BROTHER AND FRIEND FELLOWSHIP NIGHT
In an effort to provide a means of acquiring new members
for lodges, a group of concerned Masons, including members of the Grand Lodge
Education and Renewal Committees, and the MRT (Masonic Resource Team) of
District # 4, have researched and designed a Fellowship Night. This event, if
run with enthusiasm and energy, should yield candidates at a heretofore unheard
of rate.
The basic concept is simple. The Lodge will host an
information night. by formal invitation only. A Lodge member will present his "
friend " with an invitation and will be that person's host and contact for the
remainder of the event. The evening itself will include a tour of the Lodge,
speakers on Masonic topics, a question and answer period and socializing over a
dinner or a coffee and tea session. Each guest will be provided with information
to take home and browse through. Each Masonic host will follow-up the night's
events with a phone call to his "friend" within seven days.
The committee studying this event has identified nine
segments to the plan that need to be addressed and worked on if the night is to
be a success. This report will now deal with each segment separately. What is
said here is a basic outline that each individual lodge may wish to modify or
add to. The Lodges however are urged during their modifications not to eliminate
any of the basic nine segments.
INVITATION
The invitation should make a statement about the Lodge.
It should be attractive and well laid out so that the information it contains
can be easily read and understood. At a minimum the following information items
should be included:
1) The Lodge name
2) The title of the event
3) A picture of the Lodge (or obvious Masonic symbol)
4) The date of the event
5) The time the event starts
6) The dress code expectations (casual, etc.)
7) The Brother's name and phone number (hand written)
8) The Guest's name (hand written)
9) The invitation statement itself, i.e. " Mr. John Jones, Benjamin Lodge No
31, F&AM would be honored to have you
attend our Brothers and Friends Night at the Lodge. The Brother who has
presented this invitation to you will be your personal host and guide for the
evening. Please feel free to contact him with any questions you may have
before, during or following the evening's activities."
10) A brief agenda of the "activities".
A Mason should give this invitation to a person he knows
well enough to consider that person a good prospect for becoming a Mason. The
invitation should be delivered personally, hand to hand, and it should be made
clear, if the invitation doesn't specifically state it, that it is for him and
his wife.
The delivery of this invitation by a Mason obligates that
Mason to see this through to the end. That means he gets his guests there, he
attends on them while they are there, he gets them home safely and he follows up
within seven days.
If a Lodge does not have the ability to buy or produce a
good invitation, anyone skilled with a computer can design and produce one (in
color) for a cost of approximately $5.00 for thirty copies. Depending on Lodge
size, it may be wise to limit the number of invitations to twenty or so,
remember that each invitation covers four people (inviter and spouse, invitee
and spouse). Twenty invitations equals eighty people plus ten or so organizers
and speakers.
FOOD
The actual menu for the evening is best left to the
individual Lodge to work out. Large Lodges with ample space in their club rooms
may wish to put on a complete supper, while others may wish to do something as
simple as cocktail sandwiches and sweets with coffee and tea. The concept here
is not to impress them with our cooking prowess but to put them in a relaxed
social atmosphere. Most people truly enjoy a meal or a snack and are receptive
to conversation and/or speakers following that meal. This is a mental state of
mind we are trying to foster here, relaxed and receptive.
DRESS CODE
It is suggested that the dress code for Fellowship Night
be casual. Again we are trying for a relaxed atmosphere where our guests are
receptive to what we are doing. The speakers and the Director of Ceremonies may
wish to dress in formal wear and the other organizers with specific speaking
roles during the tour may wish to wear dark suits but the guests should be as
comfortable as possible.
It is suggested that the lodge obtain sheets of the
clothing stickers that say "Hi. My name is…" The Mason's attending, and their
wives, should also wear name stickers but with the addition that on their name
tag a prominent square and compasses should also be displayed. This will
identify them to the guests as individuals who can be asked questions.
If the event is run in the wintertime, a nice addition
might be to have two or three Masons hanging up coats. It doesn't hurt to pamper
the ladies in particular.
TIME
For the average Lodge the best time to run one of these
events is on the weekend, normally a Saturday evening. This tends not to
conflict with normal meeting nights and most people are nine to five, five day a
week workers.
The hours of the event are flexible but it is suggested
that everything be completed by approximately nine o'clock. If you are having a
supper you may wish to begin at six o'clock, whereas , a design based on a snack
may comfortably begin at seven or seven thirty.
