Freemason Membership Requirements

• You must be of good repute.

• In Iowa, you must be at least 18 years of age.

• You must believe in a Supreme Being.

• You must live a moral and ethical life.

• You must have a strong desire to make yourself a better man and make your community and the world a better place to live.

• You must be tolerant of other religions, cultures, and points of view.

 

​Beginning the Process of Becoming a Freemason

If you know a man who is currently a Mason, you may ask him to provide information on the local lodge and a contact person. If you do not know a Mason, you may contact the Grand Secretary at the Grand Lodge of Iowa via phone 319-365-1438, submitting your information at the bottom of this page or email at gs@gl-iowa.org. 

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Then What Happens?
Once you are ready to begin your journey, you will be asked to fill out a petition for membership and submit it to the Lodge.
A committee of three members from the Lodge, which is called the Investigating Committee, will contact you to arrange a meeting.  They will want to speak to you in order to discuss your character and make sure that you have a legitimate interest in Freemasonry.  It will also give you a chance to ask them questions about the fraternity so you can be assured that it is something you would like to invest your time in.
Your request for membership will be balloted upon by the lodge’s members.
You will be advised of the date of your admission.

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There are Three Principal Degrees of Freemasonry
“The word degree, in its primitive meaning, signifies a step.  The degrees of Freemasonry are, then, the steps by which the candidate ascends from a lower to a higher condition of knowledge.” Albert G. Mackey, The Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, 1873.  ​The degrees are Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason.  Each of the three degrees requires the candidate to participate in the drama being presented.  They are all of a very solemn nature and not in the least demeaning of the candidate.

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Going through the Masonic degrees is a meaningful journey of symbolic and personal development. Each degree represents a stage in a Freemason’s moral, spiritual, and intellectual growth.  Each step challenges you to reflect more deeply on who you are, what you value, and how you live.