Building our Beautiful Order - Helping Chapters Grow
By Jeff Bolstad, GGCCM Visionquest Director, PGP MT
| What is that “something” which allows one Chapter to flourish, while another Chapter in a nearby town languishes on the brink of extinction? In some cases, the size of the community is a factor, but usually that has very little to do with it. I have seen several cases where the flourishing Chapter is in the small town, and the Chapter ready to close its doors is located in a much bigger population area. An infusion of members from a nearby Chapter can help, if their underlying membership problems are addressed. Here is point number one. In order for a Chapter to attract new members, that Chapter must be attractive. So take a look at your Chapter. What is there about your Chapter that is attractive to the new, younger prospect? If you have a hard time with that, let’s look at it this way…what could we change to make us attractive? Remember that “time” is a precious commodity for younger people these days. They are not willing to be in a situation where they feel that their time is being wasted. So, the long meetings are not going to cut it with younger members. The meetings will have to move right along, they must not drag, and the new members must feel like they are in a participatory, meaningful role. They must feel that their time is well spent, or they won’t come back. Have something that makes the meeting interesting. A special program that is well done always seems to be a winner, especially if the newer member is actually involved in the presentation. I have also visited with those who feel that their Chapter gets no support from the local Masonic Lodge. They have tried to get some of the Masons to join Star, but they seem to be indifferent at best. My first question to them is…. “Are your active brothers in your Chapter also active in the Lodge?” Usually, the answer is “no.” Think about it. Your active brothers must also be active in the lodge in order to mitigate the “us versus them” mentality. It’s not really that hard to think of things you can do to make your Chapter attractive. It may be more difficult to actually make those changes. You will meet resistance from those who don’t want to change anything and from those who feel that new members should just conform to “the way we do things in this Chapter.” But making your Chapter attractive is essential to attracting new, younger members… thereby assuring a strong, flourishing future for your Chapter. |