How does one join Sir Winston Churchill Lodge?

We accept new members as Affiliates from other lodges, and will occasionally raise new candidates ourselves.

To ensure a vibrant brotherhood, Sir Winston Churchill Lodge promotes active participation, with an ongoing discussion of how Masonry impacts our lives and how good men may best impact their communities. Most of us are “Plural” members, that is, members of two or three lodges. We still have room for a few other excellent fellows.

Candidates will be pleased to learn that each member is expected to participate fully in the work of the lodge: attendance at our monthly stated meetings is encouraged, with RSVPs required as a matter of respect. Members and often their ladies are encouraged to attend our social events, but these are not required events.

We expect all Affiliate members to remain active in their home lodge. Churchill Lodge does not intend to siphon off members from existing lodges; rather, we aim to support members of other lodges in spreading good ideas and encouraging their success at home.

For those requesting membership, Petitions are available (below) for both Affiliation and for Degrees; interested parties should contact the Master of the lodge or MWB Thomas Jackson, Secretary. –See the Contacts page, linked at the top of this page.

Petitioning is a well-established process all Masons have followed. We ask that candidates attend a few meetings before petitioning so that we may get to know one another. Once a petition is filled out, two sponsors will come forward to sign the petition and get things rolling – candidates ought not worry about gaining these signatures.  Petitions are typically tendered in person, at one of our meetings.

Most importantly, interested men are invited to attend our events, where we will endeavor to answer your questions. You may read about us here, but know that Masonry is experiential: It must be experienced to appreciate. Only then may one discover if SWC Lodge is a proper place for them.

Title

  • Churchill Degree Petition
  • Churchill Affiliation Petition

Date

  • 2022/07/25
  • 2022/07/25

Link

Download
Download

Showing 1 to 2 of 2 entries

TitleDateLink
About the Churchill Lodge2022/11/16Download
Churchill Affiliation Petition2022/11/16Download
Churchill Degree Petition2022/11/16Download
SWC Tie order form2022/11/16Download
MN Perpetual Life Membership2022/11/16Download
Culture of the Lodge2022/11/16Download
To the Observer: We are convinced that petitions and other printed material ought to match the quality and style of a lodge.  We therefore hand deliver these important documents in linen envelopes with embossed seals.  Other lodges may find, as we have done, that a good first impression, matching the lodge’s culture, signals a more impressive beginning for any new member. 
 

Other Links

Churchill Lodge members often participate in other Masonic groups, be they other lodges, the Scottish or York Rites, the Shrine, or Grotto, or Allied Masonic Degrees. Our Grand Lodge has put together an excellent link list of these groups here. Many of the Churchill men are involved in the Shrine’s Chairmen unit.
 

Fees

Fees are a necessary fact of modern life.  We try to keep ours reasonable. For the present year these costs are in the form of: Annual Dues, $140, which includes a per-capita Grand Lodge assessment of $40. Dues are pro-rated for new members by the quarter, $25 for each full quarter remaining after a man joins. Any Affiliates joining during the last three months of the year should pay the following year’s dues upon petitioning. ($145.00 if paid online.) We offer a program for budget-friendly automatic payments, either monthly or quarterly.  See the Secretary for details.
 
One benefit of membership is that there is no additional cost for the meals, when hosted at a member’s home.  This occurs eight to ten times each year. Members who are not hosting the lodge at their homes that year are encouraged, every couple of meetings, to bring a host gift, of a bottle, or appetizer or dessert.   
 
Joining.  Men who are new to Freemasonry may apply for membership with a Petition for Degrees. If you are already a Mason within the GL of Minnesota you may Petition for Affiliation. If you are a Mason in good standing from another recognized global jurisdiction, you may Petition for Dual Membership, likewise using the Affiliation petition. 
 
Degree Fees. There is a one-time fee for our Degrees, $375.50, which may be paid in one sum or paid in stages: $145.50 at the time of Petition, $70 at the First Degree, $80 at the Second Degree, and $80 at the Third Degree. The Petition figure includes one-time assessments for all new Masons in Minnesota of $12.50 for Minnesota’s Help, Aid and Assist Fund, $8.00 for benevolence, and $5.00 for the Geo. Washington National Masonic Memorial. (Due to handling fees, this amount is $386.50 if paid online).
 
Optionally, if a new petitioner prefers to attend a “One Day Classes” for their masonic degrees, those statewide events have an alternative fee schedule either slightly less than the lodge’s degree fees, or slightly more, depending on the event. 
 
Affiliation Fees. If you have already been raised (taken the three Masonic degrees) at another lodge within our jurisdiction, there is no fee to affiliate with us. If you were raised by another lodge from a recognized jurisdiction outside of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, you would be required to pay $25.50 in one-time Grand Lodge benevolence fees. Dues for the current year are also required, to be adjusted per the aforementioned pro-rating schedule.
 
Affiliates: We expect all Affiliate members to remain active in their home lodge, if local. Churchill Lodge views the mentoring of Twin Cities area lodge officers as a key mission, therefore we actively support activity that spreads good ideas and encourages the success of other lodges. New Affiliates must provide a Certificate of Good Standing from their home lodge with their petition. When you ask your home lodge secretary for this document, please remind him of your intent to continue as a member of your home lodge.
 
Per Capita Refunds: Regarding Affiliate Dues, in Minnesota, after receiving dues cards from all his lodges, members may request a refund on per capita fees for their second and other plural lodge membership(s). SWC #351 requests that members consider donating their excess per capita back to our lodge, rather than taking a refund, which may be effected by written request to the Grand Lodge, via our Secretary, using the form on the documents page. Alternatively, this statement, sent via e-mail to the lodge secretary, will suffice: “As a Dual member of another Minnesota Lodge, I hereby direct that the per capita portion of my lodge dues this year be refunded to Sir Winston Churchill Lodge #351. A copy of my dues cards for this year from BOTH SWC #351 AND the other lodge(s) is/are attached.“ –With this, a member must provide proof of current membership in the other lodge(s) by a scanned copy of their dues cards from SWC and the other lodge(s) from that same year.
 
Perpetual Life Memberships are available to members. This program allows a brother to pre-pay his lifetime dues obligation with a single payment or even spread it over a three-year span. The lodge benefits from the reassurance that such a brother plans to remain a supporter for his lifetime, and his foresight ensures that the lodge will receive interest from his account even after death. Perpetual Life Membership is a gift to any lodge, and all brethren would welcome such a gesture. We’ve linked to the PLM application on our Documents page.
 
Both New and “Gently Used” Aprons and Past Master Jewels are available from the Secretary. Direct from our friends in the UK, these items were first worn in British Lodges. Current pricing is: $25 for an apron, specify Past Master or Master Mason, and $25 for a Past Masters’ jewel. We have arranged for a local specialty dry cleaner to provide a discount on cleaning these leather aprons and satin sashes. Please consider Mulberrys Cleaners, in Minneapolis, Edina, Eagan and St. Louis Park, and mention their Churchill Lodge discount.
 
To continue reading the About Us page, click HERE. Or, should you wish to return to our front page, click HERE.