# What does it cost to become a Freemason? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783 "2003-11-06T21:15:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![cemab4y](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@cemab4y](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cemab4y)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/41 "2011-11-21T11:59:22Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > This is the part that **Consensus** , and myself, find ridiculous and (in my case) more than a bit offensive. My oaths and promises are just as binding, and just as meaningful, as someone who professes belief in a “supreme being”. Especially when you consider that to a Christian an oath by a Hindu should be just as meaningless, right? > > ==I am not following you exactly. Each Mason , must swear an oath, that is binding on him. The oath must be sworn on a volume of Sacred Law (That is sacred to the individual who is swearing the oath). A Hindu would swear his oath on the Zend-Avestas. This oath is binding to the individual Hindu. > > I mean, I’d never want to be part of a secret society that would have me as a member anyway, but it does rub me the wrong way to get lumped in with convicted criminals just because my belief in the reality of the world doesn’t include a supreme being. > > ==No one is “lumping” you in with criminals. Masonry, being a private society, has every right to set their own standards for membership. We exclude: > > Women > Felons > Individuals under the age of majority > atheists. > > This does not mean that all women are atheists. It does not mean that all children are felons. It is just the membership standards that apply. > > Claiming to be secular, but the banning atheists is a bit contradictory, no? > > ==Not at all. The organization itself, makes no claim to divine origination. It was not started by a “prophet” nor “Saviour”. Nevertheless, we are permitted to require that all members profess a faith in the “Supreme Being”, and we leave the conception and religious practices of the individual man, up to the individual. Masonry has religious doctrine, and no religious test, other than the absolute requirement that all Masons profess faith in the “Supreme Being”. > > Where do Masons draw the line - are Satanists allowed? Followers of the FSM? Adherents of Bob? ==This is an interesting question. I really do not know! I do know that Masonry accepts men from a whole “rainbow” of faith backgrounds. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians (all denominations), etc. I have been a mason for 29 years, and I have never heard of a Satanist Mason. Again, only an avowed atheist cannot be made a Mason. If a man can state, truthfully, that he believes in a “Supreme Being”, he can be made a Mason. I suggest that you inquire at the lodge nearest your residence, to get the answer that is applicable in your Masonic jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Zheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/49beb7/32.png) [@Mr.Zheng](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Zheng)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/42 "2011-11-21T12:35:26Z")
What do lodge members do? To me it seems like a clubhouse, sort of like a fraternity for adult men. Looks pretty harmless to me. I had an uncle and cousin who were involved in it. I had (and have, haven’t seen him for years) who was in DeMolay, the youth group version of Freemasonry and saw him the night before he was going to do their ritual. This friend told me that during wartime if one was caught by the enemy, that there was a non verbal way to communicate that one was a fellow Mason and Lodge Brother for hopes of better treatment. Seems a bit far fetched to me. Historically, Masons have been persecuted and/or seen as apostates. The Catholics persecuted them. Even Jack Chick has talked about them being Satanic in his comic books. Other Christian denominations have no issue with them and like the rule that a Mason must believe in a God. Is anyone under 50 involved in this anymore? To me, this is something “old school”, something that WWII generation guys got involved in, guys who had jobs, and families in the 1950’s-60’s. There is just something retro about it and seemingly “out of style” if that makes any sense. The last character on TV who was a Lodgie was Frank Barone from “Raymond” and he was old and near death. I haven’t seen any newer shows or younger characters involved in that. Why do people have a need to join clubs like this? I would never join a club, I don’t see the need to pay an admission charge to have friendships. Some say that it is a great way of making business contacts, etc. My problem with clubs is that there are always going to be someone in it that I am going to have a problem with and there are always people who want to be “the leader” and expect everyone else to kiss their behind. Part of it is my personality, but everything that I tried to join and be a part of growing up always turned out to be a disaster and I am someone who needs to get to know someone, not a mass of people at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/43 "2011-11-21T18:27:53Z")
