1.  Why would I want to acquire Life Membership in DeWitt 84?
  2.  What are current annual dues?
  3.  What does current Life Membership cost?
  4.  Do I have to pay all my Life Membership at once?
  5.  What benefit does my Lodge receive from Life Membership?
  6.  What are the principal Masonic Bodies?
  7.  What are the Masonic Charities?

There are a number of organizations in the Fraternity.  All share a connection to Masonry, also called the Blue Lodge.  A man's membership in the Blue Lodge is essential to either him or his family belonging to most of the others.  Here's a list of the principal affiliated Masonic Bodies:
        York Rite Bodies
               Royal Arch Masonry
               Council of Cryptic Masonry
               Commandery of Night's Templar
         Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction
              Lodge of Perfection, 14°
              Zerubbabel Council Princes of Jerusalem, 16°
               Mt. Calvary Chapter Rose Croix, 18°
               Consistory, 32°
         Ancient Arabic Order of the Noble Shrine
  7.  What are the Masonic Charities?  There is no single "Masonic Charity."  Each of the bodies sponsors their own, most important charity.  Here's a few of them….
Blue Lodge - Children's Home at LaGrange
Chapter - Schizophrenia Research
Council - Nurses Scholarship
Commandery - Eye Foundation
Lodge of Perfrection -
Princes of Jerusalem -
Rose Croix -
Consistory -
Shriners - Orthopedic and Burn Hospitals
And besides those sponsored by the statewide organization, each local body sponsors their own local charity.

  1.  Why would I want to acquire Life Membership in DeWitt 84?  Life Membership provides a hedge against inflation.  Expenses for the Grand Lodge continue to increase.  The Per Capita will continue to increase in the next several years.  DeWitt 84 has been able to provide all the needed lodge activities from the minimum allowable, but that continues to increase annually.
2.    What are current annual dues?  DeWitt 84 currently has dues of $38.00, payable on January 1st, $28 of which is for the lodge, the other $10.00 for per capita to the Grand Lodge.

3. What does current life membership cost?  Life Membership is always 15 times annual dues.  If a man is at 35 years of membership or higher, Life Membership cost is reduced to the number of years remaining to 50 year membership times the annual dues.  The current fee is $38.00 x 15 or $570.
   

5. What benefit does my Lodge receive from Life Membership?  The lodge receives the interest from investing $38 x 15 years from every Life Member.  In 2001 $10.87 from each Life Member.  For living members paying dues we would receive $28 income each year.  The lodge also received $10.87 for each of the 13 deceased life members.  That additional funding would not have been possible without Life Membership.
   
6. What are the prinicpal Masonic Bodies?