THE NEW AGE--ARTICLE--JANUARY 1990--ARTBLANK.JAN

Report of the Committee the on State of the Order


   Two years ago, we reported that the state of the Order was not
what it should be.  We recited the fact, known to all, that the
basis on which Scottish Rite rests is Blue Lodge Masonry.  If Blue
Lodges prosper, Scottish Rite prospers.  If Blue Lodges decline,
Scottish Rite inevitably declines.  The strength of Blue Lodge
Masonry is, therefore, of paramount importance to the Scottish
Rite.  Unfortunately, Blue Lodge Masonry shoes signs of weakness. 
There are plenty of symptoms:  declining memberships, including
members dropped for non-payment of inconsequential dues; candidates
who fail to advance; absence of attendance at meetings; lack of
leaders who are willing to become officers; boredom; a general
malaise.
   The committee did not pretend to have answers to the problem
nor a ready-made blueprint for renewal of the Fraternity.  We
simply sounded an alarm and a call for action.  The call was for
all Masons to rid themselves of the false assumption that Masonry
forbids innovation or new thinking about itself.  Furthermore, the
call was for all Masons cooperatively to reexamine the role to be
played by Masonry in today's world; to explore both functions and
techniques; and to engage in a long-term renewal process, born not
of panic, but of genuine concern.
    Fortunately, the call for action was answered--actually beyond
the expectations of the committee.  A Masonic Renewal Task Force
was organized, consisting of Grand Masters from key states with
large memberships, several Past Grand Masters long recognized as
preeminent leaders, the Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service
Association, the heads of the Royal Arch Masons and Knights
Templar, representatives of the Imperial Shrine and, significantly,
the Grand Commanders of both the Northern and Southern Scottish
Rite Jurisdictions.  Seed money for the efforts of the task force
was provided by the Imperial Shrine, the two Scottish Rite
Jurisdictions and the Knights Templar.  In July 1988, the task
force met in Kansas City for two days of intensive brainstorming. 
The task force recognized that each Grand Lodge has sovereignty
over the ultimate destiny of Masonry in its jurisdiction; that the
task force might be suspected by Grand Lodges of attempting to tell
them how to run their business; and that the task force must
accordingly act merely as a vehicle to assist those Grand Lodges
which choose to avail themselves of the work of the inter-
organizational task force.  It was decided that Masonry first needs
to find out how our own members feel about the Fraternity and also
what the attitude of the public is toward Masonry.
    Most Masons have a preconceived notion about those matters but
no real data to verify whether those notions are true or false. 
Most previous efforts to elicit information from members had been
done in the form of questionnaires to be filled in and returned on
a voluntary basis.  The use of questionnaires tends to produce
answers only from the already committed, and leaves one with the
feeling that the exercise is akin to a sermon to the choir. 
Generally, questionnaires do not tell why members quit or do not
participate or what might interest them.  It was apparent that a
telephone survey by professionals experienced in surveying was
needed for accurate readings.  Such a survey must be done on a
random basis selected from a large enough list to make results
truly representative of the group surveyed.  A random survey of
Masons, therefore, necessitated availability of lists of members
from enough Grand Lodges to make the survey representative of all
Masons in the country.  The task force learned that a similar
survey had been performed for the Grand Lodge of Connecticut with
significant results.  A survey of non-Masons was also desirable in
order to test public awareness of Masonry, whether American men
today are "joiners," and to determine the potential membership
available.  In commercial terms, we wanted a market analysis.
    The task force decided that it would first proceed with a
professional survey of non-Masons for which it had available
funding and no need for Grand Lodge membership rosters.  It was the
hope of the task force that the results of that survey of non-
Masons would stimulate interest in enough Grand Lodges to
participate financially and make membership lists available for a
professional survey of existing Masons.  Accordingly, the task
force employed the same firm used by the Grand Lodge of
Connecticut, the Barton-Gillet Company of Baltimore, Maryland, to
conduct a survey of non-Masons with the assistance of Opinion
Research Corporation of Princeton.  The format for a telephone
survey was thereafter prepared by Barton-Gillet and edited and
approved by the task force.  It was a random survey throughout the
United States in accordance with accepted surveying standards. 
The survey consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews, each lasting
12 to 14 minutes, 850 of which were with men and 150 of which were
women.  None of the interviews was with an existing Mason.
    The survey showed that the general public knows little if
anything about Masonry.  It is simply invisible to the vast
majority.  Of those who answered that they were not members of
organizations such as Elks, Lions, Knights of Columbus, Moose,
Kiwanis, Rotary, etc., half said they were definitely not
interested in becoming a member of any organization like those
named.  That was consistent with other research which concluded
that Americans today are generally non-joiners.  Of those with any
interest in joining, two percent were definitely interested, while
twenty-two percent said they may be interested.  The twenty-four
percent total of those two categories equals a very large number,
namely 16,000,000 males over 21.  The survey also elicited the fact
that wives play an important part in the joining process, and the
following were selected as possible reasons for joining:  meet new
friends and socializing opportunities; community service; charity;
and an ability to do things with the family.
   The survey results were summarized in a one-hour presentation
to the conference of Grand Masters of North America last February. 
The Grand master of Connecticut introduced Dudley Davis of the
Barton-Gillet Company who explained how and why the survey was
conducted and summarized the results.  Richard Fletcher, Past Grand
Master of Vermont and Executive Secretary of the Masonic Service
Association concluded the presentation.  Thereafter, a videotape
presentation was sent to each Grand Master, together with a letter
from the Masonic Service Association requesting the participation
of Grand Lodges in a survey of Masons.  The Grand Lodges were asked
to make a financial contribution, if possible, and also make their
membership rosters available for such a survey.  The target is to
have a survey of Masons finished in time to have survey results
available for the next Grand Masters' conference next February.
   Thus far, 22 Grand Lodges have responded affirmatively, and
many have contributed financially.  The reception from others,
including some with large memberships is favorable, but with
various administrative or legal obstacles which must be first
overcome.  Both Scottish Rite jurisdictions have pledged financial
support for this next survey of existent Masons.  In anticipation
that both funding and membership rosters are available, Barton-
Gillet has begun preparation of the questionnaire which will be
submitted to the task force members for editing and approval.  Time
has already been budgeted on the agenda for the Grand Masters'
conference for presentation of the results of such a survey.
   We are gratified with the progress made thus far.  It is true
that no grand design for renewal has emerged and we never expected
that overnight a grand plan would miraculously appear.  We do
sense, however, intangible qualities which are encouraging.  With
few exceptions, which are to be expected, there is an appearance
of unity among leaders of the various branches of Masonry which has
been noticeably lacking at times in the past.  Our Grand Commander
has had the motto that you can accomplish much if you don't care
who gets the credit.  That has been true of the task force and of
others who are now joining in the renewal effort.  We believe there
is also a willingness to rethink without inhibitions the functions
and techniques of Masonry similar to what was done in the
Eighteenth Century reorganization of the Fraternity.  Masonry has
today enormous talent available within its ranks.  Freeing talent
to rethink the future of Freemasonry will be a giant step forward
for it and, indeed, humanity.  The renewal process now underway is
not a one-shot job.  It is necessarily a process which must be
ongoing and continuous.  We must encourage Masons and, in
particular, Grand Lodge leaders to keep the process going.

[Editor's Note:  Illustrious John D. Blankinship, 33, Lieutenant
Grand Commander and Sovereign Grand Inspector General in
Washington, delivered this report before The Supreme Council during
the Biennial Session on October 16, l989.]