The only other time concern is the time of the year. An
event held in March or April will yield candidates for the fall sessions and an
event run in October will yield candidates for the spring sessions. You can
actually exercise a small amount of control over when you wish to be busiest.
SPEAKERS
The designers of this event, after consideration of all
the material at their disposal, and careful thought about the limits of a
person's attention span recommend that the Lodge use four speakers on four
distinct topics and that each speaker be limited to five to seven minutes. It is
also recommended that the speakers be separated from each other by something
completely different, such as drawing for a door prize or a musical selection.
This break concept allows the listeners to relax, drop their attention levels
(or switch them radically) and therefore rest between speakers. It means that
each speaker has a fresh audience and our chances of information transfer are
enhanced.
The topics, which follow, as well as their proposed
content, were gleaned from different sources and cover the majority of items
from those sources. Rather than actually write the speeches, which someone might
then be tempted to stand up and read, we have simply set the topics and points,
allowing the Lodge to select their own speakers and allowing the speaker to
write his own speech covering the topic. The topics are as follows:
1) Who Are the Masons?
a) general history
b) some famous Masons (list available from MRT)
c) general Masonic history
d) general history of the local Lodge
2) Misconceptions of Freemasonry
a) we are not a religion
b) we are not a secret society
c) we do not exercise, nor aspire to have, control over government and
law-enforcement
d) we are not anti-Catholic
e) you do not have to be well off monetarily to join
f) we are not a protestant version of the Knights of Columbus
g) etc.
3) What Do Mason's Do?
a) for individual men concerning their personal development
b) as a fraternity in the promotion of the atmosphere of brotherly love
c) for the downtrodden by means of our charity work
d) for the community and our place within that community
4) How Does A Man Become a Mason?
a) must have a belief in the Supreme Creator, his own immortal soul and a
feeling for the concept of "The Brotherhood of Man under the Fathership of God"
b) he must be 21
c) he must be literate
d) he must ask to join
e) he must reside in NB and have been here for at least 6 months
f) he must apply to an individual Lodge (include part of the application fee,
$5.00 usually)
g) he must undergo a visit from the Lodge's Information Committee
h) his application must survive the ballot procedure
i) he must pay the balance of his fee (determined by the Lodge)
j) he must take three consecutive degrees, passing examinations in between
each
k) he will receive mentoring and coaching during this period
l) he will be expected to pay annual dues ($30.00+ usually) and pay for his
lunches at Lodge
m) he must commit time to take his degrees, time to study his examinations
and as much as he can, time to work for his Lodge
THE TOUR
It is suggested that a tour of the Lodge facilities be
given to all invited guests. There are two reasons for this segment. First,
lodges always have memorabilia hanging from their walls, which are curious and
interesting. These things give the visitor a sense of history and of the
permanency of the Lodge. Secondly, by making the tour complete, we go a long way
to dispelling the idea of the "secret society". A knowledgeable Mason, with a
good speaking voice and an unflappable disposition should direct the tour. The
tour should cover the whole Lodge spending time at each room, particularly the
Lodge room where you may consider laying out each officers apron and collar. Do
not worry about losing your audience since every step they take reveals
something new. They are receiving two stimuli, auditory from you and visually by
what they see. The combination will keep their attention quite nicely.
During the tour there should be artificial stops
incorporated at tables prepared beforehand and manned by Masons who can describe
what is on the table and answer questions about it. Some suggestions for themes
for these tables are:
1) tools, display the working tools of Freemasonry. Most
Lodges have both older and newer sets. Put out both to again give the sense of
history and permanence.
2) aprons, white clothe, white leather, old, new,
regular, 100 year, Grand lodge, etc
3) trestleboards, although they mean certain things to
us, there is no way to derive that meaning simply by looking at them and they
are beautiful pieces of artwork
4) history of the Lodge, old minute book (not to be read,
but to be seen), old register (possibly open to a meeting night page) pictures,
a lodge history, in Benjamin this table could be placed near the "Wall of honor"
to add to the history
5) certificates, different Lodge certificates, Grand
Representative Commissions, etc.
