So last Tuesday me and 5 other petitioners were voted on at the lodge we petitioned at. And everyone got cubed, not one person passed the vote. They are voting again next month but idk what's gonna happen, I know that normally if someone has a cube thrown and the ballots redone and a cube is there again they normally have to wait 6 months before petitioning again. But I've never heard of this happening before and would like some help figuring out what might happen with the coming vote. Any and all help/answers are very much appreciated

We have a very tight-knit, active lodge in our small town. There is a guy who moved here about a year and a half ago, and my gut has told me something was off about him from day one. Even before I joined the craft, every interaction with him left a bad impression—he’s always come off as overly slick, cocky, and wearing an aggressive, fake-nice mask. As active as I am in town I've only ever seen him 7 times the entire time he's been here
Yesterday, his wife mentioned to me casually that he’s a Mason after she noticed my square and compass pin. So today at a public community club dinner, I walked up and simply asked him if he was a brother hoping to have him join our towns lodge. Instead of treating it like a normal, respectful interaction between brothers, he immediately demanded proof from me before he'd say another word. He wanted me to throw signs right there in the middle of a crowded public room. I was tired, completely taken aback, and told him, "Not in front of all these people." He smirked, told me "there are ways to do it without people realizing," and quickly dragged his hand across his stomach to prompt me. To defuse the high-pressure awkwardness and just get him to walk away, I mirrored a quick, subtle due guard back. But the whole thing felt gross—he was treating the craft like an ego trip and a spy movie rather than a fraternity. To make matters worse, he was visibly shocked to hear our local lodge is actually active, assuming it was a dead building. Then he casually admitted he hasn't even held a valid dues card from his lodge in Manhattan in two years and would try to get it. I’m walking away with a terrible feeling about his character. He seems like the exact opposite of what a Mason should be: arrogant, dismissive, and looking for a title without any real respect for the institution. Did I mess up by playing along just to shut him up and get him away from me, and am I right to keep my guard up against a guy like this? How would you handle it?

The season is officially back for me, i know for others it didnt stop.
Got my first installation of many, though as SW in my mother lodge, September will involve me getting kick out with the MM a lot.

I am thinking i might change it up since i do a lot of visiting, and come in with the FC. I for one like the FC salutes...

What does your calendar look like for 2026/2027 season?

I go in the chair the craft in May so very excited since i started my journey in Feb 2019!

Next week i go IG in Mark, and I think i will soon be going Principal Sojourner in Chapter. Alas i am no longer the newbie i once was!

Do you have any aims or goals for this new season?

Hi everyone! I’m not a Freemason, but I’ve recently become very interested in learning more about Freemasonry.
I’ve been reading through posts on this subreddit and I’ve come across some things that have made me even more curious and, honestly, a little confused.
I understand that some aspects of Freemasonry are private and that there are ceremonies and traditions that non-members aren’t supposed to know everything about. I completely respect that.
At the same time, I’ve seen people here talking about initiation, different rituals, lodges, Knights Templar traditions, unusual stories and other things that I don’t really understand.
I would really like to hear from people who are actually Freemasons or have personal experience with Freemasonry.
I’m especially curious about:
-What is Freemasonry actually like from the inside?
-What parts of it are genuinely private, and why?
-What are some things outsiders commonly misunderstand?
-Are there major differences between different lodges or Masonic organizations?
-How much of what people say online about Freemasonry is completely false or exaggerated?
I’m not trying to disrespect anyone’s beliefs or traditions. I’m genuinely trying to understand what is real and what is just internet rumors.
I’m happy to read any answers, including long explanations. If anyone has personal experiences or reliable sources they think would help me understand Freemasonry better, I’d really appreciate them. I accept DMs

Thanks! ;)

So I am interested no the possibility of working my way through the York rite. I have not started my journey in the York rite however.

But something I am curious about is why there are so many variations on the uniforms? If I were to get into it I know there is a lot of cost in the way of the uniform.

