Ideas For Membership

Companions and Sir Knights,

We are starting our Fall festivals with a great start. Last weekend Pensacola York Right Knighted nine (9) new Knights, with five more festivals on the horizon. I congratulate all who participated from Ft Walton Beach, Crestview, Marianna, and Pensacola. Great job companions and Sir Knights.

The following is a sampling of ideas that we can use to improve interest and attendance:

1. Stress the importance of fellowship. Encourage those who attend regularly to share their ideas about improving fellowship.
2. Give someone the job of greeting all members as they enter the asylum. Make sure that this person knows that it is his job to make members feel welcome when they enter.
3. NEVER allow a new member to sit alone in the asylum.
4. Make sure the High Priest, Ill. Master or Commander circulates among the members before the meeting.
5. Hold introductions to a minimum. Long introductions are a waste of time. Make all introductions with sincerity. They should be warm and personal.
6. Use the time after closing to reinforce fellowship. Thank the members for coming, and ask for feedback. How satisfied were the members and guests of the quality of fellowship that they received. Follow up with a personal note to a new member or guest thanking him for being with you.
7. Include the names of new members in your newsletter with a brief summary of their interests and the names of their wives and children.
8. Place a suggestion box in a prominent place in the asylum.
9. Give members a questionnaire they can use to evaluate the level of fellowship and activities.
10. Do not waste time. The leading cause of dissatisfaction among members is that meetings were boring and that too much time was wasted. Many of our Senior members come to our York Rite Body for relaxation, fellowship and fun. Spend less time with business and more time with fellowship. Adding some excitement and interest to the meetings will help bring members back.
11. Limit remarks at the end of the conclave. Do not allow (personal agendas) to mar an otherwise efficient meeting.
12. When planning meetings, consider the interests of the youthful and mature members equally. The older member may want things to remain unchanged; the youthful member may expect variety and excitement. Remember that newer members are determining whether they did the right thing in joining. They will evaluate your plan for the evening on their terms.
13. Focus on Quality! No matter what you do, do it well. Nothing works as well as high quality to achieve member satisfaction.
14. Make something special happen at least six times a year. Force yourself to plan in detail for the meeting; this forces you to consider the desires of the members. Plan at least six months in advance and involve your members in the planning.
    1. Call on individuals in your community to provide excellent programs.
    2. The principle of a local school can speak about the scholarship needs of students or ways the Commandery can help improve the school.
    3. A financial planner can help members discover important financial or retirement services available to them and answer their questions.
    4. A travel agent can speak about trips that are available to individuals or groups and how to save money.
    5. Show any number of videotapes that will interest the members. They can be educational, fraternally related or just plain entertaining.
    6. Invite a strategic planning expert or futurist from a local college or consulting firm to meet with the Commandery about how the needs of men have changed and will continue to change.
    7. Ask every member to be involved by accepting an assigned date to lead a discussion on a relevant topic to Templary or Masonry. The Masonic Service Association of North America publishes a monthly “Short Talk Bulletin”, a great source of relevant information. Ph. (315) 735-2217.
15. Constantly focus on communications up, sown and across the entire organization. Dress up and spruce up your existing publications and communications to members.

16. Consider at least a quarterly publication mailed to the member and his family.

17. Develop a list of men who have been raised to Master Mason in the past three years and ask the officers or volunteers in the Commandery to contact each by phone and invite him to a special meeting, a dinner, or a “Friends Night”.

18. Mail remembrances to members and their wives on behalf of the Commandery on significant holidays, birthdays or anniversaries. Remember, every time a communication comes into the home from the Commandery, it raises the awareness of the member.

19. Maintain an attractive bulletin board and keep it current with member related news and information.

20. Improve the quality of the photographs and graphic images you use. Find a member who may be a designer or graphic artist with computer desktop publishing experience and let him review all communications, then listen to his recommendations.

