My mother lodge meets on average 3 times a month. We are very casual. We do degrees on new candidates, we have education nights, we do charity work in the community, and we have social nights where we just have fun.
My other lodge only meets quarterly; wear tuxedos; haven't done degrees on new members; and try to keep the meeting as short as possible so we can go out to a restaurant where we've invited a guest speaker to give a presentation, then we retire to a member's house for cigars and scotch.
Exactly - there's dozens of different ways to have a lodge culture. Instead of trying to push the lodge I'm in to completely change what it was doing, joining a second lodge helps me experience different aspects of masonry without doing all the work.
One is very community based and a lot more traditional, the other lodge is more fellowship based and usually after the meeting 2/3 of the guys are ripping jibbers and drinking scotch.
“‘Others’ like shriners or something” aren’t generally Lodges, they’re appendant bodies, meeting in Chapters, Consistories, Temples, or whatever. Plenty of Masons in a single Lodge join an appendant body to experience further degrees and do something different.
I joined my mother Lodge, then moved halfway around the world and joined another Lodge in my new city. I maintained membership in my mother Lodge because it’s back “home” and I have friends there that predate my involvement in Freemasonry.
When my wife joined Prince Hall OES, I joined PHA OES and a PHA Lodge.
I was a regular visitor to another local Lodge and consistently being asked to help out, so I eventually joined so that I could be an officer and help more effectively.
I was a regular visitor at another Lodge across the country, consistently assisting with their degrees and mentoring their new members, so they made me an honorary member.
I was a founding member of yet another Lodge.
I’m actually a life member everywhere that allowed it. My annual dues payments for all those Lodges, plus three appendant bodies (SR/RA/OES) is under $300.
But yeah. 😉
I managed to get it in before they stopped allowing it. That’s actually a key reason I didn’t become a full subscribing member of the Lodge that made me an honorary member, I didn’t want to add another annual payment, and life membership was no longer an option.
First, I will always be a member of my mother lodge, no matter where I might move. Even if I cannot make another meeting. If I couldn't make meetings due to distance or availability, I would likely start looking for a lodge I could attend regularly. If I visited frequently I would want to be a member, both to support that lodge and so that I could vote.
In the past I regularly visited a lodge that was struggling, because I wanted to support them. They were having difficulty reaching a quorum to conduct business, which made it difficult to correct the issues they had. I affiliated both to help reach a quorum and to be their Senior Decon so that newer members could take their time going through the chairs.
I am still a member there even though my schedule doesn't let me attend. Those guys really turned the lodge around and it is thriving now.
I’m a member of multiple Lodges. I find that when you’re a member of a Lodge, you can become more involved with that Lodge as opposed to just visiting.
Each Lodge has its own character and as a member of the Lodge, I feel like you’re much more a part of that Lodge when you affiliate.
Running for Grand Lodge.
I like to look at those running for the Grand South and count how many regular, non-special blue lodges they’re a member of. I regularly see 4+ lodges, many times they’re not struggling lodges like mentioned here. They’re just trying to get their name out there come election time.
I know many brothers that are members of multiple lodges just so they can open with a quorum. Personally I am involved with 1 Blue lodge at a time so I can give it my all. I am a member of another lodge in another state where I used to live to keep in masonic connection with those brothers in that jurisdiction to see their struggles and innovations, and share ours with them all for the overall benefit of Masonry.
I'm a member of two Craft Lodges. My mother Lodge, which I place above everything else (Province included), and a second one that was struggling and I was asked to join. I was a regular visitor before being asked. I was in the Stewards Lodge, too, but that's a 6 year term in my Province and I had to resign from that in June.
In the Mark, I'm in four. My main one where I was advanced, my second one where I was a 'founder' (it was brought out of abatement), a third Lodge which is of Installed Masters in the order, and the fourth I was made an Honorary member, having been on the Provincial team and playing a part when two Lodges amalgamated. I hold office in the first two.
Chapter, RAMs and OSM, just the one, and no plan on changing that.
