Most Worshipful Grand Master, Brethren, Ladies and Guests Good Evening.

The title of tonight’s talk is “Freemasonry For Sale”.

We have a product to sell and it’s Freemasonry. Whether we know it or not we the people in this room are a sales force for our Fraternity.

Many of us are walking billboards for the Craft. Now I might note I am not talking of our zealous Brothers who proudly display every pin they have on their lapels. Since 1998 I personally cannot remember leaving my home that I didn’t put on my Masonic Ring. In fact if for some reason I did forget to put it on I definitely noticed it’s absence.

How many of us are wearing the Masonic Tartan, have a bumper sticker on our car or a baseball cap or a golf shirt emblazoned with a Masonic logo of some sort? I am sure most of us in this room do. Now we could probably make the argument we are proud of our memberships or affiliations and that we are not advertising but that we want to tell the world that we are involved in the Masonic Fraternity.

Well what good is it in being proud if we don’t tell anybody about it.

John J. Robinson in his 1993 book “A Pilgrim’s Path” said The Mason who feels that he cannot discuss his Masonry with his wife, son, grandson, or neighbor is doing the fraternity a great disservice. The rule that no man is ever asked to be a Mason, but rather must ask to join, absolutely requires that SOMEONE must tell him SOMETHING in order to establish that desire to become a Mason.

I thought about this and then I remembered years ago in my own Lodge when we went from “being proud” to “advertising our product”. One of our Brethren had the idea to not only put the Lodge name and Square and Compass logo on a shirt but to place the web address of the lodge on one of the sleeves. Also just above the adjustment strap on the back of baseball cap.

A simple brilliant marketing idea. The company that he worked for did this Why couldn’t we? So we did it. Freemasonry welcome to the 21^st Century.

From T-shirts we went to business cards with the generic logo and the website address. Then advertisements in the newspaper to posters for open houses and even the Banners of the lodges that hang in the Halls during Grand Lodge Communication. Logos and web addresses everywhere.

We Masons can’t recruit but we sure as heck can tell people we are here. That’s what John J. Robinson said. We can tell them what we are all about. They can read our literature and then just then maybe they will ask the question.. “Hey how do I become a Mason?”

As I previously said this was just a simple idea but in my limited travels about the state and in other jurisdictions this “advertising” seems to be a common practice now. Can we in Utah take credit? I don’t know but why not?

Most Masons are not ashamed of admitting to their Masonic membership, but I have noticed in most cases that our better halves are much more comfortable and proud of saying their partner or spouse is a Freemason. In fact some of our best-untapped resources are our families and friends.

After all it’s rather cool to be a Mason or in a Masonic affiliated group wouldn’t you agree?

I would argue that some people just feel cool to say that they know a Mason. This is probably due to all the media coverage we have received in recent years. On a side note in one of my accounts I have a friend and client who introduces me to their new staff, as “this is John Liley he is our rep and He’s a Mason”. As a matter of fact I was in one of my accounts and a lady noticed my Masonic ring and said, “you’re a Mason?” I answered yes and she immediately asked me if I knew Bill Jack and Trisha Westbrook? So not only do our advertisements of pride identify who we are but also “who are friends are” and “what we represent.”

However we should practice caution because not all folks we meet are going to be positive in their responses to our advertisements. Just as some may be eager to talk to us many of us have been berated, abused, and accused because of our memberships.

So be prepared when the question comes from the person who asks “Hey what’s that pin on your lapel?” “What’s that symbol on the back of your car?” “Why do you wear that ring all the time?” Have an answer if you are going to advertise and be prepared if there are objections that need to be overcome. Answer questions so that they are easily understood. Don’t elaborate on every affiliate body we have when the prospective person may just have asked the simple question “What’s a Mason?”

Freemasonry is our product and we must change our previous attitudes on how we market our Fraternity for the future. Benjamin Franklin said, “When you’ve finished changing, you’re finished.” Everyone in this room knows we have a great product. Everyone. No longer can we just be silent proud members of our Fraternity. We are the sales and marketing force for our Masonic Family. Feet on the street. Faces in front people. Good Luck and Good Selling.

Thank for listening and have a good evening.