Any one who wants to join a Lodge in the UK 🇬🇧 must first have an interview with a few members first and then they report back to the lodge. We then talk about the possibility of him joining. It then goes to the full lodge to vote on. One lodge only used to hand out white balls. In 9 years I have only seen a lodge interview team say no to one person. So we did not even get to a vote on a lodge night.
Here in Washington, our official procedure is that a Man fills out a Petition, and it needs to be signed by three members of the Lodge. Then an Investigation Committee is formed, also of three Lodge members. Those three interview the man, at his home, then report back to the Lodge where a vote is taken.
In my experience, the most common problem with Investigation Committees is when they do not actually go to the man's home. I've seen that happen many times, and I've seen men Initiated who would not have been Initiated had someone gone to their home.
Our largest problem however has been with the Petition. It is supposed to be signed by three Masons who know the man. In practice many times a man would show up once, be handed a petition at that very moment, and three Masons would sign it, having just met him.
That is where our Grand Lodge has tried to make an impact by working to convince Brothers not to sign a Man's petition before having a minimum of six experiences with him. Some Brothers and Lodges follow this advice, others don't.
In Washington we must vote on a petition, one way or the other, once it is received. It can't be withdrawn once read to the Lodge.
How do you judge a guy by where he lives or what type of household he has? Or do you think that because a guys lives in a certain part of town he should not come in?
There are a few reasons this home visit is important in my view:
It is an opportunity to meet the man's spouse (if he is married.) In my Jurisdiction it is considered to be important for the Investigation Committee to talk with the spouse, answer any questions the partner may have, and confirm that the man petitioning has his partner's support. In my experience, when a man is interviewed at his home, his spouse is there (as requested.) When it takes place somewhere else, the spouse does not come along. (Even if requested.)
It gives an opportunity to see, for example, what books or other things that might give insight into a man's interests/character might be around.
It makes it possible to see if he harms his neighbors by the way he keeps his home. Here's a quick example: I live in a rural area where most people keep their homes nice. But, there is always that guy who has a dozen old cars parked in his front yard, slowly rusting into the ground, destroying his property value, and that of his neighbors. Or the guy with big dogs who lets them run freely around the neighborhood despite their being laws and rules about maintaining control of them. Or the guy who hangs profane signs/flags from his home. (We do have some of that here.)
Lastly, but also very important, it allows us to see what the guy is 'into' other than Masonry. That helps greatly with retention, because now a Brother can bond with him over more than just Masonry. One of the new Entered Apprentices I'm currently mentoring is a pipe smoker. I'm a pipe smoker. Now we can talk about Masonry and pipes! That helps greatly to build the bonds of Brotherhood that are essential to Freemasonry.
I am going to walk my big dog 🐕 and have a long deep think about what you have just said and get my laptop out and not my phone. Give me an hour and I will be back .loi
WB I do fully understand what you are trying to achieve by meeting the family of a possible new Brother. Some wives play an active part in their husbands masonic dealings, but some also say what do you want to walk around in an apron for. She belongs to the Women's Institute over here which she says is completely different. It is a middle class, countryfied Institution.
As to living in a nice area, I live in a small village in a reasonable house. As you made the point do you get on with Your neighbours, does everyone get on with their neighbours? But then again is everybody who lives in a nice house, a nice person? I have to say I don't think so., but are people who live in State accommodation bad people? Again not everybody. You sometimes need to take people on first impressions. As an example in my lodge we have 2 men of Irish traveller heritage, now if you were to say that to most people in a lodge they wouldn't want them in ur lodge. But these are very nice people you can trust.
We only get to meet the wives when and if they come to a white table event where friends and family can come.
I sometimes feel masonry still holds the older values of the 50s 60s 70s when it was very elitist. Times have changed and lodges need to adapt
One final quote avout initiates "Be very cautionus whom you recommend for initiation: one false step at this stage may be fatal and end in dissolution of the lodge. If you have a good lodge keep it select. Great numbers are not always beneficial " -Dr Oliver.
I don't believe that everyone who lives in a nice house is a nice person, nor do I believe that those who live in more difficult circumstances are unsuited for Freemasonry. Certainly it is true that Freemasonry does not regard a man due to his financial condition.
But I do believe that the man who degrades himself by the way he keeps his home should be barred from our doors.
Another quick example:
In my town, we have homes today that are flying flags from them that say: "F**k Joe Biden."
I am not a Biden supporter. In fact, I am the furthest thing from it. But, it is inappropriate in my view to subject one's neighbors to that profanity. It is also inappropriate in my view to disrespect the office Biden holds in such a way. Lastly, it is in my view, inappropriate to publicly speak of another person in that way.
So, if I were on an Investigation Committee, visited a man's home, and saw such a flag on his house or his car, I would not recommend him for the Degrees.
Thank you for the quote from Dr. Oliver! Excellent!
