The Path to Freemasonry
For nearly two centuries, men have come to Freemasonry looking for something that can be difficult to put into words.
Some come searching for fellowship. Some want to become better husbands, fathers, friends, and men. Some are drawn by history, philosophy, ritual, or the desire to be part of something larger than themselves. Most eventually discover that Masonry offers something deeper than any one of those things.
Freemasonry is a lifelong journey of self examination, learning, friendship, and service.
But it is a journey a man must choose for himself.
Masons do not recruit members. There is no salesman, no invitation campaign, and no pressure to join. For generations, the tradition has been simple: a man interested in becoming a Mason must take the first step and ask.
Oriental Lodge No. 33
Oriental Lodge No. 33 was chartered in Chicago on October 9, 1845.
We are the oldest Masonic Lodge in the city and have been part of Chicago since before most of the city that surrounds us existed.
That history matters to us, but Oriental is not a museum.
Our Lodge is an active community of men from throughout Chicago and the surrounding area. Our members come from different professions, cultures, religions, neighborhoods, and walks of life. Some are following family traditions that stretch back generations. Others are the first Mason in their family.
What brings us together is not where we came from, what we do for a living, or what we believe politically or religiously. It is the belief that a man can continue to improve himself throughout his life, and that there is value in doing that work alongside other men committed to the same pursuit.
We meet. We share meals. We perform the ceremonies that have been passed from Mason to Mason for centuries. We study. We debate ideas. We serve our community. We celebrate together. We support one another when life becomes difficult.
And, over time, we become Brothers.
Who Can Become a Freemason?
Freemasonry in Illinois is open to men without regard to race, nationality, profession, social standing, or religious denomination.
A petitioner must meet the requirements established by the Grand Lodge of Illinois, including:
Be at least 18 years of age
Be a man of good moral character
Profess a belief in a Supreme Being
Meet the residency requirements of the Grand Lodge of Illinois
Be able to read and write the English language
Belief in a Supreme Being is required, but Freemasonry is not a religion and does not tell a man how he must worship. Men of many different faiths have sat together as Brothers in Masonic Lodges for generations.
What Freemasonry Is
Freemasonry does not promise wealth, influence, business connections, or social advancement.
Its work is more personal.
Masonry asks a man to examine his own character.
Through ritual, symbolism, philosophy, fellowship, and service, a Mason is continually reminded that the most important work he will ever undertake is the work he performs upon himself.
We speak of building because the language of the ancient builders provides many of our symbols. But the structure a Mason is ultimately trying to build is his own character.
Patience. Integrity. Temperance. Courage. Compassion. Judgment. Responsibility to others.
None of those qualities are acquired in a single evening or through the completion of a degree. Freemasonry provides the tools. What a man builds with them remains his responsibility.
Brotherhood
Men today are surrounded by communication yet often have remarkably few places where genuine friendship develops.
A Masonic Lodge is one of those places.
Within Oriental you may sit at dinner with men whose lives bear little resemblance to your own. Different careers. Different generations. Different religions. Different backgrounds.
Under ordinary circumstances, some of those men might never have met.
Masonry gives them common ground.
Over years of meetings, degrees, dinners, conversations, celebrations, disagreements, funerals, charitable work, and ordinary nights spent together, acquaintances become friends and friends become Brothers.
That brotherhood is one of the great gifts of Freemasonry, but it cannot be manufactured or purchased. It grows through participation.
An Old Idea That Still Matters
Modern Freemasonry developed during an extraordinary period of intellectual change.
The ideals associated with the Enlightenment placed tremendous importance on reason, individual conscience, education, tolerance, civic responsibility, and the belief that human beings could improve themselves and the world around them.
Those ideas found a natural home within the Lodge.
Centuries later, the world has changed almost beyond recognition.
The fundamental questions have not.
What kind of man do I want to be?
What obligations do I have to my family, my community, and the people around me?
How should I conduct myself when nobody is watching?
What will I leave behind?
Freemasonry does not hand a man simple answers to those questions.
It gives him a place to seriously consider them.
What Membership Requires
Masonry is not something to join simply to place another membership card in your wallet.
Becoming a Mason requires time and participation.
Candidates progress through three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. Each degree uses ceremony and symbolism to introduce lessons that a Mason will continue studying throughout his life.
Members are encouraged to attend Lodge, participate in its work, continue learning, support their Brothers, and contribute to the life of the fraternity.
Like most worthwhile things, a man's experience in Freemasonry will largely reflect what he is willing to put into it.
Interested in Becoming a Mason?
The first step is not filling out paperwork.
It is getting to know us.
If you are seriously interested in Freemasonry, we encourage you to visit Oriental Lodge No. 33, have dinner with us, meet our members, and ask questions.
Our regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and prospective members are welcome to join us for dinner before the Lodge meeting.
There is no expectation that visiting means you have decided to petition. In fact, we would rather you take your time.
Talk with us.
Ask difficult questions.
Learn what Freemasonry is and what it is not.
Meet the men who make up Oriental Lodge.
If, after doing that, you believe Freemasonry is something you want in your life, tell us.
The path begins the same way it has for generations.
You ask.