20/08/2026
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1. ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐. There is no shame in admitting when you can no longer manage the cost of your membership. Financial difficulty is something we are all experiencing lately, but for some more dire than others. When you can no longer afford to give to charity and have to prioritize on your own family; when your annual dues have increased drastically and now cost more than what you save; when, in every stated meeting, you are expected to contribute a considerable sum, either for refreshment, for a fund-raiser, or for donation to a brother in need: then perhaps it is time to quit Masonry. Sure, you may choose to remain and not shell out any money, but what exactly would that do? You risk alienating yourself from your brethren, or feel unworthy, or feel guilty even. You might even lose your good standing if you do not pay your dues on time. Do you even dare reach out to your lodge and inform them of your financial difficulty, as if asking for hand-outs from the Fraternity that you are supposed to be helping instead of the other way around? It is really quite simple: If you cannot afford to be a Mason, then donโt be, lest Masonry becomes the reason you become poor.
2. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ. Former Philippine President, Manuel Quezon, reluctantly โ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ช๐จ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅโ from his lodge allegedly due to his wifeโs religious sentiments against Masonry. When your wife or any member of your family no longer approves of you being a Mason, whether for religious or any other reason, then perhaps you should take a cue from Quezon himself. He chose to give up his Masonic affiliation instead of convincing his wife that her views on Masonry were unfounded, consequently avoiding unnecessary conflict and friction on their relationship. There are many other reasons why your wife may develop a negative opinion on Masonry. You may have been spending too much time at lodge rather than at home, perhaps using it as an excuse to escape domestic responsibilities. You may have taken on too many Masonic roles and given too much time, money, and attention away from family in favor of Masonic endeavors. Sure you may choose to reform by limiting your Masonic activities and spend more time with family, but when the damage is already done and it has already caused enmity from your wife, then learn to accept the possibility that your Masonic career has reached its untimely end. Let it serve as a lesson to all Masons to always put family before Masonry.
3. ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐๐. When Masonry has somehow become parasitic and has taken over every aspect of your life โ you no longer have friends except Masons; you no longer have a job except Masonic-related; you no longer think of anything else except Masonry, Masonry, Masonry; your family only sees you exhausted and worrying about your next meeting, project, or degree conferral; and your very idea of success and accomplishment is rising within the ranks of the Fraternity โ then please, do yourself a favor and quit while you still can. Masonry is meant to make you a better man, not cause harm to your character and mental health. Sure, you may choose to simply take a break from Masonic life, but would that really solve your problems and be any different upon your return, given the severity of the damage it has already done? You should have known better than get yourself addicted and intoxicated with excessive Masonic life at the expense of your own.
4. ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ. Masonry, they say, should not interfere with your religious, nationalistic, professional, social, and personal life. The moment your religious denomination compels you to leave Masonry, the moment your political viewpoints clash with the tenets of the Craft; the moment you can no longer function efficiently and effectively at work due to Masonic commitments; the moment you start feeling alienated by your friends and neighbors who are against Masonry; and the moment you lose touch with your previous hobbies such as sports, movies, events, and travel: then you must choose and choose wisely. Are you willing to endure all the changes happening in your life in favor of remaining a Mason? Or are you holding Masonry accountable for its unfulfilled promise that it would not interfere with the duties you owe to God, your country, your neighbor, or yourself, and that its breach-of-contract naturally meant that you should already terminate your relationship with it? Think about it well.
5. ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฑ๐ข๐. When you are no longer happy with your Masonic life, for whatever reason, and have already lost interest, then what is the point of remaining a Mason? Why would you even choose to remain if you only plan to eventually become inactive in the long run? And what caused you to become unhappy and lose interest in the first place? Is it because of toxic company, of brothers you do not get along with, or of disillusionment that Masonry did not turn out to be what you expected and was really not what you came here to do? Normally, a problem such as this could easily be solved by seeking better company elsewhere, maybe by affiliating with other lodges with members who share your own views and interests. Unfortunately, you would eventually discover, to your dismay, that it is the same way everywhere else. You then realize that perhaps the problem lies, not with Masonry, but with you all along. This toxicity, whether coming from you or from the Fraternity, should not hinder you from seeking happiness elsewhere. So when the drives to lodge went longer, the meetings dragged on, and the discussions become boring and meaningless, prompting you to tell yourself โ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต๐ต๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด,โ then go in peace, my friend, and may you find what you are looking for outside Masonry.
6. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐. Delikadesa dictates that, when you have committed a crime, corruption, or anything shameful in the public eye through your own fault, especially one so grave as to cause scandal, you should do the right thing and resign from the Fraternity that is supposed to promote moral and ethical living. Obviously, Masonry has failed you and you have failed Masonry. Remaining a Mason in a state of disgrace would put a bad light upon the rest of your brethren. Resigning, therefore, is not for your benefit, but for that of the organization. Exercise that final act of dignity and sacrifice as a Mason by saving the reputation of the Fraternity from yourself. Take a cue from Japanese culture, where men voluntarily resign from their posts even when merely involved or accused of misdeeds and still unproven guilty. That is honor worthy of Masonic emulation.
7. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. If mere curiosity led you here; if you came not seeking enlightenment to improve yourself; if you do not know the meaning of word-of-honor; if you petitioned initially not of your own volition, and were merely invited or improperly solicited to join, possibly for your fame, fortune, or influence; if you joined for distinction and sought personal, business, and political advantage: then, in the words of a prominent local Masonic leader, โ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต!โ You have managed to pe*****te the West Gate and simply do not belong here.
8. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. When you are suspended for a long period of time already, either due to non-payment of dues or for some other reason, then obviously you no longer care about your membership status and no longer have plans of returning. In such case, quit the right way: write a letter of demit to your lodge and Grand Lodge and pay your arrears. That way, you leave the Fraternity in good terms and with a clear conscience. Let no record taint your reputation as a man by allowing your suspended status unresolved simply because you do not wish to pay your accumulated dues.
There may be other reasons we failed to mention above, but it is clear from this enumerated list that you should quit Masonry either when it already poses harm to yourself or when you yourself are posing harm unto it. Note however, that not all reasons, valid as they may appear, merit your resignation. Below are some perceived bases for quitting that you should not be considering.
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1. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ. When you need some time off to rest and recuperate from a medical condition or illness, then no, it is not an acceptable reason to quit Masonry. Your brethren would understand if you could not attend lodge due to health problems. Even if your condition seems permanent or terminal, the more that your brethren should assist in your time of need. In fact, there are local regulations (e.g. Edict 325โSuan 2019) now that exempt you from paying dues or from attending meetings if you have suffered accident, illness, injury, or any other form of distress, rendering you unable to earn a living and likewise preventing you from fulfilling many of your Masonic duties.
2. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐. When you just moved to another place or have been reassigned far away to another country, thus preventing you from physically attending lodge or any other Masonic activity, do not quit. It is no reason to quit. Masonry means so much more than attending meetings. It is only one of many aspects that make up our Craft. You can still serve Masonry other than through face-to-face attendance. You can, for instance, contribute to charity or assist in committee works from afar. Technology has advanced so much in recent times that it is now possible to send money at the click of a button in your cellphones, or do Masonic work from home and send them through email. You can even meet online through teleconferencing platforms such as Zoom. Masonic labor has never been this easy and convenient. All you have to do is utilize these tools in order to still be able to contribute whatever you can to Masonry. However, if your lodge or Grand Lodge puts so great an importance on attendance (and understandably so), requiring you to attend a minimum number of meetings in order to maintain your Masonic standing, then there are local regulations (Edict 276c-Suan 2020) in place that allow you to count as attendance your visits to other lodges nearer to you.
3. ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐. Do not leave Freemasonry simply because a brother (or group of brothers) seems to be harassing or bullying you at lodge. Every lodge has them: the know-it-all grandstanders, the power-drunk officers, and the grumpy old Past Master who keep picking on your mistakes, your posture, your attire, and your ritual-execution. Donโt take it personally. Some people are just the way they are and their attitudes have nothing to do with you. Indeed you will find that you are not the only one they pick on. They seem to feel that it is their right to criticize every member and control every aspect of the lodge. Try and be more tolerant of these clearly troubled brothers. Often they are undergoing domestic problems or low self-esteem and are merely using the lodge to make them feel better about themselves. By and large, they are quite harmless, and most brothers have already learned to simply ignore their negative aura. You may try whispering good counsel to them, but do you really want to poke the bear?
4. ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง-๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ญ. It is your own personal decision should you wish to leave the Fraternity, whether out of guilt or sheer delikadesa, when charged with un-Masonic conduct whose penalty could either be suspension or expulsion. Know, however, that you have a right to voice your side and defend yourself, especially if the accusations are untrue and unwarranted to the best of your knowledge. Let due process take its course to penalize the guilty and exonerate the innocent. If your conscience is clear, do not let the Fraternity lose a worthy Mason such as yourself.
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Source: The Cable Tow, Vol. 100, No. 04
https://www.grandlodge.ph/sites/default/files/cabletow/Cabletow2024-4.pdf =22
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