Many thoughtful Masons are concerned about the decline in membership in our Fraternity and particularly concerned about the decline in younger members. Others are less troubled about raw numbers and more focused on attracting quality candidates. But few are complacent about a statistical trend line in which our aging membership is not being replaced. Yes, we can and should seek to attract younger members, but we neglect an important resource if we fail to market ourselves to the older generation of men who are reaching and entering the retirement phase of their lives.

Conventional wisdom is that the younger generation will not join Freemasonry because today's youth are going to school longer and postponing marriage and children until they are established in their careers. Work today is less likely to be lifetime employment in a single company with stability, security, and regular hours. In fact, many young people are working two and three jobs. And then, in their thirties and forties, they are so busy with work and family that they have little time, energy, or interest in joining organizations.

This is not an entirely unfair characterization of the situation in which many men find themselves. When both spouses are working, time spent at home is precious indeed. But a December 1997 study by the American Association of Retired Persons on America's social fabric indicates that despite all of these time demands, the need for association and affiliation is strong, and the desire for male bonding and friendships outside the home remains a constant. The fact is that busy people will make time for activities they regard as being both worthwhile and fun, and each of us as Freemasons should be able to convey to our friends and colleagues that Freemasonry is just that—worthwhile and fun.

But as important as younger members are to the Fraternity, older men may be even more critical to Freemasonry at this particular period in our history. We know that in this new millennium, people are living longer and many are retiring earlier. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 1996 one out of every eight Americans was 65 years or older. The number and percentage of older Americans is increasing, and the average life expectancy of people reaching age 65 is also increasing. By 2030, there will be twice as many older people as there were in 1996. What this means is that many men will be spending almost as much time in retirement as they spent at work in their primary careers.

During their retirement years, they will be healthy and active. They will be interested in new experiences, and they will want to make new friends. What makes these men so important to Freemasonry is that they will have the time and energy to invest in our Fraternity. They also will have the talent we need, including organizational and leadership skills, a maturity of judgment, and a wealth of life experiences. These men constitute an important part of our natural constituency, and we must reach out and attract them to Freemasonry.

In addition to millions of current retirees, there are millions of men in the so-called Baby Boom generation who are largely "empty nesters" and on the verge of retirement. They are used to being fully engaged and, while they may welcome a brief respite from a very busy schedule, they will soon cast about for new challenges and opportunities. Many of them are well educated, community minded, and have stable incomes. These men will be looking for organizations to join, and they will engage in those organizations with the same passion, enthusiasm, and intensity they have given to all of their other activities. They will have the time to attend our meetings, plan our programs, and be active in our Lodges and Appendant Bodies.

Often the difference between a successful Lodge and one in decline is the presence of a skilled leadership cadre with the time to devote to the Fraternity. This leadership cadre not only maintains the organization and energizes the existing membership but also acts as a magnet that attracts new members. The "empty nesters" and retirees we bring into the Fraternity will draw upon their experiences to generate new and exciting programs and establish new pipelines into the community, which can lead not only to a renaissance in Freemasonry but, in the end, also help to make us more attractive to the younger men who we also must bring into the Fraternity.

Edmund Cohen is a senior executive with the Federal Government. An attorney and member of the D.C. and Virginia bars, he is currently Venerable Master of the Lodge of Perfection of the Valley of Alexandria, Virginia, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Masonic Home of Virginia. Bro. Cohen is a life member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, Past Master of Henry Lodge No. 57 in Fairfax, Virginia, and a Past District Deputy Grand Master.