FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT FREEMASONRY

Membership is open to men age 18 and older who believe in a Supreme Being and meet the qualifications and standards. Men of all ethnic and religious backgrounds are welcome.
 

One of Masonry's traditions is that we do not solicit members. Men must seek membership on their own initiative. When you're ready to join, you can complete the request for information form and someone will contact you regarding membership. Or you can follow the steps below:

1.       Contact the lodge to schedule a visit during an event, at which time you can request a membership information packet.

2.      When you have completed the application, form included in the packet, it must be signed by two Masons who recommend you for membership. You will have met some Masons at the lodge event. You can also contact the lodge secretary for assistance.

3.      Return your application and the specified application payment. The lodge will schedule visits in your home with selected lodge members to discuss your application and to answer your questions. Your application will be voted upon at the next lodge meeting.

4.     You will be notified of your acceptance as a candidate for the degrees, and you will receive instructions about the three-degree ceremonies. The degrees explain Freemasonry and give you the opportunity to experience the lodge's traditions and fellowship. When you complete all three degrees, you become a full member.

Yes, just one:  All members must have a belief in a Supreme Being.  It is not important what Name each member calls his Supreme Being or how, where or if they pray to that Supreme Being.  Men of all ethnic and religious backgrounds are welcome.

Lodge meetings, like those of many other groups, are private and open only to members. The rules and aims of Freemasonry are available to the public. Meeting places are known and in many areas are used by the local community for activities other than Freemasonry. Members are encouraged to speak openly about Freemasonry.  Yes, we have secret signs and words and modes of recognition but we have no secrets about our central purposes.

The senior officer of a Masonic Lodge is the Master, normally addressed and referred to as the "Worshipful Master" (in Scotland, and in Lodges under the Scottish Constitution, the "Right Worshipful Master"). The Worshipful Master sits in the East of the lodge room, chairs all of the business of his lodge, and is vested with considerable powers without further reference to the members. He also presides over ritual and ceremonies.
 

The office of Worshipful Master is the highest honor to which a lodge may appoint any of its members. The office is filled annually by election, often by secret ballot. The requirements as to who is eligible for election as Master vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the majority of jurisdictions specify that a brother must have served as an installed Warden to qualify. In practice, most lodges will nominate and elect the previous year's Senior Warden in an uncontested election.
 

The honorific Worshipful does not suggest that the Master is worshiped, but is used in its original meaning, "worthy of respect". (Mayors and magistrates in parts of England are also traditionally called "Worshipful" or "Your Worship", as are certain bodies such as livery companies). French Masons use the word Vénérable as the honorific for their Masters. 

The meeting is in two parts. As in any association there is a certain amount of administrative procedure – minutes of last meeting, proposing and balloting for new members, discussing and voting on financial matters, election of officers, news and correspondence. Then there are the ceremonies for admitting new Masons and the annual installation of the Master and appointment of officers. The three ceremonies for admitting a new Mason are in two parts – a slight dramatic instruction in the principles and lessons taught in the Craft followed by a lecture in which the candidate’s various duties are spelled out.

Traditionally, Freemasonry has been restricted to men. The early stonemasons were all male, and when Freemasonry was organizing, the position of women in society was very different from today. If women wish to join Freemasonry, there are separate Grand Lodges restricted to women only.

Keep your eyes on this space for the answer(s) to your particular question(s).