# Hi, I'm new and stuff.



## thatusername (Jan 17, 2017)

Hello,

Personally I like to lurk awhile before posting so as not to stick my foot in my mouth and to avoid asking questions, or posting things that have been discussed multiple times over. That being said you have a rule here and as I understand it I’m not only required to post within five days of account creation, but I’m also required to post kinda sorta often after that.

From my ~weeks’ worth of lurking I’ve discovered it’s best to answer a few questions up front. I’m not a Freemason. I do plan on petitioning in a few months. I’m a male. I believe in a higher power.

Now it’s time for the about me and why I’m here part of the post. I don’t have a lot of friends. I’ve got plenty of Facebook friends, and acquaintances, some of which I think very highly of, and I’m sure they feel the same about me. When it comes down to friends people who I can trust with anything, people I’d drop whatever I’m doing to help out, and people who’d help me out without a second thought… well five people in my life that fill that category, a couple of years ago I found out three of them are Freemasons. Before that time I hadn’t really given freemasonry much of a thought I’ve watched a documentary or two on the History channel, rolled my eyes and gave it as much weight as I do the aliens/ghost/bigfoot shows but other than occasional curiosity it didn’t really register as something I cared about. Finding out that half of the people who really matter in my life are Freemasons changed my whole view on the thing, figured It might do me a little good to meet more people like them, so I started reading, and preparing to fill out a petition. I’m at a place in my life where I have enough free time and disposable income to make joining a reality. work is good, the kids are past the baby/toddler stage. So I’ve got the time to be an active member.

The other major reason for me deciding to join is due to the fact that I’m a huge nerd and really into genealogy and I’ve been noticing all the headstones of past family members engraved with the square and compass. From what I’ve read the rituals have been little changed over the years, and I think it’d be really, really cool to be part of the same group, and to go through the same rituals as my ancestors, sharing an experience with the people who’ve made me who I am even though we’ve never met will be really super cool guys … huge nerd…

The first book I read on the subject asked me to skip the chapters detailing the rituals and since then I’ve been avoiding any details. No spoilers please.


Sorry for rambling. I have other reasons for wanting to join but as it stands I think I’ve already typed too much, if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and please excuse my grammar, I was pretty crap in English class.


-thatusername


----------



## CLewey44 (Jan 17, 2017)

That's as good a reason as most. You will meet new folks who will be there for you and you will be expected to be there for them. Like-minded as well. I would advise that you do avoid over researching it.  Your ancestors probably had new clue what to expect due to lack of resources during their times. Maybe the occasional book or news article. It's a good practice in patience as well and you'll be able to genuinely experience the whole process as your presumable uncles, father, grandfathers or cousins etc. did. I hope to see soon you petitioned and was voted in if that is best suited for you and the Craft. Good luck!


----------



## Bloke (Jan 17, 2017)

thatusername said:


> Hello,
> 
> Personally I like to lurk awhile before posting so as not to stick my foot in my mouth and to avoid asking questions, or posting things that have been discussed multiple times over. That being said you have a rule here and as I understand it I’m not only required to post within five days of account creation, but I’m also required to post kinda sorta often after that.
> 
> ...



G'day G'day !

I had a friend who thought I should be a Freemason. I was not very interested. He got into difficulty and I helped him out, and after that he really started to turn up the heat. He said I was just the sort of person Freemasonry needs and I would get  a lot out of it.. .short version, I started asking around about Freemasonry. Many did not know of it, some were very anti, but a couple asked why I was asking and I said a friend thought I should join.. and they smiled and replied "I do too". They were Freemasons and people I respected a lot because of their character. Thirteen years on, it is one of the best decisions I made. I was drawn to the values of integrity and.. let's call it "honour", and I was very curious after doing some research (avoiding anything on the ceremonies because the man who proposed me recommended I didn't research that until after I'd joined, because I could not sort fact from fiction and I would compromise the experience, I rightfully trusted him and like you, skipped info on degree ceremonies, but promised myself I would leave if I saw or hear something in the ceremonies I did not like, years on I am a Past Master, having led lodges.... Now, the "secrets" are no big deal to me, but what matters is being in a friendship group who value character beyond everything and it has given me (and my other half) some great friends. Freemasonry is more than the lodge you join or the people in it. It transcends that, it is a philosophical value system which affirms how (most) good men think they should conduct themselves in all relationships and situations..

I'm not much into genealogy but love history... masonic history is something I find especially interesting..


----------



## Warrior1256 (Jan 18, 2017)

Greetings and welcome to the forum. From what you have said I think that Masonry has a lot to offer you and you have a lot to offer Masonry.


