NEWSLETTER 36 Repro - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding
NEWSLETTER 36 Repro - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding
NEWSLETTER 36 Repro - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding
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<strong>NEWSLETTER</strong> <strong>36</strong> <strong>Repro</strong> 11/5/07 11:45 AM Page 8<br />
YORKSHIRE WR<br />
FREEMASONRY<br />
Today and Tomorrow<br />
R W Bro John K Clayton<br />
recently celebrated his<br />
second anniversary as<br />
Provincial Grand Master and<br />
Grand Superintendent.<br />
SO, what has changed in the last two<br />
years? Well, quite a lot, which may be<br />
surprising because my predecessor was<br />
speaking about declining membership,<br />
resignations, Charity and the Royal Arch<br />
some 11 years ago!<br />
It is, therefore, interesting that<br />
problems facing <strong>Yorkshire</strong>, <strong>West</strong> <strong>Riding</strong><br />
are virtually the same as for all other<br />
<strong>Province</strong>s. Just for once, we are not<br />
unique.<br />
What can we make <strong>of</strong> membership<br />
figures?<br />
The Provincial Grand Registrar told us<br />
at the annual meeting <strong>of</strong> Provincial Grand<br />
Lodge, the net loss to membership for<br />
the year ending 31st December 2005<br />
was 83, compared with 177 in 2004.<br />
However, last year we experienced an<br />
increase in Initiates and a reduction in<br />
resignations, exclusions and deaths.<br />
Indeed, if the 51 Founders <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Rugby Football Lodge are removed from<br />
the figures <strong>of</strong> 2005, then we are in<br />
positive balance for the first time in a<br />
good many years. At 31 December 2006,<br />
we had 7711 members compared with<br />
7739, which includes the 51 Founders<br />
mentioned above in 2005. There is,<br />
however, no room for complacency.<br />
Some 28% <strong>of</strong> resignations from the<br />
6<br />
R W Bro John K Clayton, Provincial Grand Master<br />
Craft occur in the first five years and we<br />
must ask ourselves why members resign<br />
so early in their <strong>Masonic</strong> careers?<br />
Reasons could include ill preparation<br />
<strong>of</strong> prospective candidates and lack <strong>of</strong><br />
preparation for the commitment they<br />
make and the time involved.<br />
Also, I believe there is a tendency to<br />
be more interested in increasing our<br />
numbers than selecting quality<br />
gentlemen known to both proposer and<br />
seconder. Adverse responses to<br />
communications are sometimes<br />
disregarded.<br />
Do we do enough to maintain a new<br />
Brother’s interest but at the same time<br />
are we careful not to give him too much<br />
to do too early in his <strong>Masonic</strong> career?<br />
Do we fully recognise lifestyle<br />
changes in the last 20 or even 10 years,<br />
not forgetting to consider the<br />
independence <strong>of</strong> our ladies – <strong>of</strong>ten they<br />
do not take kindly to a regular evening<br />
commitment by husbands/partners.<br />
Equally, it is much more difficult in<br />
some circles for a young man to absent<br />
himself from work on a regular basis than<br />
20 years ago.<br />
In the 100 years ago minutes <strong>of</strong> the<br />
recently amalgamated Lodge <strong>of</strong><br />
Prudence No 2069, it states:<br />
"Only 16 attended the August Lodge.<br />
The Committee decided that a Brother’s<br />
first priority was his Lodge and his<br />
attention should be drawn to that<br />
responsibility."<br />
I have the feeling that none <strong>of</strong> us<br />
would get away with that view today.<br />
So, how can we address the<br />
problems <strong>of</strong> membership and what is the<br />
place <strong>of</strong> the Candidate’s proposer and<br />
seconder?<br />
It is important that in his introduction<br />
to a Lodge, members get to know a<br />
candidate and feel comfortable with him.<br />
At this time it should be outlined what<br />
his commitments and responsibilities will<br />
be, both in time and finance, and he<br />
should be made aware <strong>of</strong> our basic<br />
principles.<br />
Alas, we may fulfil the above but all<br />
too <strong>of</strong>ten that seems to be where the<br />
proposer and seconder feel their<br />
responsibility ends and we are sadly<br />
lacking in the education <strong>of</strong> our new<br />
Mason. We must all bear some<br />
responsibility for this.<br />
However, in the belief that our trend in<br />
an upward direction will continue, I<br />
sincerely hope that the number <strong>of</strong> early<br />
resignations will diminish.<br />
And in support <strong>of</strong> this, I have<br />
introduced a mentorship scheme across<br />
the <strong>Province</strong>. This was initially piloted in<br />
the Royal Arch and followed soon<br />
afterwards by rolling out the scheme to<br />
the Craft <strong>Province</strong>-wide.<br />
I cannot, <strong>of</strong> course, force any Lodge<br />
to introduce such a system but I believe<br />
that every candidate should be given the<br />
opportunity <strong>of</strong> having such a "friend" and<br />
mentor. I would ask for everyone’s<br />
support in the venture, which is outlined<br />
in further detail by my deputy in the Craft,<br />
V W Bro Jack Pigott, on the previous<br />
page.<br />
I am indebted to W Bros Garry Brown<br />
and David Loy <strong>of</strong> De Maulay Lodge No<br />
6358 and St George’s Lodge No 242<br />
respectively for the work they have done<br />
on my behalf.<br />
Last year, I asked Assistant PGM W<br />
Bro Michael Green to look at the<br />
statistics and reasons for resignations.<br />
He sent 262 letters to Brethren who<br />
had resigned in the previous 12 months,<br />
accompanied by an anonymous short<br />
questionnaire and amazingly, there was a<br />
39% return – unheard <strong>of</strong> for such an<br />
exercise.<br />
Some 26% <strong>of</strong> those resigning had<br />
been a member for five years or less.