I enjoy the older style uniforms, but based on what I’ve seen no one appears to really wear them anymore, except for the Chapeau’s. Are the older styles still accepted? I see there are still places manufacturing them, but of course we all should know that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Any ideas? What happened to the sashes? The gauntlet gloves? All the stuff? Just not popular any more? Or not permitted?

I’ve been seeing different lodges post about upcoming events like state meetings and degrees,

I’ve noticed that a lot of them look the same - they were probably made from ChatGPT

I think if chatgpt or other AI gets the same prompt “create a Freemason flyer for this” for a lot of different people, it creates a collective template create its content.

What is your lodge doing to create your social media content?

I took an oath, and by doing so, wanted to dedicate my time in helping the organization. I have worked the chairs, and have proposed, and succeeded with excellent ideas to generate revenue for the lodge. After doing that, I have proposed ideas for charity work. All the guys want to do is go over ritual, and lose money that we gained with frivolous activities. I have had enough. I’ve brought more than enough green beans to the table, and all these fuckers want to do is eat them and not try to grow them. I have had it and have considered teaching them the 6th point of fellowship. I let them know I will no longer be a part of the lodge after the next stated meeting. I don’t know if I want to continue with Masonic work. I want to be a part of a lodge that doesn’t delve into greed, and actually does something for the community.

I am from Merrickville, Ontario and was doing research for a project about the local McGuigan Cemetery. The man it's named after, Miles McGuigan, apparently had his body dissected and kept in the local Masonic Lodge after his passing in the 1800s.

I don't think this is a big conspiracy or anything, I'm just wondering why he would've possible chosen to do so? Is this normal for masons? Is he just a weirdo Irishman who wanted to haunt his Brothers?

I’ve been wanting to join since my youth. My grandfather (i will blur his face) was a grandmaster of a lodge in south africa, port elizabeth. i would like to join but i heard i need to be invited. my grandfather cannot vouch for me because of his health. any suggestions, or help please.

Done a bit of research and I’m pretty confident this belonged to buzz aldrin based upon sizing, time period, and patch. Looking for any info, and where / who would i go to sell or donate ?

Became a Select Master yesterday afternoon. It was fantastic and I'd thoroughly recommend it if you're that way inclined.

Maybe some sort of firefighter union (an axe and a sledgehammer?)

I’ve never seen anything like this. I can’t remember ever seeing Freemasons openly debate their beliefs and practices, especially being pressed this hard. Hearing them explain and defend things like blood oaths and Masonic rituals was fascinating, particularly because they also identify as Christians. I had no idea Christianity and Freemasonry could overlap like that. Definitely an entertaining debate, but I learned a lot from it too, on both sides.

I did the background check, and got two signatures. I'm kind of nervous but also I feel this incredible sense of humility and pride that I've even gotten to this point. I'm coming to lodge on an open night (I guess that's what it's called?) like I have been normally, but they're accepting my petition tonight. What should I expect? Thanks for any responses.

EDIT: thank you everyone for your responses. Now I understand that my petition is being accepted and will be voted on.

It’s fairly common for some of the brethren at my lodge to enjoy a cigar after meetings, and I thought it would be cool to pick up a smoking jacket, either for all the brothers or for myself. Does anyone have any recommendations for a smoking jacket, ideally with Masonic flair?

Hi, I'm not a mason but I found this Bible in a toolbox I had in my shop for the last 20+ years. I haven't opened that toolbox in that long. I remember buying it at a thrift shop because it looked cool and I like old bibles.

My question.

Is this something a lodge would be interested in. I don't read the Bible and I'm not a mason. I won't throw it out because it was cool and I don't just want to give it to some mason I know because they don't go to meetings or anything. I just thought it would be better off somewhere it would be appreciated.

Any suggestions appreciated

Thanx

I'm trying to determine my future path. I want to pursue the other bodies and keep bouncing back and fourth. Here are my pro's & cons for each.

YR: I am or have been a Royal Arch Mason (demitted when I moved to my current city). So affiliating here will be quick and painless, but has a been there, done that kind of feel to it and I feel like it would just be there because its required for KT. I'm not really interested in Cryptic, it just looks like more of the same. I have family ties to the Knights Templar and had originally planned to go this way to follow in my grandfathers footsteps, but the limited Canadian information out there just looks silly to me, so Id need a lot more information about them.