Could a Satanist be a Freemason? Yeah, I guess, if he never talked about Satan with anyone else in the lodge. The thing is, Masons are expected to keep their particular religious beliefs to themselves, when in the lodge, so there is very rarely any discussion of specific religions. You’re asked if you believe in a higher power, and the answer is yes or no. The kind of person who actually believes himself a Satanist probably would not _want_ to join a Masonic lodge in the first place. And Satanism isn’t a real religion anyway! It’s a real-life troll movement, as I see it. If you want to be part of that, fine, but I don’t think it really qualifies as a belief in a higher power. As I understand it, Satanists don’t actually pray to Satan or believe that there is an actual sentient Satan controlling things. It’s basically a nihilist, social-darwininst, cynical movement. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/44 "2011-11-21T21:13:19Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > … As I understand it, Satanists don’t actually pray to Satan or believe that there is an actual sentient Satan controlling things. It’s basically a nihilist, social-darwininst, cynical movement. That’s the Anton LaVey Church of Satan brand, there are older forms of Satanism (or Diabolism, if you prefer) and more recent versions (Michael Aquino’s Temple of Set, which Anton’s daughter Zeena allied with for a while IIRC) that do hold to the existence & authority of malevolent entities. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/45 "2011-11-21T21:49:17Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > At least in Indiana (Masonry in all states operates independently) the degrees don’t cost anything beyond the initial dues (which is around 100 dollars a year for me.) You get charged “initial dues” every year? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/46 "2011-12-15T14:44:20Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Is it OK for zombies to join? Only if they have enough fingers for the secret handshake. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/47 "2011-12-15T17:30:17Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > And Satanism isn’t a real religion anyway! It’s as real as any other religion. > [@](#): > > As I understand it, Satanists don’t actually pray to Satan or believe that there is an actual sentient Satan controlling things. It’s basically a nihilist, social-darwininst, cynical movement. And a large number of Christians are only in it so they can control a flock or otherwise exert power over others. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/48 "2011-12-15T20:02:28Z")
No, I do not believe Satanism to be as “real” as any other religion. It has influenced nothing, created nothing, is followed by practically nobody, and of those few followers, I would bet that almost none would even _agree_ on what Satanism and its “teachings” actually mean. It might fit the dictionary definition of a religion. In terms of the greater meaning of that word, with regards to human society, I do not believe it to truly be a real religion. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/49 "2011-12-16T10:50:33Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > No, I do not believe Satanism to be as “real” as any other religion. It has influenced nothing, created nothing, is followed by practically nobody, and of those few followers, I would bet that almost none would even _agree_ on what Satanism and its “teachings” actually mean. Nothing you list defines a religion in any sense of the word I’ve ever heard. (Also, it has not created nothing. The works of Crowley and LaVey come immediately to mind, in addition to a lot of Norwegian Black Metal.) > [@](#): > > It might fit the dictionary definition of a religion. In terms of the greater meaning of that word, with regards to human society, I do not believe it to truly be a real religion. So what’s your cutoff? How many followers must a religion have before it’s real for you? ---
**Author:** ![ColdPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@ColdPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColdPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/50 "2011-12-16T12:14:56Z")
I’ve been invited to join in London and was told the fees were approximately (from memory): £300 initial joining, you get your gear for this £200 annual fee, allows you to come along to 4 banquets a year You’re also expected to give to charity, £1,000/year is recommended but this is not compulsory and you can pay less if you can’t afford that much. ---
**Author:** ![Liche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Liche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liche)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/51 "2011-12-18T12:58:49Z")
> [@ColdPhoenix](#): > > I’ve been invited to join in London and was told the fees were approximately (from memory): > £300 initial joining, you get your gear for this > £200 annual fee, allows you to come along to 4 banquets a year > > You’re also expected to give to charity, £1,000/year is recommended but this is not compulsory and you can pay less if you can’t afford that much. I’m a member of two London lodges and have visited a number of others, and this doesn’t entirely tally with my experience. Initiation fees are generally around £75, plus your first year of membership (or part thereof). Annual subs are about £200, which does indeed include four banquets. You don’t need to buy any regalia until you reach the third degree (which takes about a year at no extra cost), and the basic Master Mason’s apron is about £45. As for charity, I have never heard any expectation or recommendation regarding donations. Attendees at meetings are asked to donate ‘alms’, which is pretty much anonymous and people often donate about a fiver. There is often a raffle at the festive board, to which prizes are donated (often a bottle of wine etc.) and most people