Recruitment, Retention & Retrieval (September 2007)

Well, here we are again at the beginning of a new Masonic season, and I hope you have had a good Summer break despite the poor nature of the weather in this country. And whilst you have been in "recess", I'm sure it will not have escaped your notice that your Provincial Executive has put the finishing touches to the membership leaflets, which have now been sent to every member of the Province, and which should have landed on your own doormat at the end of August.

Initial feedback from our members would suggest that these leaflets are a welcome departure from the norm. Not only have they given many of you information about our charitable work of which you were not previously aware, but it is also hoped that these will help give many of you the confidence to go out of your way to talk freely and openly to the "uninitiated or popular" world about our Fraternity - so that if you are approached by an interested third party, you can respond positively and automatically.

That is the reason why they have been produced in a simple and easy-to-use format. The idea is that every member, already versed in the ways of committing ritual to memory, could quite easily "learn", from the blue pocket-sized leaflet, the various bullet points shown under the heading "Advantages of Membership". It is a short and concise list, and it would be easy to memorise. And that is exactly what the Provincial Executive would like you to do……………..and then try it out at the next available opportunity.

So! When you next find yourself talking about Freemasonry and/or membership, and you are asked "why?", perhaps you can tell them that, amongst other things, it's "the satisfaction of making a real difference in the world"……………and when they ask you to explain what you mean, you will be able to recall with pride, for example, Freemasonry's response to the Asian Tsunami, where your collective donations have helped reconstruct two schools in Indonesia and Sri Lanka for the benefit and education of over 500 children, and to replace 58 fishing boats in ten fishing villages, in Tamil Nadu, benefiting 230 people and their families.

…………."Pride in a job well done" for the "well-being of those less fortunate than ourselves"……

Easy, isn't it?

Clifford Drake