Recruitment and Retention

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Recruitment and Retention

Postby kaushik.chowdhury » Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:12 pm

Brethren All,

This is a general query as to how does one go about the recruitment process.

What are the points one must keep in mind when recruiting especially since we are masons and not rotarians or other business fellowships?

In addition to this I have another query, some brethren in my lodge are more interested in the festive board that follows. How dies one strike a balance without seeming intrusive or rude?

Regarding retention, some members of our lodge are dissatisfied with masonry in general due to certain events having taken place with them. How does one retain dissatisfied members. Is there a magic potion which I can access.... Frivolity aside , Brethren All it is quite depressing to see the fall in our members.

Fraternally,

Kaushik
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Seeking-Light » Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:05 am

The question you pose is a Biggy

A focus on Recruitment is perhaps the wrong way forward ,too many aspirants of a quality which our forebears would not have accepted is perhaps in itself a cause of the retention issue.
Do we really need a huge volume of lodges in an area .
Do we really need to work degree after degree
Are we leaving sufficient time between grades .should the two weeks be more like two months or even years

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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Ninth Arch » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:40 am

Freemasonry is an individual journey. It means many different things to many individuals. Some enjoy the camaraderie and the social side, some enjoy the ritual and Lodge work. Some seek "rank" and the pomp of a Lodge meeting. Others seek the history and researching the Order, and yes the social board is important to others. Surely Freemasonry can accommodate all these various interests?

There are "special interest" Lodges, from karate Lodges to vintage car interest Lodges to PM Lodges to Lodges of research.. I would have thought many such "special interest" Lodges would have a limited 'gene pool' and therefore a limited life expectancy.

The reason for the decline in interest in joining is more complex. Society has and is changing. While there are many fine and upstanding members of society worthy of consideration there are unfortunately fewer of them. Many young people seek other things whether it is going out binge drinking with "their mates" or staying up all night playing computer games. They are not interested in going to a Lodge meeting with a load of "old codgers" and muttering strange archaic rituals (as they see it). How many are interested in moral and spiritual development?

I am not sure "recruitment" in itself is the way forward. I have even seen serious suggestions that we should advertise in newspapers! WE are not trying to market a new car or a new brand of soap powder. I sometimes feel that UGLE's attempt at trying to drag people through the door whether suitable or not, is not the right approach. There have been some good steps forward, such as the University entrance scheme and I think that is a worthy approach, closer association with worthy partners and organisations.

Another deterrent to applicants is bad publicity, either historical or current. Some have it firmly in mind that we are a clandestine self-help "old boys" network doing underhand things to further our own interests. Still others think we are a "new world order" covertly causing all the mayhem in today's world or "lizard people" Personally I've seen more people "get on" because of their membership of a golf club. I am not sure UGLE's attempts to be more "open and fluffy" is the right way either. I am sure many are attracted by the "mysterious" side of it .

I would ask you, aside from those already in the Craft, how many people do you know either as friends, family or at work who you would be happy to propose into your Lodge "of a similar fidelity to yourself, secure in the knowledge that they would ultimately reflect honour on your choice"?

Another contributing factor nowadays is expense. A young, newly married person, struggling to bring up a family perhaps is unwilling to have the additional expense of what some would consider a frivolous pastime. That means fewer younger candidates of "worth" are nowadays available. The thing I abhor is the diminishing standard of some of the applicants. That is not snobbery. I would welcome people from all walks of like from doctors to bin men from lawyers (well perhaps) to hauliers. But in every consideration it is quality not quantity that counts to me.

Just as important in my mind, is the retention of existing members. The adding of a person as a 'mentor' is a positive step forward but i think he should not just be there to concentrate on new members. His duties should include all members however long they have been members. How many times do we see Masons who have been through the Chair suddenly stop coming? How many times do we see candidates who have been through their Third stop coming? How many times do we see members of many years standing start to tail off their attendance?

Again the reasons are many and varied. Some find it is not what they thought it would be. Some find that their hopes it might enhance their business or career were unfounded. Others "fall out" over some matter. For some pensioners on a fixed income the ever increasing costs become too much. For others a change in circumstances such as unemployment or illness lead to their resignation or non attendance.

