BEAUMT.TXT

        JOHN E. BEAUMONT, 32
       86 Fontainbleau Drive,
  New Orleans, Louisiana 70125-3443

Ever been to Disney World or
Disneyland?  Most of us have
traveled to at least one of these
marvelous theme parks where ev-
eryone has an entertaining, excit-
ing time.
   Happy  families enjoy them-
selves in an atmosphere where
everything's relaxed, easy, and at-
tractive.  We don't measure our
visit there in terms of hours or
days.  Rather we think of it as a
tremendously  satisfying experi-
ence that we'd like to repeat.
   Of course, our Craft isn't an
entertainment center.  But Mason-
ry can learn a lesson from Disney. 
In order to attract new members
and retain our current ones, we
must make our Fraternity much
more attractive to members' and
prospective  members' families.  In
our programs we need to empha-
size family togetherness to a far
greater extent than we do now.
   Why?  Because in our increas-
ingly fast-paced, impersonal soci-
ety men look for ways to spend
greater time with their families. 
To many, the home represents a
means of shutting out the world
and returning to a warming, lov-
ing, nurturing environment.  After
all, creating a happy family is one
of life's most fulfilling achieve-
ments.
  Therefore, our Craft must come
to non-Masons and Masons on
their terms.  But this shouldn't be
hard since Freemasonry started as
a social organization and has al-
ways stressed good fellowship.
  The facts are that less than 5
percent of Masons find degree
work interesting.  About the same
minority enjoys attending closed
consistory and lodge meetings
even a few times a year.  Ritual is
playing to an empty house.
   If we're going to build member-
ship and keep our current Broth-
ers as something other than ab-
sentee dues payers, we must bear
in mind that there's a much wider,
more important world to which
Masonry must respond besides
performing esoteric work behind
tiled doors.
   This world is our wives, our
children, our relatives, and our
friends.  And all of themjust as
we doenjoy having a good time
and like getting together for relax-
ing social events.
   By encouraging people to come
to exciting social functions and
informative open meetings, we
broaden Masonry's influence.  Fur-
thermore, petitions result.  How
do I know this?  Because I saw it. 
Three years ago my Blue Lodge
witnessed an influx of 105 new
members in one year.  You may
say, "That's incredible."  And it is,
considering Masonry's decline.
   Actually there was a secretthe
officer team recognized the critical
need to include families.
   And how were the families in-
volved?  During a twelve-month
period the Brothers held twenty
open meetings or meetings outside
the lodge.  That's a lot.  But the
resultof increasing lodge mem-
bership by nearly thirty per-
centwas also a lot, and very
much worth the trouble!
   Of what did these twenty func-
tions consist?

    Five open meetings
    Four members mixers
    Three weekday luncheons
    Two seafood parties
    Two all-day picnics
    One softball game with an-
     other lodge
    One Masonic play
    One luncheon honoring the
      lodge's 25- and 50-year men
    One Mardi Gras party along
      a parade route

            OPEN MEETINGS

   Our five open meetings drew a
large audience of Brothers, wives,
families and friends.  During one
evening a prominent, humorous
speaker told us the "History of
Communications," spicing his mes-
sage with plenty of fascinating
anecdotes.
   At another open meeting a
lodge member and several non-
Mason gemologists discussed "Ev-
erything You Always Wanted to
Know About Diamonds."  After-
wards, the lodge gave zircon "dia-
monds" to everyone present.  On a
third night a stockbroker and
Brother outlined investment plan-
ning strategies.
   In early May, four Rainbow
Assemblies and two DeMolay
Chapters combined for a "Salute to
Mother's Day" concluding with the
emotional and memorable Flower
Talk.  It would have amazed you
to see the number of proud grand-
parents who, with great concen-
tration, watched every move as the
young people performed their
parts.  Talk about a loving audi-
encetheir fervor filled the hall!
  Culminating the open meeting
series, five respected leaders from
local Appendant Bodies discussed
the history and purpose of the
Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the
Shrine, the Grotto, and High
Twelve in a well-attended program
titled "What's Beyond the Blue
Lodge."   Wives and family mem-
bers crowded in to hear about the
organizations for which their hus-
bands, brothers, cousins had spent
years working but about which
they seldom talked.
  Arranged as an informative
evening, the Master's ground rules
for this evening were "no solicita-
tion and at least one joke from
every speaker."  He got what he
wanted.  And, more importantly,
the audience got what it desper-
ately wanted:  information.  Ma-
sonry was well served that eve-
ning.

           MEMBERS' MIXERS

   The year saw three very popular
members' mixers.  They were held
on Saturday and Sunday evenings
at centrally located restaurants
and social clubs.
   At one of the parties a Mason
visiting from another lodge made
a point of saying he definitely
wasn't interested in affiliating. 
His wife, who was obviously en-
joying herself, immediately told
her husband, "Cut that nonsense
out and join.  I like these parties." 
The lodge received his petition ten
days later.  She and he haven't
missed a social event since then.

  LUNCHEONS

  The three noon weekday lun-
cheons took place in a popular
suburban restaurant.  Talking for
no more than 20 minutes, each
luncheon's one speaker addressed
the members and wives at no
charge on such topics as "Stress
and Time Management," "Crime,
and How To Prevent Its Happen-
ing to You," and "Enthusiasm:
Why It's So Necessary for
Success"all topics of interest to
every American.

