The North Carolina Mason

■ see SPACE page15 January/February 2020 The North Carolina Mason Page 13 B rethren, size matters. Across our state we have built hundreds of Masonic lodges and temples — large and small — and we pride ourselves on that fact. Lodges and temples serve as our Masonic homes and clubhouses. ey are a place to gather, renew friend- ships, and share expe- riences. For the public, our lodges (especially our larger temples) are an outward expression of who and what the fraternity is—or what people perceive it to be. We've talked before about the importance of keeping our lodges looking good and in good shape, not just for the public's eye, but for our own psychological wellbeing. is translates into the functionality of our lodges, too. Lately, we've been fielding calls from lodges concerned about the proper use of their lodge building's space. More often than not, it turns out the massive lodge rooms we constructed in the middle of the 20th century are much too large for our current needs. Let's look at why we built such large rooms. Different generations interpreted and used Freemasonry in different ways. e generation that fought in World War II came home from that conflict desiring a camaraderie among their friends reminiscent of the relationships they had in the service. Freemasonry was just one of many outlets for the redevelopment of those relationships. Popular civic and service clubs served a similar function and also exploded in size. It was in this era where the mentality of "bigger is better" developed. But Freemasonry's functional requirements are a little different than mere civic clubs. Freemasonry's ritual component is theatrical and requires seating, sets, players, and participants. As our numbers swelled throughout the 1950s, so did the space required to hold our meet- ings and degree work. Lodges that once comfortably held 20 or 25 men were crowded with 50, 75 and even 100 members. A few of our lodges reached 800 members by the 1960s — and by the standards of that day were much too large. By the 1960s lodge buildings and lodge rooms across the North Carolina doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in size. What we failed to understand as a fraternity at that time was that this membership infla- tion was a trend, and all trends come to an end. Logically, within a generation, by the 1980s, the need for these gigantic build- ings and large rooms waned. Lodges shrank back down to more manage- able sizes. In fact, our population at the end of 2019 is about 10 percent greater than our total population in 1919, and is probably about on par with what we think it should be. But the psychological impact of "bigger is better" continues to menace our interpretation of success and sustainability. e feeling of loneliness, insecurity, and failure is palpable when you sit with say 10 or 15 brethren in a room designed to sit 100 or more. Over the last year I have fielded more and more questions about re-adapting lodge space to meet the modern, smaller needs of our membership. Time and again, lodges perceive they are failing because 10 or 15 men show up and the room looks empty. is is a psych-out, pure and simple. Don't let it get to you! e remedy is not to grow our numbers but recapture the intimacy of smaller lodge rooms. It's time to cut those rooms in half, literally. Recently I traveled with Brother Matt Robbins, who holds a master's degree in architecture from NC State University. He's also past master of State College Lodge and remarkably well-versed in the psychology of built environments, public areas and ritual spaces — including our Masonic edifices and lodge rooms. Together, we visited several lodges to help advise and encourage them to downsize — not to sell — but how to renovate the space they have. e best building you have is the one you own. One lodge building we visited was a massive structure built in the 1950s and meant to hold 150 men. e lodge now hosts only about 20 brothers regularly. First, we need to understand that smaller lodges are OK. Freemasonry works best when our lodges are smaller and our brethren know each other intimately. Second, given we over-engineered our lodges a half century ago, how do we keep our brethren from feeling lost in a cavernous lodge room? Yet, just a year or so ago a lodge called up and wanted to expand or build a bigger building. e brother complained that so many men were meeting in their lodge that they had to bring out extra chairs and were cramped. I told him that was the perfect problem to have. After some discussion, his lodge's woes were not dire, they were simply being what Masons should be — fraternal! Do you ever notice the best restaurants are the crowded ones? Or, the ones with the longest lines? Restaurants that expand seldom do well to handle more customers. Larger spaces look empty. e atmosphere of close quarters dissi- pates, the uniqueness of the locale becomes sterile, and customers fall away. e psychology of space is paramount to our ability to relate to those around us. e lodge, which is two stories, houses a lodge room, offices, a kitchen, and a huge dining hall centered around a brick fireplace. Matt quickly pointed out the best room in the building was the dining hall. It was warm and inviting and accessible and conducive to meet- ings. With Matt's help, we suggested the lodge's members develop a plan to partition off the dining room around the fireplace. e goal was to make a new lodge room within a room. e work does not require permits or heavy construction, just some partitions, preferably temporary, but something that can accommodate the brethren. ese partitions could be canvas accordion doors, plywood barriers, or screens. As long as the space can be tyled, the lodge can meet. Some lodges can afford to be cut in half and extra rooms created. Perhaps your lodge can create a big room and a small room and use either depending on the nature of the meeting you hold. Be creative and scale down! Reducing our footprint within a building can also help us realize some additional income. In earlier years, lodges were rarely meant to be standalone buildings —they were community buildings and multi- purpose. If your lodge is composed of 25 or 50 or 75 members, do you need a 10,000-square-foot building? Probably not. For pure business meeting purposes, Masonic meet- ings require only as many seats as men are present — on average across the state, about 15 to 20 men. Make a room to fit your needs. Now, ritual space is different and requires more space. But, how often do we need ritual space for initiations, passings and raising? e number varies across the state, but on average, a lodge only initiates two men a year. Have you considered having your rituals in a larger masonic temple? Perhaps it's best, more economical, and more psychologically acceptable to have a small lodge hall for busi- ness and fraternalism, and adjourn to grander settings for special occa- sions. It's a logical application. ink about rooms in your house — formal dining rooms or guest rooms. Yes, some of you use them Lodge room too big? Time to get creative By Walt Clapp Grand Secretary Utilizing a smaller space within the exisiting structure can help overcome empty-room blues

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