It is Bro. Chowdhury, a very complex subject. Yes perhaps some areas do have too many Lodges. The influx of members after the last War, seeking the camaraderie of service life has ended. The ever increasing fees and levies from Grand and Provincial Grand Lodges is a factor. But frankly I would rather see our numbers decline than our standards decline.
Last edited by Ninth Arch on Mon Jul 14, 2014 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby kaushik.chowdhury » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:54 am

Seeking-Light wrote:The question you pose is a Biggy

A focus on Recruitment is perhaps the wrong way forward ,too many aspirants of a quality which our forebears would not have accepted is perhaps in itself a cause of the retention issue.
Do we really need a huge volume of lodges in an area .
Do we really need to work degree after degree
Are we leaving sufficient time between grades .should the two weeks be more like two months or even years

seeking light


True Brother. I agree. However I hail from a jurisdiction where we are apprehensive of being overrun by the brethren of another Grand Lodge by their sheer numbers. In such light we must recruit to build up our numbers.

Bro. Ninth Arch. I have proposed many of my friends into the order and I am thankful that they have ultimately reflected honour on my choice and my belief in them. :)
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Seeking-Light » Mon Jul 14, 2014 12:43 pm

True Brother. I agree. However I hail from a jurisdiction where we are apprehensive of being overrun by the brethren of another Grand Lodge by their sheer numbers. In such light we must recruit to build up our numbers.


Do explain further .
which Grand lodges are involved

whats the ratio of lodges /membership etc etc
Are the other orders involved ?
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby kaushik.chowdhury » Mon Jul 14, 2014 2:18 pm

Do explain further .
which Grand lodges are involved

whats the ratio of lodges /membership etc etc
Are the other orders involved ?


Bro. Please do not take me amiss but I do not think an open forum should be the place to speak of such things.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Trouillogan » Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:26 pm

Likewise, I have great reservations about 'recruitment'. I don't see Freemasonry as a numbers game at all and should be quite selective - not 'open to all comers' as the Pro Grand Master said in his address on 5 June 2014: 'I hope people will realise it’s nothing more than a social club that’s open to everyone, regardless of age or background.’ If that's his personal opinion then he should say so, as it's definitely not the general view.

Even the word 'recruitment' I find distasteful, smacking as it does of militarism and persuasive enrolment. I would prefer the attitude implied by 'attraction' - that of placing before people what could draw them to consider joining.

On the other hand, retention can only be a good aim, as that embodies the need for companionship within a friendly group of like minded men of which you wish to continue your membership. That, of itself, shows to the right kind of outsider the attractions of the institution, serving to draw in those suitable over and above others.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Dave B » Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:53 pm

As a new EA brother to the ferturnaty , I would like to express my thoughts regarding the subject of Advertising FM. It was over 25 yrs ago when a friend told me that he was a Freemason. We had long conversions about freemasonry and his lodge he even showed me the contents of his black case. At that time I was also under the same impression as others that I had to be invited to become a member, I waited and waited but the invertation was not forthcoming. This friend moved away through work and we lost contact. Me been still interested I went to the local library and found books that I read , but none of these books implied that "2 be 1 ask 1" because if they had I would have knocked on the lodge door over 20yrs ago. I only found out that I could ask from a website I came across when my interest was recindled around 2yrs ago and after talking it over with my partner I filled in the online form. I was then invited to my local masonic hall to have a look around. The rest is history and now im a very happy member to the ferturnaty. So back to the subject of Advertising for members. I think that we should put out what I would call "teaser" e.g. Have you thought what happens at your local masonic hall, then why not come to our open evening and have a look around ... this could be added on the end of a masonic news item. I do not think that openly advertising for members is the right way to go. e.g. Your local freemasons need you. If I had seen that my local masonic hall had a open night I would have been the first to knock on the door. But all in all the best advert you can have is ourselves. By openly advise that we are members to freemasonry, by openly talking and wearing masonic jewelry to invite questions from the public. Bro Dave
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby CoventrySquared » Sat Oct 18, 2014 5:36 pm

What's everyone's thoughts on holding open nights...

Open the hall, and the various lodges all invite guests and local press. Put on a short playlet and offer some hospitality. Have different regalia on display and just have a low key social.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Trouillogan » Sun Oct 19, 2014 9:29 pm

CoventrySquared wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on holding open nights...

Open the hall, and the various lodges all invite guests and local press. Put on a short playlet and offer some hospitality. Have different regalia on display and just have a low key social.

Personally, I have no problem over 'open nights' but not where all and sundry are shown into the Lodge room itself. That is a space where very special experiences are made, individual to each one of us. Yes, they can see images on the Internet but that is very far from standing in this special space.

My reasons for keeping the Lodge room private are as follows:

    If a non-mason, intending to become an initiate, is shown around, then he is immediately deprived of much of that special effect during his first meeting and so is not productive or necessary at an earlier time.

    If a non-mason, who has no intention of joining, is shown round - why? What will that achieve? It may well feed a 'giggle factor' in his mind and end up being bandied around his mates in the pub. Is anything to be gained by doing so?

