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Length of first 3 degrees

BWiederhold

Registered User
I'm sure y'all have answered this question a million times and I apologize in advance. I'm sure it varies from lodge to lodge but how long does it normally take to become an MM?


~Open Minded~
 

j_gimpy

Registered User
It took me three months, but it's certainly not the end of the journey.


Master Mason
Phoenix Lodge #154
Sumner, Washington
 

crono782

Premium Member
Three months is certainly pretty quick (I did mine in 3 as well, though as I've stated before, my biggest regret so far is going through so quickly). I think normally a year is average, but some go quicker and some slower.
 

SeattleMason0613

Registered User
I became an EA in June and a Fellowcraft in September and if everything goes right I'll be raised in December


My Freemasonry HD
 

BroBill

Site Benefactor
Site Benefactor
I'm sure y'all have answered this question a million times and I apologize in advance. I'm sure it varies from lodge to lodge but how long does it normally take to become an MM?


~Open Minded~

Depends on you and your instructor. You should feel you are ready to turn in your proficiency and advance, but your instructor must also feel you've learned your material and are ready to advance. Do move quickly, but do learn the material.

Having said that, I took almost a year to turn in my EA due to changes in my work schedule, but then I completed my FC and MM very quickly- a few months- after that.

BroBill
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
When I was ready for my first degree proficiency I waited until there was another first degree at my lodge. I presented between the lecture and the closing. I did the same for my second degree. For me it took just under a year from initiation to raising.

I haven't seen an all the way in one day festival yet. None of my jurisdictions do them with any regularity. It's been over 10 years since one was done in Illinois and I think Texas does not allow them at all.

The fastest I've seen was three degrees in three days immediately before being shipped overseas in the military - Lots of veterans flocked to that lodge to form the degree teams. The slowest was a few years between degrees.

Normally? Does that mean a range that fits maybe 90% of brothers? A couple of months to a bit over a year. It's a wide range.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
If you think about it, it's most often two, not three months. You get initiated, a month later passed, and another month later raised. Two months total.
 

Vikti

Registered User
My son was just initiated last night and he was told that he must wait 10 months before turning in his EA. He was kind of bummed out about it until we got him to realize that there is a ton of information to not only learn but to comprehend.

All in all I think it took me 14 months from initiation to.turning in my Masters.

My Freemasonry HD
 

CStevenson

Registered User
BW,
I think the average range is about 6 months to a year. Of course it can be done faster or slower depending on a large number of factors. My advice, and the advice of many others, is that Masonry is a life long journey. Make sure before you join, that you have time in your life's schedule to put towards Masonry. I feel that Masonry has made my life better and I believe it can make the lives of most men better if they utilize the lessons. If you join, and I hope you do, make sure that you not only learn the material presented, but start to implement the material into your life as you learn it. With each step there is wisdom. Your journey to MM may be a long one or a rather short one, but make sure to enjoy each step.
 

otherstar

Registered User
I was initiated in Sept. of 1997, and raised in Dec. of that same year (3 months). At that time, you were REQUIRED to wait one month between degrees in Texas, now that waiting period is only two weeks. It still takes our EAs a while to learn their EA work, but some of them can and do get raised fairly quickly after they are passed to the FC degree.
 

dMartin54

Registered User
It took me three months, but it's certainly not the end of the journey.


Master Mason
Phoenix Lodge #154
Sumner, Washington

Hello friend. I am from Yakima, Washington. I am very interested in becoming a Freemason. I have a meeting at 3:30 with someone from my Lodge here in Yakima. I am nervous. Is there anything I should tell him specifically. Basically I'm looking for some advise on entering the Freemason brotherhood.
Thank you sir.


My Freemasonry HD
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
I was initiated in Sept. of 1997, and raised in Dec. of that same year (3 months). At that time, you were REQUIRED to wait one month between degrees in Texas, now that waiting period is only two weeks.

Is there a military waiver for candidates about to be deployed overseas? In another jurisdiction we've had veterans flock to a lodge to form degree teams to move a new brother through before deployment. Then he comes back and has to do the proficiencies.
 

Milos-33

Registered User
Dear All ***

I took my intiation in Lebanon, but due to our political situation, the lodge was not meeting frequently so i had to learn more about Freemasonry from an instructor; books and net.

Currently i m living in kuwait, any reccommendation to contact anyone or how to enlarge my knowledge in teachings?




Milos-33
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
Is there a military waiver for candidates about to be deployed overseas? In another jurisdiction we've had veterans flock to a lodge to form degree teams to move a new brother through before deployment. Then he comes back and has to do the proficiencies.

A lodge can get a dispensation for active duty military service members (including those that are Guard and Reserve called up to Active status) to get whatever degrees are needed to become a Master Mason before deploying. From what I remember, the lodge Sec sends up the request, and the GM approves it. I don't know for sure if that goes for EA, though. For example, I don't know if some guy that hasn't been initiated yet comes down on orders to deploy and suddenly decides (or is finally able to) join the lodge can petition and get all THREE degrees. I think that the guy can, but I'm not totally positive as I have heard it both ways, and don't have my law book right with me.

Basically, what this law "waives" is the requirement to turn in the proficiencies for the first two degrees before getting the next degree, and then requires the service member to turn in the Master Mason proficiency within 90 days of being back home. For example, an EA comes down on orders to deploy and the Sec sends up the dispensation request and the GM approves it. He can then get his FC without turning in his EA proficiency, and also his MM degree without turning in the proficiency for the FC. But, like I said, it is still mandatory to turn in the Master Mason proficiency, but within 90 days of being back.

This situation is what happened to me. I ended up getting my FC and MM both in one night. If you have access to the law book, it states specifically whether or not the service member has to be an EA before requesting this or not. But, I have seen lodges move things along really quickly to make sure he was initiated in time. Bro. Bill would be a good source of which Article this falls under.
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
The lad I am mentoring is going to college 2,000 miles from his Lodge, so his Degrees have been 3-6 months apart. He is actually quite happy with this arrangement, as studying in Greek and Latin takes most of his brain cells.
 
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