
Becoming A Mason
Becoming a Freemason can be one of the most significant events of your
life. From the moment you become a Brother, you will feel immediate
acceptance and Brotherly love. So where do you begin?
Qualifications
- Membership in a Masonic Lodge is open to all men 18 years of age or
older — regardless of race, color, or religion. Our membership
requirements are very clear:
- You must be of good character and reputation. You’ll have to provide
evidence of living a positive life
- You must believe in a Supreme Being. This belief is not proscribed —
rather, we encourage you to be steadfast in the faith of your choice.
The First Steps
Start the process by completing a petition (application) for membership,
which you can obtain from the lodge secretary, or get from a Mason you know.
If you don’t know a Mason, just stop by the Lodge building at 110 1/2 First
Ave East, Shakopee about 20 minutes before our regular meetings, 1st and 4th
Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. and we'll be happy to introduce you who
ever is there and get you started with your petition.
The next step is to submit your petition to the Lodge. The petition is
read in a Lodge meeting and referred to a committee (usually composed of
three members). This committee then interviews you, sometimes at home, or in
the local coffee shop. This is your chance to ask as many questions as you
can think of about Freemasonry and the fraternity. In turn the brothers will
get to know you a bit and learn about your background.
After the interview, the committee reports its findings to the Lodge, and
a secret ballot is taken. If the vote is favorable, you’ll be notified by a
call from one of our officers and you’ll be given a date to start the degree
program.
The Degree Process
Our Fraternity’s private nature sometimes creates misconceptions about
our “initiation ceremonies.” Rest assured that we are a moral institution
whose tenets are Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love. Masonry teaches
us to practice charity and benevolence, and to revere ordinances of — but
not replace — any man’s religion. Quite simply, our Fraternity exists to
make good men better.
Our three degrees are serious, educational, time-tested teachings. Each
degree has a primary lesson. The first teaches us our duty to God. The
second teaches us our duty to our neighbors. And the third degree teaches us
our duty to ourselves.
To convey our teachings, we use ritual, ceremony, drama, lectures, and
sometimes even musical accompaniment. You’ll work closely with a mentor who
will help you learn some of the key material in the Ritual. After each
degree you'll be asked to complete a proficiency to demonstrate your
knowledge of the material.
Upon the completion of the third degree, you’ll become a Master Mason,
and be eligible for all that Masonry has to offer you, which includes:
- Worldwide Brotherhood
- Fellowship
- Male bonding
- Meaningful community service
- Camaraderie with other moral men
- Much more
It’s our sincere hope that you’ll consider becoming a Free and Accepted
Mason, and sharing the feeling of friendship and Brotherly love that
Freemasons have enjoyed from time immemorial.
If you would like to contact the Master of the Lodge, please click on the
following link. We look forward to meeting you.
Click
here to email the Master of the Lodge
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