My Application!!

I'm really stoked,(Old surfer term), I just received my letter today from the local Lodge that informed me that my application was accepted. I'm very excited about this. I'm supposed to take my first degree May, 16.
I would like to thank many of the members of this forum for their guidance to the many sources of Masonic information and history. In particular I would like to thank sebatwerk for the links he provided me, it has been very helpful. Also I would like to thank the other Masons in this forum for their support.

Congratulations, Sharkman!

I still have some time to wait before I can petition (technicality), but I am still very much looking forward to it.

Do keep us posted!

Why do you have to wait??

Originally posted by sharkman
I'm really stoked,(Old surfer term), I just received my letter today from the local Lodge that informed me that my application was accepted. I'm very excited about this. I'm supposed to take my first degree May, 16.

Congratulations Sharkman! Now don't get curious and go off and read about the 1st degree initiation, you'll enjoy it much more if you go in without any pre-conceived notions as to what you will experience. The lessons will mean much more to you that way.

Where are you located?

In particular I would like to thank sebatwerk for the links he provided me, it has been very helpful.

It was my pleasure to help you learn more about the fraternity. Anytime I can help you with ANYTHING, just ask. If I can't help you, I will certainly point you in the direction of someone who can. You will soon learn that many doors will open for you if you just ask.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to U2U me. If you prefer, I can give you my email address over U2U and I can answer any questions you have.

I look forward to calling you brother.

P.S. I see that you are located in San Diego! Is that correct?


[edit on 9-5-2005 by sebatwerk]

Nygdan, first off I believe it's because the Lodge is like alot of other extraciricular activities and people have jobs and lives and they have to work Lodge activities in around all the other functions of life.

sebatwerk, don't worry I won't go reading about the degrees and the ritual stuff exactly because I don't want to ruin the occasion. I'm looking forward to this night because I believe that I was actually guided back toward Masonic teachings over a long period of time and that this was not a whim. I became interested in Masonry quite a few years ago and at the time thought it was just a whim and let it go. It kept coming back to the forefront of my conscienceness over a period of many years and so I decided to persue it. Over many years I have developed some intuition and insight about myself and about things outside of myself and have used these abilities to guide me.

Axeman, thanks for the Congrats, I'm defenitely going to keep you posted.

Congrads Sharkman. Hopefully FM will be all you want it to be. As our very own ATS initiate don't forget to come back and tell us how you got on...

Originally posted by Trinityman
Congrads Sharkman. Hopefully FM will be all you want it to be. As our very own ATS initiate don't forget to come back and tell us how you got on...

That would be a GREAT idea, to have someone on this forum actually go through a masonic ritual and attest to the fact that it truly is beautiful and full of meaning. Obviously WE indoctrinated and brainwashed masons have no credibility, but Sharkman is still 'unspoiled' :bnghd:

[edit on 10-5-2005 by sebatwerk]

Originally posted by Nygdan
Why do you have to wait??

Because I moved to Texas. I had petitioned in Arkansas, and on the night the investigators were to give their report and the lodge would have voted, I talked with the WM and my sponsors and it was determined that it just wasn't feasible for me to be initiated before my moving date. Soooooo, in Texas you must have been a resident for 6 months before your petition can be acted upon. So I have to wait. On top of that I have some personal things going on right now that could delay me. I want to be focused and not be worried about outside stuff when I take my degrees, and what I've got going is quite a big deal.

It's all good though. Anything worth having is worth waiting for.

Besides, there are lots of lodges here and I'm still sort of "shopping".

Originally posted by The Axeman
Besides, there are lots of lodges here and I'm still sort of "shopping".

Hah! Have you visited any lodges? If so, tell us about your visit, what you did, what was said to you, and most importantly: what you thought.

Originally posted by sharkman
Nygdan, first off I believe it's because the Lodge is like alot of other extraciricular activities and people have jobs and lives

"lives"? What is this 'lives' of which you speak? Is it realted to that much fabled 'Out Sideworld" I read chat about? I do no beleive in such foolish things.

axeman
Because I moved to Texas.

Ah, so often, that becomes a problem for people! I was just wondering if there was a 'waiting and reflection period' before initiaion or somesuch.

my grandfather was what many call a bellymason...he really only went to the dinners...but he was part of the masons for 50+ years.

