[kcraig1011]

Greetings Everyone,

I am not a Mason right now, but I have been interested in Masonry and researched it for about ten years now. I am currently twenty-five years old. I have waited until now to begin my journey in Masonry because I wanted to prepare and improve my mind and lifestyle for petitioning. I believe that now I have reached a social, mental, and emotional level that will allow me to be a worthy candidate to enter such a historic and meaningful society. I do not personally know any Masons, but I do have several lodges in the Pittsburgh area that I plan to visit in the near future to determine which one I will be petitioning at. To this point, I have not read any posts from Masons in the Pittsburgh area, but if someone can direct me to Masons in the Pittsburgh area, I will be eternally grateful. I appreciate any help and advice from all of you. I hope to be joining you in brotherhood in the near future. Thank you, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you. Take care.

Kevin Craig
Pittsburgh, PA

[Ashlar521]

The best of luck to you . You have a great attitiude and you will make a fine Mason indeed . You being from Pa. , I think BG_TRBL can point you in the right direction in the correct procedures in obtaining a petition , seeing how it is not my jurisdiction . If you have any more questions you may wish to ask , we will be more than happy to answer .

[kcraig1011]

Thank you for the information, Ashlar. I have decided on the lodge I plan to petition at (North Hills Lodge # 716), and there is a stated meeting tonight. I plan on stopping by on my way home from work to speak with a member or two for a few minutes before the meeting. I hope to get my petition tonight. I hope to post some positive updates in the near future. I am quite excited. I have looked forward to this for some time now. Wish me luck as I begin my journey. Thank you again.

[Ashlar521]

That's great . I am sure they will give you a petition . Best of luck to you .

[BG_TRBL]

My apologies for my delayed response. I am happy to hear your interest and investigation into our venerable institution. You have done the greatest thing you could have done to join a lodge, you took it upon yourself to stop at a lodge and meet some new people. Congratulations, on your dilegence and strong desire to improve your status prior to joining our fraternity. If you are true in your heart, it matter little to the fraternity what social status you come from.
Also, welcome to the forums, I hope you enjoy your stay. If you have any further questions, please ask, and I hope we can answer them.

[kcraig1011]

Last week, I visited the Lodge, met a few Masons, and received my petition. I contacted two Masons in my home town, and we have set up a time this week that they will come to my home to meet me and sign my petition. I was surprised to find out that I did, in fact, know these men, but never had an idea that they were Masons. I am excited to sit down and speak with them in more detail about the Lodge and Masonry. I do have one question regarding this meeting. I am aware that there is no alcohol served in Masonic lodges, and I understand the reasoning behind this policy. Obviously I plan to be a good host and offer these men a drink. Should I offer just non-alcoholic beverages, or would it be acceptable to offer a beer? Any other suggestions regarding etiquette would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your time, and I look forward to reading your thoughts. Take care.

[Ashlar521]

Coffee , water or a soft drink should suffice . To be honest , I have never gave that much thought . Also , this is not my jurisdiction so I can really not give the proper answer , I will once again refer you to BG_TRBL . But I can say , be yourself , be honest and upfront with your answers . And if you are married , see if your wife wishes to be involved (if they allow this in Pa. that is) , the men on the investigation committee can answer any question or elleviate any fears she may have also .

[BG_TRBL]

They certainly do allow the women and family members to be present during our investigations. When I go to do an investigation, I specifically ask that they be involved if they are able. This gives them an opportunity to ask whatever questions and concerns they have as well. We all try to be as straight-forward as possible, very few things can not be discussed. As far as the beverages, you can certainly offer anything to them, I would assume however that they would decline an alcoholic beverage, not because they can't drink, but most consider it an "official" duty, and will conduct themselves accordingly. Hope this answers your question.

[kcraig1011]

Unfortunately, the local Masons I was to meet with last week were unable to find a good day to come meet with me. However, we have decided to meet tomorrow at their business building to discuss my future in Masonry. I am married, and I have asked to wife to join me for the meeting. She is very interested in joining the local Eastern Star should I be accepted at the Lodge, so the meeting should interest her as well as give her an opportunity to ask questions.

I have one last question before my meeting. What would appropriate clothing be for the meeting? I will be going to the meeting after work, and I wear the usual business casual attire to work: Docker's pants and a button down collared shirt. Is this appropriate enough, or would you suggest something different? I realize I am getting very particular with the questions, but I do not want to show up and be extremely over or under dressed. The Masons I am meeting own an auto repair shop, and an insurance claim investigation service, and we will be meeting at the repair shop. I have done business with these men during the ten years I have been driving, and they have known my father for many years. There is a little background information, if that will help you determine what you believe I should expect as far as clothing.

Thank you all for your advice regarding my questions. I apologize for not responding sooner, but I was on a trip to visit my brother in North Carolina, and did not have time to check the internet. I do appreciate the time that all of you have taken to help me. I will post again once I have more news regarding my journey. Thanks again. I look forward to reading your responses. Take care.

[BG_TRBL]

Casual dress, just as you have described it will be quite sufficient. There is no need to "dress up" and actually anything that you find comfortable, would also be sufficient. One thing that freemasons don't regard is the clothing, contrary to the beloved saying, clothes do not make the man. What is inside and in your heart is what we are looking for.