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Member Retention
by Bro Steve Grant

Member Retention and Involvement as it relates to Ritual

Every once in a while questions will come up about the Masonic Ritual: The questions will vary in content, but many times are about what parts of our ritual is considered esoteric, (very private,) and Exoteric, (free to talk about with anyone we please,) and why is it important or even necessary to memorize.

It seems to be happening more frequently now than it has in the years before, or possibly I just might be noticing it more. What I'm referring to is all the criticism about learning the ritual, but more specifically the need for candidates to 'prove up,' as in the requirement that they learn about the degree they completed and then demonstrate that they have learned it by repeating it in open Lodgei - Memorization.

Just the word alone isn't so bad, but because of the way it is perceived by some it is bad. I can see why that might happen. I have been in many Lodges for degree work and most of the time I will hear the Master of the Lodge say something to the effect of; 'pay particular attention to this first lecture, because this is the one you will have to commit to memory.' Wow that's scary; it was for me when I heard it; right after what I thought was the end of my first degree. But then I was buddied-up with a coach, and you know what? I could memorize it. It took a while but I was capable of doing more than I thought I could. In addition I got to know a Brother who became a lifelong friend, and I found out that I liked ritual. So between my First and Second degrees I was pleasantly surprised a couple of times.

For years all the experts have been telling us that to retain members in Masonry we should get that new Mason involved in the Lodge as quickly as possible, and give him something to do. That's a good idea. Back when I completed my first degree I was also told it was the new guy who was supposed to make the coffee and make sure there were treats for the Brethren after the Lodge meeting. I was told who my coach would be and assured that he would make sure I would be ready for my second degree by the next Lodge Communication in two weeks. This was on the first Monday of the month, and by the end of the week I was certain I would have the lecture memorized.

Two weeks after my First Degree I was back at Lodge with a cake and some ice cream in hand for the treats after our Lodge meeting. I had never been involved with providing treats etc. anywhere before, so I was obviously in need of help to get me started. Sharon, (my wife,) made the cake, so I was off to a good start there. One of my new Lodge Brothers, who was a very good friend and fishing buddy, of my Father-in Law took me under his wing so-to-speak and asked me if I needed any help. Well I did, I didn't know how to make coffee without the little measuring scoop we had at home and a small coffee pot. That big 100 cupper was something I just didn't know anything about.

My friend and Brother and I were in the kitchen while the others were in Lodge for the Stated Communication, which was prior to my going in for my Second degree. Brother Jelly, (short for Hjalmer,) said that it was a good thing that he was there to help me learn how to make coffee, "because the Brethren at this Lodge do like their coffee along with cake and ice cream." Well it was lucky; otherwise I would have really been up a stump. So Brother Jelly told me what to do, and I followed his directions. After all of this I went into the preparation room, then into Lodge to prove up with my coach, and then to get ready for the degree. The degree went well, and as it progressed I could smell the coffee wafting throughout the building, and I thought; "Man that coffee smells good."

Well, after that disaster with the coffee, I asked Sharon to teach me how to make coffee. Years later, every once in a while someone would bring up about how Brother Jelly taught me how to make coffee, and we'd all have a good time with laughs and jokes about that episode; someone would, without fail, comment how he could still taste the grit in his teeth when he just thinks about it, and also without fail someone else would comment I had come a long way in my coffee making ability. The point of all this is I had a job to do, and more than one reason to come to Lodge. Being the 'new guy' on the kitchen detail was a very good way to meet and interact with all the Masons who attended Lodge.

The Master of my Lodge got this 'new guy' as active as he could. In addition to doing my best to learn the first section of the lecture of the first degree, then the second and the third degrees, I also had a mentor. In this case the coach and the mentor were all wrapped up in one man and he not only explained to me what I was learning and why, he told me he expected me to study Masonry and to ask questions. He showed me the library and taught me how to look up information that would help me get an answer to a question and to understand things better; he handed me a Masonic book to read for enjoyment and as a diversion to my memorization. Our library shelves were small, but he made the most of them. He told me that the Lodge building was to become my home away from home and that I was welcome there at any time.

My point to this reminiscing is that memorization is not a bad thing, as some seem to think, it is a good thing when it is presented properly and the new Mason has a coach and a mentor who will help him learn what the degree has to teach the Mason, and to learn that he is capable of learning a synopsis of what the degree is about, and then being able to tell his Brethren about it; memorization. The memory work and the mentoring do get him involved and it also gives him something to do. I think it gets him involved with what he may have petitioned to learn, and that is to begin to learn some of the lessons that Masonry has to teach. However, for this to work the coach and the mentor need to know something about it too.

To me there are more benefits to learning and memorizing the proficiency lecture than meets the eye. For one thing the new Mason gets involved with a Ritual Coach, and between this Mason and the Mentor they can help him learn about the degree as he is memorizing the lecture. This also gets him involved with something worthwhile to do, because they can encourage him to explore some of the books in the Lodge library, and to learn more about a part of Masonry that particularly interests him. Because of this he may be willing to work with the Lodge Education Officer on a short piece for some Masonic Education at a stated Communication. All this gives the new Mason a reason to be at his Lodge, he gets to know some Masons on a more personal basis than if this weren't done, and his Brethren can be giving him encouragement along the way.

However if the Lodge leadership, and some of the others treat this memorization as a drudge, and convey to him that this is a requirement that should be done away with and that it is meaningless with no redeeming social value at all, then the new Mason will more than likely think it's all a waste of time too. And when you think something is a waste of time you generally do a poor job of it. Also since ritual is a big part of Freemasonry he might get the idea that the whole thing isn't worth his time to be there at the Lodge meetings. And if the Lodge meeting is mainly a business meeting instead of a communication, with some Masonry in it, he probably won't be back much because he may have enough meetings in his life already.

"Memory is the receptacle and sheath of all knowledge." Cicero

From the Great light of Masonry: "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance." Proverbs 1:5 NIV