I spent two years thinking my Lodge was dying. We’d lost members. Attendance was down. Our building needed repairs we couldn’t afford.
I watched other Lodges posting photos of packed meetings and fancy events, and I felt like we were failing.
Then I visited one of those “successful” Lodges. Beautiful building. Fifty guys at the meeting. Impressive ritual.
And I realized something: they had everything we didn’t except the one thing that actually matters.
They didn’t have what we had: Brothers who genuinely cared about each other.
I drove home that night and started seeing my Lodge differently. We weren’t dying. We were just measuring health by the wrong standards.
Here are seven signs your Lodge is healthier than you think.
1. Brothers Stay After Meetings (Without Being Asked)
Forget attendance numbers. The real test is what happens after the closing charge.
If Brothers consistently stay for 30 minutes, an hour, sometimes two hours just talking, your Lodge is healthy. They’re not staying because they have to. They’re staying because they want to.
I’ve been to Lodges where everyone bolts for the parking lot the second “so mote it be” gets said. Beautiful buildings, perfect ritual, zero connection.
If your Brothers linger, you’ve got something real. That’s health.
2. Younger Members Actually Show Up
You don’t need dozens of young members. You need the ones you have to actually attend.
If your under-40 Brothers show up regularly, engage in meetings, and volunteer for stuff, your Lodge is doing something right. Young guys have options.
Work, family, social activities, streaming services. If they’re choosing Lodge over all that, you’re providing real value.
I know of Lodges that recruited ten young members and all ten disappeared within a year. I know other Lodges with three young members who never miss a meeting and are moving through the officer line.
Three engaged young Brothers beats ten ghosts every time.
3. People Disagree Without Drama
Healthy Lodges argue. Unhealthy Lodges either never disagree (because nobody cares enough) or explode into personal attacks when they do.
If your Lodge can have genuine disagreements about direction, spending, or changes without it becoming personal or creating lasting wounds, you’re healthy.
- Can a Brother vote against something the WM proposed without being labeled a troublemaker?
- Can the Lodge discuss difficult topics without everyone walking on eggshells?
Conflict handled well is a sign of maturity, not dysfunction.
4. New Members Get Actual Mentorship
Forget proficiency coaching. That’s required.
I’m talking about real mentorship where an experienced Brother takes personal interest in a newer member’s growth.
Does someone text the new EA to see how he’s doing? Does anyone grab coffee with him outside Lodge?
Does he have someone to ask the questions he’s embarrassed to ask publicly?
If mentorship happens organically without being forced, your Lodge culture is healthy. Brothers care about other Brothers’ growth, not just moving candidates through degrees.
5. The Same Five People Aren’t Doing Everything
This one’s tricky because small Lodges naturally have fewer people to spread work around.
But here’s the tell: when something needs doing, do multiple people volunteer or does everyone look at the same five guys?
Healthy Lodges rotate responsibility. Unhealthy Lodges burn out the willing while the majority watches.
If you can cancel a meeting and three different Brothers could run it competently, you’re healthy.
If losing one person would cripple operations, you’ve got a problem.
6. Brothers Know Each Other’s Real Lives
Test this: pick five random members.
- Could you name their spouse?
- Their kids?
- What they do for work?
- What they’re dealing with right now?
Healthy Lodges know each other beyond Lodge walls. They know that Brother John’s daughter is applying to colleges.
They know Brother Mike just started a new job. They know Brother Tom’s mother is in hospice.
Unhealthy Lodges know titles and positions but not actual lives.
If your Brothers text each other about non-Lodge stuff, check in during hard times, and show up when it matters, your Lodge is healthier than most.
7. People Bring Their Friends
The best recruitment happens when members naturally tell friends about Lodge because they’re genuinely excited about it.
If Brothers bring buddies to dinners, mention Lodge positively to coworkers, and talk about their Masonic experience with pride rather than secrecy, your culture is healthy.
Nobody recruits for organizations they’re lukewarm about. Enthusiasm can’t be faked.
If your members are organic ambassadors, you’re doing something very right.
What These Signs Actually Measure
Notice what’s not on this list: membership size, building value, ritual perfection, event frequency, social media presence, and financial reserves.
Those things are fine. They’re not health indicators.
Health is relational. It’s about whether Brothers genuinely care about each other, show up consistently, engage meaningfully, and create something worth being part of.
A Lodge with 20 members checking most of these boxes is healthier than a Lodge with 200 members checking none of them.
Why This Matters Now…
Too many good Lodges think they’re failing because they’re comparing themselves to the wrong metrics.
You see other Lodges with bigger buildings, more members, fancier events. You feel inadequate.
But what you have might be exactly what Freemasonry is supposed to be: a group of men who actually know and care about each other, who show up for each other, who create genuine brotherhood.
That’s not failure. That’s success.
The big Lodge with 200 names on the roster and zero genuine relationships is the one that’s actually dying, even if it looks impressive from the outside.
The One Thing To Do Differently
Stop measuring your Lodge by external metrics and start measuring by relational depth.
Count meaningful conversations, not attendance numbers.
Track genuine care for each other, not event attendance.
Measure how well Brothers know each other, not how many degrees you conferred.
Evaluate whether members want to be there, not whether they show up out of obligation.
If you’re winning on relationships, you’re winning at Freemasonry.
Everything else is just infrastructure.
Your Lodge Might Be Fine
I wasted two years worrying about my Lodge’s health when I should have been grateful for what we had.
We didn’t have big numbers. We didn’t have fancy facilities. We didn’t have a perfect ritual or impressive events.
But we had Brothers who cared. Who showed up. Who stayed late talking. Who checked in during the week. Who knew each other’s lives. Who brought their friends because they were genuinely proud to be members.
That’s health.
If your Lodge has that, stop worrying about what you don’t have and start appreciating what you do.
You might be healthier than 90% of “successful” Lodges out there.