Join Our Lodge

Our Lodge – known as “Libertyville Lodge #492” because it is the 492nd lodge officially chartered by the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois – is a warm and friendly place that always welcomes new members.

The first step in joining, of course, will be to contact us! One or more of our Brothers will be glad to talk with you, either in person, by phone, or through email correspondence, and answer any questions you may have. If you decide you’d like to join, we’ll invite you to participate in a few of the dinners which always take place at our lodge before the actual lodge meeting. The food is on us! And it will be a great opportunity for you to get to know our lodge members and vice versa. Then, you’ll submit a formal petition for membership. If your petition is approved, what happens next will depend on whether or not you’re already a Mason.

If you’re not, then you will be assigned an “intender” or mentor who will guide you through the process of becoming a Mason. He’ll give you some information and a few pointers, and then it will be time for your first degree. This degree, like the other two, can only be conferred during a formal lodge meeting, which can either be one of our regularly scheduled meetings or a special meeting devoted specifically to the degree. Following ancient Masonic tradition, you’ll be blindfolded for the first part of the degree ceremony, but don’t worry: there is never any “hazing,” horseplay, harassment, or similar activity during the course of any degree.

Once you’ve completed it, congratulations! You are now a First Degree Mason, also known as an “Entered Apprentice.” You can attend most lodge meetings (a few are open only to second and third degree Masons) and start participating in Masonic activities. Your Intender will give you additional information, and when you’ve absorbed it, you’ll proceed to the second degree, also known as “Fellowcraft,” and finally to the third degree, or “Master Mason.” Now you are a full member of the lodge with voting rights, the ability to join lodge committees, and even attend the Grand Lodge which is held in Springfield once a year. (By the way: you may have heard of higher degrees like the “33rd degree.” Such degrees are conferred by so-called “Appendant Bodies,” which are Masonic organizations outside the lodge itself. Many Masons choose to participate in these degrees, and many don’t. In any event, these degrees provide only additional Masonic experience and insight. They don’t give you a higher “rank” or any privileges in the lodge beyond those of the third degree!)

If you’re already a Mason, the process will be similar but shorter, and of course, you won’t need to go through degrees you already have. In Illinois, it is permissible to be a member of as many lodges as you wish, so joining ours does not mean that you must give up your membership in any other lodge if you don’t wish to.

So if you’d like to join, please contact us at https://www.libertyvillemasons.com/contact-us/ or just call our Webmaster at (847) 281-5147.