I may have been unjustly harsh about the Lodge in the articles's use of new technologies to attract new members. Likely due to the author getting my hackles up with his obvious disregard for what he was reporting on. it seemed to me from the article that a person could lodge a petition using the website without ever having met with the Lodge. I have no doubt many areas still use good vetting techniques even if the initial contact is online. But I also have no doubt that others have added online petitioning to their "fog the mirror" repertoire. use
You can log an Application online without having met someone here.
From there, it is checked, and if okay, then you would be phone interviewed.
Then you would meet with someone from District in a face to face who would check you out.
Then you would be referred to Lodge (currently 3 which you should visit before the applicant chooses) and the Const kicks in.
Your details need to be read out in what might become your Mother Lodge.
You need 4 referees, to sign a Code of Conduct and supply a Police Check. Then the Lodge must interview you. Most smart lodges will not ballot for you unless you have come to dinner a couple of times. Constitutionally, you cannot be balloted for for less than 2 months after your first reading - but I have read men five times (over 5 months) while we check them out and make sure we are happy with them, and they are right for us, and us right for them.
Then the lodge ballots.
From there, you proceed like anyone else...
Freemasonry is not a right - it is a privilege, and it is better to miss 10 good men than let one bad one in.. but you need good systems to identify which is which.. and personal contact is key.
There is always two questions with these men
- Are they fit to be Freemasons
- Are they a good fit for your lodge (and vice versa, is the lodge a good fit for them)
One thing many lodges are not willing to do, is if 1 is a YES and 2 is a NO, is to refer them on. We do that, and it has been a good move for the applicants and lodge, indeed one is currently sitting as WM in a lodge we referred him to.. (bearing in mind I am in a large city with multiple masonic centres - and most have several Craft Lodges meeting in them - it is not so easy in the country..)