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Become A Maryland Mason

The person who wants to join Masonry must be a man (it's a fraternity), sound in body and mind,
who ‘believes in God’, is at least the minimum age required by Masonry in his state (18 years old in MD),
and has a good reputation. (Incidentally, the "sound in body" requirement -- which comes from the
stonemasons of the Middle Ages -- doesn't mean that a physically challenged man cannot be a Mason; many are).

Those are the only "formal" requirements. But there are others, not so formal. He should believe in helping
others. He should believe there is more to life than pleasure and money. He should be willing to respect the
opinions of others. And he should want to grow and develop as a human being.

Some men are surprised that no one has ever asked them to become a Mason. They may even feel that
the Masons in their town don't think they are "good enough" to join. But it doesn't work that way. For
hundreds of years, Masons have been forbidden to ask others to join the fraternity. We can talk to friends
about Masonry. We can tell them about what Masonry does. We can tell them why we enjoy it. But we
can't ask, much less pressure, anyone to join.

There's a good reason for that. It isn't that we're trying to be exclusive. But becoming a Mason is a very
serious thing. Joining Masonry is making a permanent life commitment to live in certain ways. We've listed
most of them above -- to live with honor and integrity, to be willing to share with and care about others,
to trust each other, and to place ultimate trust in God. No one should be "talked into" making such a
decision.

So, when a man decides he wants to be a Mason, he asks a Mason for a petition or application.
He fills it out and gives it to the Mason, and that Mason takes it to the local lodge. The Master of the
lodge will appoint a committee to visit with the man and his family, find out a little about him and why he
wants to be a Mason, tell him and his family about Masonry, and answer their questions. The committee
reports to the lodge, and the lodge votes on the petition. If the vote is affirmative (and it usually is)
the lodge will contact the man to set the date for the Entered Apprentice Degree.
When the person has completed all three degrees, he is a Master Mason and a full member of the fraternity.

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Maryland Freemasons -  Amicable-St John's Lodge No. 25 | Chartered June 21, 1797

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