Most Worshipful Grand Master, Worshipful Master, Officers and Brethren all, this afternoon my oration is entitled “It’s not all about Numbers”.

In the Entered Apprentice charge, it says in part; “The greatest and best men in all ages have been encourager’s and promoters of the art, and have never deemed it derogatory to their dignity to level themselves with the Fraternity, to extend it’s privileges, or to patronize it’s assemblies”. Who are these greatest and best of men? Are they actors, Generals, Supreme Court Justices, Presidents and other heads of State? Yes, but more importantly, they are all of the Masons throughout the world today, they are all those that came before us, and they are those who will come after us.

Over the past several years there has been a lot of talk and for that matter a lot of worry about our Fraternity and the loss of members over the years. There have been several initiatives in Grand Lodges around the United States & around the world to, for lack of a better word, recruit new members. A couple of the ideas that have come from these initiatives have Included all the way in a day classes and reduced proficiency requirements.

It’s interesting when you look at the membership numbers provided by the MSA, that the trend of declining membership has still continued at least through 2006. Even with these initiatives, the Lodges & Grand Lodges have continued to decline in membership. What appears to have been the result of these initiatives was that the rate of growth was slowed by the influx of new members, which helped to off set the high death rate our fraternity has been experiencing.

My thoughts today are not to debate or stir up controversy concerning these programs that Lodges & Grand Lodges, including our own have participated in, but rather to pose a question.

It is clear that these programs have provided help in slowing the declining membership, and we now have many newer Masons because of it. They are just as active as the Masons who joined through the traditional means, and really are no different, they are Masons & Brothers. Now that the rapid decline in membership seems to have leveled out, the question for us now is: Is it all about the numbers?

My thought is no, or at least not in the traditional since that one would think. Numbers or members are more of a byproduct, if you will. They are a byproduct of what our Lodges do, and what they are. They are a byproduct of who we are, the reputation we have in the community, and what we offer to the Men of today.

Today, our Grand Lodge has the distinction of being the smallest Grand Lodge in the United Stated, rivaled only by Hawaii. To some, within and without our jurisdiction, this may seem to be a sign of a struggling Grand Lodge & state of Masonry. I don’t think this is really the case, rather I think it’s really one of our strengths and provides us some great opportunities.

Within our jurisdiction we have some very large lodges, and some very small lodges. There is nothing that says that a Lodge needs to be large in order to be strong. In fact, some of our strongest Lodges number among our smallest. Some Lodges outside our jurisdiction actually limit their membership as a means to ensure that only those who want to be a part of it, and want to participate are members of the Lodge. Those Lodges have decided that quality is more important than quantity, and in doing so, many have no problem in getting new members when an opening occurs.

The opportunity we have before us now, is to take the strength of our Lodges, especially our smaller Lodges and use it to show our communities, more especially the men in our communities who we are, what we do, and what we can offer.

We all know that we can offer community service, and that is a great way to get our face in the public eye. But what can we really offer to the individual man? That answer is endless. We offer knowledge, friendship, a sense of belonging, a place to gain our bearings, a source of support, and even a place of refuge.

In looking at the historical membership trends, one can find that our fraternity has seen it greatest growth when the country and the world was either in, or just come through a time of great trial. Our country is there today. The economy seems to be getting worse by the day, we are at war on a couple of fronts, we possibly another front on the horizon.

In times like this, men need a place that helps bring balance and a sense of direction back into their lives. Men have a need for the great tenants of Freemasonry, and we as Mason’s have an obligation to practice and teach these tenants not only in Lodge, but all the time. When we are at work, at the grocery store, or even when we are rear ended by someone at a red light. The way we conduct ourselves and the standards that we hold ourselves to is what attracts men to us, especially in times such as these.

This is where the real strength of the smaller lodges really come into play. We all know that making a connection, and forming a bond is easier in smaller groups. When a man comes to the doors of a small lodge such as Ashley Lodge, it is relatively easy for that man to form a connection with not only a few members of the Lodge, but the Lodge as a whole. It provides for that man a place of belonging, and true friendship. Though this can and does happen in the larger lodges, it’s more difficult to form that intimate bond. Instead, there can tend to be smaller groups within the Lodge, kind of a Lodge within the Lodge.

I know that I can speak for all the officers in the Grand Lodge when I say that the Ashley Lodge visitation is always one that we look forward to. For some, it even the favorite visitation of the year. Why is that? It’s because this Lodge, though small in number, is truly of the strong Lodges within our jurisdiction. True Masonry is practiced here, and it is felt by all. It’s so much more than just the great food, and the relaxed atmosphere, though that doesn’t hurt. But it’s the open way in which the members of Ashley receive their visitors, it’s the feeling of Brotherly Love this is so real, that is tangible, as though it can be touched. This is the quality of Masonry that is so important, it is this quality that the community needs to see, because it is this quality that will draw men to the doors of the Lodge.

So, I ask… is it really about the numbers? No. it’s the quality, not the quantity. It’s about being ready to answer the door when the greatest and best of men come to us seeking those things that they lack in their lives.