How to Become a Freemason

QUALIFICATIONS:

Freemasonry is proud of its philosophy and practice of "making good men better." This accomplished through a self-improvement approach. Only individuals believed to be of the finest character are favorably considered for Membership. Every applicant must advocate his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being.

The mission of Freemasonry is to promote a way of life that binds like minded men into a worldwide Brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences; by teaching the great principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth: and, by the outward expression of these, through its fellowship, its compassion and its concern, to find ways in which each may serve his God, his family, his country, his neighbors and himself."

This list is true for "most" states or jurisdictions and as such there may be some variations.

Keep in mind, Masons do not solicit for members, the decision to become a Mason is your own.

If you are seeking Membership YOU MUST ASK a Mason or a Masonic Lodge for an application called a petition.  A copy is available at the bottom of this page.  It is your responsibility to approach or meet two current members and obtain their endorsements before your petition may be considered.

Basic Qualifications:

• You must be a man at least 18 (21 in some jurisdictions) years of age.
• You must be of good moral character as evidenced by a basic background check.
• You must have a personal belief in a Supreme Being as the creator of the universe (the definition of a Supreme Being is up to you).
• You must be a Legal Resident of your state for 6 months (longer in some jurisdictions). This includes legal residence in the United States for foreign nationals.
• You must decide to become a Freemason of "your own free will and accord".  This means you were not recruited-you came to us or approached an existing member of your own volition.
• You will need to express your personal interest in joining the Fraternity by completing the application or petition. 
• You must be loyal to your country.  Citizenship with the United States of America is not required, however please note the residency requirement above.
• You must be dedicated to providing for your family.
• You must have a sincere determination to conduct yourself in a manner that will earn the respect and trust of others and possess a desire to help others through community service and universal benevolence.
• You must be willing to sign a Petition, stating your age, occupation, place of residence and other personal particulars.   Petitions may be requested from the lodge of your choice.

There are NO religious, political or racial restrictions for membership in Waverly Lodge other than the aforementioned belief in a Supreme Being, as any partisan discussion of religion or politics is strictly forbidden in a Masonic Lodge.

Admission is decided by secret ballot of current members. To be accepted, the ballot must be unanimous.

To petition a lodge, the first step is to find one close to you. Once you have selected a lodge (or several) reach out and make contact. This is particularly important if you do not know a member of that lodge. You may contact the lodge secretary who would be happy to speak to you about upcoming activities and/or open houses. You may use the "contact us" feature on this website to accomplish this step for inquires to Waverly Lodge.  We will assist you from that point forward.

We encourage you to visit the lodge just prior to any of our activities to meet and interact with members.  This allows you to get to know us and us to get to know you.  This may also give you the opportunity to obtain the two required endorsements for your petition.

Many men are coming to us to join who do not know any Freemasons of whom they may request endorsement of their petition.  It is important that you take steps to allow us know you better as part of your petition process. This may be accomplished by frequent attendance at our activities.

A petition fee of $30 is required to accompany your fully endorsed petition and the petitioner questionaire.  Incomplete materials or materials received without the required petiton fee will not be acted upon.

A Petition for Membership can be obtained below or by visiting the lodge prior to any of our stated meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Please note the petition is not valid unless it is endorsed by two current members.  Many men joining do not know any current members in their circle of family or friends. We encourage you to visit us often to get to know current members in the effort to obtain the required endorsements. Please also take not of the required fees on page 2 of the Petition that should be submitted with your completed paperwork.

If you are interested in becoming a Freemason, download the PDF files below and visit Waverly at your earliest convenience.