How Does a Man Become A Mason?
Below are some common questions that apply to Masonic membership in the State of
Tennessee.
(1) What are the requirements for becoming a Mason?
A candidate must be male, at least 18 years of age, able to
profess a belief in a Supreme Being, and be of good moral character.
(2) I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason?
The answer is almost certainly yes, provided you can attend Lodge and meet the
non-physical criteria in question (1) of this section. Paraplegics have been made
Masons, as have the blind, the deaf, and others with a variety of physical
handicaps.
Minor modifications may need to be done to the rituals (e.g., employing sign
language,
modifying points where the candidate stands if the candidate is in a wheelchair,
etc.) but most Lodges are able to accommodate candidates.
(3) Can atheists be a Mason?
The only religious requirement is that candidates believe in a Supreme Being.
If you can in good faith profess such a belief, you are eligible
to be a Mason. No atheists will ever knowingly be made a Mason. There are
Christian
(Catholic, Protestant, Mormon), Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim Masons. The key
points to remember are the requirement of belief in a Supreme
Being and the fact that Masonry is a fraternity, not a religion.
(4) Do Masons accept Catholics?
Catholicism is only mentioned specifically because it has generated a lot of
traffic
in the past on the Masonic newsgroups. There is no prohibition in any Grand Lodge
jurisdiction against Catholics being made Masons.
(5) Do I have to be invited?
Don't wait to be invited. In fact, we're waiting for you to ask!
Traditionally Masons have never recruited members in order that a candidate might fully and honestly
answer the first question in our ritual as to whether his request for membership is made of his 'own
free will and acccord'. Some men have never become Masons in the mistaken assumption that if no one
asked them, they could not join. It's up to YOU to take the initiative and ASK to become a Mason.
(6) OK, I'm interested-- how do I proceed?
If you know a Mason, ask him about membership. He will be glad to tell you all
about the Craft and the local lodge, and he will give you a petition if you wish
to join.
If you do not know a Mason, drop a letter, make a call, or send an e-mail to the
local lodge, and one of the officers
will contact you. A List of Tennessee Lodges can be found here: List of Tennessee Lodges and clicking on the secretary's or Worshipful
Master's name
will allow you to e-mail them directly.
Typically, the process is as follows:
(A) the applicant fills out a petition. The petition requires you to have two
sponsors from the lodge you're seeking to join. If you don't know anyone, arrangements will be made
for you to meet and get to know someone willing to serve as your sponsor. This should not be an
impediment to you. There are many, many Masons today who did not know another Mason when they first
sought admission.
(B) the petition is read at the lodge during the next business meeting, which
for many lodges is during the first week of the month. A committee is formed to
investigate the candidate. (Your sponsors will explain the schedule to you
based on their knowledge of the lodge's meetings/events.)
(C) the committee meets with the candidate to answer questions, ascertain that
he meets the criteria for membership, and finds out a little more about him.
This is
not a "grilling session", but rather a friendly and casual chat to
make certain
that the candidate has been properly informed about Masonry and that was not
improperly solicited. The committee also contacts the character references
listed
on the petition, typically asking if they know any reason why the candidate
should
not be accepted, etc.
(D) The committee reports back to the lodge during the next business meeting
and
the candidate is voted on. If accepted, someone from the lodge (often the
Secretary)
contacts the candidate and informs him that he has been accepted and schedules
a date for the Entered Apprentice degree.
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