# Employment status



## George Thorne (Oct 24, 2016)

How does employment effect chances of being accepted into masonry please? What are they looking for other than my belief in God and my character? 

Tha ks in advance


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 24, 2016)

Well in my jurisdictions having a job isn't a prerequsitie but you have to be able to support your self and those dependant upon you.  So if you are retired or on disability or independantly wealthy its all good.  But if your unemployed and dues will cause undo hardship then yes employment status will be an issue

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## dfreybur (Oct 25, 2016)

We take care of our own, so we reject candidates who don't support themselves.  Being unemployed is a bar to becoming a Mason in my jurisdictions but only a temporary one until you are once again gainfully employed.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 26, 2016)

Ripcord22A said:


> Well in my jurisdictions having a job isn't a prerequsitie but you have to be able to support your self and those dependant upon you.  So if you are retired or on disability or independantly wealthy its all good.  But if your unemployed and dues will cause undo hardship then yes employment status will be an issue
> 
> Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry mobile app


Same here. If dues would put an undue hardship on a person then they would be turned down.


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## Companion Joe (Oct 26, 2016)

When I am on an investigating committee, I always tell the petitioner up front "there are financial considerations" when joining the fraternity.
If you can't afford to pay your dues, you probably can't afford to pay your household bills. Those have to come first.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 27, 2016)

Companion Joe said:


> If you can't afford to pay your dues, you probably can't afford to pay your household bills. Those have to come first.


Absolutely!


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## Bloke (Oct 28, 2016)

Warrior1256 said:


> Same here. If dues would put an undue hardship on a person then they would be turned down.



That's true here as well...but we do have members on disability pensions who were on them when they petitioned... but "can you afford it" is a standard question; we would especially not like to adversely affect a family due to lodge representing a significant expense in your budget. If you are long term unemployed, it would be an issue, between jobs is different. One thing for sure, if you lie about it, I would vote against you on character rather than financial grounds, so put yourself in the hands of the members and be transparent and be guided by them. It will also depend on the lodge's resources and needs... if it has $200K in the bank and needs members, it will take a different view than if it is just scraping by...


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 28, 2016)

Bloke said:


> That's true here as well...but we do have members on disability pensions who were on them when they petitioned... but "can you afford it" is a standard question; we would especially not like to adversely affect a family due to lodge representing a significant expense in your budget. If you are long term unemployed, it would be an issue, between jobs is different. One thing for sure, if you lie about it, I would vote against you on character rather than financial grounds, so put yourself in the hands of the members and be transparent and be guided by them. It will also depend on the lodge's resources and needs... if it has $200K in the bank and needs members, it will take a different view than if it is just scraping by...


Absolutely agree. Both my wife and I were retired and living on pensions and SS when I joined. Since then I have joined two appendent bodies. We are both retired but we can afford it.


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