The Future of DeMolay - Part II

First, let me apologize for the lack of a post on Monday; with the weather and what not, the blog was not the first thing on my priority list. But, now we’re back action, hopefully with another thought provoking piece. As with before, this piece is entirely my own opinion and does not represent the opinion of the officers of PA DeMolay in any way.

In my last post to this blog I discussed the idea that DeMolay needed to get back to its roots of helping guys who aren't the all stars of the school, but rather those who have great potential which is being under valued. I also coupled this idea with a socio-economic piece that posited that DeMolay has more potential for lower income youths. This is the piece I want to expand upon.

When DeMolay was founded, Louis Lower and his friends could walk to the Scottish Rite building in Kansas City. They didn't need anyone to drive them there. They were members of the local community and their meeting place was a convenient gathering point for all involved. Had the Scottish Rite been in the “rich” part of town, or otherwise inadequately located, one of two things would have happened – the boys would have met elsewhere or DeMolay wouldn't exist. Thankfully, it does, but we have a lesson to learn from this.

The Masonic fraternity is a huge supporter of DeMolay. Many Chapters get the benefit of meeting in a Masonic Lodge, often for free. However, what good is a building if no one is willing or able to go to it? I’ve heard, more than once, Advisors complain about having to bus kids from their homes to the meetings. This begs the question of “Why?” The answer I hear most is that the parents are unable or unwilling to transport their son to the meeting, even if he really wants to go. So, what is a Chapter to do?

The answer seems pretty simple to me – move your meetings!

I can hear the hew and cry now – “Heresy!” But, let’s take a step back and analyze everything that is at stake here. Louis Lower and his friends were from lower middle class and lower class households. DeMolay gave them something they didn't have elsewhere – a safe place to belong. Today, DeMolay often exists in middle class and upper middle class neighborhoods. I don’t mean to say that it is exclusively the territory of these groups, but it predominantly is. DeMolay grew because it tapped into a need for a group catering to young men in an under represented area. These kids weren't “bad,” they just didn't have as many opportunities. So, with that in mind, it would seem only reasonable that recruiting this type of young man would be beneficial to the organization. Where do we find this new recruit? Why, different neighborhoods of course!

 

DeMolay needs to take up the banner and go into these areas, as that is one way that we can grow. The Hispanic population in America is on the rise and will be for some time. Yet, there are few organizations for young people operating in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. What if a DeMolay Chapter formed and met in a church that was within walking distance for all of these kids? How popular would that be? The chances that those young men would be able to go to a Masonic building on the other side of town is pretty slim, but a local church of community center might just do the trick.

I challenge you – rethink the DeMolay program. You can have Lodge support without meeting in a Lodge and you can be DeMolay anywhere. Frank Land and the original nine knew that, so why don’t we?

Frat ~ “Dad” Seth Anthony 

The Future of DeMolay

It's been a while since I espoused a little bit of my personal feelings on the DeMolay program, but I think I've formulated some thoughts that I'd like to share with everyone. Of course, this brings with it the caveat that these are my thoughts only and are not representative of PA DeMolay or any other affiliated person.

Lately, I've found that I've had a very similar conversation with many different people. The topic is always the same - "Where is DeMolay going to be in X number of years?" Usually, this talk happens with adults who are long time veterans of the DeMolay program. They decry the shrinking size of Chapters and revel in the "glory days" of some past time. Naturally, they see the DeMolay program changing with the times, often wondering if it's morphing into something different. After many of these conversations, I came up with a "theory" of what is going to keep our beloved fraternity going, well beyond its impending 100th Anniversary.

As we all know, DeMolay was founded by Frank S. Land. If one reads the biography of Land presented in "Hi, Dad!", it soon becomes apparent that he began as a blue collar worker, trying to help those in his local community. He started his adult life doing odd jobs, eventually taking over the family restaurant. Eventually, he landed a job at the Scottish Rite in Kansas City, working as an administrative official. He would later become a social dynamo but Frank Land started his life in a very ordinary way.

As the story goes, it was while Land was working for the Scottish Rite that he met a young Louis Lower. Louis's father had died in an accident and he was looking for some after school work to supplement the family income. Dad Land took a liking to Louis and thus commences the organization of DeMolay. But, for my purposes, this is the most important part of the story.

