Tell a Mate Campaign

Talking to candidates ‘making good men better’

Addressing the Improper Solicitation FearSpeaking about Freemasonry is a topic that even a large number of our own brethren steerclear of unless speaking to those with a known Masonic affiliation. This is interesting in thatmost of us would love for our brother, our friend or our electrician to show an interest inFreemasonry and perhaps join the craft and share what we enjoy.A common theme that arises when members discuss speaking about Freemasonry is‘Improper Solicitation’. ‘Improper Solicitation’ is often quoted as a reason why Freemasonryis not discussed with those outside of Freemasonry but let’s address this fear now. Is there aform of ‘Improper Solicitation’? Yes. What is it? It is coercing a person or persons into joiningFreemasonry in some manner that includes guile, the promise of a tangible physical benefit/reward or through misrepresenting Freemasonry as something that it is not.However if there is ‘Improper Solicitation’ there by definition must of course be ‘ProperSolicitation’. What is ‘Proper Solicitation’? It is the act of sharing correct, appropriate andrelevant information with non Freemasons to allow those that may have some interest toask further questions and enquire about membership. An appropriate question might be“Do you know much about Freemasonry? Have you ever thought about finding out more?”Discussion with people in general terms about the ideals and aims of Freemasonry as wellas your personal experience and feelings towards Freemasonry is often the best approachand provides an opportunity to start a conversation that allows the person you’re speakingwith to ask the questions.The biggest take away from this is that if the information you are providing is accurateand does not promise rewards or benefits outside of mateship and the moral teachings ofFreemasonry, we should NOT be scared to speak openly about it.Freemasonry and its SecretsWe hear the term ‘secrets’ used a lot when non masons speak about Freemasonry howeverFreemasons also tend to use the term more than we should. Our public documentationstates quite clearly that we are not a ‘Secret Society’ (although many still behave as thoughwe are) but a ‘Society with Secrets’. The secrets restricted to our ritual and ceremoniesare simply the ‘privileges of membership’ and represent a commitment to an obligation thatevery Freemason takes in inviting the craft and its teachings into their life.Outside of these specifically defined ways to recognise each other, confined to our ritualwhich we cannot share, we are able to discuss alot about Freemasonry, our culture, oursocial events and dinners, our work within the community and even an overview of the typesof things that Freemasons do at a meeting.We can openly share that there is some business conducted as most associations wouldhave as part of meeting preceedings (we do not have to describe the method), that thereare speeches and procedures to be followed. We can share that much of Freemasonryrevolves around ceremonies or short plays which impart moralistic teachings through shortspeeches and some theatre. Again we do not need to share details for this information to bemeaningful and we break no obligation by sharing this.2