21. Assign every new Sir Knight a “Buddy”. This can be the top line signer of his petition or a fellow Sir Knight about the same age who agrees to be at each stated and special meeting for at least six months. This “Buddy” keeps close personal tabs on his new charge and assists him with his assimilation. He also introduces this new member to other members at every opportunity.

22. Watch for any loss of interest of a member. If attendance starts to lag, get in touch with him immediately and determine the cause. Don’t let more than a few meetings to pass before contacting him. Nothing works as well with members as personal contact. Try to meet face-to-face.

23. Contact all new members who have joined over the last five years, but have been absent from the Commandery. Listen to them tell you the reasons why they have lost interest. Share the exciting new things that are happening in the Commandery. Agree to assist them with the proper signs and words if they have forgotten.

24. Identify the skills, talents and interests of each of your members, especially new members. A man joins an organization with the expectation that he will somehow be involved with the members, involved in the leadership, and involved with the community. Understand that involvement means using a man’s talents. Match their involvement with their gifts and talents.

25. Reward real performance and real contributions in some meaningful

Companions and Sir Knights, the ideas are endless, but they must be put into practice.

Remember, equip, train and send out the troops, and they will come back with results!

Companions, our recruiting efforts are paying off. With three festivals completed for the fall, and two to go, we have already knighted 61 new knights. With Ft Pierce and Tampa, we should go well beyond our numbers for last year. Great work.

Note: If any York Rite Bodies plan weekend festivals, Short of Time or Slow Classes, please let me know, with the date, time, location and contact person, for the Fall of 2020 and I will put it in the next newsletter, and on the website. Remember, Membership and Retention is everyone=s business.

There is no substitute for an all-out campaign to strengthen and build our membership.

Membership and Retention is everyone’s business.

EXCERPTS FROM THE GRAND CHAPTER OF FLORIDA

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: MEMBERSHIP, RIGHTS, STATUS AND DUES

26.01 Membership in Chapter.

A Companion is a Member of the Chapter conferring the Royal Arch Degree upon him, unless it was conferred at the request of another Chapter, in which case he shall be a member of the Chapter making the request.

26.02 Certificate of Good Standing.

Members in good standing in Chapters whose Charters have been surrendered or arrested shall be furnished with a Certificate of Good Standing by the Grand Secretary upon payment of one dollar to Grand Chapter. Members who have been suspended for non-payment of dues in such Chapters may obtain from the Grand Secretary Certificates of Good Standing upon payment of five dollars to Grand Chapter.

26.03 Life Membership Program. (1999)

Chapters may incorporate in their By-Laws provisions for life members subject to the following requirements:

1. Life memberships shall be of three classes.
   1. Life membership conferred by the Chapter upon payment of a fixed fee thereof which life membership shall only exempt the recipient from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue.
   2. Life membership conferred by the Chapter without payment of fee thereof which exempts recipient from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue, and
   3. Life membership conferred by the Chapter which does not exempt the recipient thereof from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue.
2. No Life membership conferred for payment of a fixed fee therefore and which shall exempt the recipient thereof from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue may be conferred for a fee of less than two hundred ($200.00) dollars, which fee, in whatever amount fixed, shall be deposited or invested as hereinafter set forth.
3. No Life membership which exempts recipient thereof from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue may be conferred by the Chapter without payment of fee thereof except on the condition that the Chapter immediately set aside from its own funds for deposit or investment as hereinafter provided a minimum sum of two hundred ($200.00) dollars per life membership as all time.
4. All funds derived from fees for Life membership and all funds set aside by the Chapter upon conferring Life membership without payment of fee thereof shall be invested in bonds of The United States of America or deposited in Savings Accounts in institutions where such savings accounts are insured, or in such other securities or stocks as shall be approved by the Grand Chapter. The interest derived from such deposit or investment to be deposited in the general fund of the Chapter.
5. Upon the death, expulsion, demit or disappearance of a life member, the Chapter may withdraw the deposit provided for such member or dispose of the government bonds purchased with the proceeds thereof and return said funds to the general funds of the Chapter.
6. Chapters may confer life memberships which do not exempt the recipient thereof from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue without required any payment thereof by the life member or without making any deposit or investment by the Chapter.
7. Each Life member of a Chapter shall be issued an annual dues card evidencing such life membership.
8. No life member of a Chapter shall exempt such Chapter from payment of Grand Chapter Annual Revenue.
9. This Regulation shall be effective on the 1^st day of June, A.D. 1999, A.L. 5999, but shall not affect any life membership vested on such date.