Lower wasn't much different than Land. He was growing up in a home with financial struggles in the American Midwest. While he was a good student, Louis wasn't the valedictorian of his class. He certainly didn't come from a family that had much. It was because of Dad Land and the Order of DeMolay that Louis was given a new lease on life. It provided him a solid foundation on which to build himself up. This is how DeMolay started and this is what makes our program so special.

At some point in our past DeMolay began to "gentrify" itself. The DeMolay program was so good that it attracted the best and the brightest, which modified the internal culture. For the first half of the 20th century, public schools were just that - schools. They didn't have sports, theater  music, or the arts. A young person went to school to - *gasp* - learn! This meant that teens had to find social interaction outside of school, in the community. DeMolay was perfectly suited to fill this niche and naturally attracted a wide array of members. Those young men would go to do great things, providing us with some of our more distinguished alumni, which includes politicians, actors, authors, and more. But, as time went on, schools began offering more and more. They added several extra-curricular activities that were once the sole domain of community organizations. Parents found this helpful, as it meant school was a one stop shop for all their child's needs. With this advent, DeMolay, and similar organizations, started to see a decline in members. While this isn't the singular reason for decreased membership, I believe to be one of the major factors.

We find ourselves in a quandry. Our membership is shrinking and we aren't always attracting the valedictorian, captain of the football team, and lead in the play. Those folks are so involved in school that it's nearly impossible to get them to come to a program like DeMolay. It's not to say that we don't have some of those folks involved, but in practice it's just tougher to interest them. Instead, DeMolay is a great fit for the kids that get passed over. It provides an outlet for young men to participate in several different kinds of extra-curricular activities that they may not be able to enjoy otherwise. In my eyes, this takes DeMolay back to where it started - with working class families who are looking for a positive social outlet.

The DeMolay program is built to take a "B" or "C" average student and give him chances and opportunities that he might not otherwise get in school. Through the DeMolay program, these young men are improved, raising their grades and giving them a leg up on their peers. I'm personally a great example of this. I was a "B-" student in high school. I did enough to get by and keep my parents happy, but I wasn't engaged in school because it didn't offer me anything. However, once I found the DeMolay program, I started to improve. My writing skills excelled, as did my public speaking abilities. Now, thanks to that evolution, I'm able to make a living for myself by utilizing those very skills.

As an organization, we have to stop living in the past. We must recognize that the program that took us to the very top has been supplanted by the public schools. We have to help the program evolve and once again become a valuable part of the community. In my eyes, that means returning to our roots by offering young men the opportunity to experience a world that they might not otherwise get to see. Our members are the most important thing to our fraternity. If we help them grow as people, they'll help us grow in the future.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Pins and Opinions

Today we have a bonus post from Bro. Matt Blaisdell, State Master Councilor of PA DeMolay, regarding some upcoming changes with DeMolay International.

In light of our motivational movements, Take Control! and Mission: Control!, the members and advisors of Pennsylvania DeMolay have come to realize that decision making power should lie with the Active DeMolays, with advisors assisting along the way.

The Board of Directors, which is composed of the International Master Councilor, Bro. Maxwell C. Shoemaker, International Congress Secretary, Bro. Michael A. Burge, DeMolay International Grand Master, “Dad” J. Weldon Clampitte, and other elected and appointed officers who serve DeMolay International, held a Directors meeting recently to discuss current issues and new ideas. Following this meeting, I was informed that the Grand Master proposed that silicone bracelets should replace the “No. 1 Pin” for a member’s exemplary effort in membership recruitment.

One source, who wishes to remain anonymous, asked me “As far as maintaining the prestige of the honor, do u have any suggestions?” It was then that I challenged the proposal, but only after the Board of Directors had their vote. Another unnamed source mentioned to me that “the ICS and IMC do have a vote on the board. The board gave permission to pursue this. The “No. 1  Pin” will still be available for purchase.”
Naturally, I feel that my duty is to represent the members of Pennsylvania DeMolay and the best interest of our Order, but when asked for my suggestions following the discussion and vote, I felt that my opinion didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

As a fellow member, “No. 1 Pin” holder, and Pennsylvania DeMolay Representative within DeMolay International, I want to voice the opinions of the members who lead this Order. I went in search of some opinions of DeMolays who are in positions of leadership for their thoughts on this change.

