ANSWER: FREEMASONRY IS A SOCIETY THAT TEACHES A PHILOSOPHY WHICH GIVES EACH MEMBER THE TOOLS HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE AND BECOME THE BEST VERSION OF HIMSELF!
Above all, Freemasonry (or Masonry) reminds its members that there is more to life than the challenges they face each day. Freemasonry encourages each man to worship and further their relationship with God but it does not dictate a path to salvation, as this is left to a Brothers Church, Temple, Mosque, etc. Freemasonry accepts men of all races and creeds, requiring only three beliefs that most men (and religions) agree upon; a belief in a supreme being, the divine authenticity of the holy scriptures (whatever your faith is), and life after death or the immortality of the soul.
People find Masonry hard to define because it encompasses so many areas… history, philosophy, charity, ritual, etc… but our favorite definition is “the Brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God!” After it has equipped a good man with the tools to improve himself, it surrounds him with other good men who are on the same journey! If you are interested in joining you should find a Masonic Lodge near you and ASK to join; you will never be asked by a Mason to join because each man must make that choice for himself.
If accepted, it will change your life for the better, as it leads to true friendships with good men and mentors you would have never known otherwise.
Taken from a writing by Brother Brad Billings
The Masonic Lodge is the foundational organization unit of Freemasonry. It is comprised of a group of Freemasons, and resides under the Grand Lodge of its jurisdiction.
White Rock No. 234 is a Texas Masonic Lodge under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Texas. A Grand Lodge issues charters for all Masonic Lodges to be official.
In Texas, all Masonic Lodges Chartered under the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas are A.F. & A.M. Masonic Lodges, which stands for Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. The Masonic Grand Lodge is the highest authority of Masonry for its members, so there is nothing “higher” in Masonry than the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas for Texas Freemasons.
White Rock No. 234 was Chartered under the Grand Lodge of Texas in June of 1859.
MASONIC LODGE LEVELS OR LODGE ORGANIZATION
Every “Blue Lodge” or regular working Masonic Lodge in the world is made up of three primary Masonic Lodge Levels, or Degrees. These are different stages of membership within the Freemason Society.
The three prime Lodge levels are the Entered Apprentice (EA), the Fellowcraft (FC), and the Master Mason (MM). Each Lodge is divided up into three sub Lodges which are made up of each of these Masonic Lodge levels.
In other words, each Masonic Lodge is comprised of an Entered Apprentice Lodge, a Fellowcraft Lodge, and a Master Mason’s Lodge. You must pass your Masonic Degrees to be admitted into the subsequent Masonic Degree and thus attendance for the higher Lodges is dependent on your participation, and advancement in the lower Lodges and Degrees.
MASONIC LODGE NUMBERS
All Texas Masonic Lodge’s are chartered with Lodge names and with Masonic Lodge Numbers. White Rock Masonic Lodge is Chartered as Masonic Lodge Number 234. Our number reflects that we are the 234th Masonic Lodge chartered in Texas.
MASONIC LODGE BELIEFS
Freemasons are free to believe just about whatever they want, which is why our membership is comprised of so many men of differing political views, religions, interests, and professions. There is no “dogma” of official Masonic Lodge Beliefs as a unified ideology that we all follow.
That being said, there is a system or framework of Masonic beliefs that hold us all together as a global society, and which we can all loosely agree upon. Those Masonic Lodge beliefs are:
Belief in a higher power. Lodges don’t define what that is, but to be a Freemason, you must believe that there is something higher than yourself.
The immortality of the soul. Masons do believe that the nature of their existence, will continue to exist, in some form, for all of eternity
Brotherly love. We are taught to love each other and all of human kind.
Relief. We believe that we should provide relief for this in a true need of it.
Truth. We believe that there are in fact universal truths, and that the rational mind can come to understand and know those truths, and it is the job of the rational seeker to pursue these truths.
So while Freemasons do not all collectively believe in the same religion, follow the same interpretation of God, agree on who they are going to vote for in the next election, or just about anything else for that matter, all Freemasons agree in these five basic understandings or Masonic Lodge beliefs of how to live and build a good life with one another.
