Would You Join a Masonic Lodge?
 

It is discouraged by our church (the entire Synod of the church, not just my sigular church) to join fraternal organizations such as Masons or Shriners but other charitable orgs such as Lions Club or Kiwanis are okay (I think it has to do with the ritual/heirarchy of the Masons). No one I know personally is a member of a masonic organization. But if it's what you want to do, then, hey, more power to you.

As I said in the other thread, my Grandfather, Father and late uncle are/were Masons.

I'm not, and have no real interest -- but also have nothing at all against the organization.

I lack one of the main qualifications... ;)

My family is very anti-Masonic, as well as anti-greek. (My going greek went over real big with the fam. :p )

My husband, however, is a Mason, as is his father.

I've been thinking about Eastern Star, but haven't gotten around to making any serious inquiries yet.

I am a very active Mason (and along the same line, a 32-degree Scottish Rite and a Shriner), as well as the chaplain for my local Order of the Eastern Star chapter.

To me, I found the sense of fraternity as close or even closer than being an undergrad in a GLO. Hardest part was memorizing the required ritual work (which is not written) necessary to prove to another brother Mason that you're 'on the square'. But don't let that discourage you from considering membership. "You get out of it what you put into it" rings very true to any organization and how one gets involved.

I might consider joining if I were a man... :p

You can always get a sex change! :p

i would like to, it all seems very interesting to me

I'd like to join - but don't have the time for the commitment - it would be yet ANOTHER fraternal organization for me. But I've always been intrigued by Ritualistic stuff, and Masons have the most "degrees" of any order I can think of.

But, I'm content with LXA and the Loyal Order of Moose that I already belong to - I would only join if I could also guarantee my commitment, which would not be easy with everything else I have in life right now.

My church doesn't frown on Masonic affiliation like other churches do - I think there is still a lot of historic mistrust of the Masons after the satanic accusations from a hundred years ago or so - from what I've seen of their Rituals, I don't believe it to be true.

Re: Would You Join a Masonic Lodge?
 

I have of couple of friends who are masons and they say it 's pretty cool. I'm thinking about joining one.

Actually, there's no higher degree than that of Master Mason; all the other side degrees such as the Scottish Rite and York Rite are entirely optional.

Scottish Rite degrees are usually held over the course of a weekend or two; some jurisdictions will conduct the ceremonies in one day by exemplifying the five mandatory degrees (4th, 14th, 18th, 30th, 31st and 32nd) and communicating the degrees in between via a short explanatory lecture.

York Rite degrees are usually held during a weekend.

I would probably join if I was a man... but instead I'm a member of eastern star... :)

What is Eastern Star?

Believe it or not, there are female Masons. Officially they are not recognized by any of the 'mainstream' Masonic grand lodges. In the United Kingdom, there are two women's Masonic organizations: the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (HFAF) and the Order of Women Freemasons (OWF). However, these are strictly women's organizations, unlike our Order of the Eastern Star which is co-ed. (British (but not Scottish) Masons are prohibited from joining OES.)

More information on co-ed Freemasonry: http://www.co-masonry.com/ .

The Order of the Eastern Star is an organization composed of Master Masons, their wives, widows, mothers and other immediate female relatives. The Order was founded in the mid-1800s by Rob Morris and its ceremonies are based on the heroic feats of five women of Biblical times: Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa.

More information at www.easternstar.org .

I am currently the Chaplain of Plano Chapter #703 OES, Plano, Texas.

I'm seriously considering joining one of the Boston lodges. I've been exploring the topic a bit, not sure if I definitely will or not.

Massachusetts lodges are quite interesting; lodges have names only, but no numbers; i.e. Boston Lodge, and not Boston Lodge #1. They also have a district in what is now Panama, and once had several lodges in China, before the Commies took over.

Here's the official site for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts: http://www.glmasons-mass.org/ .

If you have any questions about Freemasonry, please feel free to PM me. I'll try and answer it the best I can.

Yeah, I just realized this - and all the Boston lodges meet in the same building I guess, but on different floors. I'll PM you if I have any questions as I get further in my thought process of whether to do it or not.

bump
 

Does anyone know anything about Long Beach area lodges?

ETA: I have reason to believe that my great-grandfather (paternal grandmother's father) was a Shriner, and hence also a Master Mason, but I'm not aware of any other relatives who are/were Masons.

I'm Roman Catholic, so no.

I would consider Eastern Star. I have lots of people on my mom's side of the family that are/were Masons. They never talked about it much, but it is/was a big part of their lives.

I'm female, so I can't anyway.

Are there Jewish Masons? I can never remember.

Theres a "lodge" right across the highway from my house, I dont think its a lodge though. Its called "the Masonic home" and i think its like an old folks home. Its FREAKING HUGE.

I'm still thinking of joining; but I just don't have the time to commit to it right now. A buddy of mine is a member here in Boston and loves it. I don't want to go into it halfway though, I'd rather have the time to do it the right way.

So am I, baptized but not a practicing Roman Catholic. But then I am already at odds with Roman Catholic doctrine by being a Mason anyway, so it doesn't bother me at all.

