Why did you want to become a Mason?

And how did it first come about? Who did you ask?

My story is this:
My grandfather was a very active Mason, 33rd degree Scottish Rite. He died when I was 6 months old in 1949, and the generational chain died with him, but the fact that he was a Mason always stayed with me.
Fast forward 59 years, and I was having lunch and brews with a Mason I'd known for 30 years, a guy I would trust with my children. I knew he was a Mason, but he never made a big deal about it. I was lamenting the fact that I was freakin' fed up with all of the dishonest people I have to deal with in my business, and in life in general. We got to talking about some of the principles taught in Masonry, and I decided those are the kind of guys I want to be associated with.
A couple of years later, I was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason.
I know grandfather Blome is smiling.

Similar story but also like the charity work we do.Also like the obligations even if they arent literal.Men NEED to stand for what is good and right and Masons I know do just that!

I'm a 7th generation, but that really had no bearing on my joining. I did so because I wanted to become a better man. I'm sure my upbringing and the knowledge of the worth of my forefathers did have some bearing.

My oldest wanted to join before he got married and became a husband.

My youngest put in his petition the day after his 18th birthday. He knew my brothers and wanted to learn what made them who they are.

I suppose you could say it's a genetic predisposition in my family.

That he is...

Thank you, Brother, That makes ME smile.

A few years back, I met Wayne Cobb aka Eric the Hun at The Hun Farm and heard him speak of being a Mason. He was one of the best people I've ever known. R.I.P. Wayne.

I was working on some rifles for a police officer in S. Carolina. Customized one upper and then he called and asked for more as he and his fellow LEO's really liked the work and quality.

He called me up to thank me and asked "Are you a traveling man?" I did not know the answer, but he explained to me that he thought I might a Mason due to my attitude and demeanor.

This stuck with me and my bride and I moved to the country, just North of Houston and found ourselves away from the slime of Houston and in a place where we thought "How can we give back?"

I said Masons give back and I began studying up on Freemasons. I went to the German Festival in Tomball and the lodge had a bbq booth and I asked.

It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I have always been interested in the Masons, but I never knew anything about them. The first Masons I had even had the pleasure of talking too were Arfcomers. I have looked up to many of you guys since I first started on here, years ago. My join date is correct, my lurk date was long ago. I was impressed with the kindness of you guys and especially RR, who really was the deciding factor in me jumping on the chance to get involved.

I ran into a fellow that I had known for about a year at church, who was wearing a Masonic pin. I asked about it, and he gave me a petition and on June 22, 2011 I was raised. On July 4th I marched in the largest parade in the state of Pennsylvania with Thomas K Sturgeon R.W.G.M. as well as other officers from our lodge including our Worshipful Master. The second Monday in July I was appointed Jr Master of Ceremonies. I am very proud to be a Mason. I am the first Mason in my family and in the family of my wife.

Masons are the type of people I want to be associated with. I like to surround myself with leaders and wise and good men that I can learn from and enjoy their fellowship. I am also proud to be part of an organization that donates much time and money to benefit others. I have always been generous to others and the Masons helps me continue.

Great stories Brothers. My grandfather and great Grandfather were masons & my grandmother was OES and while I appreciate that, it had no baring on my decision to petition. My main reason was in a word, "Brotherhood". Being a part of the worlds oldest fraternal organization is a great feeling, however; whats even better is the fraternal Brotherhood that makes us who we are. I know that every active Brother became a better man the day they were raised. That being said, I know I am able trust my Brothers anywhere I go and would hope they would put the same trust in me.

Not to mention we do great things by of of charities, and our history is an amazing thing to learn. Even the rhetoric has its moments LOL..

I am proud to be a Mason and as I wear my Grandfathers ring daily I know he is smiling down on me as well.

Fraternally
Brian ~ Honesdale Lodge #218 (PA)

all of my uncles were masons. they were also all highly decorated WWII vets. some of the best men i have ever known. the only thing i knew about it was they wore rings. decided i wanted to follow in their footsteps.

one interesting thing i have done with candidates is to ask them "why are you here" before their initiation and then again after each degree. the answer is always different each time.

My Dad was a mason but I never knew it till I had already turned in my petition.
I worked with a man that wore a Masonic ring and I had observed how nice and down to earth he was, we got to be friends. During many conversations I started asking questions and he got me in ouch with the local Lodge Secretary and I received and submitted my petition.
After my EA degree I was assigned a coach but because I traveled very frequently I had a difficult time trying to attend coaching sessions so my coach ask that I be given a Red book. After much to do I received one with a very stern warning to keep it very close.
I learned all the degree work while traveling, during my proficiencies I ask myself the questions then answered....(talk about learning the degree work..)

On one of my visits to my parents I was studying one evening and my Dad ask if that was a Red book, I looked up very surprised and said yes but how do you know that. He told me he was a Mason but was NPD, after I was raised one of the first things I did was to make the calls, get the petition and pay for his reinstatement .
My Dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and never was able to attend lodge but he did have a Masonic/Military funeral (he was a 30 yr Army Vet of WW2 and Korea).

I still have his Masonic coin (one given to him when he was raised), his Masonic ring and the flag that draped his casket....He will live in my heart forever.....I miss him so much...been gone over 20 years now....

