As a Mason of 2.5 years, it became evident very quickly that raising dues $15 was akin to a debate over Universal Healthcare in the US (I'm Canadian and have seen both sides of the debate between American friends).
We own our on building and the hall is rented out consistently, so that's what the naysayers point to; "We have the funds coming in, why do we need to raise dues?!"
Well... the parking lot will need to be done in the next 10-15 years. So will the roof. Oh, you want to keep renting out the hall? Better spruce it up in the near future because it's starting to look old. Our few hundred thousand investment that pays 10% interest won't be enough. Don't get me started on the investment... it's high risk and not very long term thinking.
We're lucky as it stands now. I nice building with two "lodge" rooms (even though only one is used), a full commercial kitchen, a billiard/entertainment room, bar, large hall, and ample parking that's rented out to people that work at the hospital one block over. We even have a full-time caretaker that lives in the apartment in the temple. But gone are the days when we had four Craft (Blue) Lodges with 200 members each. They've amalgamated over the last decade and we're down to one lodge of 195 members, and a decent amount will "age out" over the next decade.
We're doing well compared to most Lodges in our district, but our large building is going to be a challenge to maintain in the not too distant future. We need to do better.
The issue with raising dues is Life Memberships. The right way to determine how much you should be charging each member is to take your expenses minus any income, and divide it by the number of members. For example, my lodge operates at a loss every year, using investment income to make up the gap. In order to make up that difference, we'd have to raise dues from 90 dollars/year to over 300/year. Conversely, Grand Lodge of Washington charges a sliding scale of costs for life memberships. If a lodge is charging $300 dollars a year in dues, it's only human nature to look at the current charges for life memberships and buy one of those instead. The only recourse a lodge has to stem that flow, or at least make some money off it, is to tack on their own charges on top of what GL wants. At least one lodge I know if does that, they charge double what GL charges the member, and the lodge keeps the rest. Otherwise, you'll have a lodge of life members and no dues income.
What is interesting is that the GL assessment increases, right now it's scheduled to go to $40 dollars in a couple years. Chances are that $40 dollars is going to be half of what most lodges charge for their own dues, a clear indication that lodges need to make adjustments. And you can't convince me that GL in a couple years won't come back with yet another request to increase the assessment.
First of all GL of Wa has enough money and should kick back to the Lodges and help more than should in my opinion, they also need to be more transparent about their books. Again, my opinion.
Secondly, life memberships should go away for purchase, they should be reserved for those that go through the East, or some sort of other deserving reward. If dies had kept up with inflation, they would be a lot more expensive than they are now. I know of a Lodge that their dues are only $25 a year. Like c'mon.. you can't do anything with that, and most of the members have life memberships because of a merger and past masters.
In conjuction with charging more, Lodges need to give more to it's members. They need to provide more than a basic meal and a business meeting. It's a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
There isn't a perfect answer, but the answer some have now "We can't raise dues, we will drive away members" is not the answer, and usually when I hear that, it's from someone who has a life membership anyways.
Really get tired of hearing that excuse "We can't raise dues, we will drive away members".
100% agree lodges need to offer more than what has been sold as freemasonry in the past. What galls me is that the GOPM (Grumpy Old Past Masters) are so resistance to change that it is part of the lodge DNA.
If the price is cheap, you will value it cheaply. You bet your sweet bippy that if I had to pay, say, $1,000 a year to join an organization, I will wring every last bit of value out of it. If lodges increased their dues significantly, chances are it just might spur members to actually come back. Of course, that is dependent on above, but just think what a lodge could do with an extra $900 dollars a member could do for the lodge. Meals could be catered affairs, instead of tater tot casserole for example.
Exactly, kinda the reason I put out my previous article before this one. I love some of my old Masters, they have a library of knowledge and it's fantastic for tap into that from time to time, others in other so much cause they only show up for past masters night.
The value of something isn't always the money, but it sure helps with a lot of things, and might save a few Lodges in the process.
I agree with your statement. The dues are way to low, so it loses value because of it. Sure, we might get less men joining, but they will be men that are looking and willing to invest in what we have to offer.
Life memberships end up causing problems. The option of a lifetime member was eliminated in the Province of Ontario a while back. Those that had them were grandfathered in with no extra funds expected from them.