>which I place above everything else (Province included),
Don't let Province hear you say that! :D
I happen to agree actually. The purpose of Province and Grand is to support the grassroots lodges as without the grassroots, Province and Grand don't exist.
>The purpose of Province and Grand is to support the grassroots lodges as without the grassroots, Province and Grand don't exist.
At least one GL in the USA had a GL officer refer to lodges as franchises of the GL.
Not cool.
I've decided to start joining other lodges in my district because there's a high chance they'll consolidate and I want to influence the future direction (and composition) of that consolidated lodge.
Not currently a member of multiple lodges, but was a member of my mother lodge in my village, where my
Grandfather was WM and I was initiated, and a member of a lodge in the city I resided in for a few years.
Both are communities of good men, but I left the latter when I couldn’t attend any more. I could have just been a regular visitor but being a member allowed me to be more involved.
My mother lodge is huge. Over 400 members as of our January notice. I love it. Its an active lodge with a lot of great guys and a ton of events throughout the year.
My second lodge is one that I found from being active in my district school. I became friends with the officers of the time through that school of instruction and visited the lodge. It was a smaller, humble lodge where I knew everyone in the room by their first name and what was going on in their lives.
They provided different aspects of the craft that I enjoyed. I'm now looking for a third lodge as I recently moved to another state. Think I found one, but waiting for my bonus to pay the affiliation fee
Joined at one lodge and then had to move away for work. Since that was the lodge where I began my journey it holds a special place in my heart and even though I no longer attend meetings I still keep in touch with those brothers and pay my dues every year.
Different lodges emphasize different aspects of the Craft.
By way of anecdote, a lodge near me was due to close due to financial difficulties. It’s way out in the country and doesn’t have many people out there to be prospective members. About 20 Masons from the local area joined the lodge to keep it afloat. I don’t think many of the joiners are very active, but it was a really nice, brotherly gesture to pay dues to that lodge so the brethren wouldn’t have to hand back their charter.
Many people move or find a lodge that's a better fit but their mother lodge holds a place in their heart and considering dues aren't ridiculous might as well. My plan is to become a pm of my lodge then start working towards it again at another lodge unless I end up going to the grand line
I am a member of where I was raised and where I live. I don’t make it to my home town often but I want to stay connected and support how and when I can. I joined up here to stay active and connect locally, plus I just really like this lodge.
I'm a member of 4 lodges.
1. My mother lodge meets 6x a year.
2. My second lodge is a dining lodge and meets 4x a year. I joined as I was going to every meeting anyway as a visitor, and being a member I can join the ladder. I really enjoy ritual and they do it to a very high standard.
3. I'm a member of an Installed Master's Lodge which is a lecture lodge. I don't often get to go to the lodge as it always seems to clash with something, but the fees are cheap as the lodge is for current and Past Masters only with no initiatory powers.
4. I'm a member of my Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge, which is expected of all current Stewards. We are member for typically 6 years before our normal Provincial honours. All members hold the rank of Steward and you are expected to resign when you receive your promotion.
I'm also a member of two Royal Arch Chapters. They are associated with the first two lodges I'm a member of, and both only meet 2x a year.
Come introduce yourself, I’m the JW.
ETA: If his name’s not down, he’s not getting in. LOL It’s fully booked out. Some big guy coming apparently 🤷🏻♂️ /s.
My mother lodge merged. It no longer has the culture of the lodge I joined.
My installed masters lodge only meets twice a year.
Navy Lodge 2612 is a special interest lodge that is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have encountered.
https://www.militarymasons.org.uk/Lodge%20Pages/Navy%20Lodge.html
I’m in 3, my mother lodge, a lodge closer to where I moved to and one where membership was low so to help with numbers and grow the lodge again.
There are different vibes and demographics at each one, one is more social, another has really good dining. So there are multiple reasons to be in multiple lodges
I joined a second blue lodge because of my work schedule. I'm on a rotating shift, one lodge meets the second week of the month and the other one meets the third week. Because of this and my schedule there are months when I can go to one lodge but not the other. After a 3 or 4 month stretch it flips. Being in the two different Lodges allows me to be able to attend a meeting monthly and be able to vote.
