- NEW!
by Jessicax23 on January 21st, 2007
Of course it's not illegal! To ask or to belong.
EDIT - I stand corrected. It's Eastern Star that requires a blood relation (or did when my mother joined in the 70s). For the freemasons, here are the general reqs:
Generally to be a regular Freemason, a man must:
Be a man who comes of his own free will.
Believe in a Supreme Being.
Be at least the minimum age (18–25 years old depending on the jurisdiction).
Be of sound mind and body (Lodges do not deny membership to a man because of a physical disability; this is largely a historical holdover, and if a potential candidate says there will be no problem, he will be taken at his word), of good morals, and of good repute.
Be free (or "born free", i.e. not born a slave or bondsman. As with the previous, this is largely a historical holdover, and can be interpreted in the same manner as it is in context of writing a will. Some jurisdictions have removed this requirement).
Have character references, as well as one or two references from current Masons, depending on jurisdiction.
(from wiki)
by nevets - badgicide on January 21st, 2007
I am not sure, but I would suggest you go to your nearest Freemasons lodge and ask for more information.
There is nothing illegal about your question. :)
by - retroglide - on December 18th, 2007
1. Get legitimate information about the Freemasons. This does not mean google them. Try talking to a Mason you know. If you do not know any Masons try looking up your local Masonic Lodge and contact them.
2. Express your interest in joining Freemasonry to a Mason. Masons do not solicit for members the same way a college fraternity would.
3. Assuming you are eligible you will need to fill out a petition to join the lodge and it must be returned to the Lodge Secretary.
4. Await the outcome of the vote on your petition.
5. Meet with the investigation committee so they may be sure you qualify.
6. Await the outcome of the vote on your membership.
7. Show up to your initiation.
8. The rest is up to you!
Tips
* To become a Freemason you must first:
o Be a man of at least 18 years of age (in most countries and states; some require you to be 21 years of age).
o Be of good moral character.
o Believe in the existence and guidance of a Supreme Being.
o Want to become a Freemason of your own free will and accord.
http://tinyurl.com/26ojyp
A Freemason is a man who, in searching for life’s ineffable questions, finds his way into the company of fellow seekers. Comprised of men from every nation, races, social and economic level, all hold similar ideals and beliefs. The uniting idea is a faith in the divine founded in the certitude in an afterlife. This "belief" is grounded by certain landmark tenants and virtues which ultimately lead in exploration of those invisible questions, leading ultimately to the betterment of all mankind. Thinking of joining the world's oldest and largest fraternity of Freemasons? Follow these steps and you will soon be a member.
Steps
1. Answer three questions in the affirmative. Note that not every Grand Lodge jurisdiction in the world requires that these three questions be asked, but they are common.
* Do you believe in the existence of a Supreme Being (meaning a Grand Architect of the Universe)?
* Do you believe that that Being rewards virtue and punishes vice?
* Do you believe that that Supreme Being has revealed His Will to mankind?
2. Ask a Mason you know about it. Don't generally expect a Mason to ask you. The general adage is "To Be One Ask One".
3. If you don't know any Masons, look in your phone book and call them or search online and send an email to a lodge in your area.
4. Merely contacting a Mason online and desiring membership does not automatically grant you the privilege to join. If you do not know any Masons, you will likely have to get to know some who can then vouch for your good character.
5. Don't be afraid to go to your local Masonic building (sometimes referred to as a "Hall", "Temple", or "Center"), knock on the door and ask someone there about it.
Tips
* Each lodge (the body of members) is different to the next, so be sure to take your time in finding one that's right for you.
* You must be of good repute, moral, ethical and not engaged in illegal activities.
* There are no religious requirements, other than a belief in a Supreme Being (see above questions).
* You don't have to be rich to join. While initiation fees vary, annual dues usually range from about $40 to $300/year (North America).
* It takes up some of your time, so you'll need to invest one to a few nights a month.
* You usually have to be at least 21 years old. (In some Grand Lodge jurisdictions, 18).
* While the majority of Freemasons in the world are male, there are thousands of women Freemasons as well in some countries, but their lodges are not as common. There is also Co-Masonry (where both men and women can join).
* Prince Hall Freemasonry historically traces its roots to most of the members being primarily African-American, although this is not a requirement. These Prince Hall Grand Lodges received official recognition from the United Grand Lodge of England and most Grand Lodges in North America now recognize Prince Hall Grand Lodges where members from either group can visit each other's lodges.
