Ready to Join us?
To Become a Freemason
FIRST ASK YOURSELF
Among millions of Masons, not one was lawfully invited to apply for membership. Our code of conduct prevents it. Thus, no faithful Mason can invite you. Any Mason can obtain a Petition for the Degrees of Freemasonry for you, but you must ask for it – and for good reason. You must first ask yourself if you’re suitably prepared to enter the “gentle craft of Masonry” … to become a brother in the world’s most exclusive fraternal order. Few men are intellectually or spiritually prepared to understand or appreciate even the more apparent meanings of Masonry. Do you reflect on the nature of man’s existence and your obligations to God, your family, and yourself? If such ethical and moral questions hold little interest for you, then you will gain little benefit from the teachings of the Craft. But if you seek a more meaningful quality of life – and the spirit of charity and good fellowship which flow from it – then Freemasonry has much to offer. We want you to know what we believe, how we act, and what we do…and, then, should you become a Mason, to be proud to be our Brother and to participate in our work. Only those who desire membership because of their favorable impression of us should seek a petition.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU
Any man who is twenty-one years of age or older and of good moral character, who comes well-recommended, and who believes in a Supreme Being may petition to become a Freemason. If you are interested in joining Freemasonry, reach out to us on the contact page.
JOINING PROCESS
If you know a Mason, ask him about membership. He will be glad to tell you all about the Craft and the local lodge and give you a petition if you wish to join; If you do not know a Mason, use our contact form expressing your interest in joining and one of the officers will call you. Please contact us for more more information.
On behalf of the members of Genesis Lodge No. 88, Free & Accepted Masons we invite you to visit us on a meeting night for a pre-meeting dinner at 6:30 pm and fellowship thus affording you an opportunity to meet members, learn about our fraternity, and see our facility. Our meetings are scheduled on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month except November and December when we have a meeting only on the 2nd Wednesday and July and August when we take the summer off. Our Hall is located at 15 Hamburg Turnpike in Pompton Lakes next to the Reformed Church (white brick), the church on the corner of Hamburg Turnpike and Ringwood Avenue.
In any event, we do not wish to rush you into joining us until you are sure it is right for you. Hopefully, you have read multiple articles online about Freemasonry. Some you will find good and others you will find bad. I recommend you read both, ask a bunch of questions, and then render your own opinion about our fraternity.
We are not an international organization per se, but we are worldwide; meaning we belong to the Grand Lodge of New Jersey of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons. We were incorporated by an Act of the NJ Legislature in 1786. Genesis Lodge No. 88 itself can trace its roots back to 1854 in Paterson, 1895 in Butler, and 1923 in Pompton Lakes, NJ. We are state sovereign unto ourselves. We recognize other masonic bodies in the United States (States and Washington, DC) and around the world, and they recognize us. Concurrently some groups calling themselves brother freemasons we do not recognize and they do not recognize us. Another masonic website to look at that was created and sponsored by our Brothers in our coordinate bodies is https://beafreemason.org/
Our ceremonial rites or “secret work” as some may call it, are based on the biblical story of the building of King Solomon’s Temple. Our program is written in old English having words that have changed meaning over time others that are outright unheard of today. As an example, we use the title Worshipful Master. Worshipful from old English meaning respected and Master, being the Master Builder from the biblical passage theretofore mentioned as the presiding officer (“President”). Where is the easiest place to hide a secret? In plain sight of course! I encourage you to read the biblical passage to learn more. Some Historians have said we derived our formal name of Free and Accepted Masons from the actions of our forefathers. “Freemasons” in the olden days were the only peasants permitted to travel from area to area without permission from the area King, Prince, Duke, or whoever was the reigning authority in order to migrate and build the castles and cathedrals. Do keep in mind that during the same period of time, only the nobility and clergy were able to read and write. The “secrets” the Masons had were their trade secrets needed to make a building plumb, square, and level. As the general populace became educated, they allowed non-operative masons to join with them or as we refer to ourselves today as “Speculative Masons” and thus the terminology “Accepted Masons”. Together today we are known as Free & Accepted Masons.
We have a long standing tradition of not directly soliciting members and thus the public perception that we are a secret society. Once inquiry has been made, like yours, we are happy to share information. We are a not-for-profit organization and therefore our financial records are public information. On a national basis collectively, Freemasons donate in excess of one million dollars a day to charity. Overall I feel our media finds this fact to be boring and not news worthy.
This link you may also find interesting: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/biblical-masonic-solomon-temple.html
