QUALIFICATIONS

Admission to membership in Freemasonry has always been limited to men, but there are several appendant organizations for the Ladies and for the boys and girls.  There are also concordant organizations to which only Masons can apply for membership, including the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, and the Shriners, to name the largest and best know.  These are a part of the Masonic Family.

Freemasonry has no restrictions based on race, creed, ethnic origin or social status. 

As stated before, no one will openly invite a man to become a mason.  You must ASK ONE TO BECOME ONE 

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

The absolute requirements for becoming a Mason are:

Have belief in a Supreme Being (No particular religion or faith is required or excluded. All are welcome.)

Be of good moral character

Be of good reputation

Be loyal to your country

Have a sincere determination to conduct yourself in a manner that will earn the respect and trust of others

You should be coming to Masonry "of your own free will and accord", to learn to improve yourself and to enjoy the company of other good people, not because someone keeps pestering you to join or because you think it will help you "get ahead" in business.

You should be someone who does, or want to learn to, enjoy the company of other men from all different social classes, faiths, backgrounds, races, countries, etc. Masonry is universal in its ideals.

Dedicated to providing for your own family.  If you are a family man, Masonry considers that your family obligations come FIRST, so you must be sure that:

• You have the time to participate (usually two or three evenings/month at first for meetings and instruction, and then at least one evening per month for meetings from then on -- often more if you get involved in lodge activities.)
• You can afford the initiation fees and the annual dues without hardship to yourself or your family.

Let's expand what some of the concepts means:

A belief in a Supreme Being. Every applicant must profess such a belief but Freemasonry does not define, or impose, a definition of a Supreme Being. Each individual applicant must define that entity for himself.  Atheists and Agnostics cannot, therefore, become Freemasons.  This belief is absolute and admits of no exceptions. Of course individuals might lie in this respect in order to gain admission and there is little that Freemasons could do to identify such men. All is taken on the honor of the individual concerned.  In fact everything that a Freemason does in his private and public life must be honorable and Freemasonry encourages all members to behave in an upright and moral manner.  Members are encouraged to support their individual faith by attendance at their Mosque, Church, Chapel etc, but it is not a requirement.

A Member's Obligation. Each and every applicant must be able to fulfill his obligations (financial, moral, and in terms of his time) to his family, his employment and his faith before he makes any commitment to Freemasonry.

Masonic 'Obligation'.  Applicants must take a vow, or oath, on a holy book on his admission to Freemasonry. Such an oath, or obligation, is necessary in order to add sanctity to what is a serious undertaking and can be compared to; 'swearing the whole truth and nothing but the truth' in a court of law. Such oaths were common in many aspects of life 400 years ago when Freemasonry began and today's Freemasonry continues that practice. As all men who profess a belief in a Supreme Being are eligible for membership, the required oath may be taken on the Holy Book of each individual's faith. In multi-cultural societies it is common to find Holy Books in Lodges, other than the Bible, on which candidates take their obligation.

Moral and Upright Men. This means that a man who has been convicted, in a court of law, of a serious criminal offence cannot become a Freemason. Anyone who is a Freemason who is so convicted is subject to Masonic discipline and will be expelled from the Craft.

Membership. No man is permitted to use his membership to advance his own political, religious or business aims. For this reason Lodges do not allow members to discuss political, religious or business matters. Anyone who persists in doing so is in danger of expulsion. There is no doubt that one of the attractions of Masonic Lodges is the ability of all faiths, creeds and cultures to mix freely knowing that no one is interested in the individual's social position, faith, or politics. This ability to meet with others, of various backgrounds has been one of the mainstays of Freemasonry for centuries. This, unique situation has been described as being: 'the ideal escape from the rat race'.

Follow these steps to become a member

To join, all you have to do is ask a Mason. Remember Masons do not solicit for members. You'll need to express your personal interest in joining the Fraternity.  

• Preferably someone you know or at least who lives or works nearby,
• Once you have found someone you know who is a member of the Fraternity, TELL HIM YOU WANT TO JOIN.  

Your Petition for membership will be read at the next Stated Meeting and afterwards an Investigated Committee will be appointed.

Your character will be investigated by the Investigating Committee. This is done by three members who will meet with you, your family if so desire and answer any questions

Your petition will be presented and voted upon by secret ballot by all lodge member.  All present members must accept you that is it must be unanimous.

• If accepted, you will be notified by the Lodge's Secretary to appear to receive the first of three Degrees of Masonry.  He is the only one authorize to do so.
• If not accepted, the Lodge Secretary will notify you. and your initial deposit will be returned to you

If accepted you will receive information on when you will begin your degrees and your journey in Masonry begins

All lodges have an Initiation fee which helps to pay for all materials that you will be receiving.  Each jurisdiction will have its own governing regulations regarding amount and how it will be collected, but as a general rule, it could follow this format described below:

a)   Each degree has its associated cost.

b)   Usually an amount specified by by-laws shall be payable in advance with the petition, for consideration by the Lodge

c)   Usually an amount specified by by-laws shall be payable, if elected, prior to receiving the Entered Apprentice degree

d)   If rejected by action of the Lodge, as stated before, all fees paid by the Petitioner shall be immediately refunded

All lodges have a fee for affiliation for those who are already Master Masons payable in advance with the petition for consideration by the Lodge.  If rejected by action of the Lodge the amount paid by the petitioner will be returned

Lastly all lodges have an annual dues which is payable by each voting member (excepting honorary members) on or before the first day of January of each year.