As a Mason of 2.5 years, it became evident very quickly that raising dues $15 was akin to a debate over Universal Healthcare in the US (I'm Canadian and have seen both sides of the debate between American friends).
We own our on building and the hall is rented out consistently, so that's what the naysayers point to; "We have the funds coming in, why do we need to raise dues?!"
Well... the parking lot will need to be done in the next 10-15 years. So will the roof. Oh, you want to keep renting out the hall? Better spruce it up in the near future because it's starting to look old. Our few hundred thousand investment that pays 10% interest won't be enough. Don't get me started on the investment... it's high risk and not very long term thinking.
We're lucky as it stands now. I nice building with two "lodge" rooms (even though only one is used), a full commercial kitchen, a billiard/entertainment room, bar, large hall, and ample parking that's rented out to people that work at the hospital one block over. We even have a full-time caretaker that lives in the apartment in the temple. But gone are the days when we had four Craft (Blue) Lodges with 200 members each. They've amalgamated over the last decade and we're down to one lodge of 195 members, and a decent amount will "age out" over the next decade.
We're doing well compared to most Lodges in our district, but our large building is going to be a challenge to maintain in the not too distant future. We need to do better.
What you described is the issue I've heard in conversations with other Brothers.
The issue with raising dues is Life Memberships. The right way to determine how much you should be charging each member is to take your expenses minus any income, and divide it by the number of members. For example, my lodge operates at a loss every year, using investment income to make up the gap. In order to make up that difference, we'd have to raise dues from 90 dollars/year to over 300/year. Conversely, Grand Lodge of Washington charges a sliding scale of costs for life memberships. If a lodge is charging $300 dollars a year in dues, it's only human nature to look at the current charges for life memberships and buy one of those instead. The only recourse a lodge has to stem that flow, or at least make some money off it, is to tack on their own charges on top of what GL wants. At least one lodge I know if does that, they charge double what GL charges the member, and the lodge keeps the rest. Otherwise, you'll have a lodge of life members and no dues income.
What is interesting is that the GL assessment increases, right now it's scheduled to go to $40 dollars in a couple years. Chances are that $40 dollars is going to be half of what most lodges charge for their own dues, a clear indication that lodges need to make adjustments. And you can't convince me that GL in a couple years won't come back with yet another request to increase the assessment.
First of all GL of Wa has enough money and should kick back to the Lodges and help more than should in my opinion, they also need to be more transparent about their books. Again, my opinion.
Secondly, life memberships should go away for purchase, they should be reserved for those that go through the East, or some sort of other deserving reward. If dies had kept up with inflation, they would be a lot more expensive than they are now. I know of a Lodge that their dues are only $25 a year. Like c'mon.. you can't do anything with that, and most of the members have life memberships because of a merger and past masters.
In conjuction with charging more, Lodges need to give more to it's members. They need to provide more than a basic meal and a business meeting. It's a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
There isn't a perfect answer, but the answer some have now "We can't raise dues, we will drive away members" is not the answer, and usually when I hear that, it's from someone who has a life membership anyways.
Really get tired of hearing that excuse "We can't raise dues, we will drive away members".
100% agree lodges need to offer more than what has been sold as freemasonry in the past. What galls me is that the GOPM (Grumpy Old Past Masters) are so resistance to change that it is part of the lodge DNA.
If the price is cheap, you will value it cheaply. You bet your sweet bippy that if I had to pay, say, $1,000 a year to join an organization, I will wring every last bit of value out of it. If lodges increased their dues significantly, chances are it just might spur members to actually come back. Of course, that is dependent on above, but just think what a lodge could do with an extra $900 dollars a member could do for the lodge. Meals could be catered affairs, instead of tater tot casserole for example.
Exactly, kinda the reason I put out my previous article before this one. I love some of my old Masters, they have a library of knowledge and it's fantastic for tap into that from time to time, others in other so much cause they only show up for past masters night.
The value of something isn't always the money, but it sure helps with a lot of things, and might save a few Lodges in the process.
I agree with your statement. The dues are way to low, so it loses value because of it. Sure, we might get less men joining, but they will be men that are looking and willing to invest in what we have to offer.
Life memberships end up causing problems. The option of a lifetime member was eliminated in the Province of Ontario a while back. Those that had them were grandfathered in with no extra funds expected from them.
I would vote for this.