It is important to provide a full description of what a prospect will encounter at a lodgemeeting, inclusive of the festive board and the inherent ‘ceremony’ that accompanies thisimportant social interaction of lodge members and their guests after a meeting in the lodgeroom. We can talk about the friendships we have made, the trips we have been on, theevents we have attended and almost any part of our experience . The information we areobligated not to share is far smaller than that which we are free to disseminate however fearof breaking an obligation has discouraged masons from speaking openly about Freemasonryfor a very long time.The changing nature of Modern Society in Relation to FreemasonryWe live in a century far different from our Masonic forbears whereby the vast majority of thegeneral public either have never heard of Freemasonry or believe it only exists in Dan Brownnovels. The old allure in relation to the secrecy of the organisation is heavily diminished bythe fact that the general public does not hear much about Freemasonry from its members.We must all become more open communicators about our love for Freemasonry and what itcan provide, as we cannot ask people to join an organisation they know nothing about – youcan’t sell a secret. Information is the currency of today’s world and the modern man hasa vast variety of activities, hobbies, clubs and societies that he may belong to. Informationis readily available and actively shared by the members of all of these other clubs andsocieties. Without a change in how we communicate to the world, we reduce our opportunityto be relevant and vital as an organisation providing something unique and rewarding for ayoung man to invest his valuable private time and energy into.Ways to be open about Freemasonry and start a conversationIf someone asks what your plans are on a given week or weekend, be open and tell themyou are attending a Masonic Lodge meeting. Rather than leaving it at that if they show aninterest speak to them about Freemasonry; this would be an excellent opportunity to useyour 30 second story (discussed later in this document).Always wear the square and compass when possible, you will be amazed at how manypassing comments or queries turn into a short conversation about Freemasonry which againis an excellent opportunity to use your 30 second story. These interactions need not be longdrawn out affairs, sometimes leaving someone with a seed of thought is more beneficial asif they are interested they will seek further information.Speak openly to your friends who you have otherwise decided may not fit with Freemasonry.We all know someone that we have decided for whatever reason wouldn’t be interested inFreemasonry or wouldn’t fit with Freemasonry. Do we have the right to deny someone theopportunity to experience Freemasonry based on our assumption that it is ‘not for them’?No we do not, as we do not truly know another’s mind and if they would be interested or not.There is never any harm in asking, something as simple as “hey, you may not know but Ihave been a Freemason for some time. Have you heard much about Freemasonry?”Involve your family in your Masonic experience; families are an important part of theMasonic Journey because it is their love and support that allows us the opportunity to beFreemasons. By involving our families they have an opportunity to experience the positiveinteractions Freemasonry is all about, attend social events and participate in charitableactivity to support the community. When people enjoy something they talk about it andhaving your family advocating Freemasonry it is almost more valuable than speaking highlyof it yourself as they are non members who are promoting the benefits. 3

Invite a friend, family member or contact who shows an interest to a social event rather thana festive board. There is much less implied pressure at a social event than at a festive boarddinner after a lodge meeting as social events are far less formal and allows an interestedperson to see that Freemasons are regular people like everyone else as well as ask a fewquestions in a welcoming environment. It also allows them to decide when they arrive andhow long they stay compared to a festive board dinner, which implies one must stay for theentire event even if they feel uncomfortable or have decided it is not for them. It is importantthat all interactions with interested parties are welcoming, non pressured and enjoyable.Too often an interested party is invited to attend a festive board where they are asked toarrive at a certain time, the lodge meeting runs late and the gent is left waiting with thetyler, members then exit the lodge room and understandably, hurry to refresh themselvesand sit with their existing lodge mates, with few taking the time to welcome the visitorwith more than a “hello”. This is followed by a meal interjected with proceedings that mayotherwise be strange to a non mason which are often not explained to the visitor and hefeels obliged to remain until someone tells him that it is acceptable to leave. It is importantat every interaction with a prospect to ensure that they are made to feel comfortable andvalued by the lodge members which in turn allows for open and transparent conversationwith them as they feel comfortable and welcome in sharing their feelings and conveyingwhat their expectations might be of Freemasonry, which ultimately allows us to enhancethe prospects experience. “The first step is to start the conversations and talk more freely about our passion for Freemasonry”4