Originally posted by this red engine
my grandfather was what many call a bellymason...he really only went to the dinners...but he was part of the masons for 50+ years.

Yes, I know those kinds of masons very well. In our lodge, we get about twice as many people showing up on steak night

Originally posted by sebatwerk

Originally posted by this red engine
my grandfather was what many call a bellymason...he really only went to the dinners...but he was part of the masons for 50+ years.

Yes, I know those kinds of masons very well. In our lodge, we get about twice as many people showing up on steak night

haha he was involved for the greater part of his life but as he got older he just stopped showing up.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Ah, so often, that becomes a problem for people! I was just wondering if there was a 'waiting and reflection period' before initiaion or somesuch.

Nygdan,

Most Grand Lodges (in the U.S. there's one in each State which is the governing body of Freemasonry for that State) require that a person be a resident of that jurisdiction for at least 6 months (Some require 1 year) before being eligible to petition membership.

Also, sometimes a person is in another state temporarily (with work, school, etc.) and wants to join his home-town Lodge but is away from it. In that case it's possible to get a local Lodge (even in another State) to do what we call "Courtesy Work" In other words, they'll confer the degrees upon the person, but he's officially a member of his "home" lodge and not the one conferring the degrees.

Originally posted by sebatwerk

Originally posted by The Axeman
Besides, there are lots of lodges here and I'm still sort of "shopping".

Hah! Have you visited any lodges? If so, tell us about your visit, what you did, what was said to you, and most importantly: what you thought.

I have only actually visited one so far, besides the one back home of course. When I visited here, I looked on the website and emailed several of the officers, and I also called the WM to let them know I wanted to visit. I just went on down to the stated meeting, introduced myself (I was a tad nervous) and met the gentlemen I had already communicated with. We sat down to eat (the Eastern Star ladies made up some brisket and baked potatoes with all the trimmings... Mmmm...), made small talk and such.

It was funny, the guy I was sitting next to, who I did most of my chatting with, he was about 35 or so, maybe a smidge older. I asked him how long he had been a Mason and he said "Since '98. You?" I just said (sort of flatly) "I'm not," and that led into the discussion on how I became interested in Masonry, and so on... He was telling me about Blue Lodge and all the appendant bodies, which of course I already knew all about (I had been posting and reading here as well as elsewhere for some months by then), but I just nodded and let him talk. I told him about my grandfathers and about my experience back home, and we just made small talk pretty much after that. After the food I asked him for a petition and he took me back to the secretary's office and got me one. As we were standing in the hall greeting brothers as they passed by, he made a few comments upon introducing me like: "He's coming in with a great attitude " and so on. It was a good time. I enjoyed it.

The thing is there are so many around here, like I just saw a really nice looking temple just about 5 minutes from my apartment the other day when I was going to Fort Worth. it's right on I-20. I figure there's nothing wrong with shopping demographics. I've been meaning to get on the lodge locator on the GLoT's website but with everything that's going on I just haven't gotten around to visiting much. Between work, coaching little league and dealing with the other dilemma, I don't have time for a whole lot else right now, and if things go my way I will have even less free time.

So basically I'm just waiting until I can look around some more, find a lodge, and have the time it takes to participate the way I should and devote the time I should. After all, it's not what the Craft can do for you, it's what you can do for the Craft, right?

Fiat Lvx.

I have yet to submit my petition, I work in the oilfield, and starting about 2 months ago, that translates to ~ZERO time outside the job. This week has been slow, but I am not sure of the coming weeks. It looks like it is going to stay busy for awhile, unles Saudi ups production.

The funny thing is, I always hear the same thing from anyone who, for whatever reason, waited to turn in their petition and take the degrees:

"I wish I had done this sooner!"

Originally posted by sebatwerk
The funny thing is, I always hear the same thing from anyone who, for whatever reason, waited to turn in their petition and take the degrees:

"I wish I had done this sooner!"

I wish I had been able to be initiated in January (it was so close, dude... like within days. I had already looked into the courtesy work and everything...), but, *sigh* such is life.

It will be worth the wait when I get there, I'm sure.

Fresh meat for the grinder! Mobile infantry made me the man I am today!

But I don't want to sound too nasty.

I guess congratulations are in order. I hope that will help you become a better person.

Cheers

This is slightly off topic but are there any secret societies located in europe and active?