Points to ponder:  

Freemasonry is not for everyone; naturally, we need to find out if it is suitable for you. It is in everyone's best interest to determine your suitability before you have spent your valuable time and money. The following points will help you and your prospective lodge determine your suitability for the Craft.

• Some assume that involvement in Freemasonry means access to a large membership base for the purpose of furthering career or business concerns; Freemasons do not engage in or support this use of the Craft.

• Becoming a Freemason is not an event; it is not something that you decide to do on Monday and is done on Friday. Rather, Freemasonry is a process: it takes time, it is mentally demanding, it costs money, and requires commitment on your part, as well as on the part of the Lodge that receives your petition.

• Freemasonry is a lifelong commitment and most Freemasons remain active until death.

• As a Freemason you will be required to attend your Lodge as regularly as you can to get the most from the Craft. In most Lodges, this requires a minimum of two meetings a month, excepting sickness, emergencies, family, or work obligations. It is essential that you understand the commitment involved.

• Freemasonry costs money. There are also annual dues that must be paid by the first of January each year.

• In addition to your dues, there are other financial expectations in the form of raffle tickets, food, charitable contributions, and more. It is not unusual for Freemasons to contribute to these regularly.

• The members of the Lodge will want to meet your family and answer their questions as well. If your partner or family does not fully support your decision, your application may be rejected.

• A Freemason's primary concerns should always be for his family and his career. If you think that Freemasonry will interfere with these in any way you should not proceed.

• During the course of getting to know you we will ask you to attend some of our social functions and to attend some of the festive boards that we hold after our meetings. At these events you will meet some members of the Lodge. This will give both you and the members time to get to know each other.

• We expect that you are seeking to improve yourself and humanity through service.

• You will be expected to ascribe to a high moral standard when dealing with others, particularly, but not limited to, your brethren in Freemasonry.

• We want candidates to be fully informed when they join us. We want them to know exactly what this organization is in which they are involving themselves. We will tell you as much as we can, but we will require you to perform some of your own research.

• You will be expected to commit certain lectures to memory and to repeat them from memory to the Lodge when required.