Dear Dedicated Members for Change,
The Atlantic is a respected monthly magazine that has been published since 1857. That's continuous publication for 168 years. A recent article under the headline "The Anti-Social Century" bemoaned the fact that "Americans are now spending more time alone than ever. It's changing our personalities, our politics, and even our relationship to reality." The article made reference to the author taking his family to a small Mexican restaurant in the author's town only to find the restaurant empty. But, the author found that even though the place was empty of customers sitting at tables, the restaurant's business was booming - the restaurant counter displayed a number of large brown bags filled with take-out orders.
The point of The Atlantic article is that our social interactions had diminished dramatically in this century, and this change in socialization would, in the author's opinion, inevitably alter our collective personalities and psyches.
I'm sure that there is truth in this. The world inevitably is viewed differently by people who spend their days and nights in front of a screen (television, cell phone, desktop, laptop, etc.), versus people who spend much of their lives in the company of co-workers, friends and neighbors.
And all this provides an important message and opportunity for Odd Fellows Lodges. That is because not everyone has opted for life in front of a video screen. There are people who still seek human interaction and socialization. The institution of Odd Fellowship for centuries has provided that very opportunity for social interaction, and can continue to do so even in today's fast-moving and often disconnected society. Most people lead three-dimensional lives. One dimension is in and around the home and family. The second dimension revolves around the work they do. The third dimension is the flexible one - it is the universe of a person's chosen social life. It is this third dimension that is an open field for Odd Fellowship. Historically speaking, it is this very third dimension which brought members into the early Lodges of the 1800's. The early gatherings of Odd Fellows took place in pubs and taverns - where members ate meals, enjoyed beer and other spirits, and regaled each other with stories.
So let's bring it back to today - our modern world. What does your Lodge offer to potential new members? To be perfectly blunt, if your Odd Fellows Lodge does little more than hold a monthly formal meetings with passwords, signs and readings from a book - then potential new members might as well join a congregation rather than your Lodge. And let's continue this straight and honest talk. If the average age of your Lodge members is in the 70's or 80's, then you should give up trying to attract new members in their teens, 20's, and 30's. It's not going to happen. With those age differences, the generational divide of interests is just too extreme. If your average Lodge age is in the 70's and 80's you should instead focus your attention on folks in their 50's and 60's as potential new members. (And just bringing in new members who are also in their 70's is self-defeating. In membership development you really need to bring in the next generation of Odd Fellows.)
But now that you have brought in some new members, you need to keep those new members (and existing members) engaged. You will have to offer more than readings from the Ritual. The Lodge can and should be a place where members can have fun. The "fun" part of membership can include a wide array of activities such as poker nights, movie nights, trivia nights, hikes, visits to wineries and breweries, potlucks, baking demonstrations, etc., etc., etc. Let your collective imaginations be your guide. And the fun part of Odd Fellowship can and should also include events to benefit the community. Again, let your imaginations be your guide. These community events can cover a wide swath of possibilities such as live music at the Lodge, an Oktoberfest for the community, collecting warm clothing for those less fortunate, a community pancake breakfast, and so on. Elevating the character of man, making the world a better place, and giving to the community are all part of our Odd Fellows heritage and tradition, and (importantly) it allows members to feel good about themselves and their Lodge.
F - L - T
Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Jurisdiction of California