I wanted to make new friends, with men, whom I could trust, who had some integrity.

Mine came about by way of family. My wifes mother is in Eastern Star and my wife was a Rainbow Girl. My oldest daughter joined Rainbow and a couple of years ago became sweet heart for the DeMolay chapter in our area. I ended up taking her to a number of DeMolay meetings and functions over the course of her time as sweet heart and found myself spending a good bit of time with the chapter DADs. The young men in DeMolay and the DADs were very impressive and embodied a lot of my ideals and philosophies.

A new DeMolay chapter was being organized and I wanted to be involved. I jumped at the chance to be on the advisory board and be a DAD. Shortly after that I contacted one of the DADs from the chapter my daughter was sweet heart for and asked him how does one become a Mason. In short order I had a petition from another of the DADs of our new chapter, who happend to be WM of the lodge I was joining. I filled it out, obtain the required signatures, met with the investigation committee, and here I am the newest EA at the lodge.

I used to drive past a lodge in New Jersey every day, without knowing anything about it. My friend used to make cheap jokes about Masons having a "secret." I found it intriguing, but I was too busy to look into it. Besides, I was a volunteer for the town. I like community organizations.

When I moved to Florida I got a weekend job at a gun store. I noticed that a lot of my customers were Masons. I was looking for a way to connect with the town and I'd always been interested in what Masons actually do. After a year, I asked one of my customers about joining. He explained the process and the next week several other customers offered to sign my petition. One of my coworkers also offered to sign it. I found that very interesting. I was really surprised when I found out how many brothers in our lodge like to shoot. So here I am.

Didn't Ben Franklin say something like, "The secret is that there are no secrets."?

Many of my male in-laws (whom I get along with extremely well, and they love me to death) would disappear occasionally while we were at the ranch.

I got sick of them evading questions about where they were going and what they were doing, so I decided to join them.

That was 2004, when I was 25.

When I was 7 years old I had a compound fracture of my left arm at the humorus, and after being poorly set and re broken twice the bone in my arm began to die. I was set to lose my left arm from the elbow down. No local doctor would touch it. Someone I never met, who my father knew at work and has always since referred to as a member of an Irish foundation ( Probably Scottish Rite) had me sponsored at Shriner's hospital in IL. I had a 90 percent chance of loss at the time of the 1st surgery. Fast forward to two years ago.

I was sitting in the hospital holding my newly born son and watching my wife sleep, and I couldn't help but think of how profoundly the course of my life had been altered by the involvement of a man I'd never met and an organization my family had never been beholden to. I was a 3 sport athlete in High school and the beginning of college. I would have NEVER met my wife, I would have never had all of the experiences and opportunities I had, and I would have never had my children. Everything I have now was given to me, at least in part, by the Freemasons. I held my son in my left arm and decided it was time to make some inquiries. It was time to give back.

these are the stories that make me proud to be a mason. I am even more proud of the fact these are not rare one time events but are stories that thousands of people can tell every year.

Anyone reading things like this and still spouting the old line about masons being satanists and evil must simply be insane. Freemasonry has done a LOT of good in this world and continues to do so daily.

There is so much ignorance in this world it is pathetic. The best you can hope for is to change what you can. The brothers at my blue lodge are some of the most fantastic human beings I could ever hope to meet, and it is plain to see that they really ENJOY making a difference in the lives of others. When I think of the people that imagine human sacrifice and crazy conspiracies in reference to the Freemasons, I would laugh if it did not make me so angry.

That is so true, Brother. I forgot what the exact wording is, but there is something in the charge to the Entered Apprentice to ignore those that cast those silly remarks at us. I guess that has an up side and a down side, the down side being that those absolutely groundless accusations persist, the upside it that we stay above that worldy fracas. We KNOW it's bullshit, and it's actually somewhat enjoyable watching these idiots saying stupid crap - it gives us something to entertain us at lodge other than what the electric bill is this month.

When I was 17, I was in a caving club and there was an older gentleman that wore a really sweet ring, and I asked him about it. He said "Ask me again when you're 21." In the following 4 years, he mentored me on how to be a man and a good person, the whole time not ever mentioning the ring again.

On my 21st birthday, he handed me a petition.

The rest is history. Been traveling since 1996.

I love being able to go anywhere in the world and being able to find Brothers that will take me in as their own, regardless of any language barriers.

*edited to correct mistakes made on phone.

Now, THAT is a great story.

My father is a Freemason, but I haven't spent much of my life with him. I worked as a police dispatcher in college and most of the police officers were in the Lodge. I spent a lot of time with one specific Brother (PM and PP) talking about Freemasonry. I asked "What do I have to do to get this ball rolling?" He said "You just did."


I was initiated 3 months later. The initiation fee was tough for a college kid, but the catechism wasn't. I was initiated, passed and raised in 3 consecutive meetings.

It was pretty cool to have my father come when I was installed as WM.






Found out many years later that my Great, Great, Great Grandfather was Worshipful Master of his Lodge in Wisconsin 7 years in a row back in the mid 1800's. My Father has his Past Master's apron!

Stories like this is why I joined the Shrine.

Thank you Brother, for this amazing story!

Copyright © 1996 - 2013 :: AR15.Com LLC :: All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.