  SEAFOOD PARTIES

  Both seafood parties took place
at a convenient location with free
parking.  As might be expected in
New Orleans, crawfish and shrimp
were the fare.
  Brothers, their families, and
friends sat at long tables, which
proved conducive for an atmos-
phere of togetherness and infor-
mality.  The price assessed each
person included all the food and
beverages they could consume.

           THE TWO PICNICS

   The picnics were well received. 
Each drew about 125 people. 
Brothers delivered the food.  Other
members cooked the hamburgers,
hot dogs, and sausages.  There
were activities galore.  People
swam, played badminton and
ping-pong, went boating, rode a
saddled Shetland pony, and circu-
lated around meeting people, chat-
ting with friends, trading jokes,
and just plain kibitzing.
   Children looked forward to the
egg toss contest, which had been
advertised in the literature mailed
to the lodge members.

  The littlest girls and boys went
first, then the bigger ones.  Adults
came out of the swimming pool or
wherever they were in order to
watch and cheer.  Contestants
stepped back two feet after each
throw.  The excitement grew until
one set of winners in each age
group claimed their 4-foot-high
bags of popcorn.
  Every picnic ended with a soft-
ball game.  Great camaraderie
builds up when there are thirty
players on each side, lots of spec-
tators, and plenty of good-natured
joking.
  No one was permitted to strike
out.  Few will forget the four-year-
old girl who walked up to the
plate.  Obviously a newcomer to
batting, she kept swinging unsuc-
cessfully at the most slowly, gently
thrown ball.  After she sliced the
air a few times, everyone on both
sides began pulling for her.  The
tension was relieved with wild
cheering when she finally got a
piece of the ball and ran towards
first base.

      IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED

   The officers discovered that
when Masons and non-Masons
hear about picnics, seafood par-
ties, open lodge meetings, social
mixers, and luncheons with excit-
ing, informed, articulate speakers,
people flock in like bees to honey. 
Not long afterward they ask how
their relatives or friends can also
join such a happy organization.
   Our lodge received applications
during or soon after virtually every
non-degree event.  The impact of
that year will be felt for years to
come in another area.  Preteens
and teenagers remember the warm
atmosphere at the family func-
tions.  When they're ready, we
expect they'll petition due to the
memories of the fun they had.
 HOW CAN OTHER VALLEYS
 AND LODGES DO THE SAME?

 Valleys and Blue Lodges can
replicate what our lodge did.  Our
Master and officers were ordinary,
down-to-earth people who faced
the same challenges to member-
ship development as are present
everywhere.
  The lodge found that to reach
as many people as possible, you
need imaginative ideas.  An entic-
ing calendar is the first require-
ment.  But a good agenda takes
time and creativity to prepare. 
You might discuss your proposed
schedule with Scottish Rite and
Blue Lodge members you respect. 
Masonry needs plenty of what
Walt Disney called "Imagineers."
   Besides this, how can you as a
Consistory officer or an incoming
Master get some helpful pointers?
   Consider what activities your
family enjoys.  We found the best
events are those that you, your
spouse, and your children like and
which can be turned into Masonic
activities.  With membership
growth in the Blue Lodges and in
the Scottish Rite, our Fraternity
can be shaken out of its Sleeping
Beauty-like state.  And a principal
way of doing this is to include the
families much more than we have.
   Our lodge realized you cannot
approach a successful membership
drive tentatively.  Rather we must
sell peoplepeople who are preoc-
cupied and running ten steps be-
hind in their own liveson why
they should drop some of their
other priorities to join or remain
in Masonry.  It's up to us to make
our Craft appealing.
   When we do this, the member-
ship problem will become history. 
Why?  Because everyone is attract-
ed to a lively, functioning, well-
run group with a definite purpose
and concrete plans for achieving
its goals.
   Create such a organization in
your valley or lodge, and you'll
have no trouble finding new mem-
bers and keeping old ones.  In
fact, your main problem then will
be processing the considerable
number of new men!
   Remember that last year over
fifteen million adults, most of
them non-Masons, passed through
the turnstiles at Disneyland and
Disney World.  Wouldn't Masonry
love to enroll even a small per-
centage of these visitors?  We can
if we try!
   And if we attempt it, the har-
vest will be bountiful.  After all,
most Americans share Masonry's
values.  We've got a vast market
out there eager to hear our mes-
sage.  Let's go for it!


THREE STEPS TO SUCCESS
   At one time Masons did things for their community as Masons.  Now
we do things as individuals.  Often no one can identify us as Masons
from what we wear, what we do, or what we say.  If we acted together
as Masons to do what we all do individually, how much more we could
accomplish!
   There is strength in numbers, provided the numbers have a common
goal.
   To survive we must follow three steps: cooperate, find a local project
that no other organization has adopted, and then pitch in to make a
difference!
   If we do this enough, Freemasonry will be recognized as a do-
something organization.  Then other men will want to become involved
with us and ask "How can I join your lodge?"
         James W. Repress, 32, KCCH, Baltimore, Maryland, S.R. Bodies




