Why did you become a Freemason? What did you hope to find in your Lodge? Esoterica? Charitable endeavors? Fellowship? Social functions? Something else altogether? Once you became a Mason, did you find it? Has what you want from the fraternity changed over time?
Freemasonry had always been something I had been interested in but new nothing about. Unbeknownst to me, I had worked with two masons, both ultimately becoming Potentate of El Katif. Then my neighbor had become a mason, and so I submitted my petition and was elected to receive the degrees of masonry in Kennewick Lodge. I didn’t know anything about esotericism or really anything else about being a Mason. I didn’t know Shriners were Masons. What I did find, after having been in law enforcement for over 20 years at that time, was there were still good men in my community that wanted to do good things. For me, at that time in my life, was extremely important to me. I found a fraternity of Brothers I could speak with and learn from. After receiving my third degree I was asked to be the Marshal of our Lodge and progressed through the line of officers. I’ve always only ever wanted to help and had never aspired to be the Master, but that’s where I’ve found myself. I’m into my second year as Master now, and hopefully I’m making a difference. I joined Scottish Rite and the Shrine, have been the Venerable Master and President of our local Shrine Club. I have loved my Masonic experiences and I don’t think there is anything stronger than the bond that is created by shaking a Brother’s hand. I still seek and look for answers to questions but now there are Brothers that I can call upon to keep me within due bounds in my searching.
My own entrance into Masonry was strange I think, with the strangeness caused by my own ignorance of the process.
Even though I had four loving and involved grand parents, I also, at a very young age, seemed to declare the older folks who lived next door as additional grand parents. The man, Milt Johnson, was very involved with the Nile Shrine. In any event, he died when I was still quite young, but I never forgot about his funny hat, or the way he talked about what he was doing in the Shrine.
So, from a young age, I wanted to be a Mason.
The thing was, I didn't know that one had to ask in order to become one. I incorrectly assumed that Freemasonry was invitation based.
No invitation ever came.
At some point, I rose to some prominence in my City. As such, invitations to join lots of groups started coming. Rotary, Chamber, all the usual suspects. I kept waiting for the Masons to invite me, because that was the only group I actually wanted to join. Heck, the Masonic Temple was only a few blocks from my home.
Alas, no invitation ever came.
I began to think that maybe the Masons were nuts.
Eventually, I saw one of those bumper stickers: "2b1ask1" and the whole thing finally made sense.
I called up a Mason I knew through my work, and a few days later we sat down for lunch, and I had a petition in hand. Not for the Lodge in my city, but for his Lodge in the neighboring City. Thank the Grand Architect for that, because in that Lodge I found the superb mentor-ship that helped me to launch my Masonic career. I don't think that I would have found that in the Lodge nearest my home.
I filled out the petition, and in typical for me form, I wrote a lot. A few pages about why I wanted to be a Mason I think. I guess I didn't quite understand that most just put a sentence or two. I still remember the poor Lodge Secretary whining to me some years later that he had to read the whole thing aloud in open Lodge.
They voted on it, and I was in.
With a delay. Because I was working at a distance, so was out of the area for about four months, but eventually I ended up receiving the Degrees.
I was, like most candidates, given the Alternate Proficiency, what we are now calling the New Candidate Education Program.
I didn't like it at all. Honestly, I thought that it was rather absurd. So, I ended up sharing those thoughts with my Mentor, and the Lodge decided to have me do the full posting lectures for each of the Degrees, and I also delivered a paper instead. Like finding the right Lodge, that worked out perfectly for me because it gave me a very solid Masonic education to build upon.
I have been searching for what Freemasonry offers my entire adult life. My search included many different denominations of churches, synagogues, Scientology, Eckankar, and others. Each furnished a piece of the puzzle but none seemed to satisfy what I was looking for. Each enabled me to recognize that Freemasonry was what I was looking for when I stopped for a cup of coffee at the Maytown Rest Area and talked to MW Charles Wood.
It was an Eureka moment for me that only took the length of time it took me to drink a cup of coffee. I have been teaching the skills to work with wood floors using the virtues of the craft for over 51 years and after becoming involved I realized that Freemasonry offer an opportunity to learn to be a teacher of like minded men. I also realized on my initiation night that one meeting a month was not a serious commitment to that education.
To me Freemasonry is a competitive undertaking. Not with other Brothers but to be better than I was yesterday. I keep it in perspective with a personal 31 inch gauge. Each inch being a day of the month and each inch representing 24 hours. One three hour meeting a month then represents a quarter inch on my 31 inch gauge.
For me, it was happenstance that I overheard my daughter talking to her boyfriend's father, who was a member of the local lodge and when i heard the word freemasons, I asked "how do I join?".
At the time, I was retired from the military. I live in Port Orchard, but work in Seattle, so I had no relationships with other people outside of family. I was missing that camaraderie that you only find with the military. A brotherhood. Since then, I've formed lasting friendships with people I never would have met otherwise.
But, as time went on, I realized I had joined for the wrong reasons. Sure, I was getting what I originally wanted out of the lodge, but I had walked in with no real understanding of what masonry was and what it stood for. I probably still don't know. It's a life long journey of reflection. Now, I look at my friendships as secondary to the ultimate goal, which is succinctly summed up in four words found on our memorial scrolls. Live Respected, Die Regretted. Four little words that had so much impact on me personally, that i had it tattooed on my arm.
