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Jason Baker is a member of Industry Lodge in Scunthorpe, which he joined a year before writing this article in which he describes his arrival in one of the world’s longest-established organisations…
“I joined Freemasonry through the internet, which is a relatively new way to get into the Craft. I knew it had been by invitation-only for many years, and because I did not know anybody that was a Mason, I assumed that I would never be able to join. However, after doing some research on the United Grand Lodge of England’s website , I realised this had changed.
I have got to admit that I must have filled out the application form three or four times, over as many months, before actually hitting the ‘send’ button. I was nervous as I did not know what to truly expect. I was not one to believe all the conspiracy theories that surround Freemasonry, but still, going into the unknown felt a bit daunting at first.
It took around eleven months from the time of my application to the evening of my initiation ceremony. I had three telephone interviews, one with a Grand Lodge officer, another one with an officer from Lincolnshire Provincial Lodge, and a final one with a local Lodge Officer where I live in Scunthorpe.
Each brother I spoke with was very well-mannered and sophisticated, and invited discussion; essentially just asking questions about why I had applied and what my motivations were. After three great conversations, where I was allowed to talk openly about the research I had done over the years, I was invited to choose which lodge I wanted to join. I chose Industry Lodge 4662 that meets on the fourth Saturday of every month.
After I had made my selection, I was introduced to Worshipful Brother Phil Aitken, and we went for a couple of beers so we could get to know one another. Phil is great, he’s a fantastic mentor and has become an even better friend. Phil decided that he would become my Proposer, and after a further interview with two Past Masters, Worshipful Brother Les Brewer (My Seconder) and Worshipful Brother Laurie Railton (Lodge Mentor) who came to my house and met me along with my wife and three children, my initiation date was set.
The night of my initiation I was very nervous. I turned up to my local Masonic building not really knowing what to expect, although Phil had pre-warned me that I was going to be placed in “The Cheese Cupboard,” which I thought was a masonic term that I wasn’t aware of, but just turned out to be the room where they previously stored the cheese, which we all had a good laugh about at the Festive Board.
After hearing a lot of noise outside the door when the brothers were arriving, it finally went silent, and I was sat there for what felt like forever, although it was only around 15-20 minutes in reality. Finally, The Tyler – The gentlemen that guards the door to the lodge – came to get me, and without any spoilers, I was progressed through my initiation, with each and every brother making me feel welcome from the moment I arrived.
I am now a Master Mason, after successfully completing my Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft Degrees, and I have got to say that I am so glad that I made the jump and hit that send button, as Freemasonry now means everything to me. After being in for a short while, I realised that there are just as many reasons for joining Freemasonry as there are Freemasons. Each brother has his own individual justification for joining, but I believe we all come to love it for similar reasons, the brotherhood and the work being the most for myself.
A quick internet search will show that Freemasonry describes itself as, “A Peculiar System of Morality, Vailed in Allegory, and Illustrated by Symbols.” This can be very confusing to new and potential members about what it actually means; however, a brilliant analogy that describes this, and Freemasonry in general, is this: Imagine you are speaking to someone who speaks a foreign language that you do not understand. At first, you wouldn’t have any idea what they were talking about, it would just be a mixture of sounds and expressions. But, if you gradually took the time to learn that language, stage by stage, you would begin to understand a little, then a bit more, and eventually you would become fluent. Freemasonry is no different. The true art of the Craft is for those that are willing to sweat for it, as the ancient proverb goes.
I was told when I joined that in Freemasonry you get out what you put in, and that couldn’t be more true. There is absolutely no pressure, and you can get involved with as much or as little of the work as you want. If you have been thinking about joining, take it from someone that has already taken the leap: You will certainly not regret it!
