Paradise Valley Silver Trowel #29 - Masonic Lodge

To Become a Mason you must ask a Mason!

Here are a few important things you should consider before applying to become a Mason.

1. Watch the Friend to Friend Video: Here
   
   

2. Then find a Lodge near you. If Paradise Valley Silver Trowel #29 is near you, then continue on! How do you find a Lodge near you? Usually you can search the Internet OR contact your local Grand Lodge by phone. What should you expect when you call? Expect a man on the other side to ask your name, your age and where you live. Then a pause as he looks up the nearest Lodge and tells you their phone number and the nights they meet!
   
   
3. Call or just show up at Lodge. At Paradise Valley Silver Trowel #29 you can show up any Wednesday at about 6:30 PM or so and we will be preparing for Lodge. Usually it is best to call first. You can call the lodge: here or call Jason Huber at 18006900984 (and leave a message!). What should you expect? If you call you can expect a call back. We will chat about you and answer any questions you have. We will discuss what is happening at Lodge this week and if you should come down - depending on what is going on it helps to come down at certain time to meet the brethren, but you can come down ANY Wednesday.
   If you decide to just stop down expect to be greeted at the door by a few Brothers of the lodge. They will extend their hand and ask your name. You should feel proud and secure when you tell them your name and that you are new to the Lodge and hoping to see the secretary to fill out a petition. If you know someone at the Lodge, ask for them. If you do not, then the Secretary is your man!
   This can be tough to do, so feel free to call first. You might not feel comfortable visiting on your own, but you should.
   
   
4. What happens next? You get to know the Lodge and the Brothers that make up the lodge. The requirements for joining are well documented and we can explain them to you there, but basically you must:
   • Be a Free Man (that's you!)
   • Come well recommended (you must know a Mason for at least 6 months, but that is why you are coming here right?)
   • Belief in a Supreme Being (God)
5. How much does it cost? Right now dues are < $100 a year.
   
   
6. How long does it take? Well this is usually up to the candidate, but it can take as little as 30 days (very rare) and as long as 2 years (very rare). It normally takes about 3-4 months, but you should be in no hurry. Becoming a Mason is a learning experience in itself and you should expect it to be challenging and rewarding. The following years after becoming a Mason will also be very rewarding as well!

Masonry has in all ages insisted that men shall come to its doors entirely of their own free will; not from feelings of curiosity, but from a favorable opinion of the Institution and a desire to be numbered among its members.

Freemasonry is a fraternity which teaches ethics and morality. Although it is not in any sense a religion or a substitute for religion, we do require that men who join believe in God and in the brotherhood of man. No atheist can become a Mason.

Although we require that a member believe in God, we never try to tell a man how he should conceive of God, what faith he should practice or what worship he should follow. Those are questions of individual conscience, and the member must find those answers within his own faith. Masonry has for its foundation the great principles of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man.

Freemasonry distinguishes between patriotism and partisanship. While patriotism is encouraged as an essential virtue both within and without the Lodge, no partisan or political discussion is allowed within the Lodge.

The essential purpose of Freemasonry is the further development of the individual Mason as an honest, ethical, moral, sincere, caring and charitable man, learning more about his own potential as a human being and developing his intellectual and spiritual character. A man should never enter the Fraternity in the hope of making business connections or for any other sort of professional or monetary gain. If he does, he will be disappointed, for they will not be found there. What he will find is a group of like-minded men, who are willing to treat him as a Brother and share in a deep and rewarding fellowship with him. He will find true friends and life-long companions.

We expect men who petition for the Degrees (Membership) to be good men, but not to be perfect. We know that all men have limitations and weaknesses. Our questions are: Does he care about others? Does he feel a responsibility to improve himself and to make the lives of others better as best he can? Is he willing to be open and honest with us and with himself?

We are glad that you are interested in the Masonic Fraternity, and we are willing to share it with you. If you decide that you wish to join the Masonic Fraternity you will be given an application form. Inside the application you will find several questions. They are not asked out of idle curiosity. When we accept a man as a Brother, we make a sincere promise to him that we will trust him completely and will treat his needs and his interests just as if they were our own. This application, and the visit some Lodge Brothers will make with you, will begin a process of sharing information which is vital if both you and we are to be comfortable in the relationship.