# Length of first 3 degrees



## BWiederhold (Oct 14, 2013)

I'm sure y'all have answered this question a million times and I apologize in advance. I'm sure it varies from lodge to lodge but how long does it normally take to become an MM?


~Open Minded~


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## j_gimpy (Oct 14, 2013)

It took me three months, but it's certainly not the end of the journey. 


Master Mason
Phoenix Lodge #154
Sumner, Washington


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## BWiederhold (Oct 14, 2013)

Thanks for the quick response!  


~Open Minded~


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## crono782 (Oct 14, 2013)

Three months is certainly pretty quick (I did mine in 3 as well, though as I've stated before, my biggest regret so far is going through so quickly). I think normally a year is average, but some go quicker and some slower.


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## bro.gaines (Oct 14, 2013)

I'm getting mines on the 26th of this month. Took two years for me.

My Freemasonry HD


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## jvarnell (Oct 14, 2013)

bro.gaines said:


> I'm getting mines on the 26th of this month. Took two years for me.
> My Freemasonry HD


It took me a couple of years also and I believe we had more time to get more meaning out of it.  Good luck in your future endeavors.


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## SeattleMason0613 (Oct 14, 2013)

I became an EA in June and a Fellowcraft in September and if everything goes right I'll be raised in December 


My Freemasonry HD


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## BroBill (Oct 14, 2013)

BWiederhold said:


> I'm sure y'all have answered this question a million times and I apologize in advance. I'm sure it varies from lodge to lodge but how long does it normally take to become an MM?
> 
> 
> ~Open Minded~



Depends on you and your instructor. You should feel you are ready to turn in your proficiency and advance, but your instructor must also feel you've learned your material and are ready to advance. Do move quickly, but do learn the material.  

Having said that, I took almost a year to turn in my EA due to changes in my work schedule, but then I completed my FC and MM very quickly- a few months- after that.  

BroBill


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## dfreybur (Oct 14, 2013)

When I was ready for my first degree proficiency I waited until there was another first degree at my lodge.  I presented between the lecture and the closing.  I did the same for my second degree.  For me it took just under a year from initiation to raising.

I haven't seen an all the way in one day festival yet.  None of my jurisdictions do them with any regularity.  It's been over 10 years since one was done in Illinois and I think Texas does not allow them at all.

The fastest I've seen was three degrees in three days immediately before being shipped overseas in the military - Lots of veterans flocked to that lodge to form the degree teams.  The slowest was a few years between degrees.

Normally?  Does that mean a range that fits maybe 90% of brothers?  A couple of months to a bit over a year.  It's a wide range.


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## MarkR (Oct 15, 2013)

If you think about it, it's most often two, not three months.  You get initiated, a month later passed, and another month later raised.  Two months total.


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## Vikti (Oct 15, 2013)

My son was just initiated last night and he was told that he must wait 10 months before turning in his EA.  He was kind of bummed out about it until we got him to realize that there is a ton of information to not only learn but to comprehend.

All in all I think it took me 14 months from initiation to.turning in my Masters.

My Freemasonry HD


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## CStevenson (Oct 15, 2013)

BW, 
I think the average range is about 6 months to a year.  Of course it can be done faster or slower depending on a large number of factors.  My advice, and the advice of many others, is that Masonry is a life long journey.  Make sure before you join, that you have time in your life's schedule to put towards Masonry.  I feel that Masonry has made my life better and I believe it can make the lives of most men better if they utilize the lessons.  If you join, and I hope you do, make sure that you not only learn the material presented, but start to implement the material into your life as you learn it.  With each step there is wisdom.  Your journey to MM may be a long one or a rather short one, but make sure to enjoy each step.


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## streeter (Oct 15, 2013)

18 months...
Sussex England...
1983/84


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## otherstar (Oct 15, 2013)

I was initiated in Sept. of 1997, and raised in Dec. of that same year (3 months). At that time, you were REQUIRED to wait one month between degrees in Texas, now that waiting period is only two weeks. It still takes our EAs a while to learn their EA work, but some of them can and do get raised fairly quickly after they are passed to the FC degree.


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## dMartin54 (Oct 15, 2013)

j_gimpy said:


> It took me three months, but it's certainly not the end of the journey.
> 
> 
> Master Mason
> ...



Hello friend. I am from Yakima, Washington. I am very interested in becoming a Freemason. I have a meeting at 3:30 with someone from my Lodge here in Yakima. I am nervous. Is there anything I should tell him specifically. Basically I'm looking for some advise on entering the Freemason brotherhood. 
Thank you sir. 


My Freemasonry HD


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## dfreybur (Oct 15, 2013)

otherstar said:


> I was initiated in Sept. of 1997, and raised in Dec. of that same year (3 months). At that time, you were REQUIRED to wait one month between degrees in Texas, now that waiting period is only two weeks.



