::I know there is a large number of lodges, both GL and PHGL, in the NYC area that is rapidly becoming more diverse and I think it's wonderful.  However, this growth is not uniform within the US (it'd be great to have an international look at this).  Even New York's neighboring states haven't seen close to the growth.  For the past five years that I've attended the GL of Conn, I have only seen about a half dozen out of 400+ brothers, who are not of european descent.  Also this year, I attended a Prince Hall MM Degree that was a multi-state convocation here in New Haven with 12 different PHGL's in attendence (A great event, if I might add).  Of the 150+ brothers there, myself and four other brothers from the GL of Conn were the only non-african americans there.  I still wouldn't call an ethnically diverse lodge "usual" or "common."  As a testiment to Blueboar and the NYC Brothers, the most ethnically diverse meeting of masons I have ever attended was seeing the Garibaldi Lodge EA degree in the GL of NY Building.  That was quite an experience. 

 ::On a side note, does anyone know of any varifiable data on this subject.  Some good source material on this would be great, so we don't have to rely on "in my GL...." on "at this meeting...."