Few questions about ascending in Freemasonry.

1. What percentage of Freemasons get past the Blue Degrees? I hear that it is very few.

2. How difficult is it to progress through into the higher degrees and how long does it take on average to complete each degree? I'm confused since Masons who are in the higher degrees are very few in numbers.

3. Do you need to have certain bloodline connections to progress into the higher degrees or past the Blue Degrees, even?

4. How expensive is it to progres through Masonry?

Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by Driver
1. What percentage of Freemasons get past the Blue Degrees? I hear that it is very few.

Hi Driver. In the U.S. there are two "branches" of Freemasonry, the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. I'm not sure of the exact percentage, however ANY Blue Lodge (or "Symbolic Lodge" Mason) can petition and join either organization (or both) There's no requirement, except that in the Commandery of Knights Templar (the 3rd branch of the York Rite) one must be a Christian. Otherwise, if you are a 3rd Degree (Master Mason) you're eligible.

2. How difficult is it to progress through into the higher degrees and how long does it take on average to complete each degree? I'm confused since Masons who are in the higher degrees are very few in numbers.

Again, actually there are a LOT of what you're calling "higher degree" Masons. You can "technically" get the York Rite or Scottish Rite Degrees in ONE day....although to really understand and appreciate the degrees, takes some effort and study on the part of the initiated.

3. Do you need to have certain bloodline connections to progress into the higher degrees or past the Blue Degrees, even?

Absolutely not. One needs ONLY be a Mason in good standing.

4. How expensive is it to progres through Masonry?

It's been so long I've actually forgotten, but I *think* my initiation fee into the Symbolic Lodge (Blue Lodge) was about $75.00 ...annual dues thereafter 25.00. $175 or so for York Rite and $150.00 for Scottish Rite. My York Rite dues would be about $40 per year (except that I was given Life Membership a few years ago for service and dedication) and Scottish Rite membership is about $30.00 per year.

Hope that helps. If you have more questions, send me a U2U and I'll give you my e-mail address and you can contact me directly. I'll be glad to give you some more specific answers.

Regards

Originally posted by senrak
2. How difficult is it to progress through into the higher degrees and how long does it take on average to complete each degree? I'm confused since Masons who are in the higher degrees are very few in numbers.

Again, actually there are a LOT of what you're calling "higher degree" Masons. You can "technically" get the York Rite or Scottish Rite Degrees in ONE day....although to really understand and appreciate the degrees, takes some effort and study on the part of the initiated.

The phenomenon of conferring all degrees in a blue or red lodge in an afternoon/evening is largely contained to jurisdictions in North America. In other parts of the world the 'advancement' is almost always through a staged progression over months or years.


On Q4, the costs will escalate for members who undertake Grand Lodge roles and their equivalents in other orders (for regalia, travel, social and benevolent work, etc.) Some costs might be subsidised by a committed Lodge but not always.

The cost is not material but the benefit of service is.

[edit on 7-4-2005 by MaskedAvatar]

Originally posted by Driver
3. Do you need to have certain bloodline connections to progress into the higher degrees or past the Blue Degrees, even?

Yes, you need to be of a certain bloodline: the human bloodline.

Originally posted by Driver
1. What percentage of Freemasons get past the Blue Degrees? I hear that it is very few.

You hear wrong. In the UK the figure is about 40%. Personally I'd like to see more but many people are quite satisfied with their Craft masonry (or 'Blue' as it is known in some quarters).

2. How difficult is it to progress through into the higher degrees and how long does it take on average to complete each degree? I'm confused since Masons who are in the higher degrees are very few in numbers.

Easy, you just ask to join, although some side orders have specific membership requirements, e.g. must be a Christian, must be in certain other Side Orders. In the UK we don't have York or Scottish Rite but many of the individual Side Orders are similar.

How long? - the rest of your masonic career sometimes. Again, it's up to you.

3. Do you need to have certain bloodline connections to progress into the higher degrees or past the Blue Degrees, even?

Oh Driver, this is laughable. Really... where have you been picking up your information? I would try changing your sources.

There are no joining criteria other than age, sex and the belief in a Supreme Being; although different jurisdictions may have slight variations.

4. How expensive is it to progres through Masonry?

In the UK you can join several side orders and it will still be cheaper than your health club or golf club membership.

Thanks for the answers

I know the become 33rd Degree SR, you must have bloodlines connections, though.

Originally posted by Driver
Thanks for the answers

I know the become 33rd Degree SR, you must have bloodlines connections, though.