Is there a military waiver for candidates about to be deployed overseas?  In another jurisdiction we've had veterans flock to a lodge to form degree teams to move a new brother through before deployment.  Then he comes back and has to do the proficiencies.


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## Bill Rose (Oct 15, 2013)

I was initiated December 1987, Passed 1988 and raised in 1989


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## Milos-33 (Oct 15, 2013)

Dear All ***

I took my intiation in Lebanon, but due to our political situation, the lodge was not meeting frequently so i had to learn more about Freemasonry from an instructor; books and net.

Currently i m living in kuwait, any reccommendation to contact anyone or how to enlarge my knowledge in teachings?




Milos-33


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## Michaelstedman81 (Oct 15, 2013)

dfreybur said:


> Is there a military waiver for candidates about to be deployed overseas?  In another jurisdiction we've had veterans flock to a lodge to form degree teams to move a new brother through before deployment.  Then he comes back and has to do the proficiencies.



A lodge can get a dispensation for active duty military service members (including those that are Guard and Reserve called up to Active status) to get whatever degrees are needed to become a Master Mason before deploying.  From what I remember, the lodge Sec sends up the request, and the GM approves it. I don't know for sure if that goes for EA, though.  For example, I don't know if some guy that hasn't been initiated yet comes down on orders to deploy and suddenly decides (or is finally able to) join the lodge can petition and get all THREE degrees.  I think that the guy can, but I'm not totally positive as I have heard it both ways, and don't have my law book right with me.

Basically, what this law "waives" is the requirement to turn in the proficiencies for the first two degrees before getting the next degree, and then requires the service member to turn in the Master Mason proficiency within 90 days of being back home.  For example, an EA comes down on orders to deploy and the Sec sends up the dispensation request and the GM approves it.  He can then get his FC without turning in his EA proficiency, and also his MM degree without turning in the proficiency for the FC.  But, like I said, it is still mandatory to turn in the Master Mason proficiency, but within 90 days of being back.  

This situation is what happened to me.  I ended up getting my FC and MM both in one night.  If you have access to the law book, it states specifically whether or not the service member has to be an EA before requesting this or not.  But, I have seen lodges move things along really quickly to make sure he was initiated in time.  Bro. Bill would be a good source of which Article this falls under.


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## Brother JC (Oct 15, 2013)

The lad I am mentoring is going to college 2,000 miles from his Lodge, so his Degrees have been 3-6 months apart. He is actually quite happy with this arrangement, as studying in Greek and Latin takes most of his brain cells.


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## Bill Lins (Oct 16, 2013)

Michaelstedman81 said:


> A lodge can get a dispensation for active duty military service members (including those that are Guard and Reserve called up to Active status) to get whatever degrees are needed to become a Master Mason before deploying.  From what I remember, the lodge Sec sends up the request, and the GM approves it. I don't know for sure if that goes for EA, though.  For example, I don't know if some guy that hasn't been initiated yet comes down on orders to deploy and suddenly decides (or is finally able to) join the lodge can petition and get all THREE degrees.  I think that the guy can, but I'm not totally positive as I have heard it both ways, and don't have my law book right with me.
> 
> Basically, what this law "waives" is the requirement to turn in the proficiencies for the first two degrees before getting the next degree, and then requires the service member to turn in the Master Mason proficiency within 90 days of being back home.  For example, an EA comes down on orders to deploy and the Sec sends up the dispensation request and the GM approves it.  He can then get his FC without turning in his EA proficiency, and also his MM degree without turning in the proficiency for the FC.  But, like I said, it is still mandatory to turn in the Master Mason proficiency, but within 90 days of being back.
> 
> This situation is what happened to me.  I ended up getting my FC and MM both in one night.  If you have access to the law book, it states specifically whether or not the service member has to be an EA before requesting this or not.  But, I have seen lodges move things along really quickly to make sure he was initiated in time.  Bro. Bill would be a good source of which Article this falls under.


Here is the Article for which you are looking:

*Art. 39. (39). Shortening Time for Degrees.* 
_In cases of extreme emergency the Grand Master is authorized to grant dispensation to postpone the examination for proficiency in such cases to such time as he may direct, and to ballot on such a candidate at a special meeting if the emergency requires it. (Revised 1997)

_As I read this, the proficiencies for all the degrees may be postponed, but not "waived". Absent any other language, I'd conclude that, sooner or later, the Brother would have to learn the catechism of each degree & demonstrate his proficiency. Furthermore, I don't see where a candidate could be initiated without going through the process of having his petition presented and he being investigated, nor would I support such a procedure. I can only conclude that a candidate must be regularly initiated before Article 39 would apply.


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