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This is an interesting question because there is some disagreement in the ranks of Masons on use of the term “swear”. My understanding of it is imperfect - I take it that in certain religious contexts “swearing” is seen as improper.However that may be: the wording of the obligations is “I swear”. It has been such for many hundreds of years. This is seen as taking an oath within a context of belief in a Supreme Being. A candidate who is not freely willing to swear on his belief in a Supreme Being does not meet the qualifications to be a Mason.

It’s pretty simple, really. You ask any member of the fraternity for an application, fill it out, and return it. That’s it.If you don’t know anyone who’s a member, then do this:Go to the Grand Lodge website for your jurisdiction (every state in the United States has one, almost every country (besides the United States) has one.Use the Lodge Locator tool found on most Grand Lodge websites to find a Lodge near you. if the Grand Lodge doesn’t have a tool or list of Lodges on the website, then go to your local phonebook and look up Masonic Lodge. if that still doesn’t work (or you can’t find a phonebook) google Masonic Lodge and your city.Once you’ve found a Lodge, contact the Secretary. Ask to attend the next public event or Lodge dinner, and go down and meet the members. Talk with them. See if the Lodge is a “good fit” for you. Every Lodge has a different flavor; if you don’t feel comfortable in the first Lodge, find another one and do the same thing: go meet the members.Once you’re comfortable, ask for an application. Fill it out and return it.You’ll talk to three members - they’re interviewing you - and then your application will be voted on at the next Stated Meeting. This process can go quickly or slowly depending on how often the Lodge meets, and how quick they are to assign an investigative committee to you.You’ll receive notification after the vote about scheduling your degrees. There are three of them; Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.That’s it.There are some requirements to joining:You must be a man.You must not have a criminal past.You must believe in a Supreme Being.To correct some misconceptions:You don’t have to have “a good and respectful character among fellow peers.”You don’t have to be “at least 21” to join; different jurisdictions have different requirements - some require a man to be 18, others require them to be 21. Check with your Lodge secretary to find out the minimum age.There’s no such thing as “Masonic age.”Freemasonry isn’t a “brotherhood.” It’s a fraternity.Freemasonry isn’t an “order.” It’s a fraternity.Before you join, you don’t have to read anything. You certainly don’t need to read Manly P. Hall, Albert Pike, or (shudder) John Robinson.Do not read “The Lost Keys of Freemasonry.”Do not read “Born in Blood.”Do not read “Morals & Dogma.”Do not read “What the Ancient Wisdom Expects of its Disciples.”“The Lost Keys of Freemasonry,” “Born in Blood,” and “What the Ancient Wisdom Expects of its Disciples” will mean nothing at all to you until you’re a member of the fraternity. Even then it’s questionable as to whether they’re useful books that will help you understand the fraternity.“Morals & Dogma” is an old book, written by Albert Pike, that is very, very, very dry reading. It’s specific to the Scottish Rite and has nothing at all to do with joining Freemasonry or the Blue Lodge. Don’t read it. If you join the Scottish Rite, read “A Bridge to Light.”If you want to read an EXCELLENT book on Freemasonry, I recommend “Freemasons for Dummies” by Chris Hodapp. It’s the best book out there.If you have any other questions, feel free to ask a Freemason.

As an old tech hiring manager as the saying goes, I got a million of ’em. Here are three:Resume 1. Received for a Programmer III position (back in the day when COBOL and VSAM and even IDMS were still used):“I am the top porgrammer in the world.” He might have been, but he was so illiterate that I was afraid he couldn’t discern the numbers from the letters on the keyboard. He was declined.Resume 2: We received a hand-written resume that detailed excellent experience for the position. However, on the second page the applicant drew a picture of the Eye of Providence from either the Great Seal of the United States or the Freemasons, similar to this:At the top, he had written: “I See and Know All.” We declined to hire him and I never interviewed him. However, the following Monday the man showed up at our office door at 7 a.m. and said he was there to work. When they contacted me, I met with him briefly and told him unfortunately he was not selected for the position. He became verbally abusive but left the office. The following day he showed up at 7 a.m. again and we repeated the previous day’s events. The Director of Security informed him to not return to our offices. The next day he showed up again. This time we called the police. He was arrested for trespassing and making verbal threats. When the police interviewed me, I provided a copy of the man’s resume and requested that they refer him for a 730 (psych) exam. They did. Eventually through court proceedings it was found that he was schizophrenic. It was a tragic episode. As a young man he was in fact a gifted programmer that succumbed to a disease that strikes many young people just as they reach maturity. It was a terrible loss to the well of technological brilliance more than a terrible experience for us as a hiring company.On a lighter note, one more:Resume 3: An applicant for Reception sent a glowing resume that in addition to working for fast-paced high-tech companies had a youth background of competition in beauty contests. Again, this was in the 1980s and I was pressured by, ah-hem, other management to interview her. When the applicant showed up, she was indeed a beautiful young lady. However, when she smiled, she had ruby-red lipstick smeared all over her teeth.I did interview her, then asked her if she’d like to take a break for a few minutes while I finished reviewing her credentials. When she returned, the lipstick was gone. She said to me, “I’m so embarrassed. Why didn’t you tell me?”I learned a lesson from an applicant that day, and I did hire her. She was one of the best receptionists we ever had.