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Sent in a petition about 6 months ago

Quammie Walker

Registered User
I sent my name and email in to a lodge close by me about a month or two ago here in Norfolk VA I'm still waiting for their call but I can't lie some good things happen for me since I left my info
 

Number4

Registered User
Wow, I am just blown away by some of what I have read here!

Firstly, this is a voluntary organization, a fraternity from which can withdraw at any time - even during your initiation if you are uncomfortable about anything. In VA we do pay the fees at the time of petitioning, a portion of which goes to the Grand Lodge, but these are refundable (as above). You should have had your background check (credit report and criminal history) in the mail and been visited by the investigating committee. Their report is a simple favorable/unfavorable decision given to the WM and your petition, including those reports, read in open lodge at the next sated meeting. The following month, the lodge will normally ballot on you and the WM schedule a date for your initiation. I was handed a petition by a friend and turned it in mid November, balloted in January and initiated the first week of February. It does sound like something has gone horribly wrong in your case, to say the least.

Masonry is non denominational and we welcome all faiths, period. The Knights Templar are an appendent body for Master Masons that is explicitly Christian, but that has nothing to do with sitting in a regular 'blue; lodge where along with politics, religion is strictly forbidden as a discussion topic. IMHO the committee was well out of line with that line of questions as well as being very ignorant of the KT as there is no historical connection between the Masonic Templars and the medieval French crusader warriors whatsoever. If anything we are more like the VFW! As a Templar myself I would be perfectly happy to sit in Lodge with you - indeed the only way I would know what your particular faith is would be if I was present at your initiation and noticed that you took your obligation on a book other than the Holy Bible.

The investigating committee is a two way thing - or should be - and is meant to give you and your family an outline of the sort of fraternity you are joining. My question for you is, did they leave you with a positive view of Freemasonry? First impressions count and if you are not feeling welcome and valued at this stage, then I doubt things will improve in due time, although I don't know the Lodge or the Brethren concerned so I may be wrong. As someone else already said, I think your best course is probably to write a very polite letter of withdrawal and look around for another lodge
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I was asked to give them $150 for the imitation fee.
As for social media, there wouldn’t have been anything out of the ordinary they would have found. Unless they do not like my taste in music (Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, Neil Young) Hahah. Those bands are often seen as music for pot smokers, but at my interview when they asked about drugs I made sure to disclose the fact I used to smoke pot, but have since matured and do not smoke nor drink. This would be the only thing I could think of that they may have not liked other than my religion (Judaism), which they asked me a lot about. The investigator made one comment during the investigation that made me think it could have been due to religion, he said, “do you mind sitting next to a knights Templar, a group of people that would have slaughtered heretics”, To which I replied “I would try to understand their perspective and respect their point of view”. I often try to see the bright side of things and from what I read and know about my family who are Freemasons is that they are a group of very Free thinking individuals. But hopefully my petition accidentally fell through the cracks.
It is very reasonable for Freemasons to be curious as to your spiritual beliefs to make sure you meet the requirement of having a belief in a Supreme Being, and discussion of your religion can support that, but beyond satisfying themselves of our belief in a Supreme Being, Religion should not be further discussed, unless there is some concern about the particular religion - and we would generally not put Judaism in that group. The language used (slaughter) is strange; but purely might have been a very clumsy way to explore if you are tolerant.. If I heard this from one of my applicants, I would be calling the committee members and counseling them. If they saw no problem, their days on such committees would be over.

I hope it is likely your petition feel through the cracks (they do), but if not, I would not be recommending you join that particular lodge.

I recommend Freemasonry to you. I would follow up with the lodge, and if you get no joy there, apply elsewhere..
 

RBE5864

Registered User
Any updates on this, OP?
I had contacted the man who gave me my petition and he had said that he would let the secretary know.
I texted him today and it looked like he blocked my number. I then tried calling the lodge and nobody answered. After calling the lodge I found the secretary’s phone number and sent him a text message and have gotten no response. I plan on calling him tommorow and if I don’t hear anything I will call the grand lodge. The only thing that worries me is the secretary was the past grandmaster at the grand lodge I would be calling. I also asked how I go on withdrawing my petition.
This has been pretty disappointing but I will keep my head up.
 

bro.william

Premium Member
Seems to me, OP, that if they don't want you there, they should at least say why. It doesn't strike me as particularly masonic to ghost someone.
 
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