# Interested in Freemasonry



## JohnGoforth

Hello everyone. My name is John And I live in Converse, TX just outside of San Antonio close to Randolph AFB. I have been intrigued by and drawn to freemasonry for some time now. I am looking for a lodge to go to and meet people to find out about masonry and if all works out petition for a membership. If anyone here knows of someone in San Antonio or the surrounding areas that might be willing to talk with me or meet with me I would appreciate it.


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## LK600

http://grandlodgeoftexas.org/lodge-locator/

Here is a good place to start.  Plug in San Antonio and several will pop up.  Find a couple close to you and check them out; see what might suit you. 

Best of luck!


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## Warrior1256

LK600 said:


> Here is a good place to start. Plug in San Antonio and several will pop up. Find a couple close to you and check them out; see what might suit you.


Yep, great advice. Good luck and keep us informed of your progress.


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## JohnGoforth

Thank you gentlemen I will use this website to seek out a lodge. I will keep you up to date on my journey. In the meantime, if there is anyone on here that is a Freemason in San Antonio I'd love to talk to you and see what your input is about your lodge. There are so many on the website it's gonna be hard to tell which might fit me the best.


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## Bloke

JohnGoforth said:


> Thank you gentlemen I will use this website to seek out a lodge. I will keep you up to date on my journey. In the meantime, if there is anyone on here that is a Freemason in San Antonio I'd love to talk to you and see what your input is about your lodge. There are so many on the website it's gonna be hard to tell which might fit me the best.



Pick a geographic locations you can get to, then pick a night you can make, then check those lodges out by phone.... remember, the guys will be calling are all volunteers, sometimes it takes a while to hear back.

In my jurisdiction, I'd say narrow it down and call GL, but we have a paid staff and only 250 lodges to keep tract of; they'd know the lodge's reputation (young, old, good socials, women involved, conservative, progressive etc).

What intrigues and draws you to Masonry ?


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## JohnGoforth

To be honest the first time I read about it the phrase "freemasonry makes good men better" had me hooked. What man doesn't want to be a better man? What man doesn't want to help his fellow man? I want all these things and more  and I feel that masonry may be the thing For me.


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## Bloke

JohnGoforth said:


> To be honest the first time I read about it the phrase "freemasonry makes good men better" had me hooked. What man doesn't want to be a better man? What man doesn't want to help his fellow man? I want all these things and more  and I feel that masonry may be the thing For me.


Reminds me of the words I heard from  a Fellowcraft this year on the Brought to Light Masonic Podcast..

*“So I went to the Grand Lodge website and I had a look about what it was actually about and OMG, its good, but what do they want?, what is it really about and I kept looking for what they want?, what they want??..what they want???.. and I kept finding “Good Men”, they want “Good Men” and I am thinking;  where’s the catch? So when you join a soccer club, they want you to play soccer, and they want you to be good at it, when you join a chess club, same thing, good at chess, when you join a band, you gotta be able to play an instrument, you have to be the best at it. But when you join Freemasonry,  you just gotta be the best you can be at whatever you do, where ever you do it,  and that blew my mind...... I thought I need to met the people,...  maybe there is some crazy upper class one-percenters that I am not allowed to be around, and Jack said alright, come to a blue lounge event, and I thought what’s that, and Jack said just come, so I thought I would ignore the fact you said “Blue Lounge” and I will come... and I rocked up and there was a group of young blokes, drinking beer, having chats from all walks of life,....  and these were all different groups of different people from different places and different jobs, and I could not get my head around it. I still could not understand the real connection and the further I got into it, the more I spoke to these people, I realised they were all good people. That’s when I decided, yep, I am going to do this,  I am going to do this, this is cool, I want to be part of it.

http://www.lodgedevotion.net/Freemasonry-links/the-blue-lounge-social-club-blsc-overview/brought-to-light-masonic-podcast-ep-31-brothers-in-freemasonry*


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## JohnGoforth

So yes sir, this is exactly about how I feel. There is so much craziness and evil in the world today that I just want to be part of something good. With good men doing good things. I was in the military for 12 years until I was medically retired in 2012. During my time in I did and saw many crazy things but nothing I have been a part of since has given me that sense of brotherly love and fellowship I experienced. We had had each other's backs and knew that no matter what we would do anything, even die, for one another......I miss that.


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## Derek Harvey

Oh you will find men like that here. You will call them brothers too. There are many veterans in the fraternity. 

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## Warrior1256

Derek Harvey said:


> There are many veterans in the fraternity.


USMC here!


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## JohnGoforth

Air Force bomb/missile builder here! Currently work as a civilian at Randolph AFB as an explosives inspector.


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## Ripcord22A

JohnGoforth said:


> Air Force.



Sorry about that...lol...im just kidding fly boy.....US ARMY here...14yrs and counting

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## Glen Cook

JohnGoforth said:


> Air Force bomb/missile builder here! Currently work as a civilian at Randolph AFB as an explosives inspector.


You're jealous of the Navy's uniforms. You know you are.


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## JohnGoforth

Glen, I will never be jealous of anything Navy.....however, AF uniforms are lacking compared to our brother services!


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## JohnGoforth

So it seems like there is a large amount of lodges here in San Antonio. Some are big and very prominent looking and some are more small town/laid back looking. Appearance and numbers mean nothing to me. I'm a person who is more concerned with how active a lodge would be. Can anyone shine any light on how to tell how active a lodge is?


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## Warrior1256

Glen Cook said:


> You're jealous of the Navy's uniforms. You know you are.


I don't know about that. The USMC Dress Blues are something to behold, lol.


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## Keith C

JohnGoforth said:


> So it seems like there is a large amount of lodges here in San Antonio. Some are big and very prominent looking and some are more small town/laid back looking. Appearance and numbers mean nothing to me. I'm a person who is more concerned with how active a lodge would be. Can anyone shine any light on how to tell how active a lodge is?



