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Freemasons recruiting commercial question

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posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 11:22 AM
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Yesterday I was listening to sports talk radio and during the commercial break there was a freemasons commerical. I was a little shocked by this. The commercial gave a little history and said for membership info go to their website. Have the masons always used media outlets to recruit? I'm wondering if numbers are getting so low that they have to use commercials to get new members?



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 11:37 AM
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Nah, it's just a new age, and the public is reached through different means than they once were.

It's a shaky ground... we've always had a tenet that a man must come to us of his own free will and accord.

Some took that to mean that we don't 'recruit'.

Some took that to mean we can't advertise our existence.

A few even thought it meant we couldn't tell an 'outsider' anything that goes on in our meetings.

The boomers from the end of WW2 are dying off, and with them, many of their ideas. The newer generation is looking at the above points, and saying 'well, that's stupid! Why would anyone want to join, if they know nothing about it?"

We don't 'have' to resort to new means. Rather, we're realizing that we 'can'.



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 11:45 AM
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Indeed Hobbes..

But I don't like it. Any fool who hears it can run to the local lodge and join, I know they can now.. but now it is so that people who are truly interested go out of their way to join.. I just think bad people might get in, polute the system so to speak.

The other thing I hate is 1 day classes.
So pointless.. if your going to become a Mason why skip all the meaningful stuff and do it in a generic fashion?



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 11:56 AM
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It's a fine line as mentioned, but I don't have a problem as long as there is no direct "come join us and rule the world... errr... the pot luck after the meeting."

My two bananas.



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 03:55 PM
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The only part about it I don't like is that damn '2B1ASK1' thing.

I don't mean the idea behind it... I mean the actual 'phrase'. It's freaking IM-speak... gah, I hate that!



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 09:28 PM
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Originally posted by Rockpuck
Indeed Hobbes..

But I don't like it. Any fool who hears it can run to the local lodge and join, I know they can now.. but now it is so that people who are truly interested go out of their way to join.. I just think bad people might get in, polute the system so to speak.

The other thing I hate is 1 day classes.
So pointless.. if your going to become a Mason why skip all the meaningful stuff and do it in a generic fashion?


I just completed my 2nd degree earlier this month and I personally believe that if some bad person or other who really wasn't that interested or joined for the wrong reasons that they wouldn't be there that long. I go to coaching 2 or 3 times a week and unless you're truly dedicated you're not going to do it.



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 10:02 PM
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unless you do the 1 day class.. then theres no commitment to it.. its pretty much become a Mason and never show up for meetings or anything.

I did my 2nd as well earlier last month, I just perfected my lecture and I am giving it tomorrow morning....... then I am the lucky one who gets to do my Master Mason degree as an inspection in 2 weeks....
No pressure.


But your right, if you had to go through all this trouble like me and you and every one else that did the "traditional" way (I know there are to traditional ways - long and short) then any idiot who saw somewhere something about Masons so he goes to the lodge and they tell him to come to the 1 day.
I don't know why I am so biased against it lol.. Just seems to me if you want to join the Masons you would be willing to sacrifice some time and energy...



posted on Mar, 9 2007 @ 10:30 PM
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Most of the lodges in Maryland will not do the one day class. Membership is increasing, there's 5 of us who did the Fellowcraft degree together and we have about 10 more to do there EA. I really enjoy the coaching, you make some pretty good friends. Good luck to you.



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 11:08 AM
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If I ever decided to leave Masonry, it certainly wouldn't be for any of the reasons the anti-Masons on here constantly harp about. Instead it would be because of the commercialization and McDonaldization of Masonry from the Masons themselves.

One day classes, 2B1Ask1, Nascar (in the Scottish Rite no less!). Stuff like this mirrors the desire of many in Masonic leadership these days to turn the fraternity into just another social club without any deeper meaning than the opportunity to get out of the house a couple of timer per month.

If I wanted to be in a social club, I would have joined Rotary.






posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 02:24 PM
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Indeed Masonic Light..

The way I see it, Masonry is shooting for Quantity over Quality.



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 02:31 PM
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Originally posted by Rockpuck
Indeed Masonic Light..

The way I see it, Masonry is shooting for Quantity over Quality.


Perhaps in the longer term if pursued in this fashion. But I think that Masonry needs to get its message out to a public where maybe Dad wasn't a Mason so as to stir interest and curiousity.



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 09:06 PM
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My dear friend, the advertising is simply this. As an example, in the
State of Massachusetts, Masonic Membership is down from 100,000
members 25 years ago, to a current membership of 40,000. So yes,
that is down 60 percent. Many masons were WWII vets, and they have
been passing away at a rate of 1,000 per day. Now we have a current
American life style were many people don't have the time to join anything
as many people work 50 to 60 hours per week or more ! So if you have
a two parent working family, at a bunch of hours each, where does it
leave time in your life to join a Fraternity like the Freemasons. So yes,
membership is way down. From 4 million American men to 1.8 million.
So in short, it was time for this ancient fraternity to get up with the times,
get out there on both the airwaves and the internet, and let people know
that Freemasonry wants good men to come and meet more good men.
Also, in Massachusetts they lowered the age of being able to become a
brother. In Massachusetts it is 18, while in New York State it is 21. So we
are seeing a lot of college men. Heck, I can tell you that a lot of the old
time brothers absolutely love seeing the new younger membership. I
have found them to be a bunch of great guys. I can also tell you that at
least 25 to 30 percent of Fraternal Brothers have served in the U.S.
Military. So I hope that I have helped to answer your question. They had
to get up with the times. It isn't easy for them, but it is showing results.
Membership is starting to go back up. Slowly, but it is getting there. Take
it easy man. See ya.



