Choosing a Lodge

[Chaddy 0]

Hi,

I filled in an online "I am interested" form on a provincial website a month ago now, but haven't heard anything back yet.

In the meantime, I've been looking around and Blenheim House in Batley is the closest to where I live, and is home to three lodges. Further research showed that of those three, only one meets on a day of the week that I am regularly free.

I guess I'm looking for advice really. I understand the masonic wheels can turn slowly, so am I simply being impatient, and should wait a little longer?

Or if something should have happened by now (and it's not beyond the realms that I entered my contact details wrong), should I contact the province again? Or as I've identified a suitable lodge nearby, should I contact them directly? I'm unsure whether there is any etiquette to follow here, or whether there are more considerations when choosing a lodge than locality and day of the week.

Thanks in advance for any advice! Apologies if I'm overthinking things and asking silly questions!

 

 

 

[Forester 5]

Depends where you live, here in Nottingham we have a Provincial team that select the correct lodge based on the candidates preferences. Hopefully someone will be in touch with you, if not feel free to PM me.

[Mike Martin 131]

If you've not heard anything for a month from the online form I would suggest giving them a ring using the number supplied on the website and just enquire as to the usual procedure and how long it normally takes. Absolutely nothing wrong with a polite enquiry. The thing to bear in mind is that most Provincial Offices are staffed part-time by volunteers so contact being made between it and the Secretary of a Lodge who is even more part-time can take a while but as I said above absolutely no harm in a polite enquiry regarding progress.

In fact what might work even better is to contact the Lodges direct and start a dialogue yourself. If you go to the "About Freemasonry" tab you'll see it gives you a "Lodges" option which lists the Lodges with their meeting places if you click on each of the Lodges you know about it will give you contact details.

[Bootlebuck1 12]

Hi Chaddy......In the main provincial offices will refer you to a provincial membership officer, who as Mike says are almost certainly volunteers. They maybe small businessmen or may work shifts. It won’t harm or annoy to give it a month and give the provincial office another ring, but I’m confident someone will contact you and arrange to meet you at a convenient time. If it’s a group membership officer, they will discuss suitable  locations and the different lodges and the days they meet, as well as fees and costs. Hang i there....... I applied through the online membership scheme..... I was the first on the scheme to become a master, and I can vouch our membership scheme has been very successful..... I wish you every success  

[Chaddy 0]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I haven't got round to telephoning the provincial office yet, but it's good to know that these things do take time and not I've just been missed or forgotten. I'll exercise patience and wait...