“I’d like to be a Freemason but no one has ever asked me to join.”

That’s one of the things we hear a lot.

We can’t ask anyone to join. That’s one of the rules. The only way to become a Mason is to ask a Mason for a membership application (petition).
You don’t know any Masons? You probably do. We’ll get to that later.

To be a Mason, there are a few requirements. A man must be 18 years or older, express a belief in a Supreme Being, and be of good moral character. Oh, yes-he must ask to become a member.

Freemasonry is not a Secret Society. How obvious does it have to be? You are on our website which is full of names, photographs, phone numbers and addresses. Unlike many communities in Mississippi we are fortunate to have a Masonic Lodge right here in Pontotoc. Many Masons drive cars with Masonic license plates and decals. They wear caps and shirts and jackets and rings and pins with Masonic emblems. Some Masons choose not to. Masons are free to choose. Masons are big on free will and the right of each man to make his own choices.

Masons do have secrets. Most of those have to do with proving yourself to be a Mason if you want to visit another lodge where you aren’t known. There are a few others, but we’ll get to those in a few more paragraphs.

The existence of our Fraternity is not, nor has it ever been, a secret. Remember that building with the sign out front? Some of those buildings have been around for more than 200 years. The Grand Lodge of Mississippi was established in 1818. The first lodge meeting in Mississippi was in 1807, and newspaper accounts of some of those earliest meetings still exist. If Masonry is a secret society, we’re a failure at keeping our existence a secret.

A few points to remember:

1. You can leave Masonry at any time. All it takes is a decision not to come back, although we prefer that a Mason who wants to leave the fraternity fill out a formal notice called a demit. That makes the paperwork easier for the lodge secretary at the end of the year. That also makes it simpler if you should ever change your mind and decide to come back.

2. Nobody should ever invite you to become a Freemason. It’s against our rules. It is up to you to request to join.

3. If you don’t personally know a Mason, and want to ask a Mason about membership, don’t be nervous. Most (if not all) Masons will be more than happy to talk to you about becoming a Mason. Know this: No Mason will ever be offended by the question “Are you a Freemason?”

4. Ask questions. You might be surprised at how simple the answers are to most of your questions. That said, don’t be surprised if some questions are answered with “I can’t tell you that yet.” . Note that word, “yet.” In all honesty, many of those answers are like movie spoilers. They’re really not secrets, but telling the answers will take away from the experience of becoming a Mason.

5. Expect to be asked questions. We want to know as much about you as we can to make sure your values and ours agree.

6. Expect it to take time. There’s usually a delay of a couple of months between the time you hand in your membership application and the time of your initiation. For Example: If you turn in an application in January, the Lodge will consider your petition at the February meeting. If accepted, an investigating committee will be assigned to speak with you during the month of February. The committee will report back to the lodge at the March meeting. If the Lodge approves, your initiation can then take place anytime after that March meeting.

If you are interested in joining the Fraternity but you do not personally know a Freemason, fill out the form below in the link below and one of our members will contact you.

 https://ms.grandview.systems/public_lodges/inquiry