Is it easy to become a member? How do they help the community? I wonder what the age range of members are? I think there is one in my town too. Although it’s very nonchalant. Just a masons symbol on a random small building.
You just have to ask one about it, go through an informal interview process, take a few classes to memorize some information and then go through the initiation. I don’t know what the regular lodge does for charity, it may be local or state based. The Shriners have children’s hospitals. The Scottish Rite has an eye charity. I don’t know about the York Rite.
I looked into it and found that they didn’t consider atheists for membership, so I didn’t go further than going to the local temple and having dinner with them. I think the European groups don’t have this rule, but I think most of the US lodges do.
I wasn’t talking about Wikipedia articles but about what I know from living in Europe. I didn’t say every group has that rule either. It’s common in Europe, I hope that is specific enough for you.
It’s pretty straightforward, as fracked said, you just have to ask a current member to join. You’re required to be initiated in the lodge that’s is closest to where you live. Once you’ve made Master, you can participate at any lodge. There’s annual dues, but it’s not expensive, $50 here in WV.
You don’t have to believe i God, just something higher than yourself, most atheist/agnostic have little problem w/ the concept, considering Nature to be “a higher power”, or something along those lines.
The “random small building” without windows is a Blue Lodge, where the first three degrees are earned: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. Once you are a Master Mason, many avenues are open to you.
A candidate must acknowledge only a power greater than himself, but York Rite masons are Christian. The deity will be referred to as “the Grand Architect of the Universe”.
No mainstream Masonic Lodge will accept women, although there are auxiliary groups.
Yep, pretty sure it has no walls. I have always been interested in it while driving by. Just a small white building with a small masons symbol with a G in it I believe.
The local lodge here is just a nondescript brick building, but the one in Martinsburg is gorgeous. It’s an old antebellum house that was willed to them and has been restored.
The Masons here don’t accept women and the blacks have their own lodges, not sure what the deal is w/ that. The women have their ow thing too, the Eastern Stars, don’t know much about it though.
I don’t remember all the details of how the Prince Hall lodges (black lodges in US) got started, but the Eastern Stars are a group for wives and immediate female relatives of Masons. Men can join too if they are Master Freemasons.
Interesting! There has been a lodge in my town since 1855. I bet I have driven by their temple and not even noticed it. The sites pretty open. Even have pictures of the lodge. www.sc-slv38.org/default.aspx
Hubby is a mason. It’s a strong group in such rural areas.
Is it easy to become a member? How do they help the community? I wonder what the age range of members are? I think there is one in my town too. Although it’s very nonchalant. Just a masons symbol on a random small building.
You just have to ask one about it, go through an informal interview process, take a few classes to memorize some information and then go through the initiation. I don’t know what the regular lodge does for charity, it may be local or state based. The Shriners have children’s hospitals. The Scottish Rite has an eye charity. I don’t know about the York Rite.
I looked into it and found that they didn’t consider atheists for membership, so I didn’t go further than going to the local temple and having dinner with them. I think the European groups don’t have this rule, but I think most of the US lodges do.
The European groups have the same rule.
Nope, it depends. Although most lodges require belief in God.
See Regular/Anglo vs Continental freemasonry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_Masonic_jurisdictions#GAOTU
I wasn’t talking about Wikipedia articles but about what I know from living in Europe. I didn’t say every group has that rule either. It’s common in Europe, I hope that is specific enough for you.
It’s pretty straightforward, as fracked said, you just have to ask a current member to join. You’re required to be initiated in the lodge that’s is closest to where you live. Once you’ve made Master, you can participate at any lodge. There’s annual dues, but it’s not expensive, $50 here in WV.
You don’t have to believe i God, just something higher than yourself, most atheist/agnostic have little problem w/ the concept, considering Nature to be “a higher power”, or something along those lines.
To be one ask one.
One of my teachers is a mason, he told me I should join but that I have to be married, to which I responded, Fuck that! see ya in 15
The Freemasons,fueling conspiracy theories for centuries.Lol!
I am shocked at how sane this discussion is considering that.
The “random small building” without windows is a Blue Lodge, where the first three degrees are earned: Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. Once you are a Master Mason, many avenues are open to you.
A candidate must acknowledge only a power greater than himself, but York Rite masons are Christian. The deity will be referred to as “the Grand Architect of the Universe”.
No mainstream Masonic Lodge will accept women, although there are auxiliary groups.
Yep, pretty sure it has no walls. I have always been interested in it while driving by. Just a small white building with a small masons symbol with a G in it I believe.
The local lodge here is just a nondescript brick building, but the one in Martinsburg is gorgeous. It’s an old antebellum house that was willed to them and has been restored.
The Masons here don’t accept women and the blacks have their own lodges, not sure what the deal is w/ that. The women have their ow thing too, the Eastern Stars, don’t know much about it though.
I don’t remember all the details of how the Prince Hall lodges (black lodges in US) got started, but the Eastern Stars are a group for wives and immediate female relatives of Masons. Men can join too if they are Master Freemasons.
Interesting! There has been a lodge in my town since 1855. I bet I have driven by their temple and not even noticed it. The sites pretty open. Even have pictures of the lodge.
www.sc-slv38.org/default.aspx