May 15 , 2007. I've been waiting a long time for this. From the day I petitioned the lodge, to this day has been several months. Pretty close to half a year actually. I met everyone at the lodge and we travelled down to a lodge in St. Cloud. I was thankful to the brothers who went with me.

When we arrived, I learned there were 4 others going through it with me. We were all nervous. I felt more nervous than even the first degree, I cannot explain why. Maybe it was because I was at a different lodge, or maybe it was because there were about 30 more people there. The neat thing was, there was Mason from Ireland and a father and son from England. I noticed their aprons were a little different from ours, but they seemed to fit in nicely.

Their lodge was really nice, and large. We all sat together and talked while the brothers prepared us for the evenings events. Everyone accepted us well and were friendly, between warnings about "riding the goat". Someone came out and read an excerpt from the Masonic education booklets. This was about balloting. After that things got quieter. We were told that it was time.

We were prepared in a similar manner as before, in a little ready room. We were led to a door and... (If I told you, it wouldn't be as fun would it?) The degree was awesome. Surprisingly enough, many have told me they liked the second degree the most. For me, this was the best by far. It was done in two parts. The first was similar to the preceeding degrees, and then we had a dinner. The second was like a play... hard to explain. However, it was fantastic. It tied it all together. By this time, I had read two books and two online books. I studied and watched TV specials on Freemasonry. Ironically, I realized I really had not learned as much as I thought. What a brilliant end to a fascinating journey.

A few weeks after the degrees were finished, I had an opportunity to show proficiency with my Master Mason catechism. After that, I was presented a new bible and a lambskin apron. It was a public ceremony, and my wife attended. She had been leary of the whole idea from the start. However, she has not stood in my way. After watching the bible ceremony and meeting the brothers, she has become more comfortable with it.

*****Final Words*****

Thank you for visiting these pages. I hope this helps those who have made the decision to join this great fraternity, and are waiting for what is to come. There's nothing to worry about. I have found uncountable numbers of Christians who are Freemasons. I found that there are no secret plots to take over the world. No secret phones to the White House. Each degree teaches lessons to guide people into living a great friendly life. No one is worshiped, no masonic god, no living person. No one controls anyone. In fact my attendance in church was increased, and I have a renewed faith. Freemasonry is simply a system of teachings to make good men, better men. It has noticibly helped me. I would encourage any good man to seek the degrees.

I also learned that Freemasonry is not a religion. There is no teachings for salvation within its halls. A Mason can be any man who lives a good honorable life. There is no preference in any religion, in fact talking about any religion is prohibited. A belief in a supreme being is all that is necessary. In lodge the term "grand architect of the universe" is used in prayer. That term is used simply so as not to offend anyone. It is as plain a term as possible, and I think it serves its purpose well.

I noticed that attending lodge is really like a business meeting. Much of the discussions deal with deciding who to donate money to. Freemasonry believes greatly in philanthropy. I miss going through the degrees, but I get to re-live them each time new brothers go through. I have decided to petition the Scottish Rite, to continue my journey. I will include that experience here when I am finished. After that, perhaps the York Rite. My ultimate goal is to join the shrine. In the mean time, I have made it. I am a Master Mason, and am extremely proud!

Ready for the jourey? Just ask any Mason, and they would be happy to talk with you. If you are in the Central Florida area, you may talk with me about the decision! I will close by saying that I am very happy with my decision, and a proud Mason.

Email me: ed "at" becomeamason.com