will buy £5-£10 of tickets. Further donations are entirely at people’s discretion and are generally anonymous. That said, masonry raises a serious amount of money each year - Metropolitan Grand Lodge (i.e. London) has recently donated a multi-million-pound high-tech medical device to a local hospital. Part of your annual subs go to the maintenance of the building in which you meet - in the case of Freemasons’ Hall in London (open to the public btw) this is genuinely magnificent and it is a real privilege to be able to meet there. As for moving into the ‘higher echelons’, there is a basic cost for the extra regalia - in England, at least. On reaching Installed Master (i.e. master of your lodge), you need a slightly different apron to denote your rank, which is again about £45. On achieving Provincial or Metropolitan Grand Rank (appointed by the regional ‘lodge of lodges’) the regalia is a bit more expensive - £200, but if you get this far within 10 years you are doing very well. Grand Rank (appointed by the national body) you’re looking at about £500 - this takes about 30 years and is quite an achievement. These ranks confer no extra knowledge, are rewards for helping out with the organisation of the fraternity as a whole, and can bear extra organisational responsibilities. They are completely optional. Second-hand regalia is available, and often one’s lodge may help out with the cost. There are also ‘side degrees’, of which there are 10-20. These are autonomous masonic organisations with their own structure, regalia, ritual, and secrets. Joining is optional, and rank in one is orthogonal to rank in another - i.e. you don’t have to join one to progress in another. In England, at least, there is no concept of one side degree being ‘higher’ than another and joining more side degrees is not considered to be a progression. The two most common are the Royal Arch (which I’m in) and Mark (which I’m not), which some-to-many join during their lives; only a minority join any of the others. Charges are roughly equivalent to Craft (above). I’m in my thirties and I joined at 22 (the force is strong in my family…). There are certainly members of a similar age, but we are a minority. I am a member of a lodge specifically for younger men, for which I’m starting to feel a bit old! As for religion, I don’t find Freemasonry’s claims to secularity to be wholly convincing. Yes, the only question you are ever asked is “Do you believe in a Supreme Being”, but that brings with it the assumptions of an interventionist deity who will judge you when you die and send you to a heaven if you are worthy, because He is the moral compass from whom all goodness flows. This may not be entirely satisfactory to every mason, but the non-specific religion is a small part of the ritual. Men of many faiths are a common sight, and I am not convinced that there are no atheists in our ranks - personally, I’m not much bothered by this, but some foam at the mouth at the very thought. I cannot speak for Masonry in any other country, but as for England (not Britain - Scotland is autonomous and different again) I’m happy to answer further questions. ---
**Author:** ![stanleythepolak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@stanleythepolak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanleythepolak)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/52 "2013-05-14T13:46:04Z")
To begin with, you must pay a “Joining Fee” which is different from each Lodge usually around $ 300.00 + You are not invited to join You must ask a Mason to join his Lodge, then fill out an application with your fee which is presented to the Brethren who will interview you and then vote upon your request There are three Degrees which you must pass through to become a Master Mason All are covered by your initiation fee (no other charges should occur) It’s not like a church and no restrictions to wealth If you cannot afford the initiation fee and yearly dues (which are nominal) you should not consider joining The only restriction is that you cannot be an atheist. You must believe is a Supreme Being Hope I have answered your questions ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/53 "2013-05-14T14:03:38Z")
> [@cemab4y](#): > > ==not exactly. Freemasonry is a secular, man-made organization. There is no religious dogma or doctrine in Masonry. There is no “Book of Mason”. no claim to divine origination, no theology. > > We accept men of many different religious backgrounds and faith practices. Only an avowed atheist may not become a Freemason. > > Our principles of religious freedom and toleration, were used as an example, during the crafting of the constitution, and our bill of rights. > > Masonry is like the ink-blot test you take in the psychologist’s office. You see what you want to see. Some people see all types of weird conspiracy theories. Some people see bizarre rituals, and drinking wine from human skulls, and self-mutilation, and human sacrifices. The more weird, the more people want to believe it. > > Here is an excellent website: > > [http://www.masonicinfo.com](http://www.masonicinfo.com) I would tend to agree with you if it wasn’t for the goods carried by the various Masonic Stores and used within the lodges. For online examples: > **[jkTalks 講笑咩](http://www.freemasonstore.com/?cPath=225_13&gclid=CJqb3cPglbcCFUOe4AodUk8A4A)** [http://www.macoy.com/Search.aspx?k=bible&gclid=COLS19TglbcCFcIv4AodLV8Awg](http://www.macoy.com/Search.aspx?k=bible&gclid=COLS19TglbcCFcIv4AodLV8Awg) Clearly what we’re talking here is a Christian, or at least Christian-based, organization. Which is fine - no issue there. But its not quite as open/secular as your first paragraph describes. