PGM's Focus (March 2007)
PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER’S FOCUS
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
PGMs 2006 REVIEW
In January 2006 we completed our Strategic Review document having surveyed some four hundred Masons and their wives/partners. While the Review spelt out our objectives through to 2010 it seems appropriate to see how things are progressing.
RECRUITMENT, RETENTION & RETRIEVAL
In our Review we set ourselves the task of ‘Reversing the trend of membership decline in order to achieve 4000 members by 2010’ We had lost, on average, 63 members per year 2000 to 2005 and that has been reduced in 2006 to a loss of 49. This figure would have been more impressive but for the fact that deaths were up 44% in the year. Resignations have been held while new memberships are up by some 29 an exceptionally good result
We can report resounding success with regard to retention. Just three years ago we conducted a survey relating to retention and found that 32% of all new recruits resigned or stopped attending their Lodges within a four year period. The Secretaries Reports show the amazing effect that so many Lodges have had in changing their ways in order to meet the needs of new recruits. Such is the change that in 2006 we reduced our losses to 23%. If your Lodge losses are over 25% then perhaps you should ask yourself why? There is no reason that any Lodge should have in excess of 20% losses. The best tip we can give is to ensure that, when a new member misses a meeting, especially in the first two years, someone gives him a friendly call. ‘Exit interviews’ suggest that many who resign have missed a few meetings for whatever reason, but when no person gets in touch with them, they begin to feel unwanted and find it hard to return.
Our Strategy indicated that we would set up a ‘Crisis Management scheme’ to assist Lodges with seriously declining memberships. This has had enormous success with some twenty three Lodges having asked for a presentation and in the great majority that has led to a new found impetuous within those Lodges to identify new members. Indeed, Secretaries Reports show that ten of these Lodges recruited during the year and that four Lodges recruited more than one person. An excellent early result.
LADIES’ PERSPECTIVE
Our 2005 survey indicated that where Lodges did not hold white tables or other social events 78% of their Ladies felt they should. In addition circa 80% of all Ladies wanted Lodges to organise theatre events, visits to places of interest, barbeques, and the occasional meal out.
Our Strategy concluded that we would have to ‘work relentlessly to convince Lodges’ that social programmes play a vital role in recruitment and retention.
Our Visiting Officer reports indicate that only 33% of Lodges do not now hold white table events (an improvement of 16%) and that only 18% of Lodges do not hold more than one social event (an improvement of 36%) and all this in just 18months. It should be noted that the recent survey of New Masons wives/partners indicated that circa 85% seek theatre trips, meals out and barbeques. Perhaps a new opportunity, 95% of wives/partners wished they could be called on to help with fundraising.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Our Strategic Review concluded that we have a growing weakness in that up to 40% of our membership does not contribute to Charity’ This fact remains and we urge all Lodges to give guidelines for charitable giving at interview and to then have their Charity Stewards follow through and ask new recruits to subscribe. The recent New Mason survey indicated that 25% of our 2006 intake of new masons had been expecting to be asked to subscribe to Charity but had not been approached. Brethren if you are not subscribing to the 2010 Festival but could afford to then we ask you to support those within your Lodge that are giving so generously by searching your conscience and volunteering an amount to your Charity Steward.
Thank you to the 24% now contributing to the Festival via gift aid, and to all those Lodges that are holding fundraising events, we shall by the time of this going to press have surpassed £1 Million.
CARE IN THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMME
From your comments, our Strategic Review concluded that ‘there is no doubt that Care in the Community is a serious weakness within the Province’ with 86% of those surveyed believing we should seek our projects to address this situation.
- 66% said we should attend local events. We have set up a County, Town and Village shows team and attended several shows and events. We can report a high level of success in changing the public perception of who we are and what we do. As a direct result we have had nine new initiates resulting from our attendance. The programme is being expanded in 2007.
- 81% said we should improve our Media coverage – We have had great success with a series of outstanding articles in several of local papers and magazines.
- 84% believed we should have a positive and ongoing Care in the Community programme.
- Our Care in the Community group are at the late planning stage and members will see real activity during 2007 and beyond.
- In addition one Lodge has driven the launch of our Teddies for Sick Children at Stoke Mandeville hospital with the intention of getting support to roll out to other hospitals.
- Our Masonic Trout and Salmon Fishing group have held events for disabled children up and down the county and we are sponsoring a national event in June for up to 60 children at Mursley.
OTHER AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
- We have just launched our North East Corner Clubs for new initiates and shall see momentum gained in 2007
- Our Family Fundraising Group is up and running with a Provincial Ball planned for October and a spectacular Burns Night Boxing event being held in January 2008 – all details shortly.
- 66% of members surveyed indicated that our previous Visiting Officer scheme was not working and 82% believed that VOs should be asked to report. The scheme has been completely overhauled and VOs have reported in an outstanding manner for which we thank them. We are aware that a few Lodges do not have a VO and are in the process of putting that right.
- 89% believed that the Province should require Lodges to report on their retention rates in order to help themselves improve. 110 lodge Secretaries reported during January and we thank them for such an outstanding response. The information will prove invaluable in allowing us to understand and analyse problems and help seek solutions which, as the old adage has it, turns problems into opportunities.
The past eighteen months have been like riding a giant rollercoaster. At the turn of every corner Brethren have supported and encouraged us to understand the needs of ‘modern man’ and, where appropriate, have supported change within their Lodges that will help them to attract and retain initiates: all this while ensuring our traditions and standards are not prejudiced. At the same time we are beginning to accelerate the introduction of our Care in the Community program aimed at changing the perception and image of Freemasonry within our communities. Perhaps the biggest change relates to what our dear old friend Don Varney used to say: ‘Freemasonry is to be enjoyed not endured’. Judging from what we are seeing at Lodges up and down the Province there appears to be a new sense of enjoyment and fun and long may it continue.
Ray Reed