What Stan said, absolutely no mandatory meetings. I havn't been to a meeting since I moved to Florida leaving my old lodge, I still keep in good standing and stay in touch with some of my fellow masons from up north, while I've met many local masons I have not joined a local lodge although that option is always open.
so, is it true, that a Mason cannot invite you to join, you have to ask for yourself? as in they are not allowed to promote or push someone into it? i read a brochure (official Freemasons) and it stated something simiilar like this. just curious, as i had a conversation with my tax assessor (who is one) and i showed real interest, up to the point where one would expect a "come by and see what it's like" but it never came... maybe it was because he assessed my taxes before ...
Yes, it is true. We (Masons) will not ask you to join, it has to be of your own volition. Masons do not recruit, nor do they boast of the things they do in the community. You have to decide if you want to begin the journey to enlightenment. It's your choice. Me? I'm glad I did. I've learned a ton. Google some of the names of Masons. You'll be surprised. But yes, it is true, you have to ask, no-one will ask you to join.
Oh, and you have to have a pretty good memory, some of the things you have to learn are really long and complicated. I thought I'd NEVER learn my catechisms, but somehow I did.
Thread bump, since it got referenced in that "other" thread. I've been a member now for about 3 years. It's been a good experience. I've met some really great individuals, who will bend over backwards to help you if you ever need it. After joining, I found out that my lodge oversees a rather large fund that assists local kids going to college. I won't talk $ numbers, but it's impressive. They have put over 1200 young men and women thru college over the years, it's just mind-blowing. I was one of those kids, and didn't realize it, so it's nice to have come full circle. Funny how that works.
That's a very cool karma circle, I love stories like that. How did they pay for your college anonymously?
The charity of choice for Masosns in NC is the Masonic Children's Home in Oxford, NC. They take care of kids till they're 18, and have been doing it since 1873. They work they do up there is amazing. These aren't kids awaiting adoption, but kids in situations where they have nowhere else to go. Some are there temporarily and some live there till they graduate high school.
When I was a senior in HS, the guidance counselor took me aside and told me I "needed to apply for this scholarship." I did, and it was granted. I had no idea how much $$ it was, they only guaranteed a quarterly minimum, which was very, very modest. First quarter, I went to the registrar's office to pay my fees. They said, just a minute... and then printed me a check for a couple hundred bucks, IIRC. I was utterly baffled... "no, I need to pay YOU..." They assured me it was correct. Turns out, the amount of the scholarship for that quarter exceeded the fees. I spent it at the book store. This was a constant theme over the next 4 years, I didn't pay a dime for college. I knew the name of the scholarship, and I knew the name of the administrator. What I didn't know was that the local Masons oversaw it all. Later, this administrator mentored me as I went thru the process of becoming a Mason, and only then did I realize how I was put thru school. Talk about no strings attached!! The word "humbling" doesn't even begin to describe it. Don't expect anything like this if you join. Actually you should expect it to cost you a little bit of $ and a fair bit of time. It's just a neat bit of Karma.
Awesome story. My grandfather was a Mason...never spoke of it.I always recognized eh was an exceptionally decent man,but wasn't until his funeral that I learned how many he helped. He was NOT wealthy, just barely middle class.
