Who can be a Freemason?

The qualifications for membership are pretty simple:

• Male
• Over the age of 18
• Belief in a Supreme Being
• Good Moral Character

Sounds pretty straight forward right? Let’s take a dive into each of those requirements and discuss what they mean.

First, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania only admits men. Worldwide, the largest and most recognized Masonic Lodges are men only. However, Lodges do exist that admit both men and women, or are women only. These organizations aren’t in any way connected with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania nor does the Grand Lodge communicate with or recognize them. These groups are not to be confused with the Order of the Eastern Star, which is a separate organization, admitting both men and women. The male members of Eastern Star must be Master Masons, while the female members must have a Masonic relation. The Grand Lodge both recognizes and communicates with the Order of the Eastern Star in the Commonwealth. In the end, it’s pretty easy – Freemasonry, as it pertains to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and the Masonic Villages, is for men only.

The age requirement for joining varies by state (or jurisdiction). In Pennsylvania, a man may join the fraternity at the age of 18. In some states the age is 21. In parts of Europe it could be as high as 25. The only exception pertaining to the age rule in Pennsylvania is through a special dispensation granted by the Grand Master, which is a very rare occurrence. In the vast majority of cases, a man will need to be 18 years of age.

Belief in a supreme being is probably the most confusing of the requirements. Freemasonry does not require its members to be of any one faith. In Pennsylvania, we have men from nearly every religious background imaginable – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and more! Simply put, a man must believe in a single God, rather than a pantheon. The fraternity is not a religious organization and it will never try to enforce specific religious beliefs or dogma on a member.

Lastly, we require a man be of good moral character. In this case, we’re looking to screen out men who have been convicted of violating the law or who are known to be untrustworthy. Minor violations, such as speeding tickets, probably won’t hold a man back from joining, but higher level infractions very well might. In either case, it’s up the members of the Lodge to determine if an applicant meets this requirement.

Hopefully, this dispels some of the myths surrounding what it takes to be a Masons. It’s really not as stringent as some might think. If you, or a man you know, might be interested in becoming a Mason, have him check out our Grand Lodge website and review our Membership area at https://pagrandlodge.org/join/