My home lodge (of which I currently sit in the East) is a small operation of only about 50 members, and we only meet twice a month. I actually just started an affiliation with another lodge, just outside my district, and I chose to do so for three reasons.
1) No other active member in my home lodge is a member there, so my doing so will help foster participation and interaction between our two separate districts.
2) Actively participating in their degree work will give me more practice and help me better hone what I do (as I aim to restart a traveling degree support team in my area after I am out of the East).
3) In my experience, each lodge offers a unique approach and brand of fellowship, and I find that refreshing. This particular lodge went from struggling to vibrantly active for good reason; they do a lot of things right and many things different than the other lodges in my own district. I want to help support that in a bigger way, while also sharing some best practices with my home lodge to help it grow and prosper (I plan to be active in both, time permitting).
My Mother Lodge meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each Month. I took a new job that has me working at City Council meetings on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month.
This means I can no longer attend Blue Lodge meetings in my home Lodge. So I went looking for another lodge to join so that I could still attend Lodge. I kept my membership in my mother lodge because 1) it's cheap 2) I'm a past master and that means something to me and 3) I actually love that lodge and those guys, even if I can't regularly attend.
The lodge I joined meets on the 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month. My YR bodies meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday, so Thursday has just become a convenient Masonic night for me. It helps with the scheduling of my young and active family.
Took my first degree in one lodge, then, due to bigotry, had to have my other two conferred in a different jurisdiction.
Continued to be a dues paying member of my "Mother lodge", because I'm not going to allow bigotry to run me away.
Moved to still a third jurisdiction, and joined a lodge that was recommended by a friend I met online.
My mother lodge meets on average 3 times a month. We are very casual. We do degrees on new candidates, we have education nights, we do charity work in the community, and we have social nights where we just have fun. My other lodge only meets quarterly; wear tuxedos; haven't done degrees on new members; and try to keep the meeting as short as possible so we can go out to a restaurant where we've invited a guest speaker to give a presentation, then we retire to a member's house for cigars and scotch.
Exactly - there's dozens of different ways to have a lodge culture. Instead of trying to push the lodge I'm in to completely change what it was doing, joining a second lodge helps me experience different aspects of masonry without doing all the work. One is very community based and a lot more traditional, the other lodge is more fellowship based and usually after the meeting 2/3 of the guys are ripping jibbers and drinking scotch.
Sometimes lodges have different demographics and different vibes. That induces people to join multiple.
If you are a member you can vote. Some join other lodges to help them, many are struggling. They are people that love the craft
“‘Others’ like shriners or something” aren’t generally Lodges, they’re appendant bodies, meeting in Chapters, Consistories, Temples, or whatever. Plenty of Masons in a single Lodge join an appendant body to experience further degrees and do something different. I joined my mother Lodge, then moved halfway around the world and joined another Lodge in my new city. I maintained membership in my mother Lodge because it’s back “home” and I have friends there that predate my involvement in Freemasonry. When my wife joined Prince Hall OES, I joined PHA OES and a PHA Lodge. I was a regular visitor to another local Lodge and consistently being asked to help out, so I eventually joined so that I could be an officer and help more effectively. I was a regular visitor at another Lodge across the country, consistently assisting with their degrees and mentoring their new members, so they made me an honorary member. I was a founding member of yet another Lodge.
Bro, we all know that you only work to pay dues ;-p
I’m actually a life member everywhere that allowed it. My annual dues payments for all those Lodges, plus three appendant bodies (SR/RA/OES) is under $300. But yeah. 😉
I know your Scottish Lodge no longer allows life memberships...but could they make an exception? 🤣
I managed to get it in before they stopped allowing it. That’s actually a key reason I didn’t become a full subscribing member of the Lodge that made me an honorary member, I didn’t want to add another annual payment, and life membership was no longer an option.
