How do I join a Masonic lodge?
1. Be sure you are prepared to become a Mason.
Requirements
1. You must be a man.
2. You must be able to read.
3. You must be at least 18 years of age.
4. You must be of superior moral and social character.
5. You must believe in and be accountable to a Supreme Being.
2. Ask - It is a common fallacy that you must be asked to join a Masonic lodge. This is the farthest from the truth. Masonry in Tennessee, and most jurisdictions, forbids a Mason from asking a man to petition membership to a lodge. If you want to become a Mason, you must ask a Mason to recommend you.
3. Petition - When you ask a man to recommend you to Masonry, he will either give you or acquire for you a petition for membership. Complete the petition fully and return it either to the man who gave it you or to the secretary of the lodge.
4. Wait - Once you have completed the petition and returned it to the man who got it for you, you will wait to hear more. What will happen is the brother will give your petition to either the lodge Master or secretary. The lodge will appoint a committee to investigate your character. Someone may contact you and want to meet with you. After about a month, the lodge will either continue to investigate you or they will hear the report of the committee. After the committee reports, the lodge will usually vote on whether or not to accept you as a member.
5. Degrees - Once you have been accepted by the lodge, you will be contacted about when to arrive at the lodge to take your first degree, the Entered Apprentice Degree. The contact person will inform you of everything you need to do to prepare for the night.
What is required if I become a Mason?
Freemasonry is a society with high expectations. It is expected that every man who becomes a Mason keep himself a respectable part of society at large. The Craft is made up of men from every walk of life. At a meeting of Bethpage Lodge it is common to see elected officials, carpenters, mechanics, bank presidents, farmers, police officers, and teachers. The commonality between all of these men is their dedication to be good, moral people. They seek to be honest in their business dealings, fair in their relations, faithful to their commitments, and true to their wives and families. Within Tennessee Masonic Code, the law to which all Masons in Tennessee are bound, there is a list of 29 things for which a Mason is forbidden to do. These include:
◊ Drunkenness.
◊ Gambling, in any amount or at any time, which may unreasonably impair one’s ability to support himself or those having prior claims upon him, or which causes a discredit to the brother or to the fraternity.
◊ Profanity or the habitual use of obscene and filthy speech.
◊ To make a false statement about a material matter in an application for the degrees, affiliation or restoration.
◊ To engage in the illegal manufacture or sale of drugs, beer and intoxicating liquors as a beverage.
◊ To cause or permit a place of business where beer is sold to become disreputable and a discredit to the fraternity.
◊ To wear a Masonic emblem, or otherwise claim to be a Master Mason in good standing while an Entered Apprentice or Fellow Craft Mason, a suspended or expelled Mason, or a Mason unaffiliated for more than one year.
◊ Using Masonic membership for political or commercial purposes.
◊ To abuse or mistreat wife and children or neglect to provide for them according to ability.
◊ To be an atheist at the time of initiation or become one afterwards.
◊ To engage in lewd conduct. To promote or engage in homosexual activity. To cohabit immorally in a situation without the benefit of marriage.
◊ To promote or encourage the production, distribution or use of obscene films, pictures or writings.
How often does the lodge meet?
Bethpage Lodge meets monthly on the Third Thursday of each month. Most lodges in the United States meet either once or twice a month, although there are lodge that meet less. These meetings are called stated meetings. They are generally held for conducting the business of the lodge. Other meetings are called meetings and are held to confer degrees or hold other events. The number of called meetings vary greatly from one month to another, depending on the number of men who are currently petitioning and working through their degrees. Although attendance at Bethpage Lodge and most lodges is not mandatory, Freemasonry is like most things in life, the more you put into it the more you get out of it.
Are you still interested?
If so, you may either download a petition or contact the lodge secretary.
Click here to download a petition.
The webmaster may be reached at:
Dr. David E. Stafford, PM
david.stafford@sumnerschools.org
(615)644-2340
The secretary may be reached at:
William Bowen
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