What are the requirements to join Freemasonry?
In Scotland, any male of mature age, that is, of twenty-one years or more, can
apply to become a Freemason. Following the practice of
stone masons of previous centuries, a man of eighteen years of age might
be admitted provided that his father is a Freemason and in 'good
standing'. Men admitted on these terms and aged between eighteen and
twenty one years of age are known as a 'Lewis'.
There are yet still other qualifications:
A belief in a Supreme Being:
Every applicant must profess such a belief but Freemasonry does not
define, or impose, a definition of a Supreme Being. Each individual
applicant must define that entity for himself. Atheists and Agnostics
cannot, therefore, become Freemasons. This belief is absolute and admits
of no exceptions. Of course individuals might lie in this respect in
order to gain admission and there is little that Freemasons could do to
identify such men. All is taken on the honour of the individual
concerned. In fact everything that a Freemason does in his private and
public life must be honourable and Freemasonry encourages all members to
behave in an upright and moral manner. Members are encouraged to
support their individual faith.
A Members Obligation.
Each and every applicant must be able to fulfil his obligations
(financial, moral, and in terms of his time) to his family, his
employment and his faith before he makes any commitment to Freemasonry.
Masonic 'Obligation':
For in excess of 400 years Scottish Lodges have required an applicant to
take a vow, or oath, on a holy book on his admission to Freemasonry.
Such an oath, or obligation, is necessary in order to add sanctity to
what is a serious undertaking and can be compared to; 'swearing the
whole truth and nothing but the truth' in a court of law. Such oaths
were common in many aspects of life 400 years ago when Freemasonry began
and the Grand Lodge of Scotland continues that practice although many
institutions have since done away with that necessity. As all men, who
profess a belief in a Supreme Being, are eligible for membership the
required oath may be taken on the Holy Book of each individual's faith.
In multi-cultural societies it is common, therefore, to find Holy Books
in Lodges, other than the Bible, on which candidates take their
obligation.
How to Join: Scottish
Freemasonry does not recruit members, although it is permissible for a member to discuss membership with individuals whom they believe would be a credit to the Craft. Otherwise the only way to become a member is
to ask another Freemason. As existing members do not walk about with a
badge stating: 'I am a Freemason' this might appear to be a paradox. The
simple fact is that Freemasons do not seek out members who are unknown to them, it does not
mount recruitment campaigns, nor does it ask its existing members to
seek out new recruits. The reason for this lies, again, in the history
of the Scottish Craft. The stonemasons Lodges of 400 years ago were
for stonemasons only. Non-stonemasons became aware of the existence of
Lodges and were curious as to what took place within them. As they were
not stonemasons they were not automatically invited to join a Lodge
but had to ask to become a member. This practice continues today - a man
has to ask to become a Freemason.
Moral and Upright Men:
This means that a man who has been convicted, in a court of law, of a
serious criminal offence cannot become a Freemason. Anyone who is a
Freemason who is so convicted is subject to Masonic discipline and may be expelled from the Craft.
Membership: No man is
permitted to use his membership to advance his own political, religious
or business aims. For this reason Lodges do not allow members to discuss
political, religious or business matters. Anyone who persists in doing
so is in danger of expulsion. There is no doubt that one of the
attractions of Masonic Lodges is the ability of all faiths, creeds and
cultures to mix freely knowing that no-one is interested in the
individual's social position, faith, or politics. This ability to meet
with others, of various backgrounds has been one of the mainstays of
Freemasonry for centuries. This, unique situation has been described as
being: 'the ideal escape from the rat-race'.
As can be seen from the above anyone who cares to lie to a Lodge, but
primarily to himself, can become a Freemason but he will have gained
admission on a falsehood. There is, in fact, little that fellow Masons
can do to identify such men. There has, no doubt, been many of such ilk
in the past and the present (and no doubt there will be more in the
future) and there is little that Freemasonry, per se, can about such
cowans. In the course of time such individuals learn to appreciate the
true value of Freemasonry for themselves, or if they do not, they
generally leave the Craft of their own volition. It should always be
borne in mind that Freemasonry is a voluntary organisation. Many join
for a variety of reasons and find that it is not quite what they
anticipated and leave without impediment.
Freemasonry practices the 'Brotherhood of Man' and this can surely be no bad thing in this modern, materialistic age?