I care less about the amount of men in Masonry, than the amount of Masonry in men!
[paraphrased from 2008 MWGM Reverend David Cash, AF&AM of NC]
I also care about the impact (amount,if you like) of masonry in men.
But we should also care about the huge loss of membership, nationally
If lodges continue to close, and less opportunities are avalable to take the degrees, then membership will spiral down in a 'vicious cycle'
Read this and weep:
STATE 2012 MEMBERSHIP 2013 MEMBERSHIP GAIN/(LOSS)
ALABAMA 27,654 25,885 (1,769)
ALASKA 1,820 1,797 (23)
ARIZONA 8,000 7,812 (188)
ARKANSAS 13,042 12,301 (741)
CALIFORNIA 63,546 55,893 (7,653)
COLORADO 8,885 9,311 426
CONNECTICUT 11,778 10,576 (1,202)
DELAWARE 4,910 4,843 (67)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 4,438 4,091 (347)
FLORIDA 42,959 41,134 (1,825)
GEORGIA 41,255 40,750 (505)
HAWAII 1,778 1,787 9
IDAHO* 3,670 3,567 (103)
ILLINOIS 65,781 64,705 (1,076)
INDIANA 60,449 58,363 (2,086)
IOWA 20,203 19,338 (865)
KANSAS 21,225 20,176 (1,049)
KENTUCKY 43,658 42,019 (1,639)
LOUISIANA 20,404 19,431 (973)
MAINE 19,860 18,573 (1,287)
MARYLAND 16,146 15,429 (717)
MASSACHUSETTS 33,048 30,861 (2,187)
MICHIGAN 34,686 32,997 (1,689)
MINNESOTA 13,587 13,062 (525)
MISSISSIPPI 18,063 17,565 (498)
MISSOURI 45,850 42,274 (3,576)
MONTANA* 5,565 5,401 (164)
NEBRASKA 11,895 11,405 (490)
NEVADA 4,163 4,085 (78)
NEW HAMPSHIRE* 6,497 6,097 (400)
NEW JERSEY 22,523 22,514 (9)
NEW MEXICO 5,389 4,669 (720)
NEW YORK 42,669 41,305 (1,364)
NORTH CAROLINA 43,112 42,296 (816)
NORTH DAKOTA 2,876 2,885 9
OHIO 94,867 91,040 (3,827)
OKLAHOMA 23,842 22,622 (1,220)
OREGON 8,946 8,648 (298)
PENNSYLVANIA 108,758 107,731 (1,027)
RHODE ISLAND 3,573 3,444 (129)
SOUTH CAROLINA* 37,810 36,689 (1,121)
SOUTH DAKOTA* 5,471 5,654 183
TENNESSEE* 40,926 39,943 (983)
TEXAS 93,188 81,340 (11,848)
UTAH 2,057 2,081 24
VERMONT 5,855 5,708 (147)
VIRGINIA 37,177 36,335 (842)
WASHINGTON 15,450 14,774 (676)
WEST VIRGINIA 20,808 20,251 (557)
WISCONSIN 11,742 11,367 (375)
WYOMING 3,579 3,417 (162)
TOTALS 1,305,433 1,246,241 (59,192)
*Revised 2012 figures
=========================
This data is provided by the MSANA , I take no responsibility for accuracy.
How can masons see this data, and not beleive there is a problem?