Inquiry Hub

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at AlsenPrideLodge253@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Do you have to be invited to join?

No, any man may inquire on membership regardless of family affiliation or personal connection. In fact, current members are not allowed to ‘solicit’ new members but may answer questions about the organization and what it is like to be a member. If you are interested, contact a local Mason.

Freemasonry accepts men of good character. There are very few limitations, but here are some important exceptions: 

• 18 years is the minimum age with no upper age limit. 

• Men of many faiths are accepted and all candidates must be able to declare a belief in a Supreme Being and afterlife (open to individual interpretation). 

• He must be an upright and law-abiding citizen and able to afford the modest fees without detriment to his family or livelihood. 

• All Lodges ask prospective members for character references and may require a background check on those who petition for membership.

Helping those in need is a cornerstone of Freemasonry encouraged in every member. Our philanthropy and charitable work responds to many needs from disaster relief and community projects to educational support and aged care. Freemasons have been involved in charitable activities since Masonic Lodges were first established. It is a major motivation for many to join the organization.

While Freemasonry continues today as a men’s fraternity, women play an important role in the Masonic Family. Lodges take particular care when accepting new members to ensure their wives feel welcomed and invited to participate in charity matters, Lodge social activities and friendships with other Masonic families. Freemasonry teaches that a member’s Masonic duties come only after his commitment first to his family and then to his career. All Lodges are especially called to care for the widows of members as part of their charitable duties. First to ensure they are properly provided for and further to keep in contact through social occasions and seasonal events. 

To become a Mason, one must assent to a belief in a Supreme Being and an afterlife. How that belief is interpreted or how it is addressed in one’s daily life is left up to the individual. Freemasonry is not about claiming a belief of a specific religion – it’s about recognizing the faith-based similarities and bonding despite our differences. Some Masons are Christian, others Buddhist or Jewish, and some don’t subscribe to a particular religious belief set. Exercising care and tolerance, Freemasonry teaches many moral lessons, promotes individual freedoms, supports societal harmony, equality and respect for the family as the key unit of society. These are good things, certainly, but do not make Freemasonry a religion.

There are many reasons but the most common are: 

• To share the company of like-minded men 

• To fulfill a desire to further develop personally 

• To expand their involvement in community assistance 

• To widen both their own and their family’s connections in the community 

• Because of a relative or friend’s current or historical connection with Freemasonry 

• To enjoy the social opportunities Invariably, it is a combination of these reasons that draw men to the organization

A Freemason’s first Masonic commitment is to attend the regular meetings of his Lodge. If he has the ambition to become the Worshipful Master he will need to become an officer of the Lodge, and for that he needs to become practiced in its ceremonies and customs. In turn, this requires attendance and participation in the more frequent ‘instruction’ meetings. Visiting other Lodges is a well-ingrained activity in which Lodges universally engage to build and widen fraternal associations and friendships. A member would usually accompany the Worshipful Master, though he may make visits independently. All Lodges have an active social life both within and outside the Lodge in which wives, partners and families are frequently involved. Charitable activities can include both financial assistance and hands-on involvement.