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/54 "2013-05-14T15:15:48Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > [http://www.macoy.com/Search.aspx?k=bible&gclid=COLS19TglbcCFcIv4AodLV8Awg](http://www.macoy.com/Search.aspx?k=bible&gclid=COLS19TglbcCFcIv4AodLV8Awg) > > Clearly what we’re talking here is a Christian, or at least Christian-based, organization… I don’t have a dog in this debate, but **kopek** links to _a page specifically featuring Bibles for sale_. :rolleyes: Clicking instead on “religious jewelry” one might instead conclude (by 2-to-1 margin) that Freemasonry is more affiliated with Judaism. BTW… Some of my ancestors were Freemasons in Kansas a century ago. I’m still hoping a kind Mason will help me short-circuit communication (e-mail is ignored) and see if any interesting info about my ancestors is available. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/55 "2013-05-14T15:53:37Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Is it OK for zombies to join? Not if they are atheist zombies. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/56 "2013-05-14T16:49:39Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Nothing you list defines a religion in any sense of the word I’ve ever heard. (Also, it has not created nothing. The works of Crowley and LaVey come immediately to mind, in addition to a lot of Norwegian Black Metal.)So what’s your cutoff? How many followers must a religion have before it’s real for you? Dangit, Crowley was not a Satanist. He was off doing his own thing, which I was involved in before my atheism and general non-belief finally got the better of me. (I do still retain some fondness for the old goat, though.) Back to the topic (more or less), the supreme being requirement has always been a bit of a bummer for me. The Masons seem like a good organization, and I’ve got a family history of it–father, both grandfathers… possibly some great-grandfathers as well. Plus, I admire the Enlightenment ideals of the perfectability of man (though I’m more realistic than that). I’d like to be able to carry the family tradition on, but I can’t lie to do so. (FWIW, my dad more or less “left”, though he still pays his dues and such, due to internal Lodge politics. Maybe it’s just as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/57 "2013-05-14T17:08:34Z")
I don’t really get the point of the restrictions. No minors makes sense because they probably wouldn’t care and it makes things like getting a liquor license or whatever easier, I’ll bet. But if you’re going to say that there’s nothing wrong with women or atheists, that’s just the way the restrictions fall, what a shame, well, I look a tad askance at you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/58 "2013-05-14T18:06:28Z")
> [@stanleythepolak](#): > > To begin with, you must pay a “Joining Fee” which is different from each Lodge usually around $ 300.00 + > You are not invited to join > You must ask a Mason to join his Lodge, then fill out an application with your fee which is presented to the Brethren who will interview you and then vote upon your request > There are three Degrees which you must pass through to become a Master Mason > All are covered by your initiation fee (no other charges should occur) > It’s not like a church and no restrictions to wealth > If you cannot afford the initiation fee and yearly dues (which are nominal) you should not consider joining > The only restriction is that you cannot be an atheist. > You must believe is a Supreme Being > Hope I have answered your questions Did you happen to read the thread before reviving and responding to it? All of these have already been covered. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/59 "2013-05-15T15:41:15Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I don’t have a dog in this debate, but **kopek** links to _a page specifically featuring Bibles for sale_. :rolleyes: Clicking instead on “religious jewelry” one might instead conclude (by 2-to-1 margin) that Freemasonry is more affiliated with Judaism. What would you consider more indicative - something used as a part of ceremonies or something worn for personal decoration? And as for decoration in the more general sense - you will see the Star of David flag in many Christian worship spaces and what would be considered “Jewish” motifs and designs featured throughout - right down to Old Testament readings being a weekly part of prayer. Are you saying this somehow makes them less Christian? Now its my turn to roll my eyes! Sorry - I stand by my post. Freemasonry is basically a Christian organization more than it is a secular mens club. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783/60 "2013-05-15T17:22:43Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Clearly what we’re talking here is a Christian, or at least Christian-based, organization. Which is fine - no issue there. But its not quite as open/secular as your first paragraph describes. My non-Christian Brothers would take strong issue with this. We take our obligations on whatever holy text we find appropriate. Those who don’t know anything about the Craft talking about it is the reason we must have our secrets - we’ve suffered heavily in the past because of ignorance. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, etc… are welcome. We’re a brotherhood, not a religion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-cost-to-become-a-freemason/211783.md?page=4)