How do you "know" this?. It's wrong. Just plain wrong. As wrong as Ron 'Wrong' McWrong from Wrongsville. It's inaccurate, false, untrue, completely without substance AND wrong.

As sebatwork pointed out, human blood is the only blood-related requirement for any aspect of freemasonry, although when the aliens visit we may relax the criteria

Originally posted by Driver
Thanks for the answers

I know the become 33rd Degree SR, you must have bloodlines connections, though.

Maybe this site will explain better how the "Honors" (that's what the 33rd Degree is...an Honor) of the Scottish Rite are bestowed.

www.geocities.com...

No bloodlines necessary....just dedication and work for the betterment of Freemasonry and the community as a whole.

Regards

Originally posted by Driver
Thanks for the answers

I know the become 33rd Degree SR, you must have bloodlines connections, though.

You obviously DONT know, so please refrain from stating somethhing as fact when you are unsure of it, or when you cannot provide evidence for it. Thank you.

Letting someone outside the elite bloodlines be head of Freemasonry would never happens, it is plain ludicrous.

[edit on 8-4-2005 by Driver]

Originally posted by Driver
Letting someone outside the elite bloodlines be head of Freemasonry would never happens, it is plain ludicrous.

[edit on 8-4-2005 by Driver]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Oh...I needed a good laugh on a beautiful Friday.

Sorry Driver,

I mistakenly thought you were actually interested in the TRUTH about Freemasonry. Obviously you're a conspiracy theorist who hasn't a CLUE.

Enjoy your ignorance of the subject. I won't bother trying to tell you the truth if you don't REALLY want it.

Originally posted by senrak
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Oh...I needed a good laugh on a beautiful Friday.

Sorry Driver,

I mistakenly thought you were actually interested in the TRUTH about Freemasonry. Obviously you're a conspiracy theorist who hasn't a CLUE.

Enjoy your ignorance of the subject. I won't bother trying to tell you the truth if you don't REALLY want it.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Oh...I needed a good laugh on a beautiful Friday.

Sorry senrak,

I am aware of what you are bound to in your initiation ritual so how can you possibly say anything remotely true about Freemasonry?

I

Originally posted by Driver
Sorry senrak,

I am aware of what you are bound to in your initiation ritual so how can you possibly say anything remotely true about Freemasonry?

I

You are obviously not aware of what senrak said in his obligation or you wouldn't say such a foolish thing. Perhaps you'd like to post what you think he said, so we can all laugh some more.

I'm beginning to think your username is spelled wrong - shouldn't the last letter be an L?

Originally posted by Driver
Sorry senrak,
I am aware of what you are bound to in your initiation ritual so how can you possibly say anything remotely true about Freemasonry?

You're obviously aware of NOTHING regarding Freemasonry. Sure the ceremonies are private (not evil or nefarious) but there is NO "bloodline" Any man of legal age who believes in a Supreme Creator (i.e. "God") can be a Freemason. The so-called "Scottish Rite" confers the 4th - 33rd Degrees and ANY Scottish Rite Mason who works hard for Freemasonry and for the world at large can (if elected by the Supreme Council) become a 33rd Degree Mason. It's quite an Honor, but there's no "bloodline" to receive it. The current Grand Commander (Presiding Officer) of the Supreme Council (Southern Jurisdiction, USA--the Mother Supreme Council of the World) has the following biography:
_____________________________
Ronald A. Seale, 33°, was installed as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, on October 7, 2003. Ill. Seale's service on the Supreme Council began with his appointment as Deputy and then Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Louisiana in 1995.

Grand Commander Seale was born on June 24, 1948, and attended the public schools in Baton Rouge before graduating with a B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1970 and with a Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, in 1973. He entered law practice in Baton Rouge in 1974 and is a member of the American, Louisiana State, and Baton Rouge Bar Associations as well as the International Association of Defense Counsel.

A member of the First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, Ill. Seale has been active for over 30 years as a teacher of adults and youth in Sunday School. He has served as a delegate to the Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Active in amateur radio, Ill. Seale currently holds a FCC Extra Class License (KE5YX). He also holds a private pilot's license.

Ill. Seale began his Masonic career in 1962 as a member and then Master Councilor of Pelican Chapter, Order of DeMolay, in Baton Rouge. He is a Past Chapter Dad of Pelican Chapter and an Active Member of International Supreme Council, Order of DeMolay.