CLANDESTINE OR NON-RECOGNIZED MASONIC LODGES
If you are looking to join a Lodge, beware that unfortunately there are many conmen posing themselves as Grand Master’s and Grand Lodges. Make sure the Masonic Lodge you look to petition for membership is recognized by other Jurisdictions, or else you will not be able to network with the regular Masons throughout the world. Likewise, if you join a non-regular Masonic Lodge, or a clandestine Masonic Lodge, as Masons call them, then you may be scammed into joining an organization that does not have any knowledge of the Masonic Secrets.
If you join a non recognized lodge, you may also be conned into paying extremely high dues and degree fees, as well as be subjected to hazing.
Joining a Masonic Lodge is a noble experience and should be treated as such, so please do your research when searching for a Lodge to insure you join a regular and recognized Masonic Lodge. You will want to make sure that you are joining a regular Blue Masonic Lodge and becoming a Blue Lodge Mason to enjoy all the benefits of Brotherhood.
MASONIC LODGE MEMBERSHIP
Masonic Lodge membership is comprised of males that are of age to join a Freemason Lodge. In Texas joining a Lodge requires you to be at least 18 years of age, however in many circumstances, it is recommended that young men wait until they feel they are in a stable place in life before petitioning a Masonic Lodge. Joining a Masonic Lodge is a huge responsibility, meant to be a lifetime of commitment and it is highly recommended that you fully know yourself, and who you want to be in life before requesting membership into a Lodge.
If you would like to become a Lodge member, you can fill out a Masonic Lodge application. You will need two signatures of recommenders from the Lodge you are petitioning and three additional signatures of members of the Fraternity in order to be eligible to be voted upon for membership. Masonry is not like most other organizations in the world today. You will never be reached out to and asked to join. you must reach out to Lodge members and ask of them to join.
If you petition a Lodge, and are successfully admitted into this Great Society, you will be a Lodge Member upon receiving your Master Mason’s Degree, and you will be entitled to attend all regular Masonic Lodge Meetings, both at your Masonic Lodge, and elsewhere.
If you have any further questions about Masonic Lodge membership, you can reach out to us.
Thank you for your interest in joining White Rock Lodge and becoming a Freemason. The application process can be lengthy, so we would like to take this time to set your expectations and explain the process. If you have any questions about membership, please contact us or visit the lodge for dinner on the first Tuesday of the month. We look forward to meeting you!
Note: Submitting an application does not mean that you have been accepted into the Lodge. You must adhere to the membership process below.
STEP 1 – To Be One, Ask One!
The first step to joining the Freemason Fraternity, is as simple as reaching out to a Mason that you may already know and asking him, “How do I join?”. If you have not had any previous experience with Masons or Freemasonry that’s okay too.
STEP 2 – Let’s Get To Know Each Other
The second step is to stop by and visit with us. Don’t be shy when you arrive, please sign the guest book and introduce yourself. If you do plan to attend for the first time, we would appreciate it if you would email us and let us know in advance that you are coming so we can expect you.
Regular attendance is expected before petitioning so you understand the process of joining and of becoming a Master Mason while we get to know you. Note that this is not a process that happens overnight. We need to get to know each other first! The membership process may take a few months so please understand our timeline before proceeding.
Step 3 – Submit Your Petition For Membership
Now you are familiar with Freemasonry and our Lodge, and you have decided to petition White Rock No. 234 to become a member. The third step is to start the application process by asking for a petition, completing it and submitting it in person, to the Secretary. It would be a good idea to first visit with the Worshipful Master and Secretary of our lodge to discuss your intentions.
You will need to get five (5) references of Master Masons on your petition two of whom must be members of this Lodge. They can be members you have met while visiting our lodge. Remember that a Mason who gives you a reference is putting his name on your petition for membership, so he will want to get to know you before you ask him for the reference.
Once the petition is filled out, you will submit (1) the completed petition, and (2) a copy of your birth certificate to the lodge Secretary in person.
Step 4 – Committee Investigation
Once your petition has been submitted, the lodge Secretary will read your petition at the next Stated (monthly) Meeting whereby the lodge conducts business. A committee of three (3) Master Masons who are members of this lodge will be assigned to perform an in-person investigation. One of the committee members will contact you to schedule a visit with you, preferably at your home, sometime before the next Stated Meeting.
Step 5 – Vote
At the next Stated Meeting, the committee will make their report to the lodge. Members of this lodge will then vote on your petition. You will be notified shortly thereafter of the results.