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Membership - Solicitation
Written by Gary Peterson   
Tuesday, 30 June 2009 16:00
Five years after the Pass It On membership program was introduced by our Grand Lodge, I still speak with Masons, or read articles about our Fraternities prohibition on solicitation of new members, and how by doing so, we would be in" violation of one of our basic tenets". A major portion of this successful membership program teaches us how to approach prospective masons.

The word solicitation is greatly misunderstood by our Fraternity. One can seek many definitions from different dictionaries, and arrive at different meanings. Thorndike Barnhart comprehensive desk dictionary mentions: asking earnestly for; making appeals for; accosting; badgering; tempting; enticing. Perhaps you even remember the solicitation efforts of Hari Krishna's at airport entrances years ago. Certainly these are not things we want to do in relationship to Masonry.

While we cannot solicit, we CAN ask a man to become a mason. Read here now Grand Master Doan's 1993 Decision regarding "asking":

"A member may ask a man whom he believes to be a worthy prospective Mason if he has considered membership in the Masonic fraternity .... If the inquirer makes no decision within a reasonable time, the member may make a single follow-up contact to see if additional information is needed."

If you know a good man who would make a good mason, change your thinking about solicitation, and just ASK.

Gary Peterson, 32° K.·.C.·.C.·.H.·.
 

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