Many Freemasons remain concerned about the viability of the Craft. They point to the continued drop in numbers, the demise of lodges and the financial pressure that many Masonic Centres are facing as evidence of a continued deep malaise.
    It seems to me that we need to put this matter into some kind of perspective in order to identify the core of the problem; only then can we consider initiatives and actions.
    Looking firstly at the context, it is clear that Freemasonry is not alone in being an organisation facing declining support; associations like Rotary and the Lions’ Clubs have seen a big drop in membership; the Church of England is struggling to maintain its position and the Roman Catholic Church is facing a crisis of priest recruitment.
    Nevertheless, there is certainly a malaise in Freemasonry but this is not directly connected to the decline in numbers, there are other factors involved. It is useful to take a look at the number of lodges founded in each year as a rough means of obtaining data. Of course, some lodges have been erased and new lodges do not necessarily mean new members, for lodges are formed to cater for existing masons with specific interests.
    Back in the 1830s and 1840s there were around 4 to 6 lodges founded each year. By the mid 19th century this number increased dramatically: 1857 saw 36 lodges founded, 1861 saw 49. By the early 20th century there were around 60 to 70 new lodges annually; by the 1920s this had increased slightly: in 1927, 98 lodges were founded, in 1928, 96. During the 1930s the number decreased to about half this level. But then came the end of the Second World War.
    In 1945 there were 184 new lodges; in 1946 there were 191; in 1947, 191; in 1948, 202; in 1949, 142; in 1950, 105. After this the number declined and settled to 50 to 60 lodges each year until the mid-1990s when numbers began to decline rapidly to the low 20s. In total, since the Second World War, 3773 lodges have been formed.
    This indicates a huge influx of men into a Freemasonry previously used to a smaller membership. This huge influx is now rapidly declining and Freemasonry is finding its balance at a lower level. So the decline in membership is not necessarily a measure of the health and vitality of the Craft; it has more to do with demographics. To try and maintain membership levels at this ‘bulge’ level would seem a lost cause.
    There is a malaise in Freemasonry but it will not directly affect the number of members or lodges. Both will decline and we should simply take that as a fact and live with it. It is not the 1940s now. There is no point in desperately seeking initiates to make up the numbers. To become obsessed with this is to focus on the wrong target. The problem is not numbers; the problem concerns quality; the quality of the Freemasonry we are supporting.
    The real measure of the health and vitality of Freemasonry is not the number of lodges or the number of initiates - the real measure of the viability of Freemasonry, in my opinion, is revealed by the number of Master Masons who leave shortly after taking their Third Degree and the number of men who serve as Master of their lodge and then drift away.
    We don’t need more initiates as much as we need a Freemasonry which retains its members. What is it about the Craft that these men sought but failed to find? We must concentrate on enriching the Craft itself, seeking to communicate that beating heart at the centre.
    The future of Freemasonry holds some inevitablities: coming to terms with a smaller membership and a greater personal financial contribution to compensate. But this just addresses the organisation and the needs of the charities. For the spirit to survive and grow we need better ways of helping men to the centre. All else is secondary.

O O O O O O O O

Errata: The picture caption on page 24 in the last issue was incorrect. It should read,
    L to R: Michael Herbert, Grand Master of the Allied Masonic Degrees; Col. Keith Hind, Grand Master, Order of Royal and Select Masters; Tim Lewis.
    Secondly, on page 28, we omitted an acknowledgement to The Masonic Service Association of North America and their permission to use the material most of which is drawn from one of their articles published in November 1974. We apologise for this omission. Ray Hollins has asked us to point out that his series of publications,
    A Daily Advancement in Masonic Knowledge, is, as he has stated in each volume, “A Compilation of Short Talks Researched and Edited by R.J. Hollins.” Many of these short talks are drawn from MSANA publications but have been rewritten and brought up to date with added information by Ray Hollins with the express permission of the MSANA.
    Michael Baigent MA - Editor