Mirfield Lodge № 1102 meets on the second Friday of every month, at the Masonic Hall in Mirfield
It is our customary Lodge night when we perform the ceremonies of Initiation, Passing and Raising.
Once every year, in December, we install a new Worshipful Master, and he will lead the Lodge for the next twelve months. As members, we have the opportunity to choose to progress through the various Offices in the Lodge, to become the Worshipful Master eventually.
We also meet weekly, on Thursday evenings, to rehearse or practice these ceremonies. Getting it right and performing the ritual to the best of our abilities on Lodge night is an essential part of who we are. We expect and encourage regular attendance on Lodge nights and practice nights.
Fees
Like any club we have subs. These are around £220 per year, and we use them to pay dues to our local and national governing bodies and for the general upkeep and services of the Hall. There is a joining fee of around £50 which covers registration costs and some regalia; items of clothing that we wear on Lodge nights.
Monthly Lodge nights consist of a ceremony upstairs in the Temple (still not a religion) and a get together downstairs which we call The Festive Board, which is a sit down formal meal with several courses. Prices vary, but it is usually between £11 and £15 and is value for money. We have our own licensed bar, which is reasonably priced.
We expect members to wear a jacket and tie on practice nights. On Lodge nights, we wear a dark lounge suit for six meetings and a dinner jacket for the other six; a Mirfield tradition. Other Lodges have their traditions but turning up smartly dressed is part of the ethos of every Lodge.
We do not discuss politics or religion in our meetings or at the Festive Board. As a new member, you will be asked to help serve meals and drinks at formal dinners, to others who have all, in their time, served their predecessors. It is not servitude but the start of a Brother’s Masonic journey through the Order.
The support of your wife or partner is critical. Many Lodges hold social evenings throughout the year and they, like you, will make lifelong treasured friends.
Becoming a Mason
After being interviewed and recommended for membership by senior members of the Lodge, we hold a ballot and, if all goes well, we initiate a new Brother at the next convenient meeting. Following this ceremony, you are referred to as an Entered Apprentice but don’t worry, if your name is John Smith, you are still John or Brother Smith.
As a new member, you will learn how to conduct yourself in the Lodge during our meetings, which we hold in a Masonic Temple (still not a religion). We ask you to take on roles in the ceremonies, learn ritual by heart and ……….. ritual?
Ritual
Yes, ritual. I looked for another word, but really, it’s ritual. Ritual is a set-piece which consists of words and actions performed, as far as possible, exactly as they have always been. Thus enabling the lesson that the ritual teaches, to be more easily be learnt and to be consistent over time.
Masonic ritual is centred around allegorical tales of ancient stone masons, implying that the meticulous building of a structure is comparable to the improvements possible in man and his approach to life.