The 30 second storyWhen we meet someone for the first time we evaluate subconsciously if and why we should listento that person. The old adage “first impressions count” highlights this perfectly. Psychologistssuggest that an impression is formed within 1/10th of a second, which highlights that the window foreffectively communicating to a new acquaintance is brief.For a very long time people in sales have been using the 30 second story technique. Now we ofcourse are not advocating that we should or would ever sell Freemasonry in the sense one wouldsell a product, in fact quite the opposite. Prospective members are encouraged to make a decisionto pursue Freemasonry of their own free will and accord. We can however benefit from the way the30 second story works.A 30 second story is your experience, feelings and summation of your journey to date in relation toFreemasonry, rolled into a short tale that could be told whilst lining up for a coffee, waiting for thebus or sharing an elevator. It is not a story to be told to everyone you meet but to those that expresscuriosity in regards to Freemasonry. As Freemasons we are encouraged to always wear the Squareand Compass, a universal symbol of our Fraternity and one that attracts plenty of attention from thegeneral public. It is likely that you have already and will in the future receive a question about theSquare and Compass whilst you are out and about.For those of you who are not wearing the Square and Compass in your daily lives, I would challengeyou to ask yourself “Why not?”. Are you proud of your association with Freemasonry and the moralstandards it promotes? Do you wish to share your passion for Freemasonry with others?The 30 second story provides someone with just enough information to leave them thinking. Itdoes not overwhelm them with more information than they can handle in a short period, it does notgo for so long as to make them feel that they are hearing a pitch or trying to be sold anything orencouraged to join.Even if the person you share your 30 second story with never has an interest in Freemasonry theywill have heard a short, positive and real message about your experience with Freemasonry.Crafting your 30 second story: A 30 second story needs to be unique to your experience anddemonstrate what it is that you love about the craft. Like any good story it requires structure - howyou got into Freemasonry, the journey in brief terms and what you love about Freemasonry or howyou feel about Freemasonry today.Your 30 second story may sound something like this“I started a new job and a number of my older colleagues continually shared fascinating stories overthe first few months. The stories were so enjoyable and each of them so genuine that I wonderedhow they had met. A short conversation later I was informed they had met in a Freemasons Lodge.Before I knew it I was invited along and six months later my Masonic journey began. Looking backI can’t believe I had never considered Freemasonry before, I have made a host of friends whom Isee regularly outside of Freemasonry and developed a passion for giving back to the community.Freemasonry has reinforced my value system and constantly challenges me to be a better man. Ican’t imagine what things would be like had I never asked my colleagues about it a few years ago.”Should I write my story down or should I just keep this in mind when speaking to people?Should you be reading your story from a script when speaking to people? Absolutely not! Shouldyou have a good idea of what your story is? Definitely. Writing your 30 second story down is a wayof cementing in your mind what it is that you want to say in these brief opportunities, before you sayit. When required to speak on an unexpected occasion we often spend time thinking about exactlywhat we want to say and rephrasing the same ideas to satisfactorily get our point across, this ishuman nature. If we spend our 30 second window of opportunity stumbling over what we wish to saythe opportunity passes us by and the chance to leave a positive thought about Freemasonry with it.The process of writing your story down helps with memorising but also allows you to refer back to itperiodically, to update it and improve it as time goes by. You may notice that a particular anecdoteor comment seems to get a more favorable response from those you are briefly speaking with andyour 30 second story can be updated to include this. 5

The Power of Why?In life our achievements are driven by our “why”. A “why” is our reason, our drive to achievea goal, obtain a reward or enjoy an experience. The stronger the “why”, the more likely weare to put the time and effort into making our why a reality.Freemasonry is no different as our why, whilst different for each man, is the cornerstoneon which our masonic journey is built and drives us to grow & develop as individuals, andmembers of an organisation that creates and promotes a positive and valued contributionto the community.Our why however is not always enough alone to create the outcomes we strive for. Thereneeds to be a series of respective actions and measures, supported by an understandingof the responsibility that each of us carries in ensuring we hold ourselves responsible forthose actions and accountable to those we care about in delivering on them.If we are to ensure the future of our beautiful craft, then the fate of Freemasonry must be ourcollective responsibility and not considered someone else’s problem. We must adopt a zerotolerance on any discussion that suggests “it’s ok I don’t need to worry about recruitment, Ihave recruited plenty in my time...”, “My lodge is doing well right now, why would I need tothink about talking to my friends or neighbors about joining...”, “My lodge is too far gone soit’s not worth worrying about recruitment...”If we are to remain vibrant, relevant and attractive we need to own the responsibility forrecruitment and promotion of the craft and what it has to offer a new member. Our public‘Why’ which in turn leads to each member finding their personal ‘Why’. As a fraternity itis important that we take some time to reflect on our desire to see Freemasonry blossomin Western Australia and use this desire to cement our “why”. With a strong “why” we willcontinue to take the steps necessary to achieve our goal of welcoming a new generation ofWest Australian men into our fraternity. With a united “Why” we can harness the collectivepassion of each and every one of us to make this goal a reality.The success or failure of Freemasonry in Western Australia is the responsibility of each andevery one of us from the Grand Master to the newest Entered Apprentice.Take some time to consider your “Why”. It will be different for each of us but ultimately ourdesire to share something we love and enjoy will carry us forward if we hold that desireforemost in our minds. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that Freemasonry and its6 values are around to be shared with the next generation”

