I think you're making a very valid point. I don't really recall expressing to a potential candidate our expectations as far as attendance in quite that manner. We do tell them that in order to progress through the degrees they would be assigned a mentor/coach, who will help them with the posting lectures. But after they become Master Masons? Not a word.
It's been talked about how masonry can get a brother sucked into a lot of time away from home and family, and how they should come first in a mason's life.
But I think you're right, that we would need to express to them that we'd expect them to attend the monthly stated communications, the occasional special communications to confer degrees, that participation in taking roles within the lodge (either roles within the degrees, or appointment to a chair) is encouraged. It would also be expected that the brother participate in any fund raising we do, special events like parade marching, scholarship awards, mentoring other newly obligated brothers, etc etc etc. The only thing I've ever head is "you get out of it what you put into it" which I don't particularly like, as it relieves the lodge of any responsibility of providing anything back, that the onus is all on the brother.
I think this all needs to be expressed to that candidate beforehand, and right now it's not being done, at least in my lodge.
I don't think that it gets done in my Lodge either. But I think that we should be doing it, and we should be doing it before a man turns in a petition.
I do know of one Lodge in this Jurisdiction that does make it very clear to potential petitioners that they are expected to be active and involved with the Lodge, and they do have much better than average participation. So, I think it does work.
I imagine that in many cases we got away from this because we don't want to scare a man away, but I imagine that is an invalid concern. I imagine that most men would prefer to know what will be expected of them, then to have no expectations listed at all.
As for:
"You get out of Freemasonry what you put into it."
I agree. That is not a good thing to say to candidates or new Masons.
I think that it is true, and I think that there is value to it, but not to the new man, for he is not going to understand what we are trying to communicate when we say it. It is best for the Mason who is becoming seasoned in the Craft and is looking for additional ways to grow.
I think, and I think that we all agree on this, that we need to hold ourselves and our Lodges to a higher standard than has been the case in the past. Likewise though, we also need to hold our candidates to a higher standard, and I think that begins with explaining our expectations to them.
Beyond being told I was expected to come to meetings, become proficient in the posting lecture and that I would need to be accompanied by a MM if I wanted to attend another lodge, I wasn’t told anything else. Maybe it was because I was older, or it was the way I was raised, but I didn’t need to be told that I expected to serve, whether I was helping a brother with a ride, washing dishes or serving breakfasts. All these things were modeled in my lodge. I do understand that younger people need a lot more things spelled out in black and white. Maybe, as we’re guarding the West Gate, we should be asking potential candidates about their previous or current volunteering or service to community. We’ve talked a lot about the Lodge’s expectation to provide education, which is a good thing but if new candidates/members only want to take and not give, there will be a lack of balance.
I think this is a great topic, because our expectations are an expressson of our actual goals, versus our stated goals. I can't speak for Masonry, or even my Lodge. But i can speak for myself. In an ideal world these are the things i would love to be comfortible expecting from a Mason. 1- humility, a Man who allows space for other men, their personalities, their opinions and their needs. 2- Kindness and compassion, a man who instinctively reaches out to help. 3- Self sufficiency, a man who can take care of himself, with a little left over for others in need (emotionally, physically. economically). 4- Intelligence and curiosity, a man who is capable of learning our ritual, landmarks, and deeper esoterica. 5- Spiritual, a man who believes in the numinous and seeks to understand it. 6- Someone who can embrace humanity, in all its manifestations and seeks to defend those who are oppressed. 7- A man who, while firmly planted in the present, but can focus on the future, metaphorically planting trees whose shade he will never live to enjoy. 8- A man who is law abiding, who repsects the laws of the land in which he lives and works from within the system to make changes. 9 Strength and Courage, a man who can do all the things i listed in a world that DOES NOT honor those traits. It is my belief that if we were to live up to these expectations attendance and retention would not be a problem.
I think you're making a very valid point. I don't really recall expressing to a potential candidate our expectations as far as attendance in quite that manner. We do tell them that in order to progress through the degrees they would be assigned a mentor/coach, who will help them with the posting lectures. But after they become Master Masons? Not a word.
It's been talked about how masonry can get a brother sucked into a lot of time away from home and family, and how they should come first in a mason's life.
But I think you're right, that we would need to express to them that we'd expect them to attend the monthly stated communications, the occasional special communications to confer degrees, that participation in taking roles within the lodge (either roles within the degrees, or appointment to a chair) is encouraged. It would also be expected that the brother participate in any fund raising we do, special events like parade marching, scholarship awards, mentoring other newly obligated brothers, etc etc etc. The only thing I've ever head is "you get out of it what you put into it" which I don't particularly like, as it relieves the lodge of any responsibility of providing anything back, that the onus is all on the brother.
I think this all needs to be expressed to that candidate beforehand, and right now it's not being done, at least in my lodge.
I don't think that it gets done in my Lodge either. But I think that we should be doing it, and we should be doing it before a man turns in a petition.
I do know of one Lodge in this Jurisdiction that does make it very clear to potential petitioners that they are expected to be active and involved with the Lodge, and they do have much better than average participation. So, I think it does work.
I imagine that in many cases we got away from this because we don't want to scare a man away, but I imagine that is an invalid concern. I imagine that most men would prefer to know what will be expected of them, then to have no expectations listed at all.
As for:
"You get out of Freemasonry what you put into it."
I agree. That is not a good thing to say to candidates or new Masons.
I think that it is true, and I think that there is value to it, but not to the new man, for he is not going to understand what we are trying to communicate when we say it. It is best for the Mason who is becoming seasoned in the Craft and is looking for additional ways to grow.
I think, and I think that we all agree on this, that we need to hold ourselves and our Lodges to a higher standard than has been the case in the past. Likewise though, we also need to hold our candidates to a higher standard, and I think that begins with explaining our expectations to them.
Beyond being told I was expected to come to meetings, become proficient in the posting lecture and that I would need to be accompanied by a MM if I wanted to attend another lodge, I wasn’t told anything else. Maybe it was because I was older, or it was the way I was raised, but I didn’t need to be told that I expected to serve, whether I was helping a brother with a ride, washing dishes or serving breakfasts. All these things were modeled in my lodge. I do understand that younger people need a lot more things spelled out in black and white. Maybe, as we’re guarding the West Gate, we should be asking potential candidates about their previous or current volunteering or service to community. We’ve talked a lot about the Lodge’s expectation to provide education, which is a good thing but if new candidates/members only want to take and not give, there will be a lack of balance.
I think this is a great topic, because our expectations are an expressson of our actual goals, versus our stated goals. I can't speak for Masonry, or even my Lodge. But i can speak for myself. In an ideal world these are the things i would love to be comfortible expecting from a Mason. 1- humility, a Man who allows space for other men, their personalities, their opinions and their needs. 2- Kindness and compassion, a man who instinctively reaches out to help. 3- Self sufficiency, a man who can take care of himself, with a little left over for others in need (emotionally, physically. economically). 4- Intelligence and curiosity, a man who is capable of learning our ritual, landmarks, and deeper esoterica. 5- Spiritual, a man who believes in the numinous and seeks to understand it. 6- Someone who can embrace humanity, in all its manifestations and seeks to defend those who are oppressed. 7- A man who, while firmly planted in the present, but can focus on the future, metaphorically planting trees whose shade he will never live to enjoy. 8- A man who is law abiding, who repsects the laws of the land in which he lives and works from within the system to make changes. 9 Strength and Courage, a man who can do all the things i listed in a world that DOES NOT honor those traits. It is my belief that if we were to live up to these expectations attendance and retention would not be a problem.