I have explained this to the first category and left the decision to them. Without exception they have preferred to wait for their initiation - and they have thanked me afterwards.

On the other hand, I have no problem in showing the wife of an existing Mason into the Lodge room so she could better appreciate their conversations at home.

If people think I'm being a bit stuffy about this, then so be it, it's just my personal view.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Prothero » Mon Oct 20, 2014 12:19 am

CoventrySquared wrote:What's everyone's thoughts on holding open nights...

Open the hall, and the various lodges all invite guests and local press. Put on a short playlet and offer some hospitality. Have different regalia on display and just have a low key social.


My Craft lodge held an invitation-only event in late Spring which has provided us with two initiates - and I'm working on a third. My main observation is that there is a fine line that oughtn't be crossed by over-formalising such an event.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby DeanLR » Sun Nov 30, 2014 12:31 am

I feel a Lodge website is vital to attracting new members, its no where near as public as putting out an out saying "Mason wanted!". The only people that are going to come across it are those actively looking into Freemasonry. Over the last 3 yrs my Lodge has had 40 enquiries (including myself!) which has put us in the position of being able to cherry pick the candidates for us.

Once someone has emailed us we normally arrange a small meeting at a local pub where we get to find out why the person is interested in the Craft and get a very small feel for their character. If we feel we'd like to give them a shot they're essentially put on the bench for 2 or so yrs being invited to tours at GL or golf days or a whole range of other events (I'll come back to these more a little later). One of the important parts of this process is that it gives them the opportunity to make sure that we're the right Lodge for them as well as them being the right sort of person for us.

So on to retention, being the youngest member of my Lodge (24 y/o), a lot of people, including my own family, thought that my input would be quite limited but I'm grateful for the support the older Brethen have given. What initially started of (when I first got in touch) as an annual tour at GL has become a qtrly event that our members actually ask about. We have clay shooting days, we'll get together for a bite to eat once a month and this Christmas the older boys are coming down to watch us do some go-karting before going off to a local Chinese buffet.

I imagine that the hardest part to any of this however, would be to get others motivated!

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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Sebastian » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:42 am

I think that retention and picking up of the "lapsed" is probably more important than recruitment.

Amongst the 20-somethings with which I spend most of my working life, the interest in the Craft is precisely for the reasons that many now wish to play down: elitism; mystery; even New World order (!).

The sight of a masonic ring for example, causes an enormous discussion at lunch. The topic raised in the Guard Room (I am in the Army) causes everyone to stop work and gather around. One Sergeant caused terrific interest (and approval!) by pointing to his ring and saying "I can make you disappear".

Although much of this is tongue on cheek, the mystery actually IS attractive to many. So is the fact that it once really appealed to the Movers and Shakers in society. We play it down to our long term peril. Openness most certainly, but pride and privacy also, for these are great recruitment tools.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby admin » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:00 am

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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby admin » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:03 am

Then there is the Lodgeroom invention and design available only here



http://masonicjewellerystore.com/sales/ ... cts_id=685
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby admin » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:10 am

The very interesting thing about numbers in Freemasonry has been that after each World War and also after some of the smaller conflicts , returning soldiers have signed up to Freemasonry.

it is generally thought to be the loss of the camaraderie they experienced during the conflicts and then being shunted back into civilian life.

Whatever the reason it has been a constant fact.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Ninth Arch » Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:22 pm

admin wrote:Then there is the Lodgeroom invention and design available only here



http://masonicjewellerystore.com/sales/ ... cts_id=685


A very nice and unique ring. I tend to have one for each Degree that I'm in and wear them accordingly to the appropriate meeting. The Royal Arch one in Scotland is a different design incorporating the Arch and Altar. Many of the members of my Mother Lodge ( now sadly erased) were ex military and I'm former TA. I have to say the ritual, processions, and bearing of the Brethren was very unique and outstanding compared to any Lodge I have visited since.

I used to visit a Military Lodge in Manchester. The regimental silver was displayed in front of the WM's pedestal, the officers and wardens all carried sabres and everything was done to drill movements. It fair made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up at the precision and dignity of the proceedings.

But back to the original question of recruitment and retention. I am glad to read comments on the importance of retaining existing members as opposed to just trying to get new ones, however suitable or otherwise. I too balk at the term "recruitment". The words ' free will and accord' spring to mind. Neither am I in favour of 'advertising' for new members. We are not a new type of dishwasher or vacuum cleaner. The best advertisement for our Order is ourselves (or not as the case may be). And I feel too much openness and trying to be 'all fluffy' is not the answer either. The mystique is a factor that for many is attractive. We have a long and very proud history that we should keep and capitalise on.

