BECOME
A MEMBER
Becoming a member of Scottish Freemasonry means joining a community of individuals dedicated to personal growth, mutual support, and making a positive impact in our communities.
WHY
JOIN
THE
CRAFT
Becoming a member means joining a community dedicated topersonal growth,mutual support, and making a positive impact.
The Privileges
MEMBERSHIP
“A fraternity of men dedicated to their families, their faith, their country, and their brethren.”
Global Fraternity
Become a member of a global fraternity who share your values and ideas.
Personal Growth
Participate in personal growth and development activities.
Charitable Impact
Participate in charitable activities and community projects that make a difference.
Rich History
Be part of an organization whose rich history goes back over 1000 years and has deep cultural roots in Scotland and throughout the world.
Exclusive Events
Attend special events, meetings and ceremonies exclusive to members.
Worldwide Network
Be a part of a fraternity with an estimated 6 million Freemasons world-wide.
Educational Resources
Access educational materials to deepen your understanding of Freemasonry.
SCOTTISH FREEMASONS
A Notice to Gentlemen of Good Character
THE
QUALIFICATIONS
For Admission Into
The Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Freemasonry
Under the Scottish Constitution
WHO MAY SEEK ADMISSION?
The doors of Freemasonry stand open to men of honourable life and upright intention. Rank gives no preference. Wealth carries no favour. Profession, title, and station weigh little beside character.
The man who enquires must do so freely, moved by his own desire to learn. His interest should arise from reflection, from curiosity, and from an honest wish to understand the principles and fellowship of the Craft.
No man should be pressed towards the Lodge. The first step must be his own.
Article I.
FAITH
Belief in a Supreme Being
A candidate must hold a sincere belief in a Supreme Being.
Freemasonry receives men of many faiths and traditions. Each may worship according to his conscience, while meeting his Brethren in peace, goodwill, and mutual respect.
The Lodge asks no man to surrender his religion. It asks that he acknowledge a power greater than himself and conduct his life with reverence, humility, and moral purpose.
Article II.
MATURITY
A Man of Lawful Age
A candidate must be male and at least eighteen years of age.
He should possess the judgement to consider solemn obligations, the steadiness to honour his word, and the maturity to enter a fraternity whose duties are carried beyond the Lodge room and into ordinary life.
Freemasonry asks for thoughtful commitment. A man should enter with clear understanding and of his own settled will.
Article III.
CHARACTER
Of Good Name and Reputation
A candidate should be known as a man of sound character.
He should deal honestly, speak truthfully, discharge his responsibilities, and show due regard for the dignity of others. His conduct should inspire confidence among those who know him.
Perfection is not demanded. A sincere desire to live honourably, correct one's faults, and grow in wisdom is of greater worth.
Article IV.
FREE WILL
Of His Own Accord
A candidate must seek admission voluntarily.
His decision should be made without pressure, personal advantage, or expectation of reward. He should come because the principles of fellowship, charity, duty, and self-knowledge speak to him.
The Lodge may answer his questions and guide his enquiry. The choice itself remains his alone.
A Word of Caution
Freemasonry offers no road to wealth, office, influence, or preferment.
It confers no worldly rank and makes no promise of personal gain.
Its rewards are found in friendship, service, reflection, discipline, and the quiet labour of shaping one's character. A man should seek the Craft with patience, sincerity, and a willingness to give as well as receive.
The Pathway
THE ASCENT
From First Enquiry to Initiation
The road into Freemasonry is travelled with care. The candidate learns of the Lodge. The Lodge learns of the candidate. Questions are asked openly, meetings are held without haste, and time is allowed for reflection.
The process exists so that each may proceed with confidence and good faith.
First Step
EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST
Make contact with the District Grand Lodge or with a Lodge working under the Scottish Constitution in Newfoundland and Labrador.
No deep knowledge of Freemasonry is required before making an enquiry. A sincere interest and a willingness to listen are enough to begin.
You may ask about the principles of the Craft, the work of the Lodge, the duties of membership, and the place Freemasonry may hold in a man's life.
Second Step
MEET THE BRETHREN
You will have an opportunity to meet members of the Lodge.
The meeting is usually informal. It allows you to ask questions, speak plainly about your interest, and hear from men who already belong to the Craft.
They will wish to know something of your life, your character, and your reasons for approaching the Lodge. You, in turn, should take the measure of the fellowship before you.
A proper acquaintance should grow naturally, with openness on both sides.
Third Step
CONSIDER THE COMMITMENT
Take time before proceeding.
Freemasonry requires attendance, study, fellowship, charity, and respect for its customs. Its lessons are not confined to ceremony. They are carried into work, family, friendship, and conduct.
A man should consider whether he has the time, disposition, and constancy required.
Questions should be asked before promises are made.
Bro. Benjamin Franklin
Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania
Fourth Step
SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
When you are ready to proceed, the Lodge will explain the formal application process.
You will be asked to provide personal information and to state your reasons for seeking admission. The answers should be given honestly and completely.
An application begins the formal consideration of a candidate. It does not secure admission by itself.
The Lodge must be satisfied that the man who seeks entry comes with good character and honourable intent.
Fifth Step
INTERVIEW & ENQUIRY
Members of the Lodge may meet with you for a fuller conversation.
They may ask about your background, your understanding of Freemasonry, your family circumstances, and the reasons that brought you to the door of the Lodge.
The conversation should be candid and respectful. It gives the Lodge a clearer knowledge of the candidate and gives the candidate another opportunity to judge the path before him.
Nothing is gained by haste or pretence.
Sixth Step
CONSIDERATION BY THE LODGE
The application will then be considered according to Masonic law and the established customs of the Lodge.
The members carry a duty to guard the character and harmony of the Lodge. They must also treat every candidate with fairness, dignity, and discretion.
The decision is therefore made carefully and in good conscience.
Final Step
INITIATION
When a candidate is approved, he will be invited to attend his Initiation.
There he is received as an Entered Apprentice Freemason under the Scottish Constitution.
The ceremony marks his entrance into the Craft and places before him the first lessons of Masonic life.
From that hour, the work continues through fellowship, instruction, service, self-examination, and the daily practice of honourable conduct.
The Man Who Enters
Let him come with an open mind and a steady heart.
Let him come willing to listen, willing to learn, and willing to labour upon himself.
Let him value truth above appearance, duty above convenience, and kindness above pride.
Let him remember that the Lodge cannot make character where none exists. It may guide, encourage, and instruct the man who already desires to live well.
The worth of his membership will be measured in the life he leads.
DO YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE?
Enquiries are welcomed from eligible gentlemen who desire to learn about Freemasonry under the Scottish Constitution in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Literary Supplement
WHERE IS A MAN A MASON?
The Rev. Joseph Fort Newton
In his poem, “Where Is a Man a Mason?”, the Rev. Joseph Fort Newton captured the essence of what it means to be a Mason.
When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage, which is the root of every virtue.
When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man.
When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins, knowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds.
When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all, to keep friends with himself.
When he loves flowers, can hunt birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a little child.
When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life.
When star-crowned trees and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead.
When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response.
When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be.
When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin.
When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope.
When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, and with his God;
In his hands a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song, glad to live, but not afraid to die!
Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give to all the world.
District Grand Lodge
of Newfoundland and Labrador
Under the Grand Lodge of Scotland
The Lodge Directory
Select a Lodge to Begin Petition
Please select a lodge from the directory to view details.
Official Petition
For Admission into the Mysteries and Privileges of Freemasonry
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