking countries where, they would argue, the market has long since being fully tapped. However, there are two aspects to membership numbers: getting them, and keeping them. Regardless of whether a Lodge is British or, say, Turkish, getting members, per se, is not particularly axiomatic. However, as we shall see shortly, the Continentals for the most part recruit are fundamentally different to those of their English-speaking counterparts. The bigger issue is for Lodges to retain members once they have them. English-speaking Freemasonry, as we have seen, has the dual problem of finding new members, and severe and accelerating attrition of membership. Generally the European Lodges have neither problem.
Most European masonic Obediences have a long tradition of what English-speaking freemasons may call ‘elitism’, enforced by rigorous membership selection criteria and procedures, and high financial commitments, their Lodges generally have no difficulty in attracting candidates. There is a well-known maxim that when one makes something difficult (and ‘expensive’) to join, everyone wants to. Examples in English society alone are numerous, such as the MCC with its 18-year waiting list for membership. Of course, the reverse is also an arguable truth, that when you make something cheap and easy to join, no one wants to.
Consider a new European freemason. Typically, his application to join would have been submitted to the Lodge at least a year, often longer, before his reception if, indeed, it is successful. Under many European Grand Lodges, over 50% of applicants are not accepted. Once he has joined (at usually a very hefty joining fee), and paid his annual dues (which can be as much as £500 or more), he then faces a challenging regime for advancement to the status of Master Mason. In English-speaking Freemasonry, this succession is generally achieved in about one year, and with comparative ease.
The new European Brother, on the other hand, cannot normally advance to the next Degree in under a year, and typically the Master Mason’s Degree is not achieved until five years of membership. Consider the initiate. In order to attain promotion, he must
· attend the weekly Lodge meetings regularly;
· actively participate in extensive masonic education sessions
· succumb to an extensive verbal examination on his knowledge of First Degree and
· submit a written paper on his understanding of its content and teachings.
A similar procedure ensues for every Degree. European Freemasonry considers that the exposure of a candidate to a Degree ceremony is but the beginning and that, logically, he must fully understand the teachings of his current Degree before elevation to the next. Masonic education, therefore, is everything. Anecdotally, the result of this emphasis appears to be extremely high membership retention, although no definitive research seems to be available as yet. European Lodges tacitly work on the theory, as do two Lodges set up in Victoria, Australia in recent years (see Appendix 2), that:
A mason will only
remain in a Lodge room in the medium to long term if he knows exactly
why he is sitting there.
[xlvii]
Comparatively speaking, the ordinary English-speaking Craft Lodge involves itself in precious little Masonic education, but rather focuses almost exclusively on the ‘Masonic Waltz’ otherwise known as ‘Feeding the Sausage Machine’ of 1, 2, 3 degrees. This in turn, we would argue, promotes the common phenomena of the ‘Revolving Door Freemason’ [xlviii] , who takes his three Degrees in short order, is given little understanding concerning them, and sooner rather than later is lost to his Lodge.
In a recent article, Rees echoes this problem succinctly when he states:
I had in mind the conversations I have had with one or two younger brethren. Some of them, whose second and third degrees came quite a while after their first, expressed surprise that they were not required to make a more taxing daily advancement in Masonic knowledge, and seemed a little bored with the lack of activity; they felt abandoned. I had a keen sense that they were right…... [xlix]
As the Europeans have found to their great and continuing advantage, education is the key to membership retention. Indeed, by extension, in terms of how members relate their perceptions of the value of Freemasonry to potential candidates, it is also a impetus in gaining membership.
The case for the general success of much of European Freemasonry, then, reduces to two areas:
· its exclusiveness and
· its almost total fixation on masonic education.
Clearly, the European tradition of high exclusiveness would be difficult to translate into English-speaking Freemasonry, where such has, for the most part, and certainly not to same ‘extremes’, been part of its tradition. However, masonic education, the process of encouraging a Brother to understand why he is a freemason, is readily transferable. The present writers would argue that is it absolutely essential if the English-speaking Craft is to arrest its decline.
6.
