S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross
1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103

New programs demonstrate how to develop, involve, and retain membership.

Over 250 of our most influential members-Actives, Deputies, Personal Representatives, Secretaries, Membership Chairmen, and enthusiastic workers-participated in the Supreme Council's second Jurisdictional Membership Development Workshop on May 23-24 2003, in Dallas, Texas. Photo: Bro. Dean R. Alban, 32°, K.C.C.H.

Memorial Day weekend 2003 saw a gathering in Dallas, Texas, of the hardest workers in the Southern Jurisdiction-Actives, Deputies, Personal Repre-sentatives, Secretaries, and Membership Chairmen. These 250 influential Scottish Rite Freemasons attended the Supreme Council's second Membership Development Workshop, the first having been held in Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2001. The meeting was organized by Ill. S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross, Director of Membership Development for the Supreme Council, and his Membership Focus Group consisting of Ill. Bros. Robert G. Davis, 33°, Secretary of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Curtis M. Edic, 33°, Secretary of Omaha, Nebraska, E. John Elmore, 33°, Secretary of Greensboro, North Carolina, and James H. Kirby, 33°, Special Assistant to Ill. Robert L. Goldsmith, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Florida.

The Workshop began at 1:00 pm on Friday, May 23, with a brief welcome by Ill. Kirby, Master of Ceremonies. He set the tone by telling the attendees they were in the wrong place if they expected simple answers handed to them on a silver plate. This meeting was for workers to thrash out difficult issues. The first presentation was by Ill. Morris who gave an update on the current status of our membership and of the Supreme Council's membership programs. The NPD Restoration Program continues successfully in Valleys across the Jurisdiction, and the most exciting new program is the "Western Union Last Ask Letter."

This past fall, Ill. Morris selected 17 Valleys to be part of a dues collection experiment; they were matched with 88 Valleys as a control group. On November 1, each member in the experimental Valleys who would be dropped for Non-Payment of Dues (NPD) on January 1 was sent a Western Union letter from Ill. William G. Sizemore, 33°, G.C., Grand Executive Director, making a "last ask" for dues. The result was almost twice the dues collection (33%) in experimental Valleys as in the control Valleys (16%). The program was so successful that it will be extended to every Valley in the Southern Jurisdiction for the 2004 dues collection cycle.

The next presentation was "Scottish Rite for the New Generation," by Bro. Bengamin Johnson, 32°, DeMolay Executive Director, and Ill. Reese L. Harrison, Jr., 33°, Personal Representative in San Antonio, Texas. This dynamic duo presented a strategy for Valleys to attract and maintain the interest of their younger members who are starting families, careers, and fraternal involvements. This was followed by Bro. Noel H. Coward, Jr., 32°, Dallas, Texas, who spoke on using the internet and "Bringing Us Together in Cyberspace."

The last presentations of Friday dealt with the fundamental issue of what attracts men to Freemasonry. Ill. Davis spoke on "From Guys to Men-The Journey to Mature Masculinity." Closing the day's session was Ill. Ronald L. Nelson, 33°, Secretary, Valley of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who told about "Degree Discussions in the Minneapolis Valley" and how these discussion groups increased members' interest. Everyone then adjourned to a reception and a time for fellowship.

Saturday was a full day of learning for attendees. Ill. Jack E. Hightower, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Texas, introduced M.W. M. Boyd Patterson, Jr., 33°, Grand Master of Masons of Texas, who gave the keynote address on "How To Remain Viable in Today's World" in which he urged the Scottish Rite to take the lead in Masonic membership innovation. The second speaker was M.W. Robert P. Conley, 33°, Past Grand Master of Michigan, and Administrator of the Masonic Renewal Committee of North America. Ill. Conley told the Valleys how they could use the products and the services of the Masonic Renewal Committee to enhance participation in their Valleys.

Following a break, Ill. Edic and Davis made a joint presentation on how Valleys can "Improve Your Success Rate by Targeting Prospective Members." They described tried and proven techniques used by experts to gain membership. After an enjoyable southwestern lunch, attendees returned to the work at hand.

Brother Dean R. Alban, 32°, K.C.C.H., Director of Information Systems at the Supreme Council, led a discussion with Ill. Edic about the Supreme Council's new database system and how Valleys can take advantage of its capabilities. Ill. Edic emphasized how a database can be used effectively to manage a Valley's membership and to improve communications with members. A common problem facing Valleys is demit requests from older members who can no longer see well enough to drive or to read. Ill. Thomas R. Hall, 33°, Dallas, Texas, shared a new program called "I Read for My Brother." Volunteer readers, led by Ill. Hall, read and record each issue of the Scottish Rite Journal on audiocassettes which are made available at no cost to vision-impaired Brothers. (See Scottish Rite Journal, May 2003.) Not only is this the right thing to do but it also helps retain our senior members.

The workshop wound down with the Membership Focus Group discussing "Membership Programs that Work." Their comments were in response to questions submitted by attendees when they registered. Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33°, Lt. Grand Commander and S.G.I.G. in Louisiana, wrapped up the workshop with a reminder that there is something special about Masonry that touches the hearts of our members. We should not forget that we offer our members much more than just a dues card.

After the workshop, attendees boarded busses for a tour of the Dallas Scottish Rite Hospital followed by a reception and buffet. All agreed it was a most helpful two days, and there was near universal agreement that Membership Workshops must continue as part of the services provided to Valleys by the Supreme Council.

S. Brent Morris is Director of Membership Development for the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. He retired from the federal government as a mathematician and has taught at Duke and Johns Hopkins Universities. He is Past Master of Patmos Lodge No. 70, Ellicott City, Maryland; a Fellow of the Philalethes Society; Editor of Heredom, the transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society; and author of many scholarly works on the Craft. Ill. Morris is the only full member in the United States of the world's premier Masonic Research Lodge, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, founded in London in 1886. During the 1999 Biennial Session, Ill. Morris received the Scottish Rite's highest honor, the Grand Cross.