What is a Mason

And how do I become one

 Dear Friend:

 There are a few important things you should know and consider before petitioning to join the Masonic Fraternity,

   Freemasonry is the oldest Fraternity in the world, which teaches ethics and morality. Although it is not in any sense a religion nor a substitute for religion, we do require that men who join believe In God, in the immortality of the soul, and in the brotherhood of man. No atheist can become a Mason.

  Although we require that a member believe in God, we never try to tell a man how he should conceive of God, what faith he should practice, or what worship he should follow. Those are questions of individual conscience, and the member must find those answers within his own faith and House of Worship.

  Freemasonry distinguishes between patriotism and partisanship. While patriotism is encouraged as an essential virtue both within and without the Lodge, no partisan or political discussion is allowed within the Lodge.

The essential purpose of Freemasonry is the further development of the individual Mason as an honest, ethical, moral, sincere, caring and charitable man, learning more about his own potential as a human being and developing his intellectual and spiritual character. A man should never enter the Fraternity in the hope of making business connections or for any other sort of professional or monetary gain. If he does, he will be disappointed, for they will not be found there. What he will find is a group of like-minded men, who are willing to treat him as a Brother and share in a deep and rewarding fellowship with him. He will find true friends and life-long companions.

  We expect men who petition for the Degrees (Membership) to be good men, but not to be perfect. We know that all men have limitations and weaknesses. Our questions are: does he care about others; does he feel a responsibility to improve himself and to make the lives of others better as best he can; is he willing to be open and honest with us and with himself?

  We're glad that you are interested in the Masonic Fraternity, and we're willing to share it with you. Inside this Petition you will find several questions. They are not asked out of idle curiosity. When we accept a man as a Brother, we make a sincere promise to him that we will trust him completely and will treat his needs and his interests just as if they were our own. This petition, and the visit some Lodge Brothers will make with you will begin a process of sharing information which is vital it both you and we are to be comfortable in the relationship.

 THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A FREEMASON

You have already taken the first step in becoming a Freemason by asking for a Petition for the Degrees. Filling out this petition and giving it to a Mason to be taken to the Lodge is the second step.

 When the Lodge receives the Petition, the Worshipful Master will appoint a committee to contact you. They will report to the Lodge, and the Lodge will vote on the Petition. If the vote is affirmative, the Lodge will contact you to set a date for the first Degree--the Entered Apprentice. A Degree is a ritual in the form of a play. The Degrees are serious and beautiful. They contain nothing whatever of "horse play". After you receive the first degree, you will be assigned to a teacher, who can help you become proficient in the material in that Degree. When that is finished, you take the second Degree (Fellow Craft) and then the third (Master Mason). At that point, you are a full member of the Fraternity.