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Charles G. Johnson, 33°
28861 County Road 45
Akron, Colorado 80720
The recent Membership Development Workshop in
Dallas
demonstrated how to gain and maintain members.
Did ya see your picture in the August Scottish
Rite Journal?” my Masonic friend asked. “Yeah, you
and some others from the Denver Consistory.” Sure enough,
there we were at the Second Scottish Rite Membership Development
Workshop meeting in Dallas, Texas, May 23–24, 2003 (photo
below). The group was a combination of over 250 Executive Committee
Members, Consistory Officers, Membership Chairmen,
and interested Brethren looking for answers to the issues of
gaining and maintaining
membership in the Scottish Rite.
The August issue’s picture shows the last day of the workshop
where we arrived early and staked out our front- row seats. We
were all anxious to find the “secret” to the membership
problem and to gain access to the “silver bullet” that
will reverse declining numbers in our Valleys.
The workshop’s information was compelling. After reflecting
on the proceedings, we all realized that the answers have always
been before us but are very elusive due to our tunnel vision
and our view of what Scottish Rite Masonry should look like.
For our generation, bigger is better and history is important.
This has driven our membership activities for many years. We
try to get large classes by relying on the fact that we have
existed, seemingly unaltered, for decades. This approach to gaining
membership has extended to our Blue Lodge contacts as well as
our relations with the York Rite Bodies and the Shrine.
It appears we have all ignored the research showing that men
want friendship first along with fellowship, community activities,
family involvement, and a chance to be a leader. It also is very
apparent that we are good at providing pageantry along with elaborate
history lessons in majestic buildings, but are we really providing
relevancy to the needs of modern men?
The discussion generated at this outstanding workshop among a
relatively few dedicated Scottish Rite Masons needs to be expanded
to the many in all our Valleys. We cannot rely on outside forces
to guide our course in membership development. Now is the time
for each of us to join in a concerted campaign to evolve our
Order, adjusting it to meet the needs of contemporary men. The
Scottish Rite has a long history of evolving to meet the times,
from its original creation of a system of 33 Degrees, to Pike’s
revision of those Degrees, to enhancing our rituals through theatrical
productions, to building our network of RiteCare Childhood Language
Clinics. Now is the time for each of us to join in a concerted
campaign not only to evolve our Order, adjusting it to meet the
needs of contemporary men, but also to gain by personal initiative
just one new member. “Only one” is the first step
in answering our membership dilemma, and, if we succeed, we can
move on to the other major issues facing our great Masonic Fraternity.
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Charles G. Johnson
is a recent retiree after 31 years in the Akron Public Schools
in Colorado. He is a Past Master of Akron Lodge No. 74,
Akron, Colorado, and currently serves as an Officer in
the Grand Lodge of Colorado and the Grand Chapter of
Colorado Royal Arch Masons. He is a member of the Executive
Committee of Denver Consistory and a dedicated advocate
for Scottish Rite Freemasonry. |
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