How Do
You Become a Mason ?
If you are at this place, and
if you are not a Mason, You probably have some interest in becoming one, Please read on
to understand what our laws and policies dictate. Its not as difficult as you
might think and the following article explains.
One of the ancient landmarks
of the fraternity is that it does not solicit new members. Many good men over
the years have had their feelings hurt because close friends whom they knew to
be Masons never invited them to join Freemasonry. They did not know, of course,
that these close friends were prohibited by Masonic law from issuing such
invitations. A man must seek Masonic membership of his own free will and accord.
This circumstance has, as
noted, caused some hurt feelings and, in some instances, even hard feelings. It
can cause difficulty for Mason and non-Mason alike. It is naturally hard for a
man to understand why his father, or his brother, or his very best friend, has
never asked him to become a Freemason. On the other hand, a Mason can ache to
urge Masonic membership upon someone particularly close to him, someone he knows
would be a credit to the fraternity, but he is hemmed in by the Masonic law. So
it could be reasonably asked why Freemasonry imposes this prohibition, why it
will not permit its members to invite others to join them in Masonic membership.
The fraternity has always
taken the stand that it would be impossible to draw the line if invitations to
membership were permitted. Admittedly, with invitations it would gain some good
members. Most members would invite only those men who would be good Masons. But
some members would be ruled by their hearts and not their heads, often inviting
men out of affectionate regard without properly considering their moral worth
from a Masonic standpoint. Besides, the resourceful Mason can always find an
opening in casual conversation to let certain individuals know that Masonry does
not seek, it must be sought. Further bolstering the fraternity's position is the
indisputable fact that the man who becomes a Mason of his own free will and
desire is much more likely to become a strong and useful member than is one who
comes by invitation.
Once a man begins thinking of
applying for Masonic membership there are a number of factors he should
seriously consider.
He should make certain he has
a general idea of what Masonry is all about. That is one of the prime purposes
of this booklet, the man who reads it in its entirety should be able to
determine if the fraternity is really what he thought it was, if it is really
something he wishes to become a part of. Freemasonry is not for everyone, if a
man is not going to be an interested member he will do himself and the
fraternity a service if he never applies. (In later chapters we will discuss
some of the attractions that draw men to and keep them in Freemasonry, this
should aid the average individual in making his own determination.)
A man interested in applying
for Masonic membership should inquire into the financial obligations membership
in his particular area would entail. The initiation fees and annual dues can and
do vary from state to state, and within states. With rare exception, though, the
cost of Masonic membership is well within the means of the average man.
He should ascertain when and
where the local lodge meets. While there are no attendance requirements of a
Mason, he will not obtain the full benefits of membership if he has not time to
attend and participate in a reasonable number of meetings and other activities
without neglecting his family and other duties.
He should examine his own life
style and determine if it will suit him to be a Mason.
From much that has already
been said in this booklet it could be assumed that Freemasons are prudes and
will accept none but prudes into their ranks, but this is not the case. The
fraternity recognizes the inevitability of human frailty and harbors no
illusions about finding or creating perfect men. It only hopes to make good men
better men.
A man is seldom rejected for
Masonic membership simply because he is known to take an occasional drink, but
he is virtually certain of rejection if it is known he is addicted to the bottle
or that his occasional drink is cause for unseemly behavior.
The fact that a man is
divorced is, in itself, not cause for rejection, but if he has abused his wife
or their children he can forget about any likelihood of being accepted into
Masonry.
If a man has at some time,
despite his best efforts, gotten behind in his financial or other obligations,
that fact likely will not be held against him; if he has failed to meet his
obligations when capable of doing so he will probably be rejected by Masonry.
In summary, Freemasons will
not knowingly elect bad apples into their order, they wish new members to be
better men than themselves - at least as good. Masons do not claim to be or wish
to be reformers, but they do believe a good man coming into the fraternity will
become a better man as a result of his membership.
Once a man decides to seek
Masonic membership he must be recommended by members of the lodge and he must
submit to a background investigation. Following a prescribed waiting period, his
petition will be balloted upon during a regular meeting of the lodge. The vote
is by secret ballot and election of a petitioner requires a unanimously
favorable ballot.
The man who has decided to
seek Masonic membership needs only to convey his desire to someone close to him
who is a Mason. That Mason will take it from there.
The Grand Lodge Of North Carolina Has a vast amount of
information On This Subject, From Which This Article Was Taken, There are 13
other Chapters at The Link Below That Cover the subject in More Depth:
http://www.grandlodge-nc.org/freemasonryrevealed/index.htm
If you still have Further Questions Please Email
Administrator@hall53nc.com
I will be happy to answer your questions or put
you in touch with someone who has more knowledge than myself. We have a number
of highly qualified Masons at Hall Lodge who do have answers.