The Role of Research Lodges in delivering Masonic Education
The means of delivering a more meaningful form of masonic education has only begun to be addressed. Both the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the PGM of East Lancashire [l] are on record as suggesting that existing research Lodges can provide both talks and speakers.
It is worth remembering that Research Lodges are suffering the same decline as normal Lodges. There are fewer researchers from academia, most members and associates are not active researchers but rather enjoyers of the occasion. Also it is important to remember that the ‘research style’ of academic rigour and cross- referencing rests uneasily alongside the style of ‘word-smithing’ required to produce lectures to be delivered rather than just read. Additionally, if the offer to provide speakers was widely taken up research Lodges would be overwhelmed with requests.
In the USA the Masonic Service Association exists to provide educational materials but sadly no such organisation exists in the UK or elsewhere. If the need for Masonic education is to be taken seriously then some new style will have to be adopted to provide the materials for Lodge lectures. The impetus will largely need to come from within existing Lodges.
Conclusion
In the process of writing this paper much interesting data and activity has come to light. Clearly the wheel has been re-invented many times and the outcomes have not been shared as they might. None of the ‘solutions’ tried to this point by various English-speaking Grand Lodges have reversed the downward trend; but then it is not possible to know how much faster the decline would have been without these initiatives.
The introduction of ‘remedies’ has tended to consider each freemason and each Lodge as being identical units in which the application of a standard “solution or solutions” proposed by a Grand Lodge will bring about the desired renewal. This is almost certainly a flawed assumption and the reasons why some Lodges prosper while others ail still awaits some serious research.
The ‘autocratic’ top down style of management within English-style Freemasonry means that many by now time-honoured practices have become ‘pseudo-Landmarks’. Some of these may be things that Lodges may like to change, but such are not ‘permissible’ areas of thought. A movement from ‘control’ to ‘management and delegation’ of all activities outside a masonic core would liberate Lodges and freemasons and give them freedom to seek a style of working that suits them. The example of Lodge Epicurean, noted in Appendix 2, is a case in point – of a group of Freemasons doing something themselves at a grass-roots level, and most successfully, against what were initially officialdom difficulties.
There are signs, as we have shown that the discussion is moving from ‘trying another fix’ to halt the shrinkage to an awareness of the need to redefine what Freemasonry is and should be. To quote Kellerman
Undoubtedly we have
stated the real problems. We
have isolated the causes. We
know the reasons. But do we know
what we want? What we need is a clear statement of our aims
and aspirations in our modern world.
The Marquess of Northampton [li] , the Assistant Grand Master of the UGLE is of the opinion that
The optimum number
of members (of Grand Lodge) is the number of men who are prepared to
make the necessary effort in self-discipline, wish to be open-hearted,
practice humility and be keen to serve their fellow men …[and] we can
only regenerate ourselves from within using enlightened thinkers to
give the lead and direction.
****
Postscript
Both authors are members of Internet Lodge no. 9659 (EC). This paper was made possible by their ability to use e-mail to move the work in progress between England (Bro. Belton) and Australia (Bro. Henderson) in minutes. A listserv list entitled ‘renaissance-list’ is available for the exchange of ideas and information and details can be obtained from jbelton@internet.lodge.org.uk or khenderson@internet.lodge.org.uk enquiries@internet.Lodge.org.uk
APPENDIX
Changes
in Grand Lodge Memberships: 1980 – 1995
The following Table sets out membership across a large portion the masonic world from 1980 to 1995, notably North America and Australia. Demonstrably, the losses in the 15-year period have, for the most part, been very large. A substantial majority of show an overall percentage membership loss exceeding 40% for the period, with the losses in many accelerating from one 5-year period to the next. Interestingly, the data covering various European Grand Lodges (only some figures were available) show persistent membership increases, although for the most part this was against a small membership base.
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World
Masonic Membership Statistics 1980 – 1995 |
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Loss
of members (-% equals GAIN) |
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Continent |
Country |
1980 |
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
80 to 85 |
85 to 90 |
90 to 95 |
80 to 95 |
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Members |
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