More tha one lodge?

[Dow Mathis]

I see where lots of you have membership in more than one lodge. I'd like to know why that is. I mean, with work, and family and church activities, I don't know where I'd ever find time for a second lodge membership. Goodness knows, there are times I barely have time for my one lodge. However, time constraints aside, Why would you want to be a member of multiple lodges?

Awaiting more light,

Dow

 

[Bill Lins]

I joined my 2nd Lodge because they were in financial trouble & needed the help. I joined my 3rd Lodge because the officers in the line at that time were (& are) personal friends of mine & I wished to support them. I joined my 4th Lodge partially because of its historical aspects and partially because it's located where I spent much of my teenage years & I am very fond of the area. Finally, I joined TLR because I support their mission (and the WM that year was & is a good friend of mine).

My kids are grown & gone out on their own and I've built my business to the point where I now have the time to devote to Masonry. Having a very understanding wife helps, also. :001_tt1:

 

[cemab4y]

There are many reasons. My USA residence is in Virginia. I belong to the lodge where I was raised, Bowling Green KY lodge #73. I was given a membership in Macedonian Lodge , in Quincy Massachusetts. I work in Afghanistan. When I finish this overseas work, I will join a lodge near my Virginia residence. I already belong to Alexandria VA Scottish Rite.

Just because you belong to a lodge does not mean you have to be active in that lodge, and participate. I believe that every Mason should be able to belong to as many lodges as his checkbook can handle. Some Grand Lodges restrict the number of lodges you can belong to.

 

[Huw]

Being in multiple Lodges naturally depends upon how much time and money you can afford to spend on the Craft. Often it's something for later in life, when you're no longer so busy with kids and work and so on.

Of course some GLs don't allow multiple membership, in which case the issue doesn't arise.

Here in England, it's pretty common to be in more than one Lodge: among Brethren who are actively involved, it's probably a majority who'll be in at least two Lodges. We have around 220,000 subscribing members, of whom about half are lightly-involved or rarely-seen, but the other half are usually in a second Lodge so that the total number of memberships is over 300,000.

Some who are particularly heavily-involved are in more than two. I'm in six, but that's pretty unusual even here.

One I joined as part of a rescue team for a failing Lodge. One I joined because it has outstandingly excellent standards of ritual. One I joined because it's a special-interest Lodge for those who follow a particular sport. One I joined because it's closely connected to a masonic teaching body with which I'm heavily involved. One I joined for its history. One I joined because it's in a foreign country which I frequently visit.

T & F,

Huw

 

[jwhoff]

I regret that I have but one life to live for masonry.

 

[Bill Lins]

I regret that I have but one life to live for masonry.

Wasn't that Nathan Abiff what said that? :wink:

 

[Bro_Vick]

I belong to two Blue Lodges, but a lot of time plural memberships are dependent on how often a lodge meets. For instance my mother lodge meets every Tuesday practically with stated meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday, with called meetings on the first, third and fifth. If you are active in this lodge, it would pretty much take up all of your time, Perfect Union #10 has one stated meeting and one called meeting a month, that is much more manageable, and makes it easy to be apart of from a plural membership standpoint.

A lot of people are plural members with lodges that meet quarterly, or specality lodges (Tranquility comes to mind).

S&F,
-Bro Vick

 

[Mac]

Every lodge has a different style and atmosphere to it, and by joining one, you show your appreciation in the form of dues, showing up to meetings, etc.

I belong only to my mother lodge and to TLR, but if a TO or EC Lodge were to open in my area, I would probably join it in a heartbeat.