Re: bump
 

Check out the official web site of the Grand Lodge of California: www.freemason.org . Here's a list of lodges in the Long Beach area:

International City No. 389
5155 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90804-3311
(562) 597-3913

Pacific Rim No. 567
5155 E Pacific Coast Hwy
Long Beach, CA 90804-3311
(562) 494-7979

Los Cerritos No. 674
3610 Locust Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807-3822
(562) 402-7734

Long Beach No. 327
3610 Locust Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807-3822
(562) 427-0821

Lakewood No. 728
5918 E Parkcrest St
Long Beach, CA 90808-2120
(562) 425-9123

Hope this helps.

It is. The Masonic Home of California has two campuses, one in Covina, the other in Union City.

Freemasonry requires only a belief in a Supreme Being in order to become a member. How one worships that Supreme Being is left entirely up to the member.

The majority of Masons in the United States are Christian, so most times you will see the Holy Bible on the Altar. But there are Jewish, Buddhist, and yes, even Muslim members. Our ceremonies are suitably revised to reflect the name of the Volume of Sacred Light on the altar.

Jewish Masons tend to gravitate towards the Scottish Rite rather than the York Rite, as the the Knight Templar orders (the highest degrees of the York Rite) are specifically for those of the Christian faith.

Been thinking about Eastern Star ever since they changed the rules to allow Rainbow Majority Members to join (I used to be ineligible b/c no family connections)...DH has no interest in Masons, so I don't know if I want to do it without him. All my former Rainbow Girl friends who have join OES are in the Dallas area.... Still thinking, but my daughter will be a Rainbow Girl, if they are still around when she is old enough.

Perhaps you could help to enlighten me as to why the Church objects to the Masons? They have the Knights of Columbus. To me, the organizations look very similar.

Are you Missouri Synod? Because I'm Lutheran & I've never heard this one before.

To me, I think it appears it was a case of the Church not wanting any competition, even though Freemasonry is not a religion.

Back in the 1800s, a papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIII called Humanum Genus denounced Freemasonry as incompatible with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, on pain of excommunication. Over time the penalties have lessened, but Catholics who become Freemasons may not receive Holy Communion.

The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1881 in New Haven, Connecticut. More info on the history of the K of C at http://www.kofc.org/about/history/index.cfm.

To be a member of the K of C, one must be a practical Catholic man, at least 18 years of age. There are three degrees of membership, as well as a fourth degree open to members who have been a third degree Knight for at least a year. Fourth degree members wear the fancy chapeaux and robes.

Members of the K of C enjoy the benefit of a life insurance program. Masons and Knights in many locations work together for the betterment of the community.

It is all explained here for the Missouri Synod, andhere for the Wisconsin Synod. I'm ELCA and have never heard of there being a conflict of membership. I know of a Rainbow Girl/OES member that is ELCA here on GC.

Not sure about all the smaller denominations of Lutherans after ELCA, LCMS, and WELS, but I am thinking probably not as open to the Masonic memberships.

ktsnake--

A very complete answer to your question can be found here:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09771a.htm

In short, in spite of superficial "appearances" the bottom line difference is the KoC supports the authority of the RCC. The Masons do not.

--add

Exactly. Masons require a belief in a Supreme Being, otherwise the obligations taken at the altar would not be considered binding.

Are you a mason?

My father and his father were both York Rite Masons (Christian only) and also lifelong members of the Presbyterian Church USA. So I guess there is not a conflict of interest since PCUSA is pretty cut and dried as to what is biblical and what is not. It's a very liturgical church and there was obviously never an issue. :)

My grandparents are still very involved in Masons/Eastern Star/Job's Daughter's, etc. My parents met through some sort of Demolay (sp?) and Job's Daughter's social. It was something that I was very aware of growing up, seeing lots of pictures of my mom as a Past Honored Queen, etc.

When I was around 11, my grandparents started really pushing me to get involved w/ Job's Daughters. I refused, because I thought it was ridiculous that they had some sort of a secret that no one else could no about, and didn't want to join something without fully knowing what I was getting into.

I really regret that decision now, and keep meaning to start being involved - especially after getting to see one of my 15 year old little sister's open ceremonies, and realizing for the first time that the "secret" is really no different from my sorority's ritual. So yes, I would join a masonic lodge now, if I were male, and do plan on becoming involved one day on the female end.

Translation: we don't want you joining other organizations that might siphon off your money that might have come to the church instead. Therefore, we forbid you from joining these organizations so that you can divert your money to us.

the Masonic Home is located in Covina, California and Union City, Ca.

In Sacramento there is Shriners Hospital and there are many lodges in the Sac area so i dont think it would be a masonic home since there are only two and i gven the locales to both.

I have seen many threads on here lately regarding masonary and i am very proud of my heritage from being a Past Honored Queen and Past Guardian for Jobs Daughters to being active in Rainbow , as well as being a past demolay sweeetheart, seeing my brothers become masons and my parents , grand parents , great grand parents, aunts and uncles all Masons/Shriners/OES / Scottish and York Rite. Belonging to masonic family i never relaized it til recently being in OES as a Line officer as well as a 20 yr member that these groups ,though they all run in the same circles, i value my masonic family because it is a family. I have known ppl 25 + yrs maybe even longer and belonging to a masonic family as i do i have made such lasting friendships. Ppl who i have come to rely on when i need help. Masons, OES , youth groups( rainbow, Job's daughters and Demolay) they teach you such lessons; respect for country, leadership, good order , tolarence, team work, love for family ,etc.... i can go on.

If some one else considering joining a lodge or a OES chapter please do it is alot of fun and you will make lifelong friends who will last a lifetime.