# Picking the right lodge.



## Castiel (Feb 21, 2014)

San Antonio is amongst one of the largest cities in Texas. I have visited the Grand lodge of Texas website and I continue to be overwhelmed with deciding one which lodge to visit first. Any ideas on how to start the visitation process? 


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## Brother JC (Feb 21, 2014)

Take a road map of SA, start at your house, and spiral out...


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## timothybeasley (Feb 23, 2014)

Agreed. Close to home is very good.


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## dfreybur (Feb 24, 2014)

Check out the page for the 39th district MWS - Masters Wardens Secretaries Association

http://mwsa39.albertpikedemolay.org/

Click on the left - Lodge Directory

The site offers a map of the GLofTX lodges in the San Antonio area and it has address and time of Stated meeting for all of the lodges.

When there are a lot of lodges to chose from there are several criteria to consider.  Closeness to home, to work, to other places you go.  If day of meetings conflict with standing calendar entries you have.  Do you want a large active lodge to be a small fish in a big pond so following works well or do you want a small intimate lodge to be a big fish in a small pond but you will need to be proactive.  An old or new lodge in history; an old or young lodge in demographics.

The more you know what you're looking for the fewer you'll need to visit before narrowing down your decision to affiliate, and vice versa.

Your profile doesn't say if you are already a brother.  If you have friends at one of the local lodges that's likely the one to petition, but you need to show up to meet the brethren and get to know them.  If you know plenty of locals there will be members of at least one local lodge who you didn't know/notice is a Mason.


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## rfuller (Feb 25, 2014)

Close to home is a good place to start, but I wouldn't stop there.  Each lodge absolutely has it's own personality.  You need to kind of feel out the lodges a little bit, and figure out where you will fit in best.  There's a lodge literally a minute's drive from my office, or about 8 minutes away from my house.  It's a fantastic lodge, but I just don't fit in with the culture of that lodge, for lack of a better term.  I go to the lodge that's furthest from my home in my city.  It's where I fit in.  I would almost equate it with finding a church, except the "message" is going to be the same at every lodge.  You'll just find a different group of people at each one. So keep that in mind. Best of luck to you!


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## eXillmatic (Feb 26, 2014)

rfuller said:


> Close to home is a good place to start, but I wouldn't stop there.  Each lodge absolutely has it's own personality.  You need to kind of feel out the lodges a little bit, and figure out where you will fit in best.  There's a lodge literally a minute's drive from my office, or about 8 minutes away from my house.  It's a fantastic lodge, but I just don't fit in with the culture of that lodge, for lack of a better term.  I go to the lodge that's furthest from my home in my city.  It's where I fit in.  I would almost equate it with finding a church, except the "message" is going to be the same at every lodge.  You'll just find a different group of people at each one. So keep that in mind. Best of luck to you!



I agree with this 100%. I didn't shop around too much because I knew a few Masons at the lodge I petitioned. I live approximately 40 minutes drive from my lodge, but the lodge in my area does not appeal to me (and there are actually several brother who live near me and make the 40 minute drive as well). That's not to say the lodge is a bad lodge, it just isn't a fit for me, and the last thing you want is to petition a lodge and feel discouraged to go to meetings because they aren't enjoyable to you.


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## SeattleMason0613 (Feb 27, 2014)

Yeah I never shopped around either, I was fortunate the first lodge I came across was the closest and best fit for me. As a lodge with an average age of 30, who loves to have fun and take there ritual work seriously it couldn't be a better fit. 


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## Brother_Steve (Feb 28, 2014)

Castiel said:


> San Antonio is amongst one of the largest cities in Texas. I have visited the Grand lodge of Texas website and I continue to be overwhelmed with deciding one which lodge to visit first. Any ideas on how to start the visitation process?
> 
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


It's like meeting new people at a party. You eventually settle in with a cliche that you get along with. It is the same with lodges. You float around until you find one that fits.

There is nothing more uncomfortable than shaking hands with men you want to get to know yet wind up looking at them and going hmmph because the awkward silence falls over the both of you.


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