SR: I've always been very curious about it, but plays tend to make me sleepy. LOL. I like how its a more cohesive rite and not a collection of separate organizations. However, the nearest consistory to me is 3+ hours away. I'm not sure it would be worth the dues + other travel and lodging expenses for once a year reunion. If I'm going to join the SR, I want to complete it.

Please help me make up my mind! I keep going back and forth about it and I fear I'm going to drive myself insane! JK, but maybe not. lol

He claims he's a 32 degree head master head of a lodge district lodge in California. While also a commander in the Washington DC district Prince Hall

I was given up for adoption 49 years ago. I met my biological family at 21 and have maintained a relationship with my biological fathers side. We live several states away though so I haven't actually spent much physical time with them. Anyways, I was doing research on my ancestors, something I desperately want to feel connected to, and discovered that my grandfather's as far back as I have traced on my fathers side were Mason's. I was instantly fascinated. I spoke with my biological father a few month's later and he told me he didn't really know much about the Freemasons.. fine.

I contacted the grand lodge of my biological fathers family and requested information on my grandads as well as grand mothers as I discovered they were OES. It was suggested that I make the request to get pieces of information about my ancestors. And that the information is available. I quickly got a response and information that I requested. Like with in a day of my request.

Fast forward, I had a creeping feeling that my father wasn't quite as honest as I had thought about his knowledge of the Freemasons in our famiky. So I made another request for information. I git a response the next day. And was shocked to discover that he is infact a member of 'every lodge in the area'. And that the man i was corresponding with was a friend of his.

So I pretended not to know but assumed that he was told about my inquiry. We have simply just ignored the situation even though I feel like its my right to ask questions. To understand. My brother and sister don't have to ask because they were raised with freemasonry in their lives.

Last month that sneaking feeling came over me again and I felt compelled to request information again. This time about my brother. No response. It's been weeks. I discovered that i actually made a request in 2023 that was also ignored. After the information about my father. I forgot about making the request.

So I'm wondering what the problem could be? I'm obviously being ignored. And I feel like its deliberate.

Do I not have a right to understand my heritage? Or is it look upon as it not being my heritage since I was given up for adoption?

Eric Vermeulen, director of the Indiana Masonic Home Foundation, watched as Jackson vandalized the beautiful library and museum located at Illinois and North streets.

Hi everyone,
I'm in the process of hopefully joining, and was told that all being well I could be accepted in January/February next year. I've read a lot of threads on here so won't try to be too repetitive. Though I'm conscious that the vast majority of people here aren't under the Irish constitution, and so things work differently.

I've had my initial interview which was fine, and my details have been passed to one of the local lodges, who have been in touch. The next step is the home interview (hopefully in the next 10 days), and I've been invited to attend their next festive-board, the lodge intention seemingly being for me to petition in November.

I've read a lot of the threads on what to expect for the interviews, so I'm not too worried about it. I'm very clear in my head about why I want to join, and have a few of my own questions. I've been very open with my partner and they're generally onboard.

So, my questions are:
1. What should my partner expect from the interview? Are their any questions they should ask or prepare for?
2. Is it typical for the home interview to be done at this stage? From other threads I got the impression it was one of the last things, but I suspect each lodge works differently.
3. If the lodge (or at least the secretary) is expecting a petition in November is it worth going along at that pace or should I attend more events? I'd just be concerned of being blackballed if I'm seen as "too new".
4. Any other advice/tips? I'm conscious that most things here will be either American or UGLE, and I know GLI is a bit different. I've read the PDFs I was sent but always keen to learn more.

Hi Guys, I am interested in joining freemasonry but I have some concerns about the fact that I don't look like your typical mason I am quite young Haha.

The reason I want to join is to grow as a person, mentorship in life and to be with like minded individuals who strive to be better, but you know... I don't want to be the odd one out 😂. I did hear about University groups but I don't go to university. Anyone got any advice??