Raised a Master Mason in 1969 in East Gate Lodge #452, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ill. Seale served his Lodge as Master in 1988. In the Baton Rouge Scottish Rite Bodies, Ill. Seale was active in several of the Degrees, including the 5th, 27th, and 31st Degrees. For his many services to our Order, he was invested with the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honour in 1977 and coroneted a 33° Inspector General Honorary in 1993.

Grand Commander Seale and his wife, Saundra, reside in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and take great pride in their two children, Michael, who is attending Louisiana State University, and Stephanie, who is employed in the music industry in New York City.
___________________________

Just an ordinary man. Puts his pants on one leg at a time. Attends Church. Has children. Doesn't control the world.

That and MUCH more info can be found at:

www.srmason-sj.org...

and at the Supreme Councils main page:

www.srmason-sj.org...

Don't be afraid to real legitimate Masonic sites if you REALLY want legitimate Masonic information. Don't be afraid to ask Masons (like me)

This silly crap about "you are bound by your ritual...." yadda yadda is NONSENSE and YOU KNOW IT! Don't be a troll, Driver. There are quite enough of them around already.

"...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue
torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the seas... So help me
God..”

Originally posted by Driver

"...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue
torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the seas... So help me
God..”

That's not the exact wording that my Lodge uses and many jurisdictions don't say ANYTHING like that at all any more, the SYMBOLIC penalties having been completely removed. The REAL penalty is suspension or expulsion.

HOWEVER...that has NOTHING to do with the subject. Information about Freemasonry is NOT secret...the ceremonies of initiation are....(however several of them are available on-line...so they're NOT really secret)

But again...INFORMATION ABOUT FREEMASONRY IS NOT SECRET.

Originally posted by Driver
Letting someone outside the elite bloodlines be head of Freemasonry would never happens, it is plain ludicrous.

[edit on 8-4-2005 by Driver]

And by the way, there is no HEAD of freemasonry. it's a fraternity and everybody within is equal. The only "heads" are the masters of lodges. Mine is a schoolteacher, certainly not of an "elite bloodline".

Also, the oaths we take are SYMBOLIC. Do you really think those things will happen to us if we were to say anything? If so, you're a bigger ignoramus than I thought. There's been MANY masons who have "divulged" our secrets, and nothing has ever happened to them, except for the fact that they were probaly expelled from their lodge.

I suggest that if you want to know the truth about masonry, you sart listening to what others on this forum tell you. Why would you pretend to be interested in the truth about masonry when you are obviously not?

Man I thought for a second you were actually interested in learning something. I am so sick of you dudes disguising your pathetic attacks as questions. You don't KNOW anything about it (which is obvious from your posts), and as has been stated your conjecture about the "higher" degrees is utter and complete poppycock. Hogwash, even.

I am inclined to believe that no matter what these good gentlemen (or I myself) tell you you will stick you your "I-know-more-about-Masonry-than-Masons-do-and-you-can't-tell-the-truth-because-I-copied-and-pasted-CRAP (that's C-R-A-P)-from-freemasonrywatch.org-and-they-are-the-real-deal" argument.

If you think you already "know" then why start a thread that only wastes bandwidth, time, and tests our (defenders of Masonry, not necessarily Masons ) patience with this nonsense?!

Wow, I drank too much coffee today or something.

Originally posted by Driver
"...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue
torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the seas... So help me
God..”

Yup - looks similar to the pre-1986 UGLE penalties by the wording. But by posting just the traditional penalty of the first degree you tell the casual observer absolutely nothing about the context.

I'll help you out. Freemasons promise not to reveal the 'modes of recognition'. Nothing else. And the real penalty for violating that trust is to be branded 'void of all moral worth' etc. The number of ex-freemasons who aren't lying in a ditch somewhere with their throat cut should be evidence enough that the traditional penalties are purely symbolic.

But in case you're still not sure, let me reassure you that the initiate to freemasonry is specifically told, and I quote, "the inclusion of such a penalty is unnecessary". Which means, of course, that it isn't included.

So you didn't say it, then?

Can I get some people to admit they did not swear to any of the penalties in the Oaths of Masonry, because they are unnecessary?

On the one hand, you guys will say, we're not going to change the wording, because its all about the tradition, its been this way the entire history of Freemasonry.

Then, you will turn around and say, the oath I said was not exactly that one. There are lots of variations of the ritual out there, and my Lodge doesn't use that one.

Hello, isn't that CONTRAdictory? On the one hand, Freemasonry goes out of its way to maintain its 'modes of recognition', but every Lodge has a slightly different oath and ritual? Not buying it. Try sell it over there ---------->