Masonic Interview length?

A friend of mine took up an interst in the masons and applied for membership. Another friend of his did the same, when they interviewed him, it was a couple of young guys who came to his house (i think that the interviewee picks the location), talked to him for a good while, spoke with his fiancee for a while, and the like. But when this friend of mine's interview came up, it was a couple of 60 year old guys who were there for about 8 minutes and barely spoke to his fiancee.

I'd've thought that the interviews are done by a few people who hold that as their position within the lodge. I'd've also thought that the interview would last longer than that. Does that indicate that he made a poor impression, or merely that they were satisified that he wasn't some whacko rather quickly, or would anything just be reading too much into nothing? Are the interviews usually that short?

Also, they are building a new lodge, but they refered to it as a temple (tho perhaps my friend reported this wrong), I'd thought that lodges were lodges no?

The interview process will differ from lodge to lodge. In my lodge the Master askes three of the members present to go and interview the applicant. I have never hurd of any lodge having a "set" interview committie, of course this possable.

When I have been on an interview committe we have always met at the home of the applicant, from my personal point of view, this is to give BOTH the applicant as well as his wife the oportunity to as US questions. Most of the time it has been my experiance that the interview is a two way process. The primary purpose is to get to know the applicant and get an idea of both his charater as well as his reasons for joining. As far as I can immagine, the only reason to ask an applicant about his finances would be to be sure that it would not cause finacial hardship on his family to join the lodge.

Most of the time the process has taken a couple of hours, depending on how many questions they have about masonry, rather than how many questions we have for them.

We have an investigative committee who performs the interview. They generally
take an hour or so and we often invite the potential candidate to the next social function (such as our steak roast)
where they get to meet some of the brothers.
Also, my wife was an integral part of the conversation.

I'm sorry, but the Masonic help desk is down the web and to the right. This is a CONSPRIACY SITE, not a Secret Society hangout.

Thank you.

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