What Members are Masons?

[Regular Guy]

That's GREAT, Geppato!

[Davo]

Super!

I suppose that with a Radio Club and an MC (Motorcycle Club or Mechanized Cavalry), it's only a matter of time before someone gets the idea to start an MI (Masonic Initiates) Detachment...

[Geppato]

Got raised!

[donaldmacmillan]

Antioch Brentwood Lodge #175 MM, Masonic Formation Officer/Candidate Coach, installed js(again), acting SD, 1st base.

[Regular Guy]

Got raised!

Nice. A very big congratulations!

Pics or it didn't happen. J/K

[Geppato]

Got raised!

Nice. A very big congratulations!

Pics or it didn't happen. J/K

it was a pretty cool deal we set history for our lodge, we had out first travelers visit from a local PHA lodge. Pretty cool to see that and have them see what variations there are for everything. It was a good deal all around and I feel like a weight off my shoulders.

[Davo]

Awesome sauce - congratulations, Brother!

[MaconCJ7]

Congratulations Brother!

Master Mason, Mcloud Lodge #126, Grand Lodge of Oklahoma, A.F.&A.M.

[Quartermaster]

Response to urthshu.

Prince Hall Masonry began in 1775 when Prince Hall & several other freedmen were initiated in an Irish military lodge outside of Boston. At that time, all the Masonic Lodges in N. America were affiliated under the Grand Lodges of England, Scotland, or Ireland. Over the next 8 years, a number of Masonic Lodges were formed in the N.E. and Middle colonies/states whose membership was primarily (but not exclusively) made up of freedmen of African descent. The big change came in 1783 when all of the lodges in the former colonies renounced their obligation to the Grand Lodges in the U.K. and formed state Grand Lodges. Some of the new state Grand Lodges recognized Prince Hall lodges as regular and some states did not. Early in the 1820s or 30s, most of the Prince Hall Lodges broke with the state Grand Lodges of Free & Accepted/Ancient & Accepted/Modern & Accepted Freemasons and formed themselves as an independent body of Freemasons.

Currently, Prince Hall Masonry is still active and have entered into relationships with the G.L.s of many states but some jurisdictions still do not recognize them as legitimate and consider them clandestine (illegal). Their membership is still primarily composed of those of African descent but there a few Hispanic, Latino, Native Americans and European descent members as well. Just as all of those groups can be found in F&A/A&A/M&A Freemasonic Lodges.

I work with several P.H. masons and learned more through books in our Lodge's library. The best readily available source of information of Freemasonry that is without bias (in my opinion) is the book, Freemasonry for Dummies.

Quartermaster, P.M.

[Quartermaster]

General Responses:

SWORDS - One of the officers of a Freemasonic Blue Lodge is the Tyler/Tiler. Historically, his duty was to stand watch outside the door of a lodge and prevent any from entering except those Brethren who were properly attired and had permission or were vouched for by a Mason in good standing. The Tyler also patrolled the outside of the Lodge to see that there were no Eavesdroppers; individuals who would knock off the roof tiles or covering at the eaves of the building to listen to what was going on inside & try to learn the secret modes & words of recognition. The Tyler carried a sword to drive away such folk and the sword is the badge of the Tyler.

Members of the Commandery of the York Rite (Templars) carry ceremonial swords as well.

JOINING - There is a license plate/bumper sticker/badge which reads "2B1ASK1" which means if you want to become a Freemason, you need to ask a Freemason for a petition. If you do not know a Freemason, you can contact the Grand Lodge in your state or look up local lodges in your Yellow Pages under fraternal organizations to find one. You can visit the lodge on the night of their stated visit or make arrangements with the lodge secretary (who answers the v-mail) or just drop by if you see a bunch of Masons sitting on the porch and introduce yourself.

It is almost always preferable to visit one or more lodges in your area to meet the Brethren, share a meal, and talk to them before asking for a petition. Some lodges may not be right for you because the members are all much more conservative than you are or the lodge may be composed primarily of students from the local colleges or it is a country lodge and you are a city boy. If you find the Brethren to be men of like mind to you, ask for a petition. Y

A petition usually has to be signed by two members of the lodge you wish to join recommending you. Long friendship or acquaintance is not usually required. There is sometimes a release form so that a background check can be performed on you and you have to submit two or more references of your character. There is also a fee that is submitted with your application. If you are not elected to receive the three degrees of symbolic Masonry, this fee is usually returned to you.

