Welcome to the West Gate,
Since the dawn of Freemasonry it has been a requirement for those desiring to become masons to be the ones to seek us out. It is a misconception that we recruit members. In other words if you want to be a mason you have to ask a mason. If you are interested in joining the lodge just ask.
What we look for are men of high moral character that are interested in becoming better men through the pursuit of masonic teachings. As such we would like to get to know you and what you are about, as well as answer any questions that you have about the fraternity. There are many opportunities for you to do that so just ask. Upon receipt of your request we will contact you and start the process.
Washington State Requirements:
To be considered for membership in Washington State you must be at least 18, believe in the existence of a supreme being, the immortality of the soul and have been a resident of Washington State for at least six months. However, the residency requirement is waived for sea-faring men, active members of the military and students who are residents of Washington and attend any college, school or university.
If you meet these requirements then we ask you to fill out a petition for membership, which will be reviewed and voted on by the members of our lodge. Upon a favorable first vote for candidacy, an investigating committee will be assigned to contact you and do an interview to get to know you. They will run a background check. Once they are satisfied that they have obtained all the information they need they will make a recommendation to the lodge members at the next stated meeting. There the brothers will vote on you. This is where the term, “black ball” comes from. All members will vote at the ballot. White for acceptance and Black for reject. If all members vote to except then you will be contacted to set up your initiation. Don’t worry there is no hazing ritual or anything in the initiation that is meant to degrade or embarrass you. Every member has gone through the same thing. The intention of our rituals is to give you symbols and allusion for you to ponder. They are also universally described by members as a moving experience in a members life. Once you have completed the initiation you will then be asked to memorize certain aspects of the ritual that was just performed so that you can consider yourself proficient at it. You will be asked to perform in front of the lodge or at a minimum a committee to see that you understand. After that is satisfied, you will be given the second and third degree rituals with a similar process as described above. There are three degrees: the Entered Apprentice; Fellow Craft; And the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason. Don’t worry, you won’t be asked to do this alone. In fact the degrees are designed for you to learn by working with Master Masons, so that you will converse with Master Masons and learn the craft. We want you to be part of the group.
It is recommended that you get to know members before you submit a petition. There are many ways to do this. We recommend getting in contact with us and coming out to our Wednesday social which is held most Wednesdays from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. There we can show you around our lodge and explain what being a Freemason is all about. You will need three Master Masons to sign your petition so this is a good way to get those if you don’t currently know three Master Masons. Once we get to know each other and you are comfortable at the lodge submit your petition and we will start the process. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
To contact us via e-mail just visit the Contact Information page under the Lodge Information tab and send an e-mail to Become a Mason. We will get back to you soon.
For an electronic copy of the Petition click Here.