ATTRACTING
MEMBERS AND GROWING LODGES
T
he Members’ Pathway was initially created to provide a framework as a guide for Lodges as they sought to attract new and support existing members. The original concept of The Members’ Pathway was devised in 2016, and in 2019 the Pathway Working Party (PWP) was formed to develop the next version. The PWP comprised representatives from the 10 Regional Communication Groups (RCG) who, working with the UGLE teams from Member Services and Communications and Marketing, reviewed the successes from the initial implementation and the lessons learned. It was designed to illustrate the journey from those expressing an interest in Freemasonry to engaging with brethren of many years membership. The new format stayed true to the original content but allowed the user to easily access material which addressed their specific needs and signposted additional resources that could assist them. This change saw the original 11 steps of The Members’ Pathway become the ‘Hub’, ‘Elements’ and ‘Threads’, with each stage focusing the user on available resources and actions. Subsequently, 2021 saw the delivery of the updated material, heralded by the establishment of the Lodge and Provincial Membership Officer(s) as collared offices. The aim was to signal the critical importance of these roles as part of a wider membership development team
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and, in doing so, strengthen the Lodge in attracting new members and engaging all members. The development of Lodge Membership Teams has been mirrored at Metropolitan and Provincial levels, with key Provincial officers coming together to form Membership Development Groups and Members’ Pathway Working Groups. As we look towards the post-pandemic future, Lodges face the same challenge as many other membership organisations, of getting people ‘back in the habit’ of attending meetings and, for
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