If your application is received by the Blue Lodge, there will be a period of investigation followed by a meeting with the Advisory/Inquisitorial Committee so you can ask questions and the Brethren can ask you questions. In most jurisdictions, the Investigative and Advisory Committees can only recommend or not recommend an applicant for membership but they cannot reject the application themselves.

Finally, your application and the reports of the committees goes before a meeting of the entire lodge for balloting. If even one vote is negative, your membership is rejected. The reason for this requirement is that the peace and harmony of the Lodge must not be disturbed. However, even if you are not elected once, you can usually re-petition after one year.

Quartermaster

[Regular Guy]

Good education and wholesome instruction, Quartermaster.

[swiftytheavenger]

<-- Rubicon lodge #237 Waterville, Ohio

[Lawmaker]

Here is some good info.

http://www.grandlodge-nc.org/freemasonr ... /index.htm

[Liam]

Have a few relatives that are Freemasons, seems to be nice. They all love it. I would join in a heartbeat but I have one issue with them, needing to believe in some version of the Clock-maker.. Jesus, whoever...... Can't bring myself to lie and say I am superstitious. =/

**No offense intended.

[zengunfighter]

Past Master, Harmonic Lodge #356 EC (English Constitution) one of only 2 English lodges under the U.S. Flag. Chartered in 1818.

[Davo]

Have a few relatives that are Freemasons, seems to be nice. They all love it. I would join in a heartbeat but I have one issue with them, needing to believe in some version of the Clock-maker.. Jesus, whoever...... Can't bring myself to lie and say I am superstitious. =/

**No offense intended.

You need to believe in something, whether it's a popular religion, the simple collective group consciousness of all things, or whatever. It's not the business of anyone in lodge what exactly your idea of Deity is. I know many Masons who are pagans (some of whom are more humble and moral than a lot of pagan-haters) , or, like me, who simply do not belong to any church-like organization. I guess "Deist" applies those like me.

[Regular Guy]

Have a few relatives that are Freemasons, seems to be nice. They all love it. I would join in a heartbeat but I have one issue with them, needing to believe in some version of the Clock-maker.. Jesus, whoever...... Can't bring myself to lie and say I am superstitious. =/

**No offense intended.

You need to believe in something, whether it's a popular religion, the simple collective group consciousness of all things, or whatever. It's not the business of anyone in lodge what exactly your idea of Deity is. I know many Masons who are pagans (some of whom are more humble and moral than a lot of pagan-haters) , or, like me, who simply do not belong to any church-like organization. I guess "Deist" applies those like me.

*Raises hand: I'm also a Deist.

[Ansgar]

I've thought about joining a lodge for quite some time (specifically Polar Star-Rose Hill #79 in MO, as one of my coworkers is a member there). I've spoken to several Masons about joining, there's no shortage of them in my family, and am quite interested. I also think that, IMO, the goal of the Masons (take good men and make them better) and the aims of ZS to help the community through its various activities mesh quite well. I would personally love to do both, especially the possibility of eventually joining the Missouri Lodge of Research, but with my workload at school, the VFW and preparing for graduate school, I'm concerned that I would not be able to devote the time to the organizations I feel they each deserve.

[Dooga]

Naval Lodge 4, Washington, DC, and also 32 Scottish Rite, DC, Southern Jurisdiction. Hello Brothers.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.848491,-77.117310

[tscgmg3]

looking for Mason's in the Long Beach Ca. to talk to face to face to learn more about the Lodge? with an eye towards becomeing a member.
thanks

[Davo]

Well, Brethren, we're going to confer the Master's Degree on five candidates using the monuments in the Masonic section of a local graveyard as lodge furnishings tomorrow night. We start at 18:30, qualified visitors are warmly invited.

Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
5755 Mallory Road
Atlanta, GA 30349-2743

http://gatecity2.blogspot.com/

[Davo]

We just conferred the EA on four candidates at Chamblee-Sardis 444; excellent time, and eight of us went out for fellowship afterwards.

Please drop me a line if you find yourself in the metro Atlanta area.

[Rob Salem]

Greetings, Brothers. Checking in from Peru, IN. Presently JW of Peru-Miami #67.

[dragonking]

Budleigh Lodge Beverly MA

Hey all