Article: 485 of alt.freemasonry Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.bu.edu!noc.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!blanket.mitre.org!linus.mitre.org!bistromath.mitre.org!ptrei From: ptrei@bistromath.mitre.org (Peter Trei) Newsgroups: alt.freemasonry Subject: Re: How to become a mason? Date: 14 Aug 1994 03:15:33 GMT Organization: The MITRE Corporation Lines: 228 Message-ID: <32k28l$684@linus.mitre.org> References: <32hm38$a65@crl4.crl.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bistromath.mitre.org In article <32hm38$a65@crl4.crl.com> bkoen@crl.com (Bryan Koen) writes: >Seeing as there doesn't seem to be a FAQ for this group, I'll ask this >question. >How exactly does one become a Mason? > Bryan Koen So You Want to Join the Masons Version 1.0 May 1994 Peter Trei ptrei@mitre.org The information in this file represents my opinion. It is not neccesarily the viewpoint of any Grand Lodge, or of other Mason. I believe it is quite reasonably accurate concerning regular Masonry in the United States, generally so concerning the rest of the English-speaking world, and somewhat less so concerning other countries. FYI, I am a Master Mason and Presiding Master of Wilder Lodge, Leominster, MA. I am also a member of the Leominster Royal Arch Chapter. Peter Trei ptrei@mitre.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So, you're interested in becoming a Freemason, but don't know how to do so, or what it takes. The first questions to ask yourself are: "Do you really want to do this?" and "Why?" There are many widespread misconceptions concerning Freemasonry among non-Masons. The following is an attempt to dispell some of these, and to note some of the *downside* of Masonic membership. Becoming a Mason will NOT: * Provide a royal road to worldly success and power. At most, it may enable you to meet people in your community you might otherwise have never known; but the same could happen through joining a church or country club. What's more, using Masonic membership to obtain favors/work/jobs is very much frowned upon, and doesn't work very well. * Teach you "hidden secrets of the ancients". Masonry's values are more those of the Enlightenment, couched in allegorical terms which make them seem much older. We have a legendary history which puts our origin in the ancient world, but few serious historians place Masonry earlier than the late 1500's. * Involve you in a secret religion or anti-religion. Masonry is not in any way, shape, or form a religious faith, and in fact requires a pre-existing belief in God from applicants. * Let you in on some vast worldwide conspiracy. We just don't do that sort of thing, nor are we organized for it. Contrary to popular belief, Masonry has no unified, central authority. There are over a hundred generally recognized regular Grand Lodges in the world, and each jealously guards it's sovereignty. * Embarass you at any point. Masonic rituals are serious, solemn affairs, and can be entered without fear of injury or humiliation. There are no greased pigs, electric cattle prods, etc... Becoming a Mason may: * Place you in conflict with your religious denomination. Some sects frown on membership, and others go so far as to expell members who become Masons. In particular, the Roman Catholic Church, some branches of Methodism and some Baptists ban membership. Some branches of Islam ban Masonry. Many men from these denominations *have* joined Masonry regardless, and are more or less open or secret about their membership depending on circumstances. * Raise doubts about you in others. Many people are suspicious of of Masons, and if they know you are a member, may be prejudiced against you. * In some places, Masonry is regarded with suspicion by the government, or actually banned. This is especially the case in Moslem countries. On the *upside*, Masonry can provide you with friends wherever you travel, prompt you to actually start *thinking* about issues of ethics and morality, get you involved in community projects, and provide you with that feeling a companionship and belonging so often missing in our modern world. It can strengthen your religious faith, and provide a new focus for your life. Still interested? -------------------------------------------------- This file is devoted to aspects of a non-Mason joining a "Blue" lodge. These are the foundation upon which all Masonry is built, and are the door into Masonry for non-Masons. Every Mason is expected to remain a member in good standing of at least one Blue lodge throughout his Masonic career. Other groups - the Scottish and York Rites, the Knights Templar, the Shriners, etc, are all based on, and require, blue lodge membership. -------------------------------------------------- Requirements for application: 1. You must be male. 2. You must be 21 years of age. Exceptions: * The Grand Lodge of New Mexico recently lowered the age limit to 19. * The Grand Lodge of Utah recently lowered the age limit to 18. * In Scotland, sons of Masons can join at 18. * In England, 18-year-olds are sometimes admitted by dispensation of the Grand Lodge. 