Grand Master Jess N. Raines has given Ohio Lodges and Master Masons a sweeping seventeen opportunities to bring new men into Freemasonry through this year’s series of Grand Master’s Classes. The first class was held in Springfield on a snowy Saturday in January. The last class for the year will be held in Lima on September 23rd. So far (mid-April), about 350 men have become Master Masons in a Grand Master’s Class. By the time, this issue of the Beacon is published, there will still be about ten Classes to be held in May through September, and a candidate can go to any Grand Master’s Class in the state.
If you have a friend, relative, co-worker, or church member who you believe is a good man and who would make a good Mason, tell him so. Our Code permits individuals to selectively invite a good man to become a Mason. You can tell him that you are proud of your Masonic membership, explain the process, give him a petition, and even offer to sponsor him for membership. But then you need to let him make up his own mind about joining without any further undue pressure. Joining Freemasonry must be voluntary and reflect the choice of the petitioner.
And remember to give yourself time. Our standards have not changed. You must allow time for a petition to be read in Lodge, investigated, and then voted on at a subsequent meeting. The ballot must be unanimous. The Lodge should never cut any corners. Every candidate should be found a “good man and true.” Finally, after a petitioner is elected, the Lodge Secretary can make his reservation for the Grand Master’s Class he wants to attend.
This is your time to Invest in Freemasonry. This is your time to give the gift of Brotherhood to a good man. Call your Lodge secretary if you have any questions or need help with getting a petition.