6) awards, Quinn Medallion, Beardsley, PM jewel, PDDGM
jewel, Lewis jewel, 50 year pin, widow's pin, etc
7) anything Masonic that strikes your fancy
QUESTION AND ANSWER
This should be conducted on two levels. The first level
should be coordinated by the Director of Ceremonies and may be termed the formal
session. This would occur following each speaker or collectively following the
last speaker. The guests would be invited to ask questions to the organizers,
which would be answered for the benefit of all. The success of this session
hinges on keeping the guests relaxed enough to stand up and ask and will last
until they run out of questions.
The second may be termed the informal session. This
occurs primarily near the end of the evening when everyone is having final
coffee or tea and are having conversation. This is where the Masons and their
wives should be clearly marked (remember the "Hi, My Name is…" with the Square
and Compasses). The wives of Masons are included here because there are some
questions our female guests are going to feel more comfortable asking another
woman. The Director of Ceremonies may encourage this session by informing the
guests that they can pose their questions to their personal host and if he
cannot answer, he will find someone who can.
This is again important to dispel that old "Secret
Society" title that seems to hang on us all the time. Nothing stops rumors like
the truth.
As a final idea you could leave a question box near the
door for any questions the guests were too embarrassed to ask out loud. If they
don't leave their name you can always incorporate the answer in the next
Fellowship Night you run. Either way it will give you a feel for how people are
thinking.
INFORMATION TO TAKE HOME
The reason behind this segment is simply to expand on
what we have begun. Hopefully our tour, speakers and open attitudes have sparked
a note of interest in our guests. The brochures, of which we have a large
variety, simply fill in the holes. It allows our guest to read and think about
Freemasonry in the comfort of his own home.
Many of the brochures can be obtained at low or no cost
from Masonic Renewal sources, the Masonic Service Association and the Grand
Secretary's office. An application for membership can be placed in the envelope
as well. Although some will immediately jump on this idea and call it
solicitation, we are making no promises and offering no inducements. Information
and an application form are a convenience, not an inducement. We are not asking
him to join, we are providing information and should he desire, the tools, to
join.
It is advisable to put these brochures and forms in a
convenient package for transport home. A folder with pockets or an envelope will
suffice. It will work best if the package will fit in a man's suit coat pocket
or a lady's purse. Larger packages tend to get left behind.
FOLLOW UP
This is the critical step and is absolutely necessary for
the success of this program. Some men will respond to your evening and might
fill out an application immediately. Most will want to return home and talk to
their spouse. They will want to read a little more and mull the whole idea over
in their minds for a few days.
Left too long, other things will take precedence and they
will forget about it. Approached too soon, they will feel pushed and brace their
feet. Five to seven days after the event seems the best time for refreshed
contact. Ask if he has reviewed the information. Ask if he has any questions
that he would like to have answered. By this time he should be asking you to
sponsor him or asking you to leave him alone. If the former, the normal
procedure for new petitions follows. If the latter, this is the last contact on
the subject. If he doesn't want membership now, he at least has the information
and knowledge if he ever decides he would like to join in the future.
This completes discussion of the nine segments. In other
jurisdictions these nights have typically yielded 60 to 100% results. That is to
say, of the twenty men you invite, you can expect twelve to twenty new masons.
These results justify us at least trying this method and judging for ourselves.
Step by step process looks like this:
1. Form a committee to oversee the organization of the
evening
2. Decided what kind of invitation you prefer and the quantity needed.
3. Set the date.
4. Have the Brethren submit the names of those who will receive the
invitations
5. Two weeks before the event, have the invitations delivered, preferably by
hand.
6. Decide what will be displayed and assign a Brother to each table.
7. Assign a brother to each speaking topic.
8. Appoint a director of ceremonies.
9. Appoint a tour guide.
10. Set up a subcommittee to take care of lunch or supper.
11. Clean the lodge with particular care given to the bathrooms
12. Acquire the brochures and assemble the information package to take home.
13. Acquire the name tags, both for the brethren and guests.
14. Appoint a greeting committee to welcome guests as they arrive.
15. Execute the evening.
16. Ensure that each brother follows up with post evening contact.
To repeat the opening lines, if run with enthusiasm and
energy, this event can yield members at a very high rate. Should you decide to
pursue this and you are successful (and I am sure you will be) remember that
along with bringing them to the degree process you must take care of them and
help them become active, productive Masons in their own right. Gaining ten
members is only an asset if at least eight of them stick around and participate.
Good Luck.
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