The Members’ Pathway is a framework that provides a structured approach and tools that Lodges can use to attract, introduce and encourage potential new members, while retaining and adding value to the existing membership. The Members’ Pathway aims to ‘help ensure our meetings are enjoyed by all, losses are stemmed, and our membership grows’.
The Members’ Pathway will achieve this by encouraging and supporting Lodges to integrate four elements of activity into their practices: Plan, Attract, Engage and Retrieve.
Many Lodges carry on doing the same thing, meeting after meeting. Few spend much time collectively taking stock of their practices and considering their future. It doesn’t take long for a strong Lodge to become stale, complacent and go into decline. Lodges – like any organisation – need to plan for their future and understand what their members want and need in order to grow.
Take a look at the tools available through the Members’ Pathway to support Lodges to plan for their future:
Lodges need to attract new members to grow, and Freemasonry must be visible and appealing. The responsibility for making this happen is shared across all members and all levels of the organisation. We know that nine-tenths of all members join through personal or prior contact. Only ten percent join after coming forward in response to a promotional campaign. Therefore, Lodges whose members are able and willing to engage with others will be more successful at attracting new members. We cannot expect others to do this for us and at Lodge level, the Lodge Membership Office should be proactive and assume a lead role in attract new members to their Lodge.
Take a look at the tools available through the Members’ Pathway to support Lodges to attract new members:
Engaging members so they enjoy Freemasonry and have a reason to attend their Lodge is critical to the long term success of a Lodge. Supporting members when they join, to help them under the ceremonies and their meaning and supporting members as they progress through the various offices and roles in the Lodge is the responsibility of the Lodge Mentor. The Lodge Mentor, should lead making sure every member of the Lodge is supported and engaged in the Lodge and can get the best out of their membership of the Craft.
Take a look at the tools available through the Members’ Pathway to support Lodges to engage and support their members:
Sometimes things go wrong, and for lots of reasons, Lodge members lose interest in Freemasonry and stop coming to Lodge meetings, or leave altogether. There are early warning signs of a potential resignation and ways to re-engage the member and the Lodge Almoner should be active in keeping in touch with members who stop attending. No member should ever resign or be excluded from a Lodge become we have exhausted every opportunity to re-enage and support them back into active Freemasonry.
Take a look at the tools available through the Members’ Pathway to support Lodges to engage and support their member:
The Members’ Pathway Charter Lodge Scheme is a process we have developed to support Lodges who want to work proactively to plan for their long-term future. The scheme invites Lodges to work through three areas: 1) Identifying Examples of Good Practice; 2) Lodge Officer Succession Planning; and 3) Development of a Lodge Profile.
The scheme recognises Lodges meeting the aims of the Members’ Pathway and provides a support framework for Lodges not fully meeting the aims but working towards doing so. Lodges who successfully work through the scheme application process will be awarded a Members’ Pathway Charter Mark which can be displayed on Lodge Summons and other correspondence.
All Lodges are encouraged to work through the Members’ Pathway Charter Lodge Scheme application. Lodges who are not meeting all of the scheme requirements but work through the application process, will be supported to attain the Members’ Pathway Lodge Charter Mark and the process itself is also a useful development tool that enables Lodges to attract new members and engage existing members.
Lodges are free to choose whether they wish to pursue a Members’ Pathway Charter Mark or not. Being a Members’ Pathway Charter Lodge does not confer benefits or preferential treatment beyond assisting the Provincial Members’ Pathway Team to place unsupported candidates in Lodges best suited to their needs.
Lodges will be assisted to work through the scheme by their Lodge Mentor and Lodge Membership Officer who will be trained through the Lodge Members’ Pathway Officer Workshop to support their Lodge through the process. The Provincial Grand Membership Officer and Provincial Grand Mentor are also available to support Lodges if required and requested.
Please first read the Guidance for Lodges document which explains the application process in detail and if your Lodge decides to pursue recognition as a Members’ Pathway Charter Lodge, contact the Member’ Pathway Team at pathway@pgln.org.uk who will explain the process.
Provincial Grand Membership Officer
Gary Breach
Gary is responsible for leading the development and implementation of attracting and engaging new members in our Province. He works closely with the Provincial Grand Mentor to implement the Members’ Pathway under the direction of Assistant Provincial Grand Master Dr Greg Smith.
In his professional life, Gary is the Managing Director of a National Commercial Cleaning Services company. Away from work, Gary enjoys spending time with his family, watching Rugby, walking his dog, playing golf and foreign travel.
Provincial Grand Mentor
David W Stockdale
David Stockdale is our Provincial Grand Mentor. David is responsible for leading the development and implementation of mentoring in our Lodges across the Province. He works closely with the Provincial Grand Membership Officer to implement the Members’ Pathway under the direction of Assistant Provincial Grand Master Dr Greg Smith. In the Chapter, David supports the early adoption of the Archway scheme, focusing on encouraging and supporting our Craft members into the Chapter.
Professionally, David is the director of an independent national provider of social care for people with learning disabilities, complex autism, or mental health conditions. Outside of Freemasonry, David enjoys travelling to Italy, reading, playing board games, and walking his two retired Greyhounds. David is also the Trustee of a community organisation in Newcastle and a member of the charity Freedom from Torture.
