RRCG members speak out: Brother Evangelos

Why I joined the Rose Cross of Gold, by Brother Evangelos

I was waiting in the dining room while the brethren went upstairs to open the lodge. It was the night of my Entered Apprentice degree. My heart was beating fast; I was excited and nervous trying to guess what I was about to experience. The deacons came down to take me into the preparation room. My Masonic trip was about to start....

I have always been an inquisitive soul. The unknown, the secret, the supernatural, the philosophical, the mystical always attracted me. I stumbled upon Freemasonry on a couple of occasions while growing up but couldn't find much information about it. It was enough though to pique my interest. Years later, after college, I learned that a good family friend is a Freemason. I talked to him and started reading about Freemasonry. I contacted my local lodge and went to one of their dinners. I was fascinated: a peculiar system of morality... oldest fraternity... society with secrets... brotherly love.... It seemed like an excellent way to learn and discuss moral and philosophical issues along with serving my fellow citizen. I submitted my petition to join....

..."Who comes, who comes, who comes here?" I entered the lodge as a poor blind candidate and went through the EA ritual. Later at home I tried to make sense of my experience. It was a good ritual but I was not very impressed, in fact I felt a little disappointed. I couldn't remember a thing from the lectures either, only that they were vague. Well, maybe it will make sense in time, I thought. Besides, there are two more degrees to go through.

Unfortunately those two degrees did not change my perspective. As a Master Mason I started attending lodge meetings. I soon realized that they were utterly boring: a series of recognitions, reading of the minutes, sick and deceased report; no interesting lectures or philosophical discussions. There was no place for these.

Fortunately for me, there were a few younger guys in the lodge and in talking to them I started learning some fascinating things: Albert Pike was introduced to me and then a series of other books on various topics and a new world opened in front of me. So there IS more to freemasonry; my gut instinct that drove me into the Craft was not wrong after all. I also learned about the Rite of the Rose Cross of Gold and experienced the First Degree. What a different experience that ritual was! All I can say is that I wish that ritual were my first experience with Freemasonry and not the Blue Lodge one that I went through.

If fish frys and boring meetings satisfy your intellectual curiosity then the RRCG is not for you. But if you are a fellow inquisitive soul — then welcome, Brother!

— Brother Evangelos

Rite of Rose Cross of Gold | United Grand Lodge of America
Grand Lodge of Georgia | Freemasonry