Warnings
* Depending on where you live, there could be one or more groups claiming to be part of Freemasonry, but may not be recognized by regular Grand Lodges, so intervisitation around the world may be difficult. Do your research.
* There are many myths regarding Freemasons and Freemasonry. Some of these myths go back one hundred years or more but are still espoused today by its detractors. Again, do your research, but know when to separate the fact from fiction.
http://tinyurl.com/2ylqgb
by anonguy on December 18th, 2007
in soviet russia, freemasons join you.
by bagless77 on January 26th, 2007
Try this site out. My husband is very interested in joining as well and I know that when he contacted them, they sent him quite a bit of information through snail mail.
http://www.freemasonry.org/
by jbigie on June 2nd, 2008
Ask a Mason. As a nearly ten-year member, I know one very important fact that is true around the world. A Freemason can never ask another man to join. It is against our most basic tenents. If a man desires membership in our ranks, he must desire it enough to ask us. That's how we know it is his decision, and he is not being coerced. Other than that, a previous answer spelled out everything else very well.
by Biggie15 on January 21st, 2007
I don't know much about the subject, but I think that you have to be a relative of another member or be a good and trustworthy friend of theirs.
My grandfather recieved an invitation to join the masons, but he denied it, as he disliked the masons way of life
by mac1896 on January 21st, 2007
You have to be sponsored in by an existing member in good standing.
by BigDaddyBS on June 22nd, 2008
Check this page and it's links out - http://www.tryfreemasonry.com/
by Skerdog on February 8th, 2007
The motto of the Freemasons is "2B1Ask1", or in plain English: To Be One, Ask One. Freemasonry is not something you have to be "born into". It is also not illegal to ask this (in the US anyway). If you know of a Mason, ask them about the Craft--they will be happy to explain it to you or point you in the direction of someone who can answer your questions. If, after you like what you hear, you decide to become a Mason, you simply ask for a petition. You will have to supply 3 character witnesses, as well as 2 Masonic brothers sign off on your petition. Unless you are not of good moral character, chances are you will be accepted to take the degrees.
by jenniferx on January 26th, 2007
you have to be born into it. some of the men in my family are freemason's. you can't just decide to become one, you have to be asked.
by formichinoo on November 22nd, 2010
You will have to have a proposer , and a seconder, one to get things underway will be invited to a "Ladies Night" along with your SO, that will give you reason to ask, I was a FM for twelve years, before my Commie raised wife questioned the high fees and getting sucked for more at each meeting for "Masonic Charity".
by KFerguson84 on November 22nd, 2010
There is an awful lot of false information on this page. Let me address a few of these:
1. jenniferx posted that you must be asked to join and can't jsut decide to do it. This is completely false. On the contrary, you will never be asked to join a Masonic Lodge. You must ask to join it. It is the only way to join.
2. wthing8 posted that there is an educational standard to join. This is also false. There is no educational standard to become a Mason.
3. Biggie15 posted several incorrect things:
-You do not have th be a relative of member to join.
-There is no specific way of life in Freemasonry. There are moral teachings that apply to life and each Mason decides how he will apply those teachings to his own way of life.
-He claims that the Masons are a selfish organization that only thinks about themselves. The Masonic fraternity donates millions of dollars annually to various charities, sponsors educational programs for children with disabilities, operate childrens hospitals, and many more things. They are quite possibly the most unselfish organization in the world. If your grandfather made the contributions to society that Freemasonry makes everyday, then maybe he would be entitled to make such a statement.
-He also claims that because of his grandfather's status in the engineering community that this is the reason he was invited. I am sorry to inform you that even if your grandfather was the president of the United States, that still would not constitute an invitation for membership since invitation is against Masonic principles.
by wthing8 on June 25th, 2008
I believe there is a basic educational standard now you mension it..
Do you think there is a secret organization running your life from behind the scenes?
by Ombliss22 on June 23rd, 2011
| 10 people like this
How do I become a member of the Illuminati?
by Mastodon on June 1st, 2008
| 9 people like this
Are pancakes Satanic because they make you worship Pan?
by Have A Nice Day on October 16th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Did you join a soroity/fraternity in college? If so, what kind and would you do it again? If not, do you wish you had?
by hcgemmywink on November 29th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Which man plans on joining Fraternity Omega Psi Phi
by NerdyGurl79 on October 29th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
You're reading How do you become a member of the freemason's? Is it illegal to mension this question too?
