If you know a Mason, ask him about membership. He will be glad to tell you all about the Craft and the local lodge, and he will give you a petition if you wish to join.

If you do not know a Mason, drop a letter, make a call, or send an e-mail to the lodge, and one of the officers will contact you. When the above options aren't working, simply call the Grand Lodge. Someone there will put you in contact with an appropriate local member.

Typically, the process is as follows:

(A) the applicant fills out a petition (found here). The petition requires you to have two sponsors from the lodge you're seeking to join. If you don't know anyone, arrangements will be made for you to meet and get to know someone willing to serve as your sponsor. This should not be an impediment to you. There are many, many Masons today who did not know another Mason when they first sought admission.

(B) the petition is read at the lodge during the next business meeting, which for many lodges is during the first week of the month. A committee is formed to investigate the candidate.  (Your sponsors will explain the schedule to you based on their knowledge of the lodge's meetings/events.)

(C) the committee meets with the candidate to answer questions, ascertain that he meets the criteria for membership, and finds out a little more about him. This is not a "grilling session", but rather a friendly and casual chat to make certain that the candidate has been properly informed about Masonry and that was not improperly solicited. The committee also contacts the character references listed on the petition, typically asking if they know any reason why the candidate should not be accepted, etc.

(D) The committee reports back to the lodge during the next business meeting and the candidate is voted on. If accepted, someone from the lodge (often the Secretary) contacts the candidate and informs him that he has been accepted and schedules a date for the Entered Apprentice degree.

If you do not know a Mason, you can feel free to contact either the District Deputy or the District Educational Representative in the District nearest to your residence.

See the list of lodges in Maine to locate a Lodge near you or for the name of the District Deputy responsible for Freemasonry in your area. We'll look forward to hearing from you!