I want to join the Freemasons - how do I do it? What should I expect?

Factual Questions
1

I’m seriously interested in joining the Freemasons. First, to honor my great grandfather, who was a Mason. Second, because I’m interested in the tradition and philosophy behind it. Third, I think that service organizations ought to have more younger members so they don’t die out, because they are a great part of American culture and they ought to be preserved.

The thing is, I don’t know anyone who’s a Mason. I always hear the expression, “Ask a Mason,” but I don’t have anyone to ask. Would it be appropriate for me to just go to the Masonic Lodge and ask them straight up if I could join them?

What are the attitudes of older Masons towards younger members? Do they welcome the new blood, or are they suspicious and aloof to those who aren’t part of the older generation?

Do they welcome unconventional personalities? I like being my usual iconoclastic self, but I also know the value of showing proper respect and decorum when the occasion calls for it, and to honor older peoples’ more conservative personal attitudes. My appearance can go from punk rock to Ivy League depending on what crowd I’m going to be around. Do the Freemasons want their young members to be deferential and “know their place,” or do they appreciate someone who’s free-spirited?

How much does it cost? Are the dues paid monthly or yearly?

What sort of duties would a novice be expected to perform?

Are there any Freemasons here who could answer some of these questions?

2

Call 'em up. They’re in the phone book. (They’re not a very secret secret society.)

I’m not a Mason, obviously, but I can tell you about when my boyfriend joined - you have to pay fees for each level you go up, and there are three of them in the regular blue lodge Masons. (We’re not talking about Scottish Rite or the Shrine here.) The fastest you can make it to Master Mason is three months, and that all told cost him, I think, $150. After that dues are inexpensive, like $35 a year, and you put a little in the pot every meeting for dinner.

While you’re moving up to Master Mason, there is a ton of memory work, practice, etc. It was pretty time-consuming. Now that he’s past that, it’s more “put in as much time as you want to”, like a church - you can just go to church every Sunday, or you can do all the stuff, you know?

Oh yeah, they eat a lot. :slight_smile:

Most lodges want young people to go through the chairs pretty quickly, so Himself is a steward this year. That means he helps cook the meals. If you knew him, you’d be shocked - he can wash dishes at the lodge but he can’t do it at home? Uh-huh.

Normal meetings are monthly, but there’s stuff otherwise all the time - people being raised to degrees, stuff at other lodges, the annual so-and-so I got dragged to to try to get the attendance award and we totally didn’t get it, etc.

ETA - you have to ask. They won’t ever ask you. Himself’s friend Bobby wanted to join, and so we all went to Friends and Family night and Bobby was supposed to talk to the Worshipful Master about it. He said it was like J.R. was his prom date - it was hilarious because Bobby felt so weird about it and it took him forever to finally ask.

Also, I know there’s quite a few Masons on the board here, Paul in Saudi’s the one I can remember for sure.

3

On TV last night there was a show about undercover cops infiltrating the Hell’s Angels. They were told to shoot some rival motorcycle gang members if they wanted full club membership.

I dunno if it’s the same for the Masons. Maybe you can get by with soaping the windows at the Illuminati clubhouse.

4

Yeah, sometimes when they have way too much of that sorry-ass coffee they get a wild hair and get their wheelchairs and do a roll-by of the Kiwanis Club.

5

If they get promoted to Shriners, they have a better choice of vehicles. (And the hospitals they support do some serious good.)

Edited to add: The Shriners are looking for new members!

6

Call a lodge, odds are the secretary or someone will sponsor you. They may have a few members “investigate” you (meet at your home or the lodge and chat for a while), partially to try to see if you’re joining just for charity or business contacts. But if you aren’t drunk or stoned when you call/meet, you’ll probably be fine.

Most of the older guys really appreciate younger members, but remember that some of them have been meeting together for decades and might not warm up personally for a while. I joined at 30 and have never been made to feel uncomfortable, and as noted above they might encourage you to become an officer pretty quick. It’s not a big deal if you feel overwhelmed and/or not ready, I did it for a couple years but the kids started taking more time and I couldn’t do both. Job and family come first, the Lodge doesn’t want you to take time away from those things for Freemasonry.