The misconception of many would be applicants thinking that they have to be asked rather than them making an approach 'of their own free will and accord' is perhaps something that could be corrected. I think though, with the advent of the internet, many Lodge websites and so on, there is more than sufficient information and advice about how to go about things without the need to advertise.

One big deterrent to people joining, or remaining members, is the attitude of employers, who denigrate Masonry and make it very hard for those they find out are freemasons. The Armed Services is one, the police another. I well remember the witch hunts of the eighties and early nineties when letting anybody know that you were in the Craft was a career destroyer. I remember the kangaroo court of the Home Affairs Select Committee grilling, threatening and pillaring the Grand Secretary of UGLE and making insinuations against any Freemasons that they were unworthy of Public Office. As a consequence I used to get notes from the Department of really Stupid Ideas, sorry Professional Standards, demanding to know whether I was a member of any clandestine orders which included the Masons. Fortunately I was senior enough in service and bolshy enough to ignore them and put them in the bin. I did have one spotty faced YTS ring me up one day demanding to know why I had not replied to his enquiries. I told him that I had put them in the bin along with all the other politically correct junkmail and would do the same with any more rubbish he cared to send me. I then told him very succinctly to **&"$ off and get a proper job. I never heard anything further. The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision that to discriminate against anyone because of their membership of a legal organisation was unlawful (probably the only intelligent decision they ever came to) and officially put a stop to the witch hunts. But I know that it still goes on behind the scenes and it is still career suicide to be too open about your membership. Another reason I am against 'more openness'.

So clearing up misconceptions, lies and 'rumours' about Freemasonry would be a big step forward. After all if I am a member of a New World Order responsible for causing all the carnage and mayhem throughout the World, I want a pay rise.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby admin » Sat Apr 04, 2015 7:21 pm

We can have whichever design on either side of the ring , just need to know what is required. Sometimes just a plain face is preferred, or a ripple finish.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Jimmy Green » Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:59 pm

Ninth Arch wrote:One big deterrent to people joining, or remaining members, is the attitude of employers, who denigrate Masonry and make it very hard for those they find out are freemasons. The Armed Services is one, the police another. I well remember the witch hunts of the eighties and early nineties when letting anybody know that you were in the Craft was a career destroyer. I remember the kangaroo court of the Home Affairs Select Committee grilling, threatening and pillaring the Grand Secretary of UGLE and making insinuations against any Freemasons that they were unworthy of Public Office. As a consequence I used to get notes from the Department of really Stupid Ideas, sorry Professional Standards, demanding to know whether I was a member of any clandestine orders which included the Masons. Fortunately I was senior enough in service and bolshy enough to ignore them and put them in the bin. I did have one spotty faced YTS ring me up one day demanding to know why I had not replied to his enquiries. I told him that I had put them in the bin along with all the other politically correct junkmail and would do the same with any more rubbish he cared to send me. I then told him very succinctly to **&"$ off and get a proper job. I never heard anything further. The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision that to discriminate against anyone because of their membership of a legal organisation was unlawful (probably the only intelligent decision they ever came to) and officially put a stop to the witch hunts. But I know that it still goes on behind the scenes and it is still career suicide to be too open about your membership. Another reason I am against 'more openness'.


I agree with a lot of what you say here. I recently started a new job and have not mentioned my masonic membership in case of prejudice. My boss does know that I belong to an 'association' for which I need the occasional Friday afternoon off to allow me to attend. Whether he has guessed I'm a mason or not I don't know but so far I have not had any problems, although it's early days. I suppose that if I'm taking half a day's holiday entitlement once in a while they'd have to have a pretty good reason to deny me it.

From my own experience in the RN I didn't have any problems from my subordinates, equals or superiors. I was always open about being a mason and although I received the usual micky taking (which I expected) nobody made life difficult for me. Quite often I'd be able to get a buckshee afternoon off to attend lodge and I told my bosses exactly why I wanted the time off.
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Re: Recruitment and Retention

Postby Matt Hurley » Tue Apr 14, 2015 11:47 am

Just a further point of the comments above.

I have different experiences from the workplace in Scotland and now currently working in England. My experiences of freemasonry in the workplace north of the border, is that it is quite open and accepted, even my management accepted it. My work in Scotland provided many opportunities to meet Brethren in the workplace, but since I have been working in the East Midlands, the "open and accepted" experiences I have seen previously, seem to be a lot more guarded. Also in England it is seen with a certain air of mockery and do I say suspicion. Not sure why there is much of a difference, but it is one that I have noticed.
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