Dear Dedicated Members for Change,
The gist of last week’s DMC newsletter, this week’s newsletter, and next week’s newsletter is an examination of the unique qualities of the Millennial generation and how those qualities compare to prior generations. The point is to understand the nuances of this new generation of men and women – because they are, ultimately, the future of our Order, and of your Lodge. If you wish to increase the membership of your Lodge, and continue your Lodge into the future, you really need to understand these young men and women.
Think I’m joking? Well, chew on this statistic for a moment: Recent estimates have found the Millennial generation numbers 66 million persons in the United States today. Fortune Magazine has predicted that by 2025 (a mere six years from today) Millennials will comprise 75% of the American workforce.
Look, Millennials are not aliens from another planet. In a great many ways, Millennials are just like the generations that currently make up the vast majority of membership in our Lodges (folks in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s). We all want a good life, a life of meaning, and a life of happiness. Yet, there are vast differences in the aspirations and goals of Millennials as we compare them to the aspirations and goals of the prior generations. A recent study found the following traits among the members of the Millennial generation:
1. Millennials face remarkable pressure in society and in the workplace. The traditional American Dream of owning a home seems a long way off to the members of this generation. At work, they have to cope with longer work hours, corporate downsizing, lack of job security, work overload, global competition, and job ambiguity. These pressures naturally create anxiety and even depression among many members of this generation.
2. Millenials often feel disconnected and powerless in society today. They take a more passive role in life, and want to be pushed and encouraged by their families, bosses and mentors. They appreciate continual feedback.
3. Rather than conforming to societal norms, Millennials prefer to disrupt the status quo. It doesn’t matter to them that things have always been done a certain way. They prefer to try new ways to reach their goals.
4. Millennials care more about the planet and people, and less about profits. They strive for intellectual challenges, and want to make the world a better place, both locally and globally.
5. They have access to a huge amount of information, and greater technology which is second nature to them. They dislike slowness and desire instant feedback.
So, how do we use this information in our recruitment and membership efforts? Tune in to the DMC newsletter next week, where we take the information we have gleaned and apply it to our fraternity. Bottom line: ls it possible to recruit young men and women in the 19-39 age range into Odd Fellowship?
F – L – T
Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Jurisdiction of California