Membership provides opportunities for sincere, honest, forthright men, who desire to contribute to the improvement of their communities and themselves, to fellowship with men they might otherwise never had the opportunity to meet, and to grow through their shared experience.
The traditions of Freemasonry are founded upon the building of King Solomon’s Temple, and its fraternal ceremonies use the working tools of the stonemasons to symbolize moral lessons and truths. For example, Masons are reminded at Lodge to “meet upon the level of equality, act by the plumb of uprightness, and part upon the square of virtue.”
Once an individual has been elected to membership, the joining process is divided into stages, marked by three separate ceremonies. The symbolism of each is intended to strengthen a man’s commitment to his Faith, his family, and his community.
Freemasons use the term “degree” to describe the three ceremonial stages of becoming a member. The three degrees are Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. They are loosely based upon the journeyman system, which was used to educate medieval craftsmen, and represent youth, manhood, and old age.
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
Download the Petition for Degrees here.