Meetings are pretty formal, not much opportunity for wild ‘n’ crazy antics (unless you join the Shrine), but each Lodge is different so I can’t really answer for how you’ll get along out of a meeting. You may want to check around if you have several in your area, it seems around here that younger Lodges attract younger members, which might fit you better.

Dues vary, even within a Grand Lodge, so I couldn’t begin to guess what they might be. Paid yearly, as far as I know.

Duties for a newbie can vary from showing up occasionally to serving as an officer.

Bobo AF&AM, AASR (SJ)

7

Yeah, Himself is all ticked about that. It’s funny - the old Masons and assorted other square-and-compass guys are trying to get away from secret blood oaths and such, and the new guys want it to be hard and secret and inpenetrable, otherwise they’d just join the Jaycees or something.

8

They welcome any man “of good character.” That phrase boils down to “is not a criminal,” and maybe “seems like an honest guy.” As for the rest of it, go to a lodge, and ask somebody there. They’ll be happy to tell you anything, yes anything, you want to know (with the exception of a small group of passwords, signs, and grips.)

By the way, if you get cold feet during the process of becoming a mason, just say so, and you’ll get all your money back. An old friend of mine did just that.

9

Check this out,
A Ritual Gone Fatally Wrong
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/10/nyregion/10shot.html?ex=1394341200&en=4bbfc1c83779ee30&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

10

Yeah, that part is funny. The kids want mysticism, and the old men want to remove the mysticism in order to attract new blood.

It’s the same with the Catholic Church.

11

Yeah, if someone has a gun in lodge, they’re not being very faithful to he ritual. The only weapon is the sword of the tyler guarding the door.

12

Argent Towers Where are you, and what are your motivations for joining? Zsofia got it pretty accurate, but some of the things she said are not true for all lodges. Mine for instance charges an entrance fee and then dues. You don’t pay for every degree. Same with the Scottish Rite.

The main bit of secrecy is about not dishing your Brethren’s dirty laundry if they confide in you.

Also, be aware that there are grand lodges that don’t all recognize each other. The mainstream masonry is F&AM. Some guys end up joining a lodge and then are disappointed when they find out that their lodge isn’t accepted by the bulk of lodges out there. The reason for this is that basically anyone can start a lodge, but it requires a charter from a Grand Lodge to be part of a Grand Lodge.

Otherwise just call up your local lodge and ask if you can come meet with them. Maybe you can attend a collation or festive board. (These are names for shared meals)

13

If you happen upon a lodge littered with rat traps, tin cans, a 9-foot tall guillotine, and a setup to mimic walking the plank, turn thyself around and look for another.

The club mentioned in the NYTimes article is not the Blue Lodge. None of the 32 degrees I’ve attained involved firearms nor anything that could be physically harmful. Worst that ever happened is that I almost fell down once.

Depending on where you are, the regularly constituted lodge may be F&AM or AF&AM, and PHA.

Co-Masonry isn’t recognized by any Grand Lodge, as far as I know (although the French might).

14

AF&AM vs F&AM vs FAAM vs FAM (from here )

AF & AM - Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
These 26 AF & AM states include:
CO, CT, DE, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OK, OR, SD, TX, VA, WV, WY.

F & AM - Free and Accepted Masons
These 23 F & AM states include:
AL, AK, AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, HI, IN, KY, LA, MI, MS, NV, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, UT, VT, WA, WI.

All Prince Hall lodges are also F. & A.M.

AFM - Ancient Free Masons
There is 1 AFM state: SC

FAAM - Free And Accepted Masons
District of Columbia

Look for the Grand Lodge of your state if you’re concerned about joining an irregular lodge.

15

They didn’t have pistols in King Solomon’s Temple to the best of my knowledge. :smiley:

16

Splitters!!! :smiley:

Honestly, what’s the fun of joining a secret society if it’s not secret? :stuck_out_tongue:

17

I could tell you, but then they’d come after me :eek:

18

Honestly, the bulk of actually secret secret societies are havens for paranoid geeks these days. The level of persecution that kept the Freemasons underground once upon a time doesn’t truly exist anymore.

19

Bobotheoptimist,

You wouldn’t happen to have at hand a list of jurisdictions which have reciprocal recognition for Prince Hall lodges, would you?

20

Re: Prince Hall
This guy has done the dirty work, but I don’t know if it’s out of date. Or check out the map here. Sadly, it seems to be pretty much what one might expect.