Demographic Study of Cuban Blue Lodge Masons: a Technical Discussion

Cuban Blue (or Symbolic) Lodge masons constitute one of the oldest, largest and geographically most widely spread organizations of Cuban civil society. We examine the evolution of such masons, using annual membership data from the confederation of all Blue Lodges (or Grand Lodge). Defining the equivalent of population at risk, a new Masonic indicator is derived. Using such indicator and Immigration and Naturalization Service data, we estimate the number of Cuban Blue Lodge masons that left Cuba in the wake of Castro’s revolution. Using United Nations rates, we estimate deceased masons. Using annual membership trends at different epochs, we estimate the number of Communist Party and administration officers that may have joined the Cuban Blue Lodge masons. We thus describe the evolution of the members of the Grand Lodge, through the second half of the XX Century, and through the seven epochs of Cuban sociopolitical developments, that we have identified.