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criminal records

kevhumph

Registered User
Good day everyone.
I am in Australia and wanting to join. I have a lengthy criminal record from my late teens and have 3 convictions spending 5 years in prison. This was a very tough, rough, very different time for me.
It has now been around 8 years since committing an offence, and I am a different man.
Will this stop me from joining however?
 

David612

Registered User
Good day everyone.
I am in Australia and wanting to join. I have a lengthy criminal record from my late teens and have 3 convictions spending 5 years in prison. This was a very tough, rough, very different time for me.
It has now been around 8 years since committing an offence, and I am a different man.
Will this stop me from joining however?
Depending on the crimes I would guess, in my jurisdiction (A.C.T) we now require a police check.
What sort of crimes are we talking about?
 

kevhumph

Registered User
Range of serious offences including armed robbery. Nothing heanous or child related just grew up a crook since a kid. Now I've changed my life and have done so over the last 8 or so years I believe the time given is enough to merely state I am now a "law abiding citizen" without considering my good character and will.
I want to join because although. I have my own family and live a good life, I know for some reason that masonry will teach me more about myself and the world i live in. I genuinely want to learn which is why I would be upset if I wasn't allowed to because of the life I lived in the past as even a teenager. Is there no way?
 

David612

Registered User
Range of serious offences including armed robbery. Nothing heanous or child related just grew up a crook since a kid. Now I've changed my life and have done so over the last 8 or so years I believe the time given is enough to merely state I am now a "law abiding citizen" without considering my good character and will.
I want to join because although. Is it have my own family and live a good life, I know for some reason that masonry will teach me more about myself and the world i live in. I genuinely want to learn which is why I would be upset if I wasn't allowed to because of the life I lived in the past as even a teenager. Is there no way?
It would very much be at the discretion of the membership committee, do you know any masons currently that would be willing to vouch for you?
 

kevhumph

Registered User
No I don't. My wife's family were stonemasons in the craft which created my curiosity. After researching there's something that tells me this is where I'm supposed to be.
 

David612

Registered User
No I don't. My wife's family were stonemasons in the craft which created my curiosity. After researching there's something that tells me this is where I'm supposed to be.
Best bet would be to apply for the membership assistance scheme, visit the website of the Grand lodge of your jurisdiction and be upfront and honest about your past, it is a long process for those of us with a clean past and I imagine an even longer one for those with a record, They either will or won’t accept you and their decision you will need to live with.
 

David612

Registered User
No problem, given the nature of your past you may well face significant resistance but if that is the case remember there is nothing to stop you helping in your community, learning and trying to better yourself of your own accord.
 

kevhumph

Registered User
Thanks for that, I do worry how to put it to someone though.
I grew up pretty rough and poor. Slept on the streets as a kid. Not sympathy searching but any time I've just been open and honest about my past or reasons for this or that it never goes unjudged. I just feel if they were to judge me on my past they would be convicting an innocent man, but everywhere I look seems to be quite strict about the rule, which I get.
Probably not likely to go through is it?
 

David612

Registered User
Can’t speculate really, may well happen.
Masons are human after all and we live in the same world with the same problems, we all have pasts.
If you are in my neck of the woods (Canberra) flick me a message and we can grab coffee sometime.
Not that I’m in any position to advocate for you nor can I help your goal of joining but I’m happy to chat.
 
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Bloke

Premium Member
It would very much be at the discretion of the membership committee, do you know any masons currently that would be willing to vouch for you?

Greetings.

It might not be at the discretion of a membership committee, if you are in Victoria, your application would definitely be referred to the Grand Master.

If you can't clearly demonstrate a change, you're sunk, and the reality is a custodial sentence in addition to a conviction will be something they will be looking for more details on. And 8 years ago is not two decades....

How you present is critical, and I'm not talking about superficial things likes if you have tats, but your personality and character. I would be asking about if you have kids and how you provide for them, what's your employment situation and your current associates, the stability and path of your current life today and in recent years, what community contribution do you currently make - I would be looking for a sustained change as a starting point before I would look at such an applicant. (Sorry, but being upfront). The reality is I have a person close to me who has had a custodial sentence, but 30 years ago, and I would propose him in a flash, but his application would have the great benefit of a well known Freemason advocating on his behalf, a history of raising a family in a stable and caring environment, volunteering in the community, raising two wonderful sons, a work history showing dedication and a willingness to work hard at menial jobs to provide for his children and wife, the complete absence of drug or violent crime; and armed robbery charge is a very serious one indeed - but again, (and don't answer), how often was the offense committed and at what age and circumstance and how long ago.

