Freemasonry is a fraternity dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of a Supreme Being. Much has been written on the history of the Masons, but what are the requirements for becoming a Mason?
You must be an adult male. This is the first and foremost requirement for acceptance into the brotherhood. If you are a boy, you can join DeMolay and if you are a girl you can be a member of Rainbow. A female relative of a Master Mason can join the Order of the Eastern Star. All of these organizations are subsidiaries of Freemasonry and they are not considered Masons as such. The man must also be of good repute and well recommended so that members will not bring disgrace unto the lodge. They must have a member who is willing to vouch for their character and will be examined by the other members to ensure that the candidate is a good fit.
In order to become a Mason a man must express belief in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul. This is how the requirement is stated, but how the prospective member interprets it is extremely personal. There are no religious requirements other than this stated belief. Once the member has been accepted, he must agree to conform to the moral laws of society and abide by the laws of the government where they live.
A Mason must be able to support himself and his family. This requirement was put into place to avoid being seen as an organization of financial support. The ideals of Freemasonry require that the organization be of second priority to that of one’s family and religion.
Masons don’t actively recruit new members, so the candidate must come to the organization of his own free will and accord. For many years, it was misunderstood that a candidate must be nominated for membership, which led to many interested parties unnecessarily waiting to be asked to join. Now, in many lodges, there are procedures where a candidate can be made to know he is “welcomed” to join, but he must still join of his own free will without any unworthy motives.
As long as a candidate meets these basic requirements, he will be welcomed into the fraternity of Freemasons. While there are many rituals and rites within the organization that are kept from the general public, these simple principals are easy for anyone to discover and understand.