Membership Engagement & Lodge Revitalization Efforts

Brother Steven Shimp, P.M., St. John’s Lodge No. 435 and Teutonia Lodge No. 367, both of West Reading, has been traveling to various districts within the Commonwealth sharing helpful information, processes and tools to assist lodges with membership growth and engagement.

As Chairman of the Committee on Membership Engagement, Steven shares a proven, step-by-step program that begins with leading lodges to develop a comprehensive self-assessment to help identify and evaluate their current situation. Through this process, members document the lodge’s history, culture/traditions, health (not just how many members they have, but how many are active), administration, ritual, charity, communication, fellowship, values, support, education, mentoring, etc. This provides a snapshot showing how attractive or valuable the lodge is to prospective and current members in terms of offering diverse opportunities, such as education, socialization, positive culture, support, etc.

Next, members conduct a SWOT analysis, during which they list the lodge’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

From there, the lodge devises a development plan to achieve its vision, identifying specific actions, responsible parties, time frames, required resources and evaluation criteria. Through this process, lodges discern what they want to keep doing, what they want to start doing and what they want to stop doing. Succession planning is another vital element to ensure a continuity of leadership commitment, preparation and training for continued success.

Through a membership action plan, brethren prepare to engage and discuss Freemasonry with potential candidates.

“It’s important that we all feel comfortable and confident talking to prospective members about the fraternity, our lodge and our own experiences,” Steve said, noting that for generations, brethren did not discuss these topics with non-Masons. “We need to be prepared to discuss membership requirements and expectations, the membership process, motives for joining, the cost and benefits,” he added.
The program provides all this information and much more on the GrandView website, including templates, reference materials, lodge profile examples and ideas for lodge meeting enhancements.

Brother Joseph Reuter, P.M., Shrewsbury Lodge No. 423, is the Blue Lodge Revitalization Committee Chairman. The purpose of the committee is to infuse lodges with ideas and energy and start them on the path to recovery. The group offers creative ideas, effective tools and easy-to-follow guidelines for planning and promoting quality events that members and others will look forward to attending.

“We’ve met with a lot of lodges already,” Joe said. “We can’t wait to hear their success stories.”

Joe begins with discussing leadership. “If you have the right leader, with a little bit of encouragement for his team, good things will happen,” he said. “You need to start with a solid foundation.”

Joe discusses how to get a good team together, what things to avoid and how to handle negative push back. He encourages Worshipful Masters to spend time with their officers not only while conducting their business, but outside of the lodge, too. That includes their families, as well.

“Communication is key,” Joe said.

In his presentation, he offers plans for communicating with the officer line and members, including steps and examples for creating lodge notices members look forward to receiving.

“Use all the tools in your toolbox: your website, Facebook page, Call-em Alls and emails,” he said. He recommends publishing upcoming events in the local paper or online community listings if the public is invited.

To assist lodge leaders with planning events, the committee offers an event tracker, as well as a multitude of ideas that can be adopted or modified to fit each lodge’s personality, membership and culture. Joe recommends conferring degrees at locations outside of the lodge building to make it an event that family and/or the community can join before or afterward. Examples include:

• Conferring a degree in a barn, followed by a pig roast. Or, holding a “Barntoberfest” with German food and music
• Hosting an author presentation/meet-and-greet
• Pairing scholarship presentations with a crab feast
• Hosting a meeting at a local restaurant with a specific history or aesthetic and having family join for the meal
• Conferring a degree at a meaningful Masonic location, such as the George Washington Memorial in Arlington, Virginia

“It’s important to think outside of the box,” Joe said. “I encourage lodges to plan one huge ‘knock-it-out-of-the-park’ event each year.” In addition to publicizing out-of-town events, Joe recommends providing a meeting location with travel options. “Many times, you will find brothers from other lodges will want to go with you,” he said.

When Steve and Joe visited Mount Lebanon Lodge No. 226 in October 2023, the lodge was suffering from low attendance and involvement. During the course of the two committees’ presentations, they spent time with now-Worshipful Master Don Carter and shared some ideas on how to start down the path of recovery and revitalization.

With the dedicated help of several brothers’ wives, Don implemented the suggestion to hold a meal before each Stated Meeting. When Joe returned in May, 45 brothers from various lodges were in attendance. “Don and his officers did a nice job running the meeting, and the brothers in attendance seemed in very good spirits,” he said. Joe and Brother Howard Shepherd, P.M., Ashara-Casiphia Lodge No. 551, Mount Joy, then presented the next installment of the Blue Lodge Revitalization Committee’s program.

“It is fair to say that this lodge has turned the corner, and a very bright future is on the horizon in District 1.” Joe said. “Already, more guys are coming, they’re planning events and having good meetings. They’re taking the information and running with it.”

The delicious meals have played a significant role in deepening Masonic ties within the lodge, Don said, by bringing brethren together to share fraternal bonds and enjoy each other’s company. “They have also created opportunities for potential candidates to join us, meet our members and experience the warmth and camaraderie of our lodge firsthand.”

Don expressed his gratitude for the committees’ dedicated efforts in rejuvenating his lodge, which is also implementing educational programs and fostering inclusivity by involving wives, widows and potential candidates.

“Communication emerged as a cornerstone,” Don said, so the lodge is employing Call-em-Alls, emails and leveraging Grand Lodge mentoring resources, as well as embracing social media to amplify their presence within the community.

“Looking ahead, we’re focused on bolstering our officer line, establishing Assistant Treasurer and Secretary roles and nurturing our candidates through the degrees,” Don said. “With several petitions in progress, we’re laying the groundwork for continued success. Though our efforts are nascent, we’re steadfast in our commitment to keeping our brethren engaged and our lodge thriving.”