Masonry’s Secret Ballot

After a man has applied for Masonic membership, and after his background has been thoroughly investigated, the lodge members vote by secret ballot to accept or to reject him for membership.

Masonry’s secret ballot is another of its ancient landmarks. It has been rather aptly said that when a petitioner is voted upon for Masonic membership he undergoes the ”Ordeal of the Secret Ballot.” To be elected he must receive an affirmative vote from each and every member present at that meeting. Just one member out of all present – there could be twenty, or fifty, or a hundred members in attendance – can drop the black ball and deny him membership. When you consider the moral yardstick by which Masons measure membership applicants, and when you consider that only one member voting negatively can reject a petitioner, it would seem reasonable to assume that a large proportion of petitioners would be rejected for membership. But that is not the case. Many, many more are elected than are rejected. That fact is testimony to the generally good judgment of those who recommend applicants, and it also indicates the fraternity, by and large, attracts more good men than otherwise.

Much has been said and written, pro and con, concerning the unanimously favorable secret ballot. Some argue, not without logic, that it is not fair for just one member out of all those who may be present for a meeting to be able to deny a petitioner membership. Others argue, also logically, that if even one member knows something about a petitioner that convinces him the man’s election would not be in the best interest of Freemasonry, then that one member should have the right and the opportunity to prevent the entrance into Freemasonry of one he feels would bring discredit to it.

It goes without saying that the secret ballot is occasionally abused by a member who rejects a petitioner for mere petty reasons having nothing to do with moral fitness, but such instances are rare and in almost every election the good man is elected to membership.

It is also undeniable that despite the requirements as to recommendation, as to background investigation, and as to unanimous secret ballot, an occasional undesirable person attains Masonic membership. Again, though, these instances are relatively rare. Further, election to Masonic membership is not for perpetuity. Should a member ever act contrary to the requirements of Freemasonry he can be suspended or expelled from membership.

In summary, it can be said the secret ballot has served the fraternity well over the centuries and liberalization of this requirement is not probable. The man who has been rejected for Masonic membership is not thereby forever barred. He can repetition after the passage of a stipulated waiting period which varies from state to state. Some of the most prominent Masons in the history of the fraternity were rejected one or more times before finally gaining acceptance.

The Three Symbolic Degrees

Having been elected to receive the degrees of Masonry, the candidate proceeds to do just that. (In a few states a candidate is balloted upon between each of the degrees, in all other states one election is for all three degrees.)

The first degree is that of entered apprentice and during it the candidate is introduced to the basic principles of Freemasonry. As noted in an earlier chapter, symbolic use of various building tools is employed to impress upon him moral truths and doctrines. The degree is serious throughout and, contrary to some wild tales occasionally circulated, there is never any horseplay or frivolity involved (this is true of all three symbolic degrees). Upon completion of the degree, the candidate begins learning a catechism in which he must become proficient before he may receive the next degree.

In the second degree he becomes a fellow craft, learning still more of the principles and teachings of Freemasonry, especially of its close alliance with the arts and sciences. Again, he must commit a catechism to memory before proceeding to the next degree.

The third and final degree is that of master mason, teaching still more of the moral truths of the fraternity, culminating with an impressive lesson concerning the rich rewards awaiting all good men. In most states the candidate must also memorize a catechism on this degree, in others it must be learned only if the new Mason desires to take additional steps, and in others it is not required at all.

The catechisms a Mason is required to learn as he progresses through the degrees are often, at the outset, regarded as considerable chores and candidates sometimes wonder why they are required at all. But they serve useful purposes for the fraternity and – although he may not realize it at the time – they are particularly useful to the Mason all through his life. It would be an extremely rare thing to ever hear a Mason regret having to learn the catechisms.

In committing the catechisms to memory the candidate is of necessity further impressed by the lessons and instructions he received in the degrees, for this is what the catechisms are all about. He thus begins his Masonic career a much more knowledgeable Mason than would otherwise be the case. He learns to memorize, an ability that will serve him and Masonry well through the years. When he visits a lodge in which he is not known to be a Mason, the knowledge he gained in learning his catechisms will enable him to prove his eligibility to visit. He will, as a good and active Mason, have many occasions to feel thankful for the lessons he learned in his catechisms.

Sometimes, despite their professions of good intent, men seek Masonic membership out of mere curiosity, or for other piddling reasons. The requirement that candidates learn the catechisms will often weed these out at an early stage, their motivations will not lend themselves to the effort required.

The catechisms pose no problem for men of reasonable intelligence and energy. It is rare to hear of anyone failing to learn a catechism if they really wanted to.

Appendant Orders

There are many Masonic and Masonic-related orders or organizations in which membership is predicated, to varying extent, upon membership in a Masonic lodge. Included are such well known bodies as the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Shrine, the Eastern Star, and many others.

The blue lodge, as it has been referred to and described in the preceding chapters, is recognized as the root and foundation of all Freemasonry. Once a man has received the three symbolic degrees in a blue lodge, thus becoming a Master Mason, he is often invited to become a member in one or more of the appendant orders. Many Master Masons accept these invitations and eventually become quite active in various areas of Free masonry, being constantly reminded all along the way that they must remain faithful to their blue lodges.

Masonic lodges, in cooperation with other Masonic and Masonic-related orders, often sponsor various youth organizations in which the teachings are much like those a Mason receives during the three degrees. It is not the purpose of this booklet, though, to go beyond the blue lodge.