- which can also be phrased in the following ways:
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
I don't see how your Mother could have been a Freemason. It's a male only organization. Most Lodges require an age of at least 21 and be recommended by at least two existing Lodge members. That doesn't get you in, it just starts the ball rolling. The references you speak of aren't supplied by the applicant, rather they are compiled by the Masonic Lodge.
by scubabob on January 26th, 2007
I didn't say my mother was a mason. She is a member of Eastern Star, as was practically my whole family. I'm missing the part where I said otherwise. ????? My answer also clearly states that you must "be a man" - direct quote. By the way, those lines are copied/pasted from wiki, where they were sourced appropriately; please see wikipedia's article on "freemasons" for the source.
by Jessicax23 on January 27th, 2007
I don't trust wiki as an accurate source. It's not reliable anymore due to vandalism. It is also to blame for the misunderstanding. Where you have copied "Be at least the minimum age (18 25 years old depending on the jurisdiction),should also include male. I don't mean to sound condescending, but proof read wiki from now on and, posting a source verbatim ( cut and paste) is frowned on here for most things other than direct quotes. My remark about your Mother being a Mason was because of how you worded your answer originally. I can see now what you meant. Oh...I won't be looking at any wiki source. It's far from accurate. I saw it. I'd much rather go directly to a verifiable source such as http://grandlodge.on.ca/index.htm .
by scubabob on January 27th, 2007
again: ***IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS YOU HAVE TO BE A MAN.*** Why should it also say "male"? - I don't know any men who aren't! Also, my original answer didn't mention my mother at all. Your source is only relevant to one chapter in Canada; that's hardly the most appropriate source for a question about freemasonry in general. If you debate any of the requirements I posted, please correct them individually, with better sources.
by Jessicax23 on January 27th, 2007
I 'm saying that it's wording can be misleading. "Be at least the minimum age (18 25 years old depending on the jurisdiction)." It says nothing specific there. That's why I posted that " I can see now what you meant" or did you not bother to read that bit? Guess not.
by scubabob on January 27th, 2007
I understand that, but you said it "should also include male" - and it does, so I'm not sure why you brought that up. The age limit is given as a range because every chapter is different. In some chapters, you can be 18, and in others you must be at least 25... so saying "be at least the minimum age (18-25, depending on the chapter)" is the most accurate and descriptive way to communicate it. I'm glad you now understand what it means, but I really don't know how the wording could possibly be called "misleading."
by Jessicax23 on January 27th, 2007
Then Jbarbie...you are one of the few females that would take wiki's explanation as gospel, as you copied as strictly pertaining to "male". The age limit is definitely not at the low end of 18 as a inducted Brother. For consideration as a potential Brother, possibly but not until 21 is reached at a minimum for full Brotherhood in a traditional Lodge.
It's misleading in that the wording doesn't say male, just like you have the word "mankind". Does mankind mean male only? Nope. It's inclusive in a broad, accepted sense. It's not correct, but it's how the word is interpreted. Got me now? I think if you liked your answer to a Lodge or to the main site, it would lend a better air of credibility. Wiki just doesn't cut it anymore, especially since I saw the article on African Elephants that claimed they were capable of supersonic flight. :)
by scubabob on January 27th, 2007
was that claim sourced? I'd be very interested in seeing that...
by Jessicax23 on January 27th, 2007
They removed it months ago, but it just goes to show how rampant the vandalism is. Using wiki as a single source is just not a good idea anymore. The articles are not always written by experts in the field in question either.
by scubabob on January 28th, 2007
In the jurisdiction of The Grand Lodge of Oregon, 18 is the minimum age. I would know, I've been a member for almost 10 years, I joined when I was 18.
by jbigie on June 23rd, 2008
bigie.. how do you go about joining a lodge? I have one in NY but the website offers little information http://www.nymasons.org/cms/
by LuckyLefty on October 8th, 2008
http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/3139949
by jbigie on October 8th, 2008
I am not acquainted with anyone who disclosed that information to me. Is it safe to ask people I know if they are members? Can I ask you to help me join?
by LuckyLefty on October 8th, 2008