Visit the Lodges, most will have a meal before their stated meeting which is a good way to get to know the bretheren, and discuss what sort of things they have going on.  Ask what activities they have going on in addition to Stated and Extra meetings, what sort of presence they have in the community, what if any charitable activities they are engaged in.

Check with the Grand Lodge and get the contact information for the Secretaries of the lodges you have an interest in.  Contact the Secretaries and check with them as to when the appropriate time to visit as a potential petitioner would be.

It is just like anything other organization you might be interested in joining, such as a place of worship, a community organization, a special interest club...Meet the members, ask questions and see where you will best fit in.


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## Phil P

An even better way is if you have time on Saturday May 27 every lodge in the state of Texas will be having an Open House between 10am until 2pm.  So you might want to make a visit, take a look around and ask questions


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## Thomas Stright

Phil P said:


> An even better way is if you have time on Saturday May 27 every lodge in the state of Texas will be having an Open House between 10am until 2pm.  So you might want to make a visit, take a look around and ask questions



Which still confuses me... why they picked a huge family holiday weekend to hold it. 


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## Phil P

Thomas Stright said:


> Which still confuses me... why they picked a huge family holiday weekend to hold it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


I hear ya, but that's what the Grand Master put on the schedule


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## JohnGoforth

Keith, I appreciate the advice and seems to be the way to go. Phil, that's great news! I will be making the rounds on the 27th! Thank you!


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## JohnGoforth

One more question fellas....how should one dress when visiting a lodge?


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## Illuminatio

JohnGoforth said:


> One more question fellas....how should one dress when visiting a lodge?



There will probably be varying opinions on this one, but as for mine, I'd recommend just business casual - nice shirt and khakis/dress pants. That will give you a good respectable look without being over dressed or under dressed. That's actually what most Brethren in the Lodges around where I am wear for everything but degrees. Most will go for a suit on a degree night. Anyway, business casual - good, safe bet in my book.


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## Ripcord22A

If ur going during the open house....just look presentable....if ur going on a meeting night....slacks and a dress shirt @ a min.  Preferably a tie.

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## Keith C

JohnGoforth said:


> One more question fellas....how should one dress when visiting a lodge?



If you were in PA I would tell you that a suit and tie are mandatory.  Elsewhere, you are best to ask as other jurisdictions have different dress standards that may vary from Lodge to Lodge.


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## Illuminatio

Keith C said:


> If you were in PA I would tell you that a suit and tie are mandatory.  Elsewhere, you are best to ask as other jurisdictions have different dress standards that may vary from Lodge to Lodge.



Just curious, would a Lodge really expect a potential new member visiting at a pre-meeting dinner (and possibly not knowing any better) to be in a suit?


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## Bloke

ShawnC said:


> Just curious, would a Lodge really expect a potential new member visiting at a pre-meeting dinner (and possibly not knowing any better) to be in a suit?



I'd expect it, but would require it..
( but that's here where dinner suit and bow tie are the universal "uniforn" at lodge... the States are different... I'd follow the "when in Rome" rule and ask)


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## Brother JC

ShawnC said:


> Just curious, would a Lodge really expect a potential new member visiting at a pre-meeting dinner (and possibly not knowing any better) to be in a suit?



I would "expect" them to have contacted us prior to that and not show up unannounced to dinner.
At my present lodge very few dinners are open to non-masons and preferred dress is white tie.


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## Warrior1256

JohnGoforth said:


> One more question fellas....how should one dress when visiting a lodge?


As a visitor I would advise slacks, shirt and tie. Jacket optional.


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## Keith C

ShawnC said:


> Just curious, would a Lodge really expect a potential new member visiting at a pre-meeting dinner (and possibly not knowing any better) to be in a suit?



Yes, we really expect that.  Visitors who attend are normally either other PA masons, Traveling Masons who contact the lodge prior to visiting or prospective petitioners who have made contact with the lodge Secretary.  The dress requirements are explained to all who make contact with the lodge.  No one would be turned away, but you would stand out like a sore thumb in anything less dressy than a suit and tie.


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## Matt L

Good luck on your journey. I suggest a suite, you can always take off the jacket. First impressions and all that.  Proud Green Amphibious Monster here.


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## Warrior1256

Keith C said:


> prospective petitioners who have made contact with the lodge Secretary. The dress requirements are explained to all who make contact with the lodge.


The best way to go.


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## JohnGoforth

Well guys, I made a visit on open house day today and was very pleased with what I found. I have a petition in hand and have made plans to start going to before meeting dinners for the foreseeable future to meet more of the brothers and hopefully be sponsored in in the near future. More to come!


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## Phil P

JohnGoforth said:


> Well guys, I made a visit on open house day today and was very pleased with what I found. I have a petition in hand and have made plans to start going to before meeting dinners for the foreseeable future to meet more of the brothers and hopefully be sponsored in in the near future. More to come!



Way to go, which lodge did you end up visiting?


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## JohnGoforth

Randolph lodge 1268


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## Phil P

JohnGoforth said:


> Randolph lodge 1268



Outstanding!!!  Keep us updated.  Btw my lodge also meets the 1st & 3rd Mon of each month as well


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## JohnGoforth

What lodge are you in?


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## Phil P

JohnGoforth said:


> What lodge are you in?



It's on my signature.  Huffman #1428 which is Northeast of Houston


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## Warrior1256

JohnGoforth said:


> Well guys, I made a visit on open house day today and was very pleased with what I found. I have a petition in hand and have made plans to start going to before meeting dinners for the foreseeable future to meet more of the brothers and hopefully be sponsored in in the near future. More to come!


Cool! Keep s informed.


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