After discussing it with Region II Representative, Bro. Andrew Prescott, he feels that “While I applaud DeMolay International for trying to make one of its most basic awards more accessible and modern, as well as a Public Relations tool, I'm not sure the Number One Pin is the way to accomplish that. I'd worry about restoring the physical quality of older awards like the Representative DeMolay or Degree of Chevalier, making them of a higher fabric and material like they were a few years ago, instead of changing the basic awards.”

I also got in touch with International Congress Secretary, Bro. Michael Burge of West Virginia. He said “I support the idea of our Grand Master, to issue a rubber wristband to new members and as a reward for those who sponsor a young man into our Order for the first time. However, I hope not to see the number one pin go out of circulation entirely. The number one pin should be sold at the DeMolay and More Store, along with our other lapel pins and merchandise. Breaking a tradition or making a change is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome, whether it be in an organization or in daily living. We are not making this transition for the mere sake of change or because of cost. Lapel pins can only be worn on the lapel of a jacket. When you are out with your friends shooting hoops or hanging out at the mall, you are not in a suit and, therefore, cannot wear a lapel pin. However, you can wear a wristband with formal or casual attire. It can be worn when shooting hoops or hanging out at the mall with your friends. It can, also, be worn to Chapter meetings and other DeMolay functions. There will be two different color wristbands. One will be for the first line signer. The other will be for the new member, and will, also, be available to everyone through the DeMolay and More Store. The purpose here is to provide another opportunity for membership, as a reward for membership itself. Someone will notice that wristband that says “DeMolay,” and will ask the question we all like to hear, “what is DeMolay?” With that, you have just sparked the interest of a prospective member. I wish to make it clear that this is not necessarily a permanent change. If this proves to be highly unfavored during its course or becomes unpopular, it can be discontinued by the Grand Master and Board of Directors of DeMolay International, which meets three times a year. I feel we should, at least, give this a try. If it doesn’t work out, we can always go back to awarding the number one pin. It’s a great idea and has potential for success. If anyone would like to talk more on the issue, feel free to contact me..”

Brother Shoemaker, International Master Councilor said “When this decision was made we were unaware of the popular use of the “#1 Pins” in certain Jurisdictions and we apologize for the inconvenience. However, DeMolay International would certainly work to supply those Jurisdictions who still prefer the pins with them as opposed to the bracelets. We understand that these pins may mean a lot to that member who brought in his first friend into this great organization and we do not want to cheapen that experience. If these pins are an integral part of a Jurisdiction's program then I feel that DeMolay International would still supply them, but we would also like for you to know that the rubberized bracelets would also be available if your Jurisdiction would prefer to wear and promote the best organization in the world, DeMolay!”

I understand the strategies based about the proposal that it will save money, and will advertise DeMolay in the form of the ¼ inch silicone bracelet, however I’ve based my own opinions contrary of support of this proposal.

Needless to say, membership is the fuel that carries DeMolay through the future. Without membership our numbers would diminish. I feel that we shouldn’t spend a mere $.79 (one companies’ price for a bulk of 1000) on something that, in my opinion, is the hardest thing in DeMolay: Membership Recruitment. Many of us have overcome the hurdle of bringing in one new member, and in turn we were awarded with a distinction of honor, the Number 1 Pin. By handing out a silicone band, for the exemplary efforts young men to for this order, to me it’s saying here’s a small reward for your valiant efforts. Perhaps, we do need to change our ways and look into the future when it comes to rewarding young men for membership recruitment from DeMolay International, but are bracelets the right direction?

If membership is the most important thing in DeMolay (which, unarguably, it is), then we should not worry about the price (to an extent) for honoring those who gave back to DeMolay in the form of recruitment.
But, don’t base your opinions on my own. Formulate your own thoughts and reply back to this on what you think. If you want the International Master Councilor, the International Congress Secretary, and the Grand Master of DeMolay International to realize that we, the members, have a voice, then let us know your opinion and make a difference.

What do you think?

Fraternally,

Bro. Matthew D. Blaisdell
State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania DeMolay
and Representative to the DeMolay International Congress