Faith in God, Hope in Immortality, & Charity to all Mankind
Faith in God, Hope in Immortality, & Charity to all Mankind
Please Contact Us if you're interested in joining or have questions.
The 'Lodge' means two things in Freemasonry. It refers to a group of Masons coming together in fellowship, and also refers to the room or building in which they meet.
A Masonic Lodge is more than a building; it's an organization made up of and sustained by the members themselves. It's a tight-knit group of men who've vowed to aid, support, and protect each other. Above all, a Masonic Lodge represents open arms, a helping hand, and brotherly love to every Mason; anywhere, at any time.
Freemasonry is the word’s oldest and largest Fraternity. It aims to promote Friendship, Morality, and Brotherly Love among its members; men from every race, religion, opinion, and background who are brought together as Brothers to develop and strengthen the bonds of friendship. There are more than 3 million members meeting in nearly every free country in the world. Freemasonry proposes to “make good men better” by teaching – with metaphors from geometry and architecture – about building values based on great universal truths. Finally, Charity and Community Service is fundamental to Freemasonry and something we actively take part in!
ASK!... A common phrase you'll see across Masonry is "2Be1Ask1". What this means is in order to become a Mason, you have to ASK a Mason. While we warmly welcome all men who are interested in joining our fraternity, it is a long standing tradition in our fraternity that no Mason will ever ask you to join or solicit members.
Masonry is a fraternal organization, meaning you must be a man and at least 18 years of age or older to join.
In addition to being a man over the age of 18, you MUST believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and be of good moral character. All religions, sects, denominations, and opinions are accepted in Masonry, the only requirement is that you believe in a Higher Power. No atheist can become a Mason.
A member of our Lodge will invite you to meet with some of our members. Once you have met at least 2 of our members who can personally vouch for your character, you can request a petition (application) to officially join our Lodge.
After meeting at least 2 members who can vouch for your character and submitting your petition, our members will vote on your petition at the next Stated Communication, which is held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. When the Lodge has voted to approve your petition, you will be Initiated and begin working through the degrees of Masonry.
There is no set timeframe from the first contact to being able to say you're a Master Mason, and there are 2 distinct timelines involved. On average, it takes around 1-2 months from the first contact to having approval on your petition to join. Then, the process through the degrees to become a Master Mason can take anywhere from 3 months to a year or more.
Like most things in life, you get out of Masonry what you put into Masonry; yet, it is not meant that Masonry should interfere with your familial, work, or other duties. Very little is asked of you during the petitioning process, just an open invitation to our social gatherings if you're able. After Initiation a small amount of your time is needed each week to progress through the degree work, typically this requires no more than 3-4 hours per week or more based on availability.
Matthews Masonic Lodge #461
184 South Trade Street, Matthews, North Carolina 28105, United States
Copyright © 2024 Matthews Masonic Lodge #461 - All Rights Reserved.
2 Be 1 Ask 1
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