Freemasonry had always been something I had been interested in but new nothing about. Unbeknownst to me, I had worked with two masons, both ultimately becoming Potentate of El Katif. Then my neighbor had become a mason, and so I submitted my petition and was elected to receive the degrees of masonry in Kennewick Lodge. I didn’t know anything about esotericism or really anything else about being a Mason. I didn’t know Shriners were Masons. What I did find, after having been in law enforcement for over 20 years at that time, was there were still good men in my community that wanted to do good things. For me, at that time in my life, was extremely important to me. I found a fraternity of Brothers I could speak with and learn from. After receiving my third degree I was asked to be the Marshal of our Lodge and progressed through the line of officers. I’ve always only ever wanted to help and had never aspired to be the Master, but that’s where I’ve found myself. I’m into my second year as Master now, and hopefully I’m making a difference. I joined Scottish Rite and the Shrine, have been the Venerable Master and President of our local Shrine Club. I have loved my Masonic experiences and I don’t think there is anything stronger than the bond that is created by shaking a Brother’s hand. I still seek and look for answers to questions but now there are Brothers that I can call upon to keep me within due bounds in my searching.
My own entrance into Masonry was strange I think, with the strangeness caused by my own ignorance of the process.
Even though I had four loving and involved grand parents, I also, at a very young age, seemed to declare the older folks who lived next door as additional grand parents. The man, Milt Johnson, was very involved with the Nile Shrine. In any event, he died when I was still quite young, but I never forgot about his funny hat, or the way he talked about what he was doing in the Shrine.
So, from a young age, I wanted to be a Mason.
The thing was, I didn't know that one had to ask in order to become one. I incorrectly assumed that Freemasonry was invitation based.
No invitation ever came.
At some point, I rose to some prominence in my City. As such, invitations to join lots of groups started coming. Rotary, Chamber, all the usual suspects. I kept waiting for the Masons to invite me, because that was the only group I actually wanted to join. Heck, the Masonic Temple was only a few blocks from my home.
Alas, no invitation ever came.
I began to think that maybe the Masons were nuts.
Eventually, I saw one of those bumper stickers: "2b1ask1" and the whole thing finally made sense.
I called up a Mason I knew through my work, and a few days later we sat down for lunch, and I had a petition in hand. Not for the Lodge in my city, but for his Lodge in the neighboring City. Thank the Grand Architect for that, because in that Lodge I found the superb mentor-ship that helped me to launch my Masonic career. I don't think that I would have found that in the Lodge nearest my home.
I filled out the petition, and in typical for me form, I wrote a lot. A few pages about why I wanted to be a Mason I think. I guess I didn't quite understand that most just put a sentence or two. I still remember the poor Lodge Secretary whining to me some years later that he had to read the whole thing aloud in open Lodge.
They voted on it, and I was in.
With a delay. Because I was working at a distance, so was out of the area for about four months, but eventually I ended up receiving the Degrees.
I was, like most candidates, given the Alternate Proficiency, what we are now calling the New Candidate Education Program.
I didn't like it at all. Honestly, I thought that it was rather absurd. So, I ended up sharing those thoughts with my Mentor, and the Lodge decided to have me do the full posting lectures for each of the Degrees, and I also delivered a paper instead. Like finding the right Lodge, that worked out perfectly for me because it gave me a very solid Masonic education to build upon.
I have been searching for what Freemasonry offers my entire adult life. My search included many different denominations of churches, synagogues, Scientology, Eckankar, and others. Each furnished a piece of the puzzle but none seemed to satisfy what I was looking for. Each enabled me to recognize that Freemasonry was what I was looking for when I stopped for a cup of coffee at the Maytown Rest Area and talked to MW Charles Wood.
It was an Eureka moment for me that only took the length of time it took me to drink a cup of coffee. I have been teaching the skills to work with wood floors using the virtues of the craft for over 51 years and after becoming involved I realized that Freemasonry offer an opportunity to learn to be a teacher of like minded men. I also realized on my initiation night that one meeting a month was not a serious commitment to that education.
To me Freemasonry is a competitive undertaking. Not with other Brothers but to be better than I was yesterday. I keep it in perspective with a personal 31 inch gauge. Each inch being a day of the month and each inch representing 24 hours. One three hour meeting a month then represents a quarter inch on my 31 inch gauge.
"To me Freemasonry is a competitive undertaking. Not with other Brothers but to be better than I was yesterday."
I have not heard that before, but a very nice turn of phrase! Thank you Brother.
For me, it was happenstance that I overheard my daughter talking to her boyfriend's father, who was a member of the local lodge and when i heard the word freemasons, I asked "how do I join?".
At the time, I was retired from the military. I live in Port Orchard, but work in Seattle, so I had no relationships with other people outside of family. I was missing that camaraderie that you only find with the military. A brotherhood. Since then, I've formed lasting friendships with people I never would have met otherwise.
But, as time went on, I realized I had joined for the wrong reasons. Sure, I was getting what I originally wanted out of the lodge, but I had walked in with no real understanding of what masonry was and what it stood for. I probably still don't know. It's a life long journey of reflection. Now, I look at my friendships as secondary to the ultimate goal, which is succinctly summed up in four words found on our memorial scrolls. Live Respected, Die Regretted. Four little words that had so much impact on me personally, that i had it tattooed on my arm.
The tattoo sounds like a superb reminder. I too have always liked the phrase, and hope that when I pass I will have achieved it in some small way.