The North Carolina Mason

March/April 2020 The North Carolina Mason Page 13 READ THE MASON ANYTIME ONLINE AT WWW.GRANDLODGE-NC.ORG/NEWS-CALENDAR-OF-EVENTS Make an investment, not an impulse buy B rethren, was your initiation into Freemasonry an impulse buy? A few Saturdays ago, I was sitting in the crawl space under my house; knees caked in red mud, dodging cobwebs, installing a filter on my home's waterline because, somehow, my plumber talked me into performing the work myself (a regular Tom Sawyer). As he talked me through the process of crimping a pipe, he recommended I buy a set of crimping tools. While he checked the water, I looked up the tools on Amazon. My muddy fingers swept past several options, and the most compel- ling set sold for $100. I added them to my cart and almost proceeded to check-out, when I paused and thought, "what am I doing? Will I use these again?" en, it struck me, this was an impulse purchase. I was about to spend $100 on something I would probably never use again. I didn't need the crimpers, it was just easy to do and satisfied a curiosity. Brethren, how often do we fall victim to impulse buys? It's usually something we don't need, or some- thing we need in the very short term — like candy for a crying child. And, what does it solve? Usually nothing but curiosity and our imme- diate gratification. Translate this premise to Freema- sonry. First, consider the price. at crimping set cost $100 — that's more than most men pay to join our fraternity. at's not a lot of money nowadays. When I joined the lodge in 1974, $100 equated to nearly $550. But, today, $100 gets you a year's subscription to ESPN+, a Smart Speaker, a video game, ear pods, or a gallon home distillery. Is this the value of Masonry to you? So, brethren, be honest with yourself. What's the price point of Masonry in your life? Knowing what you know about the fraternity, what are you willing to pay for a lifetime of friendship, esoteric knowledge, and camaraderie? Or, are you even finding those things? Like our Grand Master, I cannot think of an appropriate price. I can never repay this fraternity for what it means to me—for how it has changed and shaped my life. Do you feel the same? Your answer should give you some idea of the value you place on Freemasonry. Let's delve a little deeper. Is the value we place on the fraternity an accurate representation of the initiation fee we require of candi- dates? e average initiation fee in this jurisdiction is about $100. Does that sustain our institution? Or, are we facilitating impulse buys? We've discussed why our fees are so low in previous articles—we, as a society and generation have failed to appreciate economic inflation. We can recall figures, but not value. We have also fallen into the trap of believing bigger is better. But, why? Because greater numbers mean we can keep our fees artificially low. at, brethren, is an illustration of selfishness. You don't owe an initiatic investment to the Grand Lodge. You owe it to YOUR lodge. Low fees are easy. Low fees are cheap. Low fees attract impulse, not commitment or investment. Every year one of four candidates fails to progress through the degrees. On average we lose two men per lodge to exclusion for non-payment of dues. Why? Because they are bored. Because they are disinter- ested. Because they are disaffected. We have failed to show them fraternity. And, they know we want them merely to fill chairs and serve their elders without the benefit of Masonic education or emotion or inclusion. Do you even know the next Master of your lodge? We shoved these young men through a discom- bobulating experience without justification or explanation in order to satisfy our own disinterest. Did you take a candidate to make a new friend or to share your exciting discover of knowledge and virtue? Or, did you take him in because you need new blood in order to once more attempt to patch the hole in your lodge's roof ? Don't facilitate impulse buys. We want men who are thoughtful. We want men who ask questions and who want to get to know the men with whom they are sitting in lodge. Impulse buys are cheap, and we strive for quality, not quantity. Cheapness fails to provide the lodge with either a financial investment or an intellectual interest in Masonry. ere is no interest to be drawn on friendship, nor morality, nor broth- erly love if the man you initiate has no investment in your lodge. Besides, how many new candi- dates can a lodge actually accom- modate? Pushing five or 10 new members through the degrees may sound like success but consider their experience. Will they be able to actively participate in lodge meet- ings? Will they be able to integrate into the existing lodge? Will any older members be pushed out merely to accommodate a younger set? Brethren, we must have balance. We must carefully initiate our candidates, teach them our moral lessons and esoteric values, and build them into productive and successful Masons — not card carriers who simply flash gold rings and car emblems. Do your new members seek knowledge and light, or are they too busy trying to raise money to fix your roof ? Are we simply replacing bodies, or cultivating minds? Now, you've heard me preach. So, let's address how we might set a standard initiation fee. How do we price our market? Our archives illus- trate that initiation fees were once about 2-3 percent of a man's salary. Several grand jurisdictions have realized that their archives illustrate a similar financial pattern and have instituted measures to codify a sliding scale of fees. A percentage is a very equitable way to visualize a man's regional ability to join and participate in our fraternity. So, I encourage you to look up your county's average annual salary and divide out 2-3 percent. at should be your lodge's initiation fee. at should be your new candidate's investment in Masonry and in YOUR lodge. Remember, this is not for Grand Lodge—this is for you and your members. is is what sustains your existence and ability to function as a lodge in your community. What if for every candidate that was initiated, your lodge invested 50-75 percent of his initiation fee in order to endow your lodge's future. Buy him a membership patent, present him a Bible or Bahnson manual, an apron — whatever your lodge regularly supplies a new candidate. But, put his investment to good use — something he can see and take pride in — the sustain- ability of your lodge. His lodge. Give him an excellent experi- ence and show him the return on his investment. at is the value of Masonry. Beware of impulse buys. Look forward to lifelong investments. By Walt Clapp Grand Secretary

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