Inquire at your individual, local lodge for the exact amount of their one-time membership initiation fee to join. Are Lodge dues expensive if I become a Free Mason? Typically, annual lodge dues are a nominal sum in the United States, however annual dues for each lodge varies, somewhat. Lodge dues in other countries vary. Some are nominal sums and some can be more expensive. Inquiries as to the annual dues in your area should be made to your individual lodge. Master Mason members can choose to visit other lodges in their local area or anywhere in the world.
However, there is no requirement to do so. Becoming a Free Mason is perhaps best summed up by Freemason and stone sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who with his son, Lincoln Borglum, sculpted the faces of 4 U. Begun in October, and completed in October , 14 years later , over workers worked on it during the carving process I merely knock away with hammer and chisel the stone I do not need and the statue is there Like everything else in life, when you become a Freemason, you will receive from Freemasonry what you put into it.
Find a Lodge Near You. If you live in the United States and wish to become a Free Mason, the best way to find a lodge close to where you live is to click on the link, above. It will take you to a list of Grand Lodge website Lodge locator information. If you live outside the United States, click on the World Grand Lodges page to contact the Grand Lodge in your country to let them direct you.
Each Grand Lodge has a list of all the subordinate lodges in their jurisdiction. As a cautionary note, there are a few websites on the internet that offer membership in the fraternity of Freemasonry where they provide an online form and ask you to send in a payment, credit card information, etc.
The Freemason fraternity does not offer online membership. You cannot join Freemasonry via the internet nor via this website. All men interested in becoming a Freemason must contact a lodge or a Grand Lodge, for direction in how to find a lodge near where they live. As you can see from reading the above information of how to go about becoming a Freemason, it is a worthwhile process that takes time.
With the inception of the internet, and its ability to provide "instant" information to everyone, please be aware that there are websites on the internet which provide anti-Masonic rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and other malicious misinformation to the unaware and uninformed about how to become a Freemason. Fortunately, however, there are many, many more Masonic websites built by members of the fraternity that are highly informative and which do an excellent job of providing truthful information, which does justice to the craft.
As more and more people learn about Freemasonry's true beliefs and ideals, this misinformation will soon become a thing of the past and fade away to its rightful place in the scrap heap. For an overview of what Freemasonry is and isn't, as well as some of the appendant bodies groups which Masonic wives, children or relatives may wish to join, read this page about Freemasons. Here are some basic Masonic books you may want to read to more fully understand Freemasonry.
If you cannot find a lodge near you, please contact the Grand Lodge nearest you, as it is possible that there is a lodge close to you which simply does not have a lodge website. If you have found this page or this site to have been helpful to you, and worthy of recommending to others, so that they, too, may increase their Masonic knowledge, feel free to share it with others. If you still have unanswered questions about Freemasonry, The Masonic Wife answers most of the questions that prospective and current Freemasons have asked in the past.
There is no single worldwide Masonic organization. Instead, each country, state, or region has a "Grand Lodge" that decides on rules and membership, and many smaller local lodges. There are many differences between lodges, but most fall into one of two main categories: Lodges that call themselves "regular" tend to be more traditional.
They don't accept atheists or women though woman can sometimes join a sister organization. Question 2. In many lodges, only religious adult men can become Freemasons.
The most traditional Masonic lodges only accept adult men which means 18 or older in most places. They also require members to believe in a "Supreme Being. Women and atheists can still join some lodges. Liberal Masonic lodges do not have any religious requirements for joining.
The larger male organizations might not officially recognize these as Masons, but they can still have fairly close ties. Question 3. Contact your local lodge for an application form. Freemasonry isn't a hierarchy, and you don't need to formally join a national organization. Check your local lodge's website for a petition form to fill out asking to join, or for the lodge secretary's contact info. The lodge uses these to investigate your character, and might not accept you if your form doesn't have complete and honest information.
Ask a Grand Lodge for local contact information. If you can't find any contact info for your local lodge, contact the "Grand Lodge" for your country or state. The Grand Lodge can usually direct you to a local Masonic organization.
Less traditional "liberal" lodges are not as common in the US and UK, though a few do exist. Question 4. The lodge reviews your petition thoroughly before making a decision. Stay on your best behavior, especially when lodge members interview you or ask to spend time with you. Be ready to talk about anything in your past or present life. It's not a dealbreaker if you've made mistakes in the past, as long as you own up to them and talk about how you've changed.
The lodge members usually take several months to think things over, but it depends on how busy they are and how well they already know you. The final initiation ceremony depends completely on the lodge.
If the lodge does vote to accept you, it invites you to a ritual. This can be anything from a solemn spoken ceremony to a limousine ride, elaborate meal, and incense-filled ritual. Each lodge does things differently, but the goal is to welcome you into the brotherhood.
Question 5. It usually takes a couple months to join as an apprentice. You can expect to wait at least 45 days before hearing whether you've been accepted. In practice, depending on how busy the lodge is and its exact rules, it's not unusual to wait 3 or 4 months, or even longer. Climbing the ranks to Master Mason takes months or years. As soon as a lodge accepts you, you are an apprentice Mason. By demonstrating your commitment at meetings and studying Masonic symbolism, you can earn the 2nd degree of Masonry, called Fellowcraft, and finally the 3rd degree.
Once you have your 3rd degree, you can call yourself a Master Mason and visit other lodges, not just the one you joined. A few months is typical in many US lodges, while liberal-style lodges often add and expect the process to take at least 2 years. Question 6. Yes, most Masons pay annual dues plus an application fee. As with most of Masonry, the details depend on the lodge.
Besides direct fees, Freemasons can require members to be financially stable. Although many lodges don't mention this directly on their websites, members are traditionally required to be financially independent. There's no minimum income or anything like that, but the lodge might not accept you if it doesn't think you can financially support yourself and your family. Men who strive to live each day by the values of honor, integrity, equality and brotherhood.
Bound as one in the continual pursuit of light and knowledge to be the best version of ourselves. All this with men, once strangers, now brothers. When you become a Freemason, you commit to a lifelong obligation to uphold our timeless principles of brotherly love, relief and truth.
As you progress throughout the three degrees of Freemasonry, Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason, you will explore Masonic history and philosophy and learn lessons of self-improvement at each stage. It's a way of life. Everyone wants to have a connection. You want to count. The essential qualities Masons share in their diverse lives are a belief in a Supreme Being and a desire to strive for:.
Being a Mason is about a father helping his son make better decisions; a business leader striving to bring morality to the workplace; a thoughtful man learning to work through tough issues in his life.
They represent all creeds and cultures, and all are welcome. In Massachusetts alone, there are more than Lodges with more than 29, members.
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