How to Join
Is it your desire to join the ranks of men, both great and small, who are proud to share in the Masonic tradition of service and excellence?
Freemasons come from all walks of life, each serving his community in his own way. Members of the uniformed services, like policemen, firemen, the EMS, and our military personnel meet together as equals with civilians, regardless of rank or distinction. They join together in fraternal fellowship to improve themselves and their communities
Application for membership is open to men who:
- Have been an Ohio resident for at least six months
- Are at least 19 years old
- Have a belief in a Supreme Being
- Live a good moral and social life
- Do not advocate the overthrow of the government
- Can read and write English
- Are recommended by two members of the Lodge. (If you do not know two members of the Lodge, we can arrange a meeting with two (or more) members of the Lodge for you.)
As part of the petition process, all applicants for membership in Ohio Freemasonry will be asked to obtain a background check prior to petitioning the Lodge. The process helps the Lodge maintain the historic standard that all candidates be “of good report and well recommended”. Applicants who are already sponsored by a Mason are not required to perform a background check.
To join, a candidate must complete a petition to join the Lodge (provided by a brother Mason), and return it to the Lodge via said brother accompanied by the application fee, which for Lancaster Lodge is $95 for the Entered Apprentice Degree. (There are further fees of $50 each for the Fellowcraft & Master Mason degrees.) The Lodge will then vote to receive the petition and an investigating committee will then be assigned. This team of brethren will meet with the candidate to get to know him, see what his expectations are for joining the lodge and to answer any questions he may have. After the committee reports back to the Lodge a final vote to accept the candidate is then cast. (This is done with a ballot box containing white balls and black balls. This is where the term "blackballing" originates. A single black ball will reject a petitioner.) Once a candidate has been through this process he is eligible to receive the first degree of Freemasonry, which is the first step in becoming a Master Mason.
Adapted from: http://freemason.com/how-to-join