The prohibition against recruitment is not a modern public-relations strategy. It is rooted in the oldest principles of the Craft, codified in Anderson’s Constitutions of 1723, and reinforced by every generation of Masons since.
Freemasonry does not recruit because it cannot vouch for a man it does not know.
The integrity of the lodge depends upon the character of its members. When a man is proposed by a Brother who has observed his daily conduct, the lodge has a basis for trust. When a man is recruited through advertisement or incentive, the lodge has nothing but his word — and the word of a stranger is not enough to open the door.
This principle was tested severely in the 19th century, when fraternal organizations proliferated across America and competed for members like political parties competing for votes. The Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and countless imitators grew rapidly through recruitment drives. Freemasonry grew more slowly — and survived where others collapsed. The lodges that compromised their standards to fill seats found themselves filled with men who had no understanding of the obligation they had taken. Those lodges withered. Those that held firm endured.
The ancient charge is clear: no Master should “receive any candidate without a due inquiry into his character and capacity.” Recruitment bypasses inquiry. It substitutes quantity for quality. And in a brotherhood where every man is bound to every other by sacred obligation, quality is the only currency that matters.