Masonic Improvement

Thanks, as always, for listening!

We often see Masonic Lodges advancing officers each year like they're playing a game of musical chairs and often without much regard to the leadership capabilities of the brethren.   Many lodges (and masons) seem to think that putting Past Masters in any office, especially serving as Worshipful Master again, is a sign of an unhealthy lodge.   This creates somewhat of a paradox where we h...

If your Masonic lodge is having issues with membership retention then it may be worth considering how many lodges approached membership in the past.   Freemasonry in the USA has been losing members for a few decades now and many jurisdictions have tried various approaches to help alleviate the problem.  Some approaches include one-day classes, open houses, reducing the proficiencies, low...

Did you know that Freemasonry contains several rites of passage?   In this episode, I'll discuss what rites of passage are and why they are important, particularly in regard to men and Freemasonry. I also break down the three phases of a rite of passage and explain the importance of each part and how they apply to our ritual. Finally, I'll list several practices that are taking away from the...

Is Freemasonry still relevant in 2021?   In a world where everything comes fast, easy, and cheap and quality has long been overshadowed by sheer quantity the answer is a resounding "yes".  In fact, authentic Freemasonry is more relevant now than ever.   Join me as I discuss how Freemasonry offers something that can't be found anywhere else. I also talk about how what makes us the mo...

Is Freemasonry too easy to join? Freemasonry isn't for everybody. Our rituals, catechisms, monitors, and even our investigation processes explain the qualities we should look for in new members. Yet, we continue to lower our standards, rush the investigation process, and hope that we can eventually get enough dues paying members to fill the lodge and return to our Glory Days. But at what cost?

Your dues are too low. Freemasonry isn't a service club and our primary focus shouldn't be fundraising, however this is the model for the majority of US lodges. As men, we should be willing to invest in ourselves and cover our own costs for the things that are important to us. Fundraisers have become a crutch that we rely on too heavily to pay the bills and maintain our low dues. The bottom line i...

Freemasonry is in decline because of generational differences. I strongly believe that generally speaking, what many Grand Lodges (and lodges) assume Millennial masons want does not reflect what we actually expect and desire from Freemasonry.   We live in a world of instant gratification, participation trophies, and cheap products. I believe that it's human nature to seek out things that are...

This episode goes into detail about why I returned to Freemasonry after I originally left it. If you haven't listened to my earlier episode, "Why I Left Freemasonry (2018)", then you might want to listen to it beforehand. Thank you for listening!

The world is a different place than it was fifty years ago and, in this current day and age, change happens more quickly now than ever before. Is Freemasonry and it's membership ready and able to properly represent the fraternity in new environments? In this episode, I'll talk about some basic behaviors that I see pretty often, both in person and online, that may project an unfavorable image of ou...

Masonic Improvement is a blog and vlog dedicated to producing content that brings more value to the Masonic experience.   In this short video, I share my thoughts on the question: does Freemasonry have secrets?  

Do the Freemasons worship Baphomet, Lucifer, or the Devil? Is there a hidden nature to Freemasonry that only the highest level Freemasons are aware of? In this episode of Freemasonry Explained, we talk about Baphomet, Lucifer, the Devil, and even a little bit of Albert Pike for good measure.   The internet is filled to the brim with conspiracy theories that link Freemasonry with these topics....

Shortly after I became a Master Mason, I came to the realization that Freemasonry was NOT the type of organization that I thought I had joined. I was expecting something deep, meaningful, and important...but all that I found were mundane business meetings and fundraisers. Convinced that I fell for a 'bait and switch', I left the fraternity with no intention of ever returning. This story is the ori...

Are you interested in becoming a Freemason but don't know where to start? I have been a Master Mason in Texas for over 15 years and I'll tell you everything that I think you'll need to know so you can start the journey. This episode was originally featured on my YouTube channel and uploaded to my podcast without any changes.