Becoming A Freemason

Freemasonry always welcomes new members. Having said that, it does not actively solicit new members. Freemasons do not approach potential candidates and invite them to became Masons or to join a Masonic Lodge. Potential candidates have to take that initial step for themselves.

Entrance to the Ashlar Masonic Temple

The reason for this is fundamental to Masonic philosophy, thought and teachings. Freemasonry stresses freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and the exercise of individual free will. Thus, potential Freemasons have to make the decision to become a Freemason of their own free will, without fear of compulsion. A candidate who is approached and invited to join Freemasonry, or any other particular organization, may feel compelled or obliged to do so; candidates who decide to apply for membership in an organization through the exercise of their own free will are perceived to be free of any such compulsion or obligation. It’s that simple.

Here are some short videos which may help in understanding the basic ideas behind Freemasonry.

This video was produced by the Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon:

This video is from the Grand Lodge of Maryland:

Here is a video from the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Here are two videos of Rick Wakeman (formerly of Yes and Strawbs before embarking in a very successful solo career) discussing his experiences in Freemasonry:

The basic qualifications for becoming a Freemason are fairly straightforward. In the language of our ritual, which likely originated from a 17th or 18th century revision of a much older oral ritual, a candidate must be “a man, freeborn, of lawful age and coming under the tongue of good report.”

This may require some explanation. Yes, a candidate must be male. Freemasonry is an all male organization; it always has been. This is one of the Ancient Landmarks which form the foundation of Freemasonry and that is not going to change. The reference to “freeborn” does not currently mean being born outside slavery or serfdom, although this may be a remnant of feudal origin and it may have meant this several centuries ago; it is now interpreted as having the freedom of choice to make one’s own decisions. Similarly, being “of lawful age” means the candidate has the maturity and legal ability to freely make his own informed decisions; the Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon currently sets that age as 21. “Coming under the tongue of good report” simply means being of demonstrated good character and reputation.

A candidate must also believe in a Supreme Being as Creator and Ruler of the Universe and in the resurrection to a future life after death. Freemasonry emphasizes freedom of religion and religious tolerance. So Freemasonry doesn’t care what a candidate’s conception of the Supreme Being is, or what religion a candidate professes, but a candidate must profess a belief in a Supreme Being as Creator and Ruler of the Universe. If you are an atheist or an agnostic, then Freemasonry is not for you.

The Grand Lodge of B.C. and Yukon also imposes some other qualifications.

It requires that:

  • potential candidates be able to read and write in English;
  • that each candidate be able to declare in the affirmative “that uninfluenced by mercenary or other unworthy motives, and unbiased by the improper solicitations of friends, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of Freemasonry”; and asks
  • “Do you seriously and upon your honour declare that you are prompted to solicit the privileges of Freemasonry by a favorable opinion conceived of the Institution and a desire for knowledge?”

If you meet these qualifications and if, of your own free will, you decide you would like more information on joining Ashlar Lodge, No.3 , or about Freemasonry in general, feel free to contact us at AshlarLodge3@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.

Freemasonry also teaches and encourages the life long pursuit of knowledge. For that reason,  we encourage potential candidates to do their own research on Freemasonry before making an application to join us. There are some suggested web pages for this research on our Joining Ashlar Lodge page.

The Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon website offers this page on “Becoming A Freemason” and this page on “The Ideal of A Freemason.” Both should be informative to anyone curious about Freemasonry. Here is a link to an older, but still very relevant, article entitled What Is Freemasonry? It’s Aims & Objectives. Here is a link to an article entitled Advice To A Potential Candidate.

The Grand Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon website also offers an excellent resource for researching Freemasonry, Masonic history, the qualifications for joining and a variety of other topics related to the Craft. We will be compiling a list of suggested reading material for those interested in Freemasonry. We also have a Masonic Education page on this site which may be useful to prospective candidates as well as Initiated Brethren.

Freemasonry has had, and still has, many critics and detractors. If you are researching Freemasonry you will undoubtedly come across many of these critiques, allegations and accusations that are regularly made against us. The Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon website has pages answering, responding to and refuting many of the common criticisms and accusations made against Freemasonry and Freemasons. Here are links to some of these pages: What They Say About Us; Freemasonry and Religion; Responding to the Critics of Freemasonry; Refuting Allegations That Freemasonry Is Paganism; Anti-Masonic Claims Refuted; Public Retraction of Published Statements Claiming Freemasonry Is Satanic;

We’re not going to comment on these detractors and conspiracy theorists but here’s an amusing video from John Oliver about Internet conspiracy theories:

On a more positive note, here are links to pages on the Grand Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon website which may help you toward an understanding of what Freemasonry actually is: The Attraction of Freemasonry; The Ideal of A Freemason; Prominent Freemasons; Appendant and Concordant Bodies;

Here are some other websites you might find interesting:

Famous Freemasons:

What Is Freemasonry?

Again, here are some things Freemasonry has been accused of but which Freemasonry definitely is NOT:

If, after doing this research, you have more questions or you decide you would like to become a Freemason, we invite you to contact Ashlar Lodge, No. 3 at AshlarLodge3@gmail.com.

Here are some videos that prospective Freemasons may find interesting:

These two videos feature Rick Wakeman (formerly of Yes and Strabs before embarking on a very successful solo career) discussing Freemasonry.

A perspective on freemasonry for the young man – A short burst of light from Lostock Films on Vimeo.

Here is another video from the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick.

In doing research on Freemasonry, you will undoubtedly come across many articles and videos claiming conspiracies by Freemasonry. We’re not going to comment on these articles and videos but here’s an amusing video from John Oliver about Internet conspiracy theories:

 

Would you like to leave a comment or question about Freemasonry or about anything on this page?