Becoming a Freemason
Becoming a Freemason is a lifetime endeavour. As such, the process of membership can, at times, be a little slow. However, the information below is provided as an explanation of the overall process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ashlar Lodge through the Contact Us page.
Step 1: Contact the Lodge
The first step, is to express your interest in joining a particular lodge. Nanaimo has three different Masonic Lodges in the community. Interested candidates are encouraged to research all three Lodges and determine the right fit for them.
If you know a Mason in the area, you should contact them and express your interest in joining the Craft. However, if you like many do not have any direct Masonic connection, you can use the link below to contact Ashlar Lodge and express your interest in joining.
Step 2: Meet a Mason.
Historically, membership in a Lodge required two active Freemasons to pledge on your behalf at a regular meeting. Today, the process is much the same, and a potential candidate still requires two active members to present their petition during a meeting. If you have expressed your interest through this website, we will organize a meeting with you somewhere in the community with two Brethren of Ashlar. The meeting is informal and is just an opportunity for potential sponsors to get to know you and you to know them.
This process can take some time and likely span multiple meetings. During relationship building process, expect to be invited to practice nights at the lodge, to our open houses, and many other informal events held at the Ashlar Temple. All of the above, is just to provide an opportunity for you to meet the Brethren and them meet you. This process can take some time.
Step 3 Sign a Petition.
Once the Brethren feel confident in your qualifications and fit for the lodge, the first formal step begins. You will be required to fill out a petition form and have two masons from Ashlar sign on your behalf.
There is a nominal $50 fee associated with the petition. If by chance you choose to withdraw your petition, or you are denied membership through the process that follows, the petition fee will be returned to you.
Step 4: Petition is Read.
Once the petition is received, it will be read at the next lodge meeting. Please note, that Ashlar meets once a month, and is closed during the summer. As such, expect at least a month to hear back about the petition.
During the reading of the petition, there will be a preliminary vote among the Brethren whether to accept or deny the request to join. This is a formality, and it is unlikely a petition would be denied at this step as you would have previously had the opportunity to meet the members of Ashlar on multiple occasions. The Lodge will then assign an investigation committee made of three Brethren to perform a formal meeting with you.
Step 5: Meet the Committee.
Shortly after your petition is read and the investigative committee is established, you will be contacted for a meeting at your home. This is an informal and friendly meeting, however, if you have a spouse they are required to be present during the meeting. There is a formal list of questions, but they are all pretty standard — ie, why do you want to be a Mason, what do you do, can you commit the time, etc.
Step 6: Vote on Initiation.
After the meeting at your home, the committee will present a report at the next meeting. From here, a formal ballot is held in lodge for the candidates admittance. For most candidates, if they make it to this stage then it is almost guaranteed they will be admitted. After a successful ballot, the Brethren will assign a date for your initiation into Freemasonry.
Step 7: Become a Mason.
Typically, committee reports and ballots are held at our standard meetings on the first Wednesday of every month. After a successful ballot, the Lodge hosts what is conventionally called an “emergent communications”. In other words, it is an emergent meeting held specifically for initiating candidates, and is almost always on the third Wednesday of the month. If you make it this far, there are considerable fees associated with your degrees. The total costs are such:
TOTAL COST: $500
Petition Fee: $50
E. A. Degree: $250
F. C. Degree: $100
M.M. Degree: $100
Step 8: Prove Up.
At the conclusion of every degree, you will be assigned a “coach” to tutor you through the process. Before you pass to the second degree, Fellowcraft, and again to the third, Master Mason, you will be expected to present an examination of the material in the degree in an open lodge meeting. This examination is strictly through rote memorization and can be a quite onerous hurdle to overcome. As explained on the About Us page, Ashlar practices what our Province calls the “Ancient work”. This is by far the longest and most wordy of Masonic rituals and should not be taken lightly by any interested candidate.
Each degree has a separate examination, and they range between 10-15 separate pages per degree. The important thing to remember is, every Mason who was a member of Ashlar Lodge over the past 150+ years has performed and accomplished the examinations between degrees.
Step 9: Pay Your Dues.
This step, and “paying your dues” is both literal and figurative. Prospective candidates are expected to understand the financial requirements and be in relatively stable financial health at the time of joining. Members of Ashlar are expected to pay $200/year in dues. These dues contribute to the overall running of the lodge and keep the heat, electricity, and internet running.
Figuratively, paying your dues mean attending Lodge and actively participating in the Masonic community of Nanaimo and abroad. Once you become a Master Mason, the community opens up and you will be able to travel to other lodges and join appendant and concordant bodies, such as the Scottish Rite, York Rite, the Shrine etc.
READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP?
Begin the process by contacting us through the link below.
Ashlar Lodge 