----------



## dfreybur (Jan 18, 2017)

thatusername said:


> The first book I read on the subject asked me to skip the chapters detailing the rituals and since then I’ve been avoiding any details. No spoilers please.



Yes this approach please.  Read all you wish about our history and philosophy, about our service and charity activities.  But please do avoid the books that claim to expose the ritual.

We're men of faith and one of the first expressions of that is we put ourselves into the hands of our friends and have faith they will take good care of us.  Let us take care of you and let the experience be new for the most emotional impact.  It's an expression of trust that builds mutually over time.

I look forward to welcoming you into our adopted family in due time.


----------



## Warrior1256 (Jan 18, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> But please do avoid the books that claim to expose the ritual.


This is also what I was told by my mentor during my application process and I am very glad that I took heed. Each of the three rituals were a new and rich experience. Although none of the rituals on line that I have read get it all right they do get some of it right and, in my opinion, reading these beforehand takes away from the initial experience.


----------



## dfreybur (Jan 18, 2017)

I have encountered a guy who heard there is memorization so he got a book about ritual and memorized it.  Then he got to his degrees and it was similar to what he had memorized but different in enough details he found it jarring.  Completely spoiled the emotional impact of his degrees.  Even worse, he was then assigned the standard memorization proficiency so he had to correct his initial error.

Looking up the content of the degrees spoils the emotional impact and makes it harder.  All for an effort that could be anything from enthusiasm through disbelief but that we're of necessity going to view as not trusting that your friends will take good care of you.


----------



## Warrior1256 (Jan 18, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> I have encountered a guy who heard there is memorization so he got a book about ritual and memorized it. Then he got to his degrees and it was similar to what he had memorized but different in enough details he found it jarring. Completely spoiled the emotional impact of his degrees. Even worse, he was then assigned the standard memorization proficiency so he had to correct his initial error.


I was 58 years old when I joined. I found it hard enough to do all of the memorization required to begin with. It would have been that much harder if I had to "forget" and "relearn" parts of it. Would have been very confusing.


dfreybur said:


> All for an effort that could be anything from enthusiasm through disbelief but that we're of necessity going to view as not trusting that your friends will take good care of you.


Had not considered this part before but I totally agree.


----------



## CLewey44 (Jan 18, 2017)

@Warrior1256 Oh my goodness, I can't imagine having to not only learn it but initially forget it. I've heard three different states and they are all different.


----------



## Warrior1256 (Jan 18, 2017)

CLewey44 said:


> @Warrior1256 Oh my goodness, I can't imagine having to not only learn it but initially forget it. I've heard three different states and they are all different.


Here there is a little difference in the wording from lodge to lodge but not enough that whatever I learned in my lodge wouldn't work or vice versa. I haven't been to lodge in another state yet so have not heard an out of state proficiency so I wonder if the situation is the same?


----------



## BullDozer Harrell (Jan 19, 2017)

Good luck. I think you'll make a good Mason and friend to some lucky Brothers.

Android OS Nougat 7.0


----------



## Keith C (Jan 19, 2017)

From what you have written I agree with the others, you will get a lot out of Freemasonry and the Fraternity will be better for you having joined.

Also, as others have stated, you are wise to avoid writings etc that 'expose' the rituals.  Two other brothers went through the degrees in the same general time frame as I did. One of them, like me, avoided trying to find out what would happen ahead of time, the other always wanted to 'be ahead of the game.'
He even put a MM symbol on his car before even being Entered.  Well after all was said and done, he said he felt little impact from the 3 rituals, he knew ahead of time what would happen, and so had little of the anticipation and none of the "AHA" moments or profound feelings of awe that I and the other brother felt.


----------



## dfreybur (Jan 19, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> Here there is a little difference in the wording from lodge to lodge but not enough that whatever I learned in my lodge wouldn't work or vice versa. I haven't been to lodge in another state yet so have not heard an out of state proficiency so I wonder if the situation is the same?



The difference in the proficiencies is around the same as the difference in the rest of the ritual.

One big difference is size for each proficiency.  A lecture added or subtracted here, other material added or subtracted there.  The Texas EA proficiency is about twice the size of the California EA proficiency because Texas includes one of the lecture modules.  The California MM proficiency is about twice the size of the Texas MM because California includes a summary of the entire second section.  All in all it about evens out.


----------



## Warrior1256 (Jan 20, 2017)

dfreybur said:


> One big difference is size for each proficiency. A lecture added or subtracted here, other material added or subtracted there. The Texas EA proficiency is about twice the size of the California EA proficiency because Texas includes one of the lecture modules. The California MM proficiency is about twice the size of the Texas MM because California includes a summary of the entire second section. All in all it about evens out.


Ah, I see. From state to state there may simply be additional material in the proficiencies.


----------