However I would say this, your interest in Freemasonry sounds driven by self improvement, the regardless of if you can or cannot become a Freemason, that change is what's important and there are many paths to travel to achieve it.
 

Jason Gilmore

Registered User
A felony will bar you in Texas as well. It was voted on last year at Grand Communication that any felony conviction, regardless of how long it has been since the most recent conviction is automatically barred from membership.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Bro. Gilmore, your information is incorrect and out-of-date. In 2011 the law was changed to bar convicted felons from petitioning for the Degrees. The following year that change was rescinded. See Art. 393 of the GLoTX Law.
 

Jason Gilmore

Registered User
Bro. Lins,
The Law was changed again at last year’s Grand Lodge to add all felony convictions, regardless of the nature of the crime or the amount of time that has passed. I was the JW of my Lodge and put the update into our Lodge copy myself.
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
Good day everyone.
I am in Australia and wanting to join. I have a lengthy criminal record from my late teens and have 3 convictions spending 5 years in prison. This was a very tough, rough, very different time for me.
It has now been around 8 years since committing an offence, and I am a different man.
Will this stop me from joining however?
The first thing I would say is that this is NOT the place to find an answer to your question as it will depend on which Grand Lodge the Lodge that you Petition comes under as the "rules" are not "universal" as each and every Grand Lodge is a separate and sovereign body. So you need to reach out and talk to somebody at the Grand Lodge of your home state, google will identify it for you.

So amongst the "opinions" I'll add mine and please excuse my frankness. Freemasonry generally accepts men who are demonstrably of good moral character and upstanding in the community, it is very easy to see that you have not been until very recently! So any Lodge Committee is going to be worried by that fact and it will affect your chances. If I was considering your application I would be looking to see what evidence you can provide of what you have personally done so far in order to balance out the impact of your previous lifestyle on Society, this would not be nice words but actual evidence. Supposing you got past this point, you will be spending a period of time where your Proposer ands Seconder will get to know you personally and that will underpin their decision whether to put your name forward or not.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Freemasonry generally accepts men who are demonstrably of good moral character and upstanding in the community, it is very easy to see that you have not been until very recently! So any Lodge Committee is going to be worried by that fact and it will affect your chances. If I was considering your application I would be looking to see what evidence you can provide of what you have personally done so far in order to balance out the impact of your previous lifestyle on Society, this would not be nice words but actual evidence. Supposing you got past this point, you will be spending a period of time where your Proposer ands Seconder will get to know you personally and that will underpin their decision whether to put your name forward or not.
Absolutely and very well put.
 

David612

Registered User
The first thing I would say is that this is NOT the place to find an answer to your question as it will depend on which Grand Lodge the Lodge that you Petition comes under as the "rules" are not "universal" as each and every Grand Lodge is a separate and sovereign body. So you need to reach out and talk to somebody at the Grand Lodge of your home state, google will identify it for you.

So amongst the "opinions" I'll add mine and please excuse my frankness. Freemasonry generally accepts men who are demonstrably of good moral character and upstanding in the community, it is very easy to see that you have not been until very recently! So any Lodge Committee is going to be worried by that fact and it will affect your chances. If I was considering your application I would be looking to see what evidence you can provide of what you have personally done so far in order to balance out the impact of your previous lifestyle on Society, this would not be nice words but actual evidence. Supposing you got past this point, you will be spending a period of time where your Proposer ands Seconder will get to know you personally and that will underpin their decision whether to put your name forward or not.
I was thinking the same about demonstrating change and community involvement but thought it was akin to giving people answers for a test, that said what we do isn’t secret so knowing what we look for shouldn’t be a surprise
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I can’t speak for Australia but in California you wouldn’t be allowed to join. Or at least not without Grand Lodge intervention.
 
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