REPORT OF THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
To The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Minnesota A.F. & A.M.
Membership recruitment, retention, and engagement continues to be of concern with lodges across the state of Minnesota. With more than 270 suspensions due to NPD, and only raising approximately 180 new Masons, the question, “What are we doing wrong?”; persists. Lodges across the state of MN have for years asked, “What is Grand Lodge doing to help with Membership”? In 1960 President Kennedy during his inaugural address challenged, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”!
The great news: We raised over 180 Masons in 2022 and retained more than 8500 members! That is something to be proud of! There were nearly 600 inquiries by way of the website: BeAFreemason.org, with an average age of 36 years old! Nearly 300 of those inquiries petitioned the lodges they were assigned to! The lodges that have adopted the “3 Steps Between Prospect and Petition” have shown higher retention and engagement from those members. The lodges whose Secretaries and Prospect Managers have utilized the Prospect Managers Guide, have had great success in following up with their assigned prospects now that they have a process to follow. Lodges have begun to utilize social media to better promote themselves to the members and their communities. We are alive!!
During 2022 the Membership Committee was called upon to speak at the Southeast, Southwest, and Metro East Area Conferences, namely in the areas of membership recruitment and retention. The presentations were warmly received by the brothers in attendance and follow up conversations took place where lodges reached out directly to the Membership Committee for further assistance.
One of the key assignments from Grand Lodge was to hold a Statewide Membership Conference. The conference was held at the Minneapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite at the end of March with nearly 150 persons in attendance including blue lodge brothers, and members of masonic appendant bodies from across the state. Keynote speaker, RWB Jonathan Underwood of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, gave an impassioned presentation on “Vision, values, & Perception vs. Reality”. There were promotional tables staffed from nearly all the appendant bodies of masonry in Minnesota on site to answer questions on what they do; and how they can help in membership.
The Grand Lodge Membership committee challenges all Masons across the state of MN to ask yourselves, “What are we as lodges, and as individuals doing to act positively in the areas of membership recruitment, retention, and engagement”? When you need help, the Membership Committee is here for you!
Fraternally submitted,
David V. Hartman
Chairman