What explains the decline in popularity in North America of male secret societies (Masons, Shriners, etc.) in the time between, say, 1945 and 1991? Why were they once popular in the first place?

by st_sebastian

I was watching Bye Bye Birdie the other day, which features a musical number involving a youthful and well-attended Shriners meeting. Yet, today, I only think of them as the ancient, old men in tiny cars at obscure parades. Down the street from my house, the four-storey Masonic Temple is being converted into a new condo tower with a single meeting room set aside for the Masons. Why did societies like these decline in North America in the late 20th Century, and why were they popular in the first place?

Vladith

As a follow-up: the pop history book "Bowling Alone" by Robert D. Putnam gets thrown around a lot in discussions about the decline of American community. But is the book actually worthwhile and historically sound?