The “Third Rail” of Freemasonry: Dues – 5 September 2023

The “Third Rail” of Freemasonry: Dues and Per Capita

BEFORE MY REGULAR MESSAGE, AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

It has been brought to my attention that a rumor is circulating that my candidacy for Deputy Grand Master has been “orchestrated” by one or more Past Grand Masters of the Grand Encampment, and that I am “in the debt” of this/these individual(s). This cannot be further from the truth. While I am appreciative of the support, encouragement, and endorsement of many Knights Templar across the Grand Encampment, I am running for the office of Deputy Grand Master, and not against the “enemy” of any Sir Knight. In fact, the idea that we might have “enemies” within our Order is repulsive and I firmly stand against such divisive tones that some might express.

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It’s time we get serious about what Knights Templar should look like as we approach the second quarter of the 21st Century.

I want to remind everyone that I try to provide examples of things we can do. There were a couple emails from last week’s message that took the example of 100 Sir Knights and $50.00 annual dues as some suggestion that we should set our dues at that level and no more. Not the case, dear friends. The numbers suggested were simply pulled from thin air to make the math easy for this guy who scored higher on the SAT verbal than he did on the math portion 45 years ago. I think we set our dues and petition fees too low, and there are probably no more than a couple dozen local bodies total that have maintained dues at a level that is consistent with inflation since they were chartered.

Yes, I touched the “third rail” of Freemasonry–our dues structure–and I did it two weeks in a row. There have been arguments made that it’s “too expensive” to be a Knight Templar. We stand at the pinnacle of York Rite Freemasonry. A man who chooses to seek out membership in a Commandery isn’t just expected to pay the cost for Commandery–dues, initiation fees, uniforms–but also those same costs in his Lodge, Chapter, and (in most jurisdictions) Council. That first year to 18 months may cost the new man a couple thousand dollars in initiation fees and dues, let alone possibly buying a tux or a couple of suits, dinner costs, and additional charitable contributions. It certainly will “cost” him more than “one or two nights a month,” as so many are told by well-meaning investigating committees.

We need to stop selling Freemasonry, and Knights Templar especially, “on the cheap” like a 19th century “degree vendor” used to do. Our dues structure really should cover our operational costs so that fund raising can be dedicated 100% to our charitable works. We should not be asking the general public to come to a spaghetti dinner so we can pay our bills and keep dues low. We also should not pride ourselves for using “dead people’s money” in endowments and investment accounts as the reason for keeping our dues low. I personally know local Commanderies that have more money than some of our Grand Commanderies, and have to ask myself “Why?” Are they balancing the budget on the interest and dividends on those millions of dollars in the bank? Probably, and then they “complain” that there isn’t enough money to do something charitable…like send a couple of pastors or priests on the Holy Land Pilgrimage each year. If the bulk of our assets are generating money for internal use, are we being good stewards? I would suggest it is debatable at a minimum.

Adjusted for inflation, the fee for the Orders in Maryland should be around $227. The actual fee is still $150. Per capita in Maryland is just $5.00 to the Grand Commandery, and we have to allocate five-figures from the interest and dividends on our permanent fund because per capita alone does not meet the budget needs. I can’t remember when we last considered changing per capita. For comparison, my other “home” jurisdiction, Missouri, has a per capita of $13.50. Missouri had an endowed/life/perpetual membership program for many years that has been suspended or closed because it was not set on an actuarial basis, so right now my Commandery (and my lodge) in Missouri are not getting a return to equal the annual dues amount, let alone dues plus assessments for per capita from those who took advantage of this program decades ago. How many others are experiencing the same issue?     
There is another good reason for our dues and fees to be higher. We have three great charities that need our support. Most organizations have but one at the national or international level. These are not inexpensive to operate, and they are not supported easily or solely by men of limited means. Our Educational Foundation and Holy Land Pilgrimage charities could be making an even greater impact if we funded and staffed them as we do with the Eye Foundation, or even at half the level. If our men are having to scrape just to pay their initiation fees and first few years’ dues, then take a demit or simply stop paying, have we done them or our organization  any favors by offering a low bar for entry? No, I don’t believe we have, because all we have done is “sold” them a set of Orders, just as the “degree mills” of the 19th century did. We have great charities that have earned and deserve our support. Do we have the resources internally to continue to build them up and expand them? These are not easy questions.

I am not suggesting that we have only men of great wealth or means as members. Rather, I am suggesting that we reflect on what the real costs of operating an organization such as our and our charitable works, have serious conversations over how best to fund, sustain, and expand our organization at all levels, and set realistic expectations for our members as to what they can expect from the organization and what the organization expects from them. These are the types of conversations we need to have at all levels as we prepare  ourselves for the second quarter of the 21st Century, and we need to find sound answers if we hope our successors will be here for the final half.