Becoming a Freemason

The path to Masonic Membership is fairly straight forward, however there are several points to consider before you join the fraternity.

Masonary Does Not Seek, It Must Be Sought:

• Freemasonary does not solicit new members. Men interested in joining the fraternity must inquire of membership of their free will. This is because Freemasonry belives men who truly desire membership and seek it outwill become much stronger and useful Freemasons than those who join by invitation.

Have an idea of what you are getting into:

• Potential members should have a general idea of what Freemasonry is all about. Freemasonry is often cited as being a "peculiar systen of morality, veiled in allegory and represented by symbols." This vague description means Freemasonry is a system of guidelines by which to live life-striving to be a better and useful man to yourself, your family and your community. It is worth talking to a Freemason at lengthto discuss the ins and outs of the fraternity and if it is a good fit for you.
• Members must believe in a Supreme Power-God, Allah, Jehovah, Brahma, ect.-is up to the individual to determine.

Freemasonry is not for everyone:

• Being a good Freemason requires in self reflection and service to others. Freemasonary is not a social club nor a civic organization. Members are held to high standards and are expected to be productive members of society.

Understand Freemasonry's time and financial obligations:

• Becoming a Master Mason can take many months. Initation requires the memorization and recitation of a catechism as well as attending training sessions with your assigned coach.
• Initatiation and membership carry certain financial obligation. Though fees vary from lodge to lodge, a man should understand he will be required to pay an initation fees prior to the reading of his application, annual membership dues and donations to charity requests. These time and financial obligation should not be a burden on a man's family, occupation or educational commitments.
• While there is no attendance requirements of a mason, the man will not obtain the full benifits of membership if he does not have time to attend and participate in a resonable of meetings and other activities. A man should examine his own lifestyle and determine if it will suit him to be a Freemason.

Taking good men and making them better:

• Freemasonary recognizes the inevitability of human frality and harbors no illustions about finding or creating perfect men. It only hopes to take good men and make better men.
• Freemasons will no knowingly elect bad apples into their fraternity. They wish new members to be better men than themselves-at least as good. Masons do not claim to be, or wish to be, reformers, but they do belive a good man coming into the fraternity will become a better man as a result of his membership.

Petitioning for membership:

• Once a man decides to seek Masonic membership he must be recommended by members of the lodge and submit to a background check by the North Carolina Grand Lodge. Following a prescribed waiting period his petition will be balloted upon during a regular meeting of the lodge. The vote is by secret ballot, and the election of a petitioner requires a unanimously favorable ballot.
• The man who decides to seek Masonic membership need only to convey his desire to somone close to him who is a Mason.
• You may obtain further information by submitting our contact form.