3. You must believe in God. We don't admit atheists or strong agnostics, but are otherwise liberal in defining "belief in God". Essentially, we require a belief in some form of "higher Power" which takes interest in us, our faith, and behaviour. Masons come from all creeds; there are Christians, Jews, Moslems, Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Shintoists among us, as well as many other faiths. A few jurisdictions make monotheism a requirement (with a bit of hand-waving to admit Hindus). Generally, self-identified members of any widely recognized religion should have no trouble meeting this requirement. (An interesting question is the membership of neo-pagans and other new religions - I don't think there have been many test cases yet, but I have met a few pagan Masons, and one self-described "Odin worshipper.") 4. You must be of "good report." This is really a "morals" or "community standards" sort of thing. Someone who has a reputation for violence, criminal behaviour, alcoholism, lying, immorality, etc, will not be admitted. An out homosexual would have problems in many lodges (Masonry tends towards conservative views). 5. You must be reccomended by a Mason. There must be a Mason in the lodge to which you are applying who is willing to act as your sponsor. 6. Some jurisdictions have additional requirements; for example, they may forbid people involved in the alcohol trade to join. Still interested? -------------------------------------------------- The very first step in joining Freemasonry is to ask a member. Freemasons never solicit potential members - the first contact MUST be initiated by the applicant. Ideally, you have a friend or relative who is a Mason, who knows you, and can act as your sponsor. If you don't have a Masonic friend of relation, ask any Mason you know about joining. If you don't know any Masons, you are going to have to contact a lodge yourself. They are listed in the White Pages as some variation of: Masonic Temple Masonic Hall Masonic Lodge Freemason's Hall Grand Lodge, F&AM etc... In the Yellow pages, try looking under "Organizations: Fraternal". You are looking for something identified as a Masonic lodge, usually followed by "F&AM" or "AF&AM". A lodge marked "PH" or "Prince Hall" is a special case, discussed below. Write, call them up or visit - not all lodges have answering machines, nor are they all staffed continuously, so this may take more than one try. Once you make contact, you will be able to find out what local requirements, fees and procedures are like. It generally takes a month or two before your first degree, and will include a couple of interviews, and a visit at your home. If you're married, in some jurisdictions your wife's opinion may be sought: we don't want to be a source of familial tensions. Since the process by which one becomes a Mason is fairly drawn-out, it's probably not a good idea to start unless you expect to be in the area for at least six months, and preferably a year. Fees vary greatly from lodge to lodge; but expect around $100 for initiation, and about $50/year after that. After each degree, you'll be expected to memorize a portion of the ritual; a tutor will be assigned to help you. In most jurisdictions, you will also have to attend a "Lodge of Instruction" to hear lectures associated with each degree. In total, expect to spend at 4-5 evenings a month on Masonry-related activities during the 3 months it takes you to go through the degrees. Once you've taken your third degree, and become a fully-fledged Mason, attendance is up to you. Most US lodges meet monthly, and your presence is requested, but not demanded. The Prince Hall affiliation: Masonry is to a certain extent a creature of the society it exists in; thus, throughout it's early history, American Masonry largely forbade black members. In reaction to this, there arose a parallel system of predominantly black "Prince Hall" lodges, named after an early American black who was a Mason (Prince Hall was his name; he was not an actual prince). They are largely unrecognized by the mainstream lodges, though this is now gradually changing. While this segregation is finally dying out, black Masons remain rarities in mainstream lodges, and in some Southern jurisdictions, are still effectively banned. A black man who is interested in becoming a Mason should be aware of the Prince Hall alternative. Peter Trei ptrei@Mitre.org