Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 On 2/1/2019 at 8:58 PM, luvyablue256 said: I am currently Senior Steward of my lodge. Also in Scottish Rite, Shrine and Eastern Star (wife is a member). It's more of a brotherhood than anything else. In a good lodge, the members all look out for each other and their families. It's not a cult or wierd devil worship, but there is a lot of very interesting and helpful historical and philosophical information to be learned that most people have no clue about or overlook. If serious about finding out more, check out this subreddit https://www.reddit.com/r/freemasonry/ And this podcast/youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/MasonicRoundtable/videos?flow=grid&view=0&sort=da Cool! Good luck on your journey. I sat in every chair before becoming master. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) On 2/7/2019 at 7:47 PM, 'Nator said: Rules are you have to be invited by a member. Your solicitation may have disqualified you. Wrong. You have it exactly the opposite. Members CANNOT solicit candidates. If you want to become a Mason, you have to ask a Mason. They won't ask you. It's the biggest reason why it's difficult to attract new members in the modern era. People are too busy and overloaded and when something is difficult many just give up and don't pursue it. Edited March 5, 2019 by Legaltitan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 On 2/7/2019 at 12:25 PM, SleepingTitan said: I emailed the lodge requesting a meeting/info. That's a good first step. Not sure about North Carolina, but in Georgia the person that signs your petition has to have known you for a year. So I would think your relative could sign the petition for you but again don't know in North Carolina. Your best bet would be to find some lodges in your area and contact the Masters of those lodges and ask when they meet. You can go eat dinner with them one night and sort of get to know folks and see if you are comfortable in that lodge. Some lodges are more active than others. A lot more. Many are withering on the vine due to decreased membership, but many are flourishing. I'd be happy to help you any way I can. SleepingTitan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 What happened to Masonry is what happened to a lot of fraternal and civic organizations. When the men came back from World War II these groups all flourished. Guys couldn't get enough of these groups, gentlemen's clubs (not those kind) and civic stuff. Those guys built and built and spent and spent and I guess just assumed Masonry would continue to grow and grow. But they didn't do anything to ensure that it did, and so membership dropped off and now those guys are starting to die, unfortunately. Another thing that happened is a lot of lodges were started in city centers, again post World War II, before the great migration to the suburbs. If you are going to join a lodge you really need to do your research and find out which ones are doing good work and are young, active and growing. Because many just aren't. luvyablue256 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepingTitan Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 3 minutes ago, Legaltitan said: That's a good first step. Not sure about North Carolina, but in Georgia the person that signs your petition has to have known you for a year. So I would think your relative could sign the petition for you but again don't know in North Carolina. Your best bet would be to find some lodges in your area and contact the Masters of those lodges and ask when they meet. You can go eat dinner with them one night and sort of get to know folks and see if you are comfortable in that lodge. Some lodges are more active than others. A lot more. Many are withering on the vine due to decreased membership, but many are flourishing. I'd be happy to help you any way I can. I actually live in the Nashville area, but my father-in-law lives in NC. Is it possible to get the petition from another lodge? Does it transfer? A recommendation? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepingTitan Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 1 minute ago, Legaltitan said: What happened to Masonry is what happened to a lot of fraternal and civic organizations. When the men came back from World War II these groups all flourished. Guys couldn't get enough of these groups, gentlemen's clubs (not those kind) and civic stuff. Those guys built and built and spent and spent and I guess just assumed Masonry would continue to grow and grow. But they didn't do anything to ensure that it did, and so membership dropped off and now those guys are starting to die, unfortunately. Another thing that happened is a lot of lodges were started in city centers, again post World War II, before the great migration to the suburbs. If you are going to join a lodge you really need to do your research and find out which ones are doing good work and are young, active and growing. Because many just aren't. There are two lodges that I would think to join. Mt Moriah Lodge #18 in Murfreesboro, TN (seems very active) and Sam Davis Lodge #661 which doesn't seem as active. Murfreesboro lodge is closer and probably larger. How does proximity play? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 2 minutes ago, SleepingTitan said: I actually live in the Nashville area, but my father-in-law lives in NC. Is it possible to get the petition from another lodge? Does it transfer? A recommendation? Not sure in Tennessee. It may be that someone at another Lodge in Tennessee could sign your petition, but usually you want someone in the Lodge you are interested in joining to sign the Petition. Once you have been accepted, you can transfer lodges. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 1 minute ago, SleepingTitan said: There are two lodges that I would think to join. Mt Moriah Lodge #18 in Murfreesboro, TN (seems very active) and Sam Davis Lodge #661 which doesn't seem as active. Murfreesboro lodge is closer and probably larger. How does proximity play? Not a big deal, other than the closer it is the more likely you will be able to attend and more convenient, obviously. I would start with finding out the Master of that Lodge (should be able to get it from them or the Grand Lodge) and ask when they meet and let him know you would like to come one night to visit and eat with them because you are interested in becoming a Mason. That should get things rolling. Let me know if I can help. SleepingTitan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Nator Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 40 minutes ago, Legaltitan said: Wrong. You have it exactly the opposite. Members CANNOT solicit candidates. If you want to become a Mason, you have to ask a Mason. They won't ask you. It's the biggest reason why it's difficult to attract new members in the modern era. People are too busy and overloaded and when something is difficult many just give up and don't pursue it. Oh yeah. Shit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepingTitan Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 2 hours ago, Legaltitan said: Not a big deal, other than the closer it is the more likely you will be able to attend and more convenient, obviously. I would start with finding out the Master of that Lodge (should be able to get it from them or the Grand Lodge) and ask when they meet and let him know you would like to come one night to visit and eat with them because you are interested in becoming a Mason. That should get things rolling. Let me know if I can help. Thank you! Legaltitan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvyablue256 Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, SleepingTitan said: I actually live in the Nashville area, but my father-in-law lives in NC. Is it possible to get the petition from another lodge? Does it transfer? A recommendation? Start here. Also, schedule a tour of that building if you can. http://www.grandlodge-tn.org/main/GLTN-page.asp?p=4 Edited March 6, 2019 by luvyablue256 SleepingTitan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvyablue256 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 Anyone seen the docuseries on Netflix, "Inside the Freemasons?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
titanruss Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 you should be required to be able to do actual mason work to be a freemason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 On 3/7/2019 at 10:51 PM, titanruss said: you should be required to be able to do actual mason work to be a freemason. That literally misses the entire point of Free Masons. Operative Masons had lodges back in the day, and sometime in the 1600s (possibly earlier, no one really knows) began allowing non-operative masons to become members of their guild halls. They called them "free and accepted Masons," which is what the F & AM stands for. This was then taken and adopted to a "speculative Mason" system in which the principles of geometry were applied to philosophical issues, which is what modern freemasonry is today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legaltitan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2019 On 3/7/2019 at 4:00 PM, luvyablue256 said: Anyone seen the docuseries on Netflix, "Inside the Freemasons?" First I've heard of it. Is it supposed to be any good? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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