Any one who wants to join a Lodge in the UK 🇬🇧 must first have an interview with a few members first and then they report back to the lodge. We then talk about the possibility of him joining. It then goes to the full lodge to vote on. One lodge only used to hand out white balls. In 9 years I have only seen a lodge interview team say no to one person. So we did not even get to a vote on a lodge night.
Here in Washington, our official procedure is that a Man fills out a Petition, and it needs to be signed by three members of the Lodge. Then an Investigation Committee is formed, also of three Lodge members. Those three interview the man, at his home, then report back to the Lodge where a vote is taken.
In my experience, the most common problem with Investigation Committees is when they do not actually go to the man's home. I've seen that happen many times, and I've seen men Initiated who would not have been Initiated had someone gone to their home.
Our largest problem however has been with the Petition. It is supposed to be signed by three Masons who know the man. In practice many times a man would show up once, be handed a petition at that very moment, and three Masons would sign it, having just met him.
That is where our Grand Lodge has tried to make an impact by working to convince Brothers not to sign a Man's petition before having a minimum of six experiences with him. Some Brothers and Lodges follow this advice, others don't.
In Washington we must vote on a petition, one way or the other, once it is received. It can't be withdrawn once read to the Lodge.
How do you judge a guy by where he lives or what type of household he has? Or do you think that because a guys lives in a certain part of town he should not come in?
There are a few reasons this home visit is important in my view:
It is an opportunity to meet the man's spouse (if he is married.) In my Jurisdiction it is considered to be important for the Investigation Committee to talk with the spouse, answer any questions the partner may have, and confirm that the man petitioning has his partner's support. In my experience, when a man is interviewed at his home, his spouse is there (as requested.) When it takes place somewhere else, the spouse does not come along. (Even if requested.)
It gives an opportunity to see, for example, what books or other things that might give insight into a man's interests/character might be around.
It makes it possible to see if he harms his neighbors by the way he keeps his home. Here's a quick example: I live in a rural area where most people keep their homes nice. But, there is always that guy who has a dozen old cars parked in his front yard, slowly rusting into the ground, destroying his property value, and that of his neighbors. Or the guy with big dogs who lets them run freely around the neighborhood despite their being laws and rules about maintaining control of them. Or the guy who hangs profane signs/flags from his home. (We do have some of that here.)
Lastly, but also very important, it allows us to see what the guy is 'into' other than Masonry. That helps greatly with retention, because now a Brother can bond with him over more than just Masonry. One of the new Entered Apprentices I'm currently mentoring is a pipe smoker. I'm a pipe smoker. Now we can talk about Masonry and pipes! That helps greatly to build the bonds of Brotherhood that are essential to Freemasonry.
I am going to walk my big dog 🐕 and have a long deep think about what you have just said and get my laptop out and not my phone. Give me an hour and I will be back .loi
Me & my little dog would join you, but he's too lazy to walk much!
WB I do fully understand what you are trying to achieve by meeting the family of a possible new Brother. Some wives play an active part in their husbands masonic dealings, but some also say what do you want to walk around in an apron for. She belongs to the Women's Institute over here which she says is completely different. It is a middle class, countryfied Institution.
As to living in a nice area, I live in a small village in a reasonable house. As you made the point do you get on with Your neighbours, does everyone get on with their neighbours? But then again is everybody who lives in a nice house, a nice person? I have to say I don't think so., but are people who live in State accommodation bad people? Again not everybody. You sometimes need to take people on first impressions. As an example in my lodge we have 2 men of Irish traveller heritage, now if you were to say that to most people in a lodge they wouldn't want them in ur lodge. But these are very nice people you can trust.
We only get to meet the wives when and if they come to a white table event where friends and family can come.
I sometimes feel masonry still holds the older values of the 50s 60s 70s when it was very elitist. Times have changed and lodges need to adapt
One final quote avout initiates "Be very cautionus whom you recommend for initiation: one false step at this stage may be fatal and end in dissolution of the lodge. If you have a good lodge keep it select. Great numbers are not always beneficial " -Dr Oliver.
This is printed on our Lodge summons evert month.
I don't believe that everyone who lives in a nice house is a nice person, nor do I believe that those who live in more difficult circumstances are unsuited for Freemasonry. Certainly it is true that Freemasonry does not regard a man due to his financial condition.
But I do believe that the man who degrades himself by the way he keeps his home should be barred from our doors.
Another quick example:
In my town, we have homes today that are flying flags from them that say: "F**k Joe Biden."
I am not a Biden supporter. In fact, I am the furthest thing from it. But, it is inappropriate in my view to subject one's neighbors to that profanity. It is also inappropriate in my view to disrespect the office Biden holds in such a way. Lastly, it is in my view, inappropriate to publicly speak of another person in that way.
So, if I were on an Investigation Committee, visited a man's home, and saw such a flag on his house or his car, I would not recommend him for the Degrees.
Thank you for the quote from Dr. Oliver! Excellent!
WB this is part of a song my old lodge used to sing to our guest and visitors
We respect the man of worth wheater high or low his birth . I think you term people who fly flags that are rude.
Red necks like your self we would never ask someone like to join.