We are a Masonic Lodge that was formed on September 13, 1858 in Hartland, ME. The name started out as Pond Lodge and was later changed to Corinthian Lodge in May of 1864.
Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. For three centuries, it has beckoned men of good character to its ranks. It has no regard for differences in race, color, creed or station in life. Using traditions and implements of antiquity, it seeks to inspire its members to live by the tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
While the moral philosophy of Freemasonry is founded upon religious principles, it is not a religion nor a substitute for one. It does not solicit membership but welcomes men who have good morals and who profess a belief in a Supreme Being. Any man sincerely desirous of serving humanity only needs to ask a member in order to receive a petition for membership.
From 1619 to 1820, Maine was a District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 1762, the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of England (now the United Grand Lodge of England) issued a charter to form a lodge in Falmouth (said lodge later moving to Portland) at the request of a number of Masons living in the area. In 1819, the people of Maine voted to withdraw from Massachusetts and form a separate State. The Maine Lodges (there were 31 at the time, active and thriving) then met in convention and voted to follow suit and form their own Grand Lodge when the separation should take place. Maine joined the Union as the 23rd State on March 15, 1820 and the Grand Lodge of Maine came into being on June 1 following. It was consecrated by the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire on June 24, 1820 with William King, the first (and serving) Governor of Maine installed into the office of Grand Master.
Credit goes to the Grand Lodge of Maine for the compiled information above.
How Does a Man Become A Mason?
Below are some common questions that apply to Masonic membership in the State of Maine.
(1) What are the requirements for becoming a Mason?
A candidate must be male, at least 18 years of age, able to profess a belief in God, and be of good character.
In Maine, no lodge, without the permission of the Grand Master, shall receive a petition of a candidate for the degrees until he has resided in this state one year, nor (excepting seafaring men absent only on a voyage to sea) unless he has had his domicile within the jurisdiction of the lodge during the last preceding six months.
(2) Can minorities be Masons?
Any person who meets the requirements listed in question (1) of this section is eligible, regardless of race or color.
(3) I have a physical disability. Can I be a Mason?
The answer is almost certainly yes, provided you can attend Lodge and meet the non-physical criteria in question (1) of this section. Paraplegics have been made Masons, as have the blind, the deaf, and others with a variety of physical handicaps. Minor modifications may need to be done to the rituals (e.g., employing sign language, modifying points where the candidate stands if the candidate is in a wheelchair, etc.) but most Lodges are able to accommodate candidates. In medieval times, the requirement to have a sound body free of physical defect was a serious one, since the work of stonemasonry was physically difficult. Some Grand Lodges did carry this requirement into symbolic (i.e., non-operative) Masonry. However, in recent times this has all but been eliminated. Talk to your local Lodge if you have any questions.
(4) Can atheists be a Mason?
The only religious requirement is that candidates believe in a Supreme Being. If you can in good faith profess such a belief, you are eligible to be a Mason. No atheists will ever knowingly be made a Mason. There are Christian (Catholic, Protestant, Mormon), Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim Masons. It would be tedious and pointless to go into a religion-by-religion (and then denomination-by-denomination) discussion. The key points to remember are the requirement of belief in a Supreme Being and the fact that Masonry is a fraternity, not a religion.
(5) Do Masons accept Catholics?
Catholicism is only mentioned specifically because it has generated a lot of traffic in the past on the Masonic newsgroups. There is no prohibition in any Grand Lodge jurisdiction against Catholics being made Masons.
(6) Do I have to be invited?
Don't wait to be invited. In fact, we're waiting for you to ask! Traditionally Masons have never recruited members in order that a candidate might fully and honestly answer the first question in our ritual as to whether his request for membership is made of his 'own free will and acccord'. Some men have never become Masons in the mistaken assumption that if no one asked them, they could not join. It's up to YOU to take the initiative and ASK to become a Mason.
(7) OK, I'm interested-- how do I proceed?
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 he will give you a petition if you wish to join.
