I went through the three degrees of Freemasonry back in my hometown about 6-7 years ago. Afterwards, I left due to a military assignment and I haven't been back. I am looking to get involved again. Since it's been so long, and I obviously have forgotten everything, how do you suggest I approach getting involved again? Thanks!
Well, are you back in the same town would be question number one.
If you are, have you kept your dues up while you have been gone?
If the answer to both of those is "yes", get in touch with the lodge, tell them you are back and ask if you can meet with a coach to get back up to speed.
If you are NOT back in the same town, you will need to get in touch with the nearest lodge, let them know you are a member of Blank Lodge # Blank in BLankville, the secretary there can get in touch with your home lodge and then you can join the local (usually).
If you are back in the same town but have not paid your dues while away, you will need to petition for reinstatement.
If you are in a different town and havent paid dues, petition for reinstatement from original lodge, then join new.
Depending on local regulations you may or may not be able to be a member of more than one lodge, so you may need to demit the original lodge if you want to join one locally...that just depends on your locations code.
Thanks for the information! I am in a different town now and haven't paid dues, so I take it I need to be reinstated for membership at my original lodge. I have found the new secretary's email and will email him as soon as I submit this. Hopefully I can get back in and up to speed. Thanks a lot!
The secretary at your home lodge should be able to give you exact information on reinstatement...I could give you exact for Utah, but that probably wont do you much good.
Most likely, you are looking at dues for however many years until you were dropped for NPD (here that would be two years), plus the current years dues, then your petition will be balloted on, so its a couple of month process (depending on how often the lodge meets).
I hate to think how much it all will be. Surely they will work with me and give me some type of payment plan.
I have another question: Are women allowed to be free-masons now? When I was going through, I remember them telling me that I must be a 21 year old male in good standing. I looked at the website for Kentucky Grand Lodge and it states that the age limit has dropped to 18, and on another masonic forum there were women on there. Thanks!
Originally posted by kytraveler: I hate to think how much it all will be. Surely they will work with me and give me some type of payment plan.
I have another question: Are women allowed to be free-masons now? When I was going through, I remember them telling me that I must be a 21 year old male in good standing. I looked at the website for Kentucky Grand Lodge and it states that the age limit has dropped to 18, and on another masonic forum there were women on there. Thanks!
No, women are not allowed to be Masons. The ones on the forum you visited might be members of an appendant organization (OES, etc) or they are members of a clandestine lodge (there are a few "Co-Masonry" lodges around)
