notwork.js

		        'membercounts': function() {
		        	console.log("enter mc");
		            var housecounts = {};
		            console.log(Houses.find().count());
		            Houses.find().forEach(function(house){
		                housecounts[house.name] = {count: Avatars.find({house:house.name, canvote:false, active:true}).count()};
		                console.log("in loop");
		                console.log(housecounts);
		            });
		            console.log("returning");
		            console.log(housecounts);
		            return housecounts;
		        }

output.txt

enter mc
4
returning
{}
in loop
{ Wolf: { count: 39 } }
in loop
{ Wolf: { count: 39 }, Lion: { count: 41 } }
in loop
{ Wolf: { count: 39 },
  Lion: { count: 41 },
  Falcon: { count: 38 } }
in loop
{ Wolf: { count: 39 },
  Lion: { count: 41 },
  Falcon: { count: 38 },
  Dragon: { count: 40 } }

works.js

       Meteor.methods({
                'setGroupAssigned': function(id, newvalue) {
                    Avatars.update({_id:id}, {$set: {slgroupassigned: newvalue}});
                },
                'membercounts': function() {
                    var housecounts = {};
                    Houses.find().fetch().forEach(function(house){
                        housecounts[house.name] = {count: Avatars.find({house:house.name, canvote:false, active:true}).count()};
                    });
                    return housecounts;
                }
        });