How to become one?       

How to become a member of the Masonic Fraternity:

As with anything to do with Freemasonry, becoming a member of a Masonic Lodge involves adherence to certain traditional procedures, which while curious or perhaps frustrating at first glance, have proved useful and necessary. In broad brush strokes, the procedure is as follows:

1. You must want to be a member

2. Meet the necessary membership requirements

3. Obtain and submit a petition (i.e. application) for membership

4. Meet with an investigating committee

5. Provide three letters of recommendation

6. Be unanimously approved by a vote of the lodge membership

7. Pay the necessary fees

8. Present yourself for initiation when and where notified

The completion of all of these steps can take a period of some months.  The primary reason for this extended period is so that every member of the lodge can have proper notice of a petition, allowing them to voice any concerns to the investigating committee, and to be present when the vote is taken. But it also serves to insure that the candidate’s interest in the fraternity is not some whim or passing fancy, but rather is a sustained commitment. This desire to be a member is also necessary because no one is ever invited to become a Freemason. Even if you have friends or family who are members, and who might want you also to become a member, they will never actually ask you to join. Your petition must be your own choice, decision, and initiative.

The traditional membership requirements are having a belief in God; and being a man, free born, of lawful age, and coming well recommended. Having a belief in God does not mean meeting any other religious test. You may be asked your actual religion so that the appropriate Holy Book can be used in your degree ceremonies. Being a man is self-explanatory. Being free born is a historical curiosity and not relevant in the present age. Lawful age in New Jersey Freemasonry is being 21 years old. Coming well recommended means having a good reputation, both as attested in the letters of recommendation, and in having two members of the lodge you are seeking to join sign your petition for membership.

In this day and age it is not unusual for men who do not know any Masons to seek membership. If you do not know any Masons who can recommend you, then a call, letter, or e-mail to a nearby lodge will set the wheels in motion for meeting some of the members. You can then decide if you want to proceed with your application, and they can decide if they would be willing to sponsor you.

The first concrete step is to submit a petition for membership. A blank petition can be obtained by asking your potential sponsors for a copy, which might take some time to obtain. As a convenience for both candidates and members, a blank form for petition can be obtained by clicking here. There is a nominal application fee for a petition. When your petition is received, it will be read in lodge, and an investigating committee assigned.

The investigating committee will contact you for a meeting, usually at your home. This interview will be another chance for you to ask any questions you may have, as well as for the committee members to get to know you better, and to collect some additional information about you. Be prepared to give the committee the names and addresses of the three people who will be writing letters of recommendation on your behalf. Preferably these people also should be Masons, but as long as they are respectable people, it is not strictly necessary. When the letters are received, and the committee report is complete, the vote will be taken, and chances are that you will be elected to membership. At this point you will be notified as to when and where your degrees will be conferred. On the night of your initiation, you will need to bring the necessary initiation fees. The amount of these fees are not prohibitive by any stretch, but are large enough for you to consider your degrees to be something of value, which indeed they are.