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Being a Free-Mason is an act of volition and the human spirit. It requires a level of personal commitment beyond that of a mere social fraternity. You are committing yourself to the ideal of a brotherhood of all humanity through tolerance and understanding. You must be willing to reach out and achieve your full potential as an individual to be a brother among us. This is something each potential candidate must carefully consider before petitioning a lodge for membership. A Masonic lodge is a place of learning. Free-Masons seek out the best in themselves and those around them. By learning about ourselves, we gain powerful insights into what it means to be human, and as our self-knowledge expands, we begin to see the interconnectedness of each and every person. It is both a spiritual and psychological quest for meaning and purpose. By understanding that every person has an inalienable right to freedom of conscience we become accepting of the differences between people, and barriers such as race, social distinction, and culture are effectively removed. Those things which have separated people from the beginning of recorded history now become the building blocks of a new social order with the union of diversity as its foundation. Qualifications for Membership Many people wrongly believe that Freemasonry is a closed invitation-only society when in fact membership is open to anyone meeting some very basic criteria.
Being a Free-Mason of the Grand Orient of the United States of America is a commitment on your part to our brotherhood. It is not a right but a privilege to be a Free-Mason. You may want to begin by thinking about the following:
Once accepted
for membership the process of becoming a Master Mason through
the Grand Orient takes between three and five years. During this
period you will be expected to attend all of the meetings of your
lodge. You will be required to do research and write essays on
Free-Masonry and other subjects. In addition to this you will
be required to take an active role in your community. The Grand Orient of the United States of America is a dedicated group of Free-Masons that are committed to the highest standards of Masonic excellence. If you would like to learn more about how to become a Free-Mason we can be contacted through this web site, mail, or phone. See the contact page for details. Transferring from another Grand Lodge/Orient Free-Masons wishing to transfer their membership to a Grand Orient lodge are required to Petition the lodge of their choice and to complete the GOUSA Masonic Education Course. If you are already a Master Mason, your status will transfer to your new lodge. If you are an Entered Apprentice or Fellow-Craft, your new lodge may choose to have you re-initiated and passed under their system of degrees. If you are arriving from the Anglo-American system Any degree or title that you may have held above that of Past Master will no longer be recognized. The GOUSA does not recognize the Anglo-American York or Scottish Rite degrees. If you became a Master Mason through a One Day class in the Anglo-American system you will have to be Initiated, Passed and Raised in a GOUSA lodge. We do not recognize the One Day system as a valid method of being initiated into Free-Masonry. Master Masons will be required to prove their proficiency in all the degrees as well as complete the required written essays. If you would like to know more about how to transfer your membership contact us.
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