Anyone meeting the following primary requirements may petition a lodge for membership:
1. You are an adult male (18 or older) of good character and recommended by a Brother Mason.
2. You believe in a Supreme Being – no atheist or agnostic can become a Mason – but we are not concerned with theological distinctions or your particular religious beliefs.
3. You are interested in becoming a Mason because you hold a favorable opinion of our institution; and, your decision to apply is based on your “own free will and accord” – no one compelled you to join.
Not all men can become Masons, however. Masonry does not purport to make “bad men good,” only “good men better.” This distinction is critical in that from its early days the Fraternity took itself out of the “rehabilitation” game – which is the purview of religion and the criminal justice system. Only men of good character are accepted into the Fraternity. Masonic lodges review every applicant’s character – and the centuries-old “blackball” system is still in place; candidates for the degrees must be voted by a 100% vote of the lodge members present.