Membership

To qualify for membership, a petitioner must be male, at least 21 years of age, one who believes in the existence of a Supreme Being, of good moral character, motivated to join for reasons unrelated to personal gain or profit, prompted by a favorable opinion of Freemasonry, desirous of earning knowledge and willing to conform to the ancient usages and customs of the fraternity.

Every man has his own reason for wanting to be a part of the greatest fraternity in the world. Regardless of your reason, you will benefit from membership, because Freemasonry makes good men better. Look around www.phgltn.org and you will find much about our history, purpose, and current day programs of education, character development and charity.

To take the next step, you need to complete a background check authorization form and submit your petition to a Lodge. If you know a Mason, ask him to help you find the right Lodge for you. If you don’t know anything about your nearest Lodge, use this form and tell us about yourself so we can get a local lodge to contact you.

Our tradition was to wait for you to seek membership entirely of your own free will and accord. Today, however, we allow our members to selectively invite men of good character, who will be a credit to our Fraternity. But this doesn’t mean that you have to wait to be invited to join the Prince Hall Masons of Tennessee. Your interest is enough, if you meet the qualifications.

To start the process, you must first submit a Background Check Authorization and Petition for Membership. Upon approval of background check, the petition will be read at a meeting of the Lodge you are seeking to join. You will then be visited by a small committee from the Lodge who will ascertain your qualifications and answer any questions you or your family may have regarding Freemasonry. At the next meeting, the members will vote on your petition for membership. Once approved, you will be asked to attend three successive meetings, during which you will learn the teachings of Freemasonry. In ceremonies known as Degrees you will assume your vows of membership. The fee for joining Freemasonry varies with each Lodge and includes your dues for the first year.

You Should Also Know

• HAZING: There is absolutely no hazing permitted in the Masonic fraternity.
• ATTENDANCE: There are no attendance requirements.
• RELIGION: Freemasonry is not a religion. Your religious beliefs are your own. You must, however, believe in a Supreme Being.
• A SECRET SOCIETY: Freemasonry is not a secret society. Our members do not hide their affiliation with us. Our buildings are well-marked and often available for community use. While there are a few confidential handgrips and passwords used to confirm membership, we have no secrets concerning our purpose and programs. Many of our activities are open to family and friends.
• MEMORIZATION: Like all fraternities, Freemasonry has impressive ritual ceremonies that date back centuries. These are presented from memory by officers who are developing their leadership and public speaking skills. There is no requirement to memorize any ritual, but members can choose to participate as they wish.