26.03.01 Perpetual Membership Program.

Perpetual memberships are authorized by particular Chapters subject to the following term and conditions.

1. Any Constituent Chapter of Royal Arch Masons may participate in this plan, subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth.
2. Any member in good standing and possessing a current dues card in the Symbolic Lodge and in any participating constituent Chapter of this Grand Jurisdiction may become a perpetual member of his Chapter pursuant to the provisions of this section,
3. The member desiring a perpetual membership shall apply to the Secretary of his Chapter for such a membership on forms prescribed by the Grand Chapter and shall tender therewith a minimum sum of twenty (20) times the annual dues of his Chapter at the time of the application, but, in no event less than two hundred ($200) dollars. The Chapter Secretary should complete his part of the application and shall forward the same together with the full fee, due to the Grand Secretary. The date of the application shall be the date the Grand Secretary certified he received the application.
4. The application shall be signed by the applicant and have the certification of the Chapter Secretary. The application shall not become effective until the Grand Secretary has certified the applicant’s record. The application shall contain thereon the computations upon which the perpetual membership fee is predicted. If the fee tendered is insufficient, the Grand Secretary shall return the application and fee to the constituent Chapter Secretary for correction and re-submittal. A copy of the completed and accepted Perpetual Membership application and a Certificate of Perpetual Membership shall be furnished to the applicant and his Chapter by the Grand Secretary. These provisions shall be construed so as to permit the Grand Secretary to use computerized records.
5. After the perpetual membership application and fee have been received and accepted by the Grand Secretary, the perpetual membership fee shall not be refundable except under circumstances determined by the Grand Secretary to be mistakes of fact rendering the applicant ineligible for membership as of the date of the application.
6. After the applicant’s perpetual membership has been accepted by the Grand Secretary, the perpetual membership shall be paid over to the Grand Treasurer as required in Article XII, Section 11 of the Constitution. The funds shall be placed collectively in restricted perpetual membership accounts (hereafter referred to as the Fund). These funds shall be accounted for on an individual Chapter basis, listing the amount a person paid into the fund for both Chapter dues and Grand Chapter per capita and any assessments in effect. The Grand Treasurer shall account for the funds separately, from all other Grand Chapter funds. The fund shall be audited annually.
7. A perpetual member shall owe no further dues to the Chapter of which he is a perpetual member. An annual dues card shall be issued by the Chapter Secretary who shall denote perpetual membership thereon.
8. The perpetual membership fee, less any amount required to supplement earned interest to pay the constituent Chapter the first year’s dues and per capita, to the Perpetual Membership Fund, the word “interest” shall mean all net earned income of the Fund, exclusive of any net profit made from the sale of stocks, bonds, or other securities; any loss resulting from the sale of stocks, bonds or other securities shall be deducted first from any profit made on the sale of stocks, bonds or other securities and then from other earned income; and the balance remaining shall be net earned income. The net profit of unallocated loss, if any, from the sale of stocks, bonds or other securities shall be allocated to a capital gains account, to remain therein subject only to the following. The interest, less administrative costs, plus such amount from the capital gains account as shall be necessary to add to the interest so as to provide a five percent (5%) return on each perpetual member’s account, shall be paid proportionately annually to each constituent Chapter for each member at the time of per capita billing.
9. The Grand Secretary shall, at the time of the annual interest distribution, submit a statement to the Chapter for an amount covering the proportionate per capita and assessment in effect at the time the member joined the plan. The chapter shall during the member’s lifetime and thereafter pay to the Grand Chapter the amount designated by the Grand Secretary’s per capita statement.
10. The obtaining of a perpetual membership in one Chapter by as dual or plural member shall have no effect on his membership in the other Chapter or Chapters which he belongs. Dual or Plural perpetual memberships are permitted.
11. When a perpetual member of this Grand Jurisdiction affiliates within this Grand Jurisdiction, the entire perpetual membership he originally paid shall be transferred to the account of the Grand Chapter to which he affiliates. If the affiliation is outside this Grand Jurisdiction, the entire perpetual membership fee shall remain with the Chapter of which he is a perpetual member.
12. Any Certificate of Good Standing issued under Chapter 40 of the Constitution to a perpetual member shall be endorsed thereon the fact that the holder is a perpetual member and the amount of the perpetual membership fee which shall be transferred to the particular Chapter in Florida with which he affiliates.
13. If a perpetual member shall be suspended, expelled or withdraws and is subsequently restored to good standing, or re-affiliates from out of state; his perpetual membership shall be deemed to be also restored.
14. If a Chapter consolidates, surrenders its Charter or has its Charter arrested, the funds credited to that Chapter in the perpetual membership fund shall follow the members according to the relevant sections of the Constitution and Laws dealing with consolidations, surrendering and arrest of Charters.
15. A memorial perpetual membership may be purchased by any person for a deceased Royal Arch Mason of a Florida Chapter by following the same procedures as outlined in this section. The minimum fee shall be two hundred ($200) dollars. The total amount of interest derived therefrom shall be paid annually, seventy-five percent (75%) to the Chapter through which the application was processed and twenty-five percent (25%) to the Grand Chapter of Florida. Interest derived therefrom shall be returned to the Chapter at the time of the per capita billing.
16. A companion, at any time, may add any amount to his perpetual membership fee through his Chapter Secretary.
17. Applications for perpetual membership shall be on forms prescribed by the Grand Chapter, and the Grand Secretary shall provide all forms required for the implementation of this section.
18. Where perpetual Members have not been heard from for more than seven (7) years, the High Priest shall direct the Secretary to report the names of such missing Companions to the Grand Chapter on the membership report form as being deceased. Their names shall then be transferred to the rolls of deceased perpetual membership, but, this action shall have no effect on the amount of money paid to the Chapter or Grand Chapter for that perpetual member as set forth in sub-section (G) and (H).

