Freemasons: Lodge Membership

HILLSBOROUGH No.25| FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS

The all-seeing-eye is a symbol used by Masons, and is one of the most controversial symbols known in the world. The all-seeing-eye is very ancient, and can be traced to Egyptian mythology. It first appeared in this country on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. It is used in Freemasonry as a symbol of the all-seeing-eye of God, and reminds us that we are here to serve a greater purpose.

Petition our Lodge

What's the first step?

Undertaking the desire to be made a Mason is not one you should make without careful consideration and preparation. The Brothers of this Lodge are sure to befriend you for life should you be initiated; therefore, it is necessary that you visit our Lodge on any Tuesday or Thursday night as often as possible before presenting a petition. During your initial visit, you will be given a tour of our Lodge and given the opportunity to ask any questions or voice any concerns. In fact, you are welcomed to bring any family member or significant other for your tour, and they too may ask any questions. We encourage you to join us for dinner every Tuesday night thereafter, so that we may get to know you, and you may get to know the Brothers of Hillsborough Lodge. After several dinners, and perhaps a few Thursday night visits, you should have a good insight to our fraternity, its members, and our vision.

Ok, I like the Brothers and the vision of this Lodge. What's next?

First, there are a few qualifications required of you:

You must be male, at least 18 years of age; and
You must believe in a Deity; and
You must be of good moral character; and
You must have lived in Florida for at least One Year; and
You must have lived at your current address for the last Six Months

In order to successfully Petition our Lodge for initiation, you must first inform a Brother of our Lodge that you are happy with your experience thus far, and you're interested in learning more about Freemasonry. He will assist you with your petition and present it to the Lodge for vote. If there is a current member of our Lodge, or a Brother of the Fraternity, that you know personally, inform him of your desire to proceed.

Upon completion of your Petition, it MUST then be signed by two active Brothers from Hillsborough Lodge. When you present your signed Petition to our Secretary, the following fees and additional forms will be required:

Form submitting to a full criminal background check
$25 non-refundable fee
$200 refundable initiation fee for your Entered Apprentice Degree
Cash, Check, or Money Order is acceptable for payment

The Petition to receive the Three Symbolic Degrees of Freemasonry is now available online for you to print.

I've submitted my petition. When is my initiation?

Once a full criminal background check is returned to our satisfaction, your Petition will be presented to the Craft and voted on at our next Stated Communication. If your Petition is accepted by the Craft, it must lie in waiting for a Masonic calendar month, or 28 days, during which time an Investigation Committee will contact you personally to schedule an interview. At our next Stated Communication, the Investigating Committee will report to the Lodge, and your petition with that report will be presented to the Lodge for final vote . If the final vote of your petition is favorable to the Craft, the Lodge Secretary will contact you via phone and mail with an invitation to be at Lodge on a specific date for your initiation and First Degree in Freemasonry.