Running head: MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 1 Member Retention in Alberta’s Freemasons by NATHANIEL CARL BLACKMORE A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP Royal Roads University Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Supervisor: DR. ALICE MACGILLIVRAY APRIL, 2020 NATE BLACKMORE, 2020 MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 2 COMMITTEE APPROVAL The members of Nathaniel Carl Blackmore’s Thesis Committee certify that they have read the thesis titled Member Retention in Alberta’s Freemasons and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN LEADERSHIP. DR. ALICE MACGILLIVRAY [signature on file] DR. MAHER GHALAYINI [signature on file] Final approval and acceptance of this thesis is contingent upon submission of the final copy of the thesis to Royal Roads University. The thesis supervisor confirms to have read this thesis and recommends that it be accepted as fulfilling the thesis requirements: DR. ALICE MACGILLIVRAY [signature on file] MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 3 Creative Commons Statement This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ca/. Some material in this work is not being made available under the terms of this licence: • Third-Party material that is being used under fair dealing or with permission. • Any photographs where individuals are easily identifiable. MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 4 Abstract The Grand Lodge of Alberta (GLA) supports and oversees all elements of Freemasonry in the Province of Alberta, Canada. The GLA’s membership has declined approximately 5.5% annually for the last decade, with similar challenges in retention seen across North America. Some grand lodges have developed retention strategies, and GLA is looking to follow suit. Taking an action- oriented approach through the use of a world café and two online surveys, this research identified retention and development opportunities within the organization. Communication, education, leadership, and outreach proved key. The inquiry focused on members’ satisfaction with the current system and views of what more idealized iterations of the organization might be. The recommendations are to integrate the mission, vision, and ethics statements, implement a standard of leadership training and mentorship across the organization, and develop tools members can use to achieve these newly clarified goals toward a shared future in Freemasonry. MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 5 Acknowledgements This project has been an exceptional lesson in balancing the countless and often unexpected elements of life. This has been an exercise in deep personal learning, understanding, and a journey toward a more productive, layered, and effective self. I would first like to thank my beloved wife for her endless support and patience. I know we were trains passing in the night more often than not during my studies. Your love, devotion, and belief in me have been valuable beyond measure. To my brother, my dear friends (you know who you are), and my colleagues, you are all dear to me, and I cannot thank you enough for your understanding at the countless birthdays and occasions I missed. To my Thesis advisor, Dr. Alice MacGillivray, I know that I take on everything at once and that meant a great deal of patience and adaptability on your part. Thank you for supporting and guiding me despite my heavy workload outside of this program—this success is a shared one. I am grateful to the GLA, the organizational leadership, and the brethren both within my lodge and other lodges who jumped on board for this project and made it all possible. A special thanks to Brothers Bill Kostenuk, Stephen Schaff, Rob Carr, Steve Kennard, Shane McAllister, Bob Harold, Shane McAllister, Ron Kuban, Tyler Smith, and Brian Wik. Your guidance, hours of discussion and insight, and the joy of your good company were all invaluable. Thank you to the great friends and mentors I have had in this program: Zeph Wong, Craig Kelly, Greg Robins, Neil Wilkinson, Keven Dufour, Penny Dockrill, Jaylene deGroot, Dean Blue, Michelle MacDonald, Pascal Turcotte, Guy Nasmyth, and of course, the one who started it all, Cheryl Heycoop. Finally, to Mom, Dad, Oma, Nana, Grandpa, and to the late great JP, I love you all. MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 6 Table of Contents Creative Commons Statement..........................................................................................................3 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................5 List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................9 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................10 List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................................11 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................12 Chapter 1: Focus and Framing .......................................................................................................19 Significance of the Inquiry .................................................................................................20 Organizational Context and Systems Analysis ..................................................................24 Overview of the Thesis ......................................................................................................34 Chapter 2: Literature Review .........................................................................................................36 Nonprofit Volunteer Organizations ...................................................................................36 Faith-Based Organizations .................................................................................................43 Employee Retention ...........................................................................................................51 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................59 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................................60 Methodology ......................................................................................................................61 Data Collection Methods ...................................................................................................65 Project Participants ............................................................................................................68 Study Conduct ....................................................................................................................71 MEMBER RETENTION IN ALBERTA’S FREEMASONS 7 Data Analysis and Validity ................................................................................................74 Ethical Implications ...........................................................................................................77 Chapter Summary ..............................................................................................................80 Chapter 4: Inquiry Project Findings and Conclusions ...................................................................82 Study Findings ...................................................................................................................82 Study Conclusions .............................................................................................................94 Scope and Limitations of the Inquiry...............................................................................101 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................103 Chapter 5: Inquiry Implications ...................................................................................................104 Study Recommendations .................................................................................................104 Organizational Implications .............................................................................................115 Implications for Future Inquiry ........................................................................................123 Thesis Summary...............................................................................................................124 References ....................................................................................................................................127 Appendix A: World Café Format ................................................................................................146 Appendix B: World Café Table Art Example ..............................................................................148 Appendix C: Active Member Survey Questions .........................................................................149