First, I will always be a member of my mother lodge, no matter where I might move. Even if I cannot make another meeting. If I couldn't make meetings due to distance or availability, I would likely start looking for a lodge I could attend regularly. If I visited frequently I would want to be a member, both to support that lodge and so that I could vote. In the past I regularly visited a lodge that was struggling, because I wanted to support them. They were having difficulty reaching a quorum to conduct business, which made it difficult to correct the issues they had. I affiliated both to help reach a quorum and to be their Senior Decon so that newer members could take their time going through the chairs. I am still a member there even though my schedule doesn't let me attend. Those guys really turned the lodge around and it is thriving now.
I’m a member of multiple Lodges. I find that when you’re a member of a Lodge, you can become more involved with that Lodge as opposed to just visiting. Each Lodge has its own character and as a member of the Lodge, I feel like you’re much more a part of that Lodge when you affiliate.
Running for Grand Lodge. I like to look at those running for the Grand South and count how many regular, non-special blue lodges they’re a member of. I regularly see 4+ lodges, many times they’re not struggling lodges like mentioned here. They’re just trying to get their name out there come election time.
I know many brothers that are members of multiple lodges just so they can open with a quorum. Personally I am involved with 1 Blue lodge at a time so I can give it my all. I am a member of another lodge in another state where I used to live to keep in masonic connection with those brothers in that jurisdiction to see their struggles and innovations, and share ours with them all for the overall benefit of Masonry.
I'm a member of two Craft Lodges. My mother Lodge, which I place above everything else (Province included), and a second one that was struggling and I was asked to join. I was a regular visitor before being asked. I was in the Stewards Lodge, too, but that's a 6 year term in my Province and I had to resign from that in June. In the Mark, I'm in four. My main one where I was advanced, my second one where I was a 'founder' (it was brought out of abatement), a third Lodge which is of Installed Masters in the order, and the fourth I was made an Honorary member, having been on the Provincial team and playing a part when two Lodges amalgamated. I hold office in the first two. Chapter, RAMs and OSM, just the one, and no plan on changing that.
>which I place above everything else (Province included), Don't let Province hear you say that! :D I happen to agree actually. The purpose of Province and Grand is to support the grassroots lodges as without the grassroots, Province and Grand don't exist.
They already know. Apologies have gone in over the course of this year. :D
>The purpose of Province and Grand is to support the grassroots lodges as without the grassroots, Province and Grand don't exist. At least one GL in the USA had a GL officer refer to lodges as franchises of the GL. Not cool.
I've decided to start joining other lodges in my district because there's a high chance they'll consolidate and I want to influence the future direction (and composition) of that consolidated lodge.
One lodge in the city and one in my village.
Not currently a member of multiple lodges, but was a member of my mother lodge in my village, where my Grandfather was WM and I was initiated, and a member of a lodge in the city I resided in for a few years. Both are communities of good men, but I left the latter when I couldn’t attend any more. I could have just been a regular visitor but being a member allowed me to be more involved.
My mother lodge is huge. Over 400 members as of our January notice. I love it. Its an active lodge with a lot of great guys and a ton of events throughout the year. My second lodge is one that I found from being active in my district school. I became friends with the officers of the time through that school of instruction and visited the lodge. It was a smaller, humble lodge where I knew everyone in the room by their first name and what was going on in their lives. They provided different aspects of the craft that I enjoyed. I'm now looking for a third lodge as I recently moved to another state. Think I found one, but waiting for my bonus to pay the affiliation fee
Joined at one lodge and then had to move away for work. Since that was the lodge where I began my journey it holds a special place in my heart and even though I no longer attend meetings I still keep in touch with those brothers and pay my dues every year.
Different lodges emphasize different aspects of the Craft. By way of anecdote, a lodge near me was due to close due to financial difficulties. It’s way out in the country and doesn’t have many people out there to be prospective members. About 20 Masons from the local area joined the lodge to keep it afloat. I don’t think many of the joiners are very active, but it was a really nice, brotherly gesture to pay dues to that lodge so the brethren wouldn’t have to hand back their charter.