26.04 Emeritus Members.

Chartered Chapters may, by two-thirds vote at a regular Convocation, create as Emeritus Members; such members as from old age, infirmity, or misfortune, have become incapacitated or unable to pay dues; such members shall be exempt from the payment of annual dues and the chapter may take credit for all such members in the annual returns to Grand Chapter.

26.05 Status when Demitted from Lodge.

While it is the duty of every Royal Arch Mason to be a member of some Symbolic Lodge, the fact of his holding a Demit does not affect his standing in the chapter for twelve months; after that time, if he fails to affiliate with a Lodge he shall stand suspended from his Chapter.

26.06 Demit.

A member paying his dues in full and applying for a Demit prior to December 27^th is not chargeable with dues for the following year for want of action by the Chapter, as action thereon should have been taken on or before December 27^th.

Membership by Chapter for 2025:

REMINDER: MASONIC MEMBERSHIP SOLUTIONS (MMS) RULES STATE THAT NEW COMPANIONS AND SIR KNIGHTS NEED TO BE PLACED IN MMS WITHIN15 DAYS. If thisis not done, the magazine will not be sent automatically. The Secretary will have to contact Grand Encampment.

MMS IS NOW ON GOOGLE CHROME

New Membership by York Rite District 2025:

Also, as soon as your area determines the dates for the Fall Festival, PLEASE let me know so they may be included.

Fraternally,

HENRY A. ADAMS, KYGCH