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 09:17 PM
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I agree with you Sir. I didn't take the one day class, as I wanted to do it
the traditional way. I can tell you this, with all there is to learn, and there
is a lot of it, had I taken the one day class, I wouldn't have been able
to remember a darn thing. So I feel, yes, the old way is the way to go.
As for potential members that are filling out the forms, if the men on the
investigation committee are not doing there job, then they should be
spoken to. An increase in potential membership does not mean that we
should every lower our standards. We are here to make good men
better, not bad men good. All Masons have a pesonal obligation to
continue the values and standards of the Fraternity. If a Lodge is just
trying to let anybody in, then they are abusing the system just to pump
up their numbers, and should be spoken to. Let us all know one thing,
Masonry take men from all professions, from loading the back of a
garbage truck, to being a President of the United States of America. That
is what makes Freemasonry so great. It is not the profession of the man
that wants to join, it is to make sure he is of good report and on the level.



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 09:22 PM
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OK... I see where your coming from..

Though I am in Ohio and Ohio has the 5th largest concentration of FreeMasons in the WORLD so membership isn't really to big of a problem..

Though we had an interesting discussion today, talking about how the Grand Lodge wants to start a program to evaluate all the lodges under it through a data base - looking at fees and reported number of Masons actually in the lodge.. apparently the findings all over the country have been that Lodges are reporting more members then they really have to gain status and other various reasons.. so no one really knows for sure exactly how many Masons there are in the country, just a rough estimate..



posted on Mar, 10 2007 @ 11:08 PM
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Originally posted by testrat
I'm wondering if numbers are getting so low that they have to use commercials to get new members?


yes

Remember this; the masons are just a pass through front organization.

Kind of like how the columbian cocain cartel is a front for the CIA.


Someone has to take the heat.

As much as I rag on the masons, I must admit most of them are just clueless ordinary joes.

The real power is hidden.


[edit on 10-3-2007 by In nothing we trust]



posted on Mar, 11 2007 @ 10:38 AM
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LOL And we are to believe someone who has neither steped foot in a Masonic lodge let alone be a Mason, yet you are to have knowledge of the ongoings of the Craft and we, the members do not!


I swear, the logic makes me laugh till I cry sometimes.. ah the ignorance.. Front organization..


Im glad you can at least feel like your knowledgable after reading a few internet propaganda sites! Perhaps if you stepped away from fiction you would truly learn something.



posted on Mar, 11 2007 @ 11:33 AM
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Originally posted by MassMason32
Now we have a current
American life style were many people don't have the time to join anything
as many people work 50 to 60 hours per week or more !


But is that really the case?

When I became a Mason, I was a full time college student, along with the fact that I worked full-time. Many years have passed since then, but my schedule is no less hectic. On top of my profane duties, I'm Secretary of my Blue Lodge, Director of Work in both my Scottish AND York Rite bodies, and Secretary in A.M.D.

I hear a lot about how profanes would like to be Masons, but "just don't have the time". Personally, I think it's a complete cop-out. They sure have time to have a few cold ones, and sit glued in front of their plasma big screens watching "Everybody Loves Raymond".

If someone wants to be a Mason, and is Masonic material, he will make time for it.



posted on Mar, 11 2007 @ 12:35 PM
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I completely agree Masonic Light..

I am a full time student and I work over 40 hours a week (Im actually at work right now and what was supposed to be my day off...)

And I not only made time for Masonry, but in the middle of Finals week I memorized my lecture and gave it back with out missing a single word.

People who say they are to busy would rather sit at home doing nothing, like you said, which makes the difference between men who would rather spend what free time they have doing something constructive and charitable..



posted on Mar, 11 2007 @ 01:00 PM
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Just a point I noticed when looking into the charitable work that masons do which I think is applicable here. I only studied the annual accounts in Britain so i would be grateful to know if it is different in the US - but I was surprised about how little of the money that was raised goes to youth programmes - in the UK health, respite care and elderly programmes seemed to be the mainstay. I found this a bit unfortunate.

For me, it makes sense that investment in the young is investment in all our futures. It would also seem to be an important means of disseminating your message - which is a good one - to the very people you hope one day to welcome into your lodges. Young males in particular are becoming marginalised in our societies. There are fewer positive male role models than ever before and it seems to me that the masons could and perhaps should help to fill that gap.

As I said i don't know what charitable works your individual lodges do but I would be interested in your thoughts on this.



posted on Mar, 11 2007 @ 01:42 PM
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I actually have no idea how Masonic charities work yet..

From what I have seen and heard however I will hazard a guess but don't take my word for it please, someone like Masonic Light is much more capable of explaining it..

Anyways, the way I see it is every lodge has their own organization they support.. or it could be Grand lodge .. I know Ohio is big on Special Olympics, and so far every penny we raise doing dinners and such goes to them, we keep nothing. If we are not in good financial standing I don't know if we would, but I know we cover cost so as we don't loose money, but keep absolutely no money as a profit, every penny goes to what ever charity. I can only speak for my lodge though, I don't know if its different else where..

I know Ohio is also big on Habitat for Humanity, those are the two I see most often.. I never hear anything about hospitals, though I am new so don't take my word for it.

I know my individual lodge also host a huge gathering of "troubled" kids and the criminal justice / psychiatry majors from local universities and I have only ever heard good praises from professors and members of the community.




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