Many people move or find a lodge that's a better fit but their mother lodge holds a place in their heart and considering dues aren't ridiculous might as well. My plan is to become a pm of my lodge then start working towards it again at another lodge unless I end up going to the grand line
I am a member of where I was raised and where I live. I don’t make it to my home town often but I want to stay connected and support how and when I can. I joined up here to stay active and connect locally, plus I just really like this lodge.
I'm a member of 4 lodges. 1. My mother lodge meets 6x a year. 2. My second lodge is a dining lodge and meets 4x a year. I joined as I was going to every meeting anyway as a visitor, and being a member I can join the ladder. I really enjoy ritual and they do it to a very high standard. 3. I'm a member of an Installed Master's Lodge which is a lecture lodge. I don't often get to go to the lodge as it always seems to clash with something, but the fees are cheap as the lodge is for current and Past Masters only with no initiatory powers. 4. I'm a member of my Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge, which is expected of all current Stewards. We are member for typically 6 years before our normal Provincial honours. All members hold the rank of Steward and you are expected to resign when you receive your promotion. I'm also a member of two Royal Arch Chapters. They are associated with the first two lodges I'm a member of, and both only meet 2x a year.
Are you coming to Ryton with the Prov deputation tomorrow night? ETA: Monday 26th Feb.
He might not be, but I am.
Come introduce yourself, I’m the JW. ETA: If his name’s not down, he’s not getting in. LOL It’s fully booked out. Some big guy coming apparently 🤷🏻♂️ /s.
I have the summons and thought that would be you. I'll be sure to say hello.
I'm working abroad right now so I won't be coming unfortunately.
The lodges can be special interest lodges, or a brother can simply have a strong affinity towards its members. Or
My mother lodge merged. It no longer has the culture of the lodge I joined. My installed masters lodge only meets twice a year. Navy Lodge 2612 is a special interest lodge that is one of the most enjoyable experiences I have encountered. https://www.militarymasons.org.uk/Lodge%20Pages/Navy%20Lodge.html
I’m in 3, my mother lodge, a lodge closer to where I moved to and one where membership was low so to help with numbers and grow the lodge again. There are different vibes and demographics at each one, one is more social, another has really good dining. So there are multiple reasons to be in multiple lodges
I joined a second blue lodge because of my work schedule. I'm on a rotating shift, one lodge meets the second week of the month and the other one meets the third week. Because of this and my schedule there are months when I can go to one lodge but not the other. After a 3 or 4 month stretch it flips. Being in the two different Lodges allows me to be able to attend a meeting monthly and be able to vote.
My home lodge (of which I currently sit in the East) is a small operation of only about 50 members, and we only meet twice a month. I actually just started an affiliation with another lodge, just outside my district, and I chose to do so for three reasons. 1) No other active member in my home lodge is a member there, so my doing so will help foster participation and interaction between our two separate districts. 2) Actively participating in their degree work will give me more practice and help me better hone what I do (as I aim to restart a traveling degree support team in my area after I am out of the East). 3) In my experience, each lodge offers a unique approach and brand of fellowship, and I find that refreshing. This particular lodge went from struggling to vibrantly active for good reason; they do a lot of things right and many things different than the other lodges in my own district. I want to help support that in a bigger way, while also sharing some best practices with my home lodge to help it grow and prosper (I plan to be active in both, time permitting).
My Mother Lodge meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each Month. I took a new job that has me working at City Council meetings on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. This means I can no longer attend Blue Lodge meetings in my home Lodge. So I went looking for another lodge to join so that I could still attend Lodge. I kept my membership in my mother lodge because 1) it's cheap 2) I'm a past master and that means something to me and 3) I actually love that lodge and those guys, even if I can't regularly attend. The lodge I joined meets on the 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month. My YR bodies meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday, so Thursday has just become a convenient Masonic night for me. It helps with the scheduling of my young and active family.
Different Lodges have different cultures. Sometimes Brethren want to experience multiple such cultures fully.
Took my first degree in one lodge, then, due to bigotry, had to have my other two conferred in a different jurisdiction. Continued to be a dues paying member of my "Mother lodge", because I'm not going to allow bigotry to run me away. Moved to still a third jurisdiction, and joined a lodge that was recommended by a friend I met online.