If you do not know a Mason, drop a letter, make a call, or send an e-mail to the local lodge, and one of the officers will contact you. Please note: if you call the lodge, you may not get an answer unless someone is actually there. Don't assume that e-mail is always getting to the right person either. When the above options aren't working, simply call the Grand Lodge. Someone there will put you in contact with an appropriate local member.
Typically, the process is as follows:
(A) the applicant fills out a petition. The petition requires you to have two sponsors from the lodge you're seeking to join. If you don't know anyone, arrangements will be made for you to meet and get to know someone willing to serve as your sponsor. This should not be an impediment to you. There are many, many Masons today who did not know another Mason when they first sought admission.
(B) the petition is read at the lodge during the next business meeting, which for many lodges is during the first week of the month. A committee is formed to investigate the candidate. (Your sponsors will explain the schedule to you based on their knowledge of the lodge's meetings/events.)
(C) the committee meets with the candidate to answer questions, ascertain that he meets the criteria for membership, and finds out a little more about him. This is not a "grilling session", but rather a friendly and casual chat to make certain that the candidate has been properly informed about Masonry and that was not improperly solicited. The committee also contacts the character references listed on the petition, typically asking if they know any reason why the candidate should not be accepted, etc.
(D) The committee reports back to the lodge during the next business meeting and the candidate is voted on. If accepted, someone from the lodge (often the Secretary) contacts the candidate and informs him that he has been accepted and schedules a date for the Entered Apprentice degree.
If you do not know a Mason, you can feel free to contact either the District Deputy or the District Educational Representative in the District nearest to your residence.
See the list of lodges in Maine to locate a Lodge near you or for the name of the District Deputy responsible for Freemasonry in your area. We'll look forward to hearing from you!
Credit goes to the Grand Lodge of Maine for the compiled information above.
Instead of products, I will be listing links & basic information to the Grand Lodge of Maine, Maine Masonic District #22. and other Lodges in District #22.
Grand Lodge of Maine
Officers:
Grand Master: A. James Ross
Deputy Grand Master: David A. Walker
Senior Grand Warden: John T. Irovando
Junior Grand Warden: Ronald S. Murphy
Grand Treasurer: Scott Whytock
Grand Secretary: Mark E. Rustin
Holden, ME
Phone: 207-843-1086
http://www.mainemason.org/welcome.asp
http://www.mainemasonrytoday.com/online
District #22
Officers:
District Deputy Grand Master: David W. Richardson
District Educational Representative: Paul B. Grondin
District Ritual Instructor: Donald R. Swain
Corinthian #95
Officers Installed 2JAN2013:
Master: Ronald Fowle II
Senior Warden: Lester Goforth
Junior Warden: Mark Springer
Secretary: Nathaniel Foss
Treasurer: James Deering
Chaplain: Matthew Fowle
Marshall: Richard Weymouth
Senior Deacon: Daniel Hanson
Junior Deacon: Steven McLeod
Senior Steward: Gregory (Chuck) Crump
Junior Steward: Maurice Gould
Tyler: Robert Giggy
Historian: Gregory (Chuck) Crump
Webmaster: Gregory (Chuck) Crump
Finance Committee:
Daniel Hanson
Richard Weymouth
Steven McLeod
Meeting Place: Hartland, ME- Meeting 1st Wed
Meridian Splendor #49
Officers Installed 26JAN2013:
Master:
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Marshall:
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Meeting Place:Meeting Place: Newport, ME- Meeting 1st Thurs
Archon #75
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Meeting Place: East Dixmont, ME- Meeting 2nd Thurs
Meridian #125
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Meeting Place: Pittsfield, ME- Meeting 4th Tues
Parian #160
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Meeting Place: Corinna, ME- Meeting 2nd Tues
Pacific #64
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Meeting Place: Exeter, ME- Meeting 3rd Wed
Cambridge #157
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Meeting Place: Cambridge, ME- Meeting 1st Tues