Talking to Candidates: The Membership Project Officer PerspectiveFirst ContactThis is usually a phone call or email depending on the prospect’s preference. If it’s a phonecall, keep it short but to the point; it’s very hard to read someone over the phone. I alwaystry and ask them what brings them to Freemasonry. If they say “I had a dream and a voicetold me I needed to see the light of the new world order”, you can pretty much guess thatthe enquiry may not be successful (I get this more than you would think!) if there are nored flags at this stage, I will organise a meeting for a coffee. If the prospect prefers tocommunicate via email, I just try and organise a time and a place to meet, saving thediscussion for the meeting.LocationLocation is very important, if at all possible try and meet them at the lodge rooms on aday you can show them around and explain a few things to them, (not a lodge night).Most people have never seen a lodge room and it puts their mind at ease that we don’tdo sacrifices or any of the other rumours that circlulate amongst the public even in today’sworld, (you can always use Subiaco as its open most days). If you can’t do that, try andmeet for a coffee at a shop or café, it is my opinion that a potential candidate’s first meetingof a Freemason should not be at a festive board. A festive board can be a confrontingexperience for someone who has no idea what to expect. It is uncommon in today’s societyto sing as a group outside of a religious context, to have extensive toasts with responsesand to stand in a circle and hold hands. Whilst these things may be traditionally part ofFreemasonry they can seem strange and be off-putting if they are the first experience aninterested party has.The ConversationThis is something that everyone will do differently and that’s ok, BUT we need to try andbe on the same page at least. I start by asking them what brings them to Freemasonry (ifyou haven’t spoken to them on the phone) usually it’s “my grandfather, relative or otheracquaintance was a mason”, they have met a mason at some point or maybe they havebeen interested but are only just following up on this interest. Whatever the reason you willbe able to establish fairly quickly if they are genuine or not, if they start asking about jobs orwhich lodges have the most influential people in them, that’s a red flag indicating they arepossibly joining for the wrong reasons.Once I have established they are genuine and not immediately raising any concerns, I tellthem a little bit about the charity aspects and costs involved etc. One way I have explainedit is “We are a fraternity of guys keeping a tradition alive whilst helping the community andlearning to be better blokes”; that seems to go down well and people get it. I touch on theirjob and what nights they might be free. I also touch on their religious beliefs but I don’t gointo it much, I only add it to the conversation, for me it’s more about their morals and if theyare a nice genuine person with good values, after all Freemasonry isn’t about religion it’sabout moral worth. I focus on do they have some form of belief or spirituality, what that lookslike is up to them in line with the tenets of Freemasonry that we do not exclude on the basisof belief. I also ask them to tell me about themselves, are they married, kids, etc. Just keepit casual and friendly like you’re having a beer with them.In my case after I have chatted and I’m happy they are genuine I will take them to theLodge rooms and show them around and explain the basics of degrees and the offices.I also explain what Grand Lodge and Masonic Care do and that’s usually the end of themeeting. Following the meeting I contact a lodge Lodge Management Officer (LMO) nearthe candidate, have a quick chat about the candidate and send them the contact form.The LMO takes it from there. By the end of it they actually have more information aboutFreemasonry than I ever got! Hopefully that helps them make a good decision and if theydo join they understand what we do and we retain them for years to come.The New Membership Project Officer 7

“The future of Freemasonry in Western Australia rests squarely in the hands of each and every Freemason. Nosingle member can guarantee the Crafts future but united as Freemasons we can see our passion thrive in an ever changing modern world ”