Good evening,

I’ve been interested in the Free Masons for a few years.  Unfortunately, my work and personal life have kept me in a sort of perpetual motion.  I moved from Boston to Seattle in early 2007.  I then came back to Boston in October, due to work, and will go back to Seattle in May.  My wife is still active-duty military and we’ll be moving to Bahrain at the end of 2008.

I guess I have a few questions:

1.  Is it possible to join while I’m in Boston, knowing I’ll only be in the area another 2 months?
2.  Would it be possible to join in Seattle while I’m there from June - October?
3.  If neither of the above will work, is there a lodge in Bahrain where I could Ask?

-J

Greetings from Iraq. I know how you feel. I am a civilian engineer, working in Iraq, and my USA residence is in Washington DC(metro). The answer to your question, is definetly yes, you can petition for Freemasonry, and you can be made a mason.

There are several different paths you can take. You can petition a Mass. lodge, and have the degree ceremonies completed there. You can petition a Seattle lodge, and have the degree ceremonies performed there. Or you can petition the Mass. lodge, and have the Seattle lodge perform the degree ceremonies “as a courtesy”.  The Mass. lodge signs over a “power of attorney”, and the Seattle lodge performs the ceremonial work, but your membership stays in Mass.  This procedure is often used for military and college students, who have to reside away from their “home” lodge.

I cannot be certain, but I think there is at least one lodge operating in Bahrain. (I used to live in Dharhan, Saudi Arabia, 31 miles from Bahrain). I attended lodges in Saudi Arabia, but I never knew of any lodges in Bahrain (This was in 1991). Masonry is a world-wide institution, we have it in Iraq, and Masonry is in most of the British commonwealth countries.

Since you will be returning to Seattle in May, and the process takes several months to complete, I suggest that you consider making your application to a Seattle lodge. (You need not be physically present in Seattle, to do this). That way the paperwork will have time to “churn”, while you are making the move across the country.  When you arrive in Seattle, you can proceed with the ceremonial work right away. You should have plenty of time, to complete the degrees of Craft Masonry, and when you depart for this part of the world, you will be a Master Mason. 

Your membership in a regular lodge, anywhere, makes you a Mason everywhere. If there is a lodge in Bahrain, you can participate in the lodge meetings, and fellowship, as a visitor. You may even wish to take out dual membership with the Bahrain lodge. I suggest that you check with the British and American embassies, when you arrive.

If you PM me, with your Seattle address, I can research a lodge that is in your new neighborhood.

Good Luck!

Jason

Thank you for your interest in Freemasonry. As a member of a Lodge in Massachusetts, I agree with the last responder that it might make more sense to wait until you get to Seattle to join. But the question (and answer) is a bit more complicated.

I think that it’s important to think about the organization you are joining. On a broad level, yes, Freemasonry is an international Fraternity where members can visit Lodges and feel welcome throughout the world. But on a more personal and basic level, Freemasonry is place where you develop a camaraderie, a bond, and a trust with the brothers of a local “Blue” Lodge – the Lodge you actually join. It is here that you will be initiated into the Fraternity, and it is here that you will begin to learn the lessons of Freemasonry and develop the foundation for your future in the Craft.

And as much as it seems we may be “advertising” for membership, the ads are really more like public service announcements to let good men know how to go about asking. It’s not a numbers game. It’s not for everyone. It’s not like joining a club where you just pay dues. It’s not like buying a car – where you just pay your money and drive away. And it’s certainly not just a place to buy a worldwide “pass” for instant travel and acceptance.

For most Lodges – especially in Massachusetts—becoming a member is usually making a commitment to the Lodge that is going to make you a Mason. Except during limited opportunities for statewide “one day” classes, most initiates will need to commit to at least three separate nights over three months where the three different degrees will be conferred upon them—as well as added time to learn and absorb some of the lessons in the ritual. Part of the process is also meeting with Lodge instructors afterwards who will explain the many new things you heard in your initiation. For most Lodges, candidates also undergo an investigation prior to joining, and potential members will usually need to visit the Lodge of their choosing to meet the members. This is a Fraternity, after all, and prospective members must be voted on favorably by all members at the voting meeting. One “blackball” can keep a man from joining a particular Lodge. In general, the “process” will usually take many months, and depending on the Lodge, sometimes even longer.

You should also know that the members of the Lodge who are conferring your degrees on you are doing a lot of work to bring you in. Each of the three degrees requires extensive memorization and practice of important ritual by the officers of the Lodge. This takes countless hours of work and a huge time commitment from all involved. As many as a dozen men at a time will have speaking parts in what is essentially a “play” put on for your benefit. It is not an idle ceremony – though the significance of it all may not really be apparent to you until years later. What this all means is that not every Lodge is going to automatically want to do all that work for a candidate who tells them he is going to leave in a month or two.

And although once you sign the bylaws of a Lodge you have no further obligations to attend meetings or help with charity events or become an officer, these days there are no shortage of people who want to become members. And though many Lodges in certain areas are actively seeking members, many Lodges actually now have waiting lists—so those Lodges may be looking for members more willing to commit to active membership once they join.

All this is not meant to discourage you. Our Lodge has conferred the degrees “as a courtesy” for Lodges all over the world, and many Lodges –especially those associated with colleges – bring in members who they know may be moving away in the near future. But there are usually special circumstances involved. And the Lodge will want to know what those circumstances are. You would want to explain your special circumstances to whatever Lodge you were approaching.

We have members who are in the military in our Lodge. Or who joined the Lodge before they went in.  That’s about the best “special circumstance” there is. These men visit Lodges wherever they are – but they also make a point to come back to their Blue Lodge whenever they have the opportunity, and always keep us all informed of what’s going on in their life; their letters are often read at meetings, and our thoughts are always with them. That’s because we had a chance to bond with these members before they left.

I guess what I am saying here is that WHERE you become a Mason is something you should put some thought into. You will be a very special Brother to the members of the Lodge you join, and probably vice-versa. You can always affiliate with other Lodges later, but your Blue Lodge will always be your Blue Lodge. 

Again, it sounds like you have a bit of an idea where you may want to end up in your life – so that’s probably where you would want to join. But if I were in your shoes, I would find out when the next meeting is in whatever town you live now and call the Ambassador or Secretary and go visit. (Their numbers are linked to this page). Meet the members. Ask questions. See if these are the guys you want to be around now and/or later. If nothing else, you’ll make some contacts and friendships that can help you if you come back. At the very least, they could help you to get something going in another state.

Good luck, and be safe.

Bob Heruska
Columbian Lodge, Boston, MA