Being a Free-Mason is an act of volition and the human spirit. It requires a level of personal commitment beyond that of a mere social fraternity. You are committing yourself to the ideal of a brotherhood of all humanity through tolerance and understanding. You must be willing to reach out and achieve your full potential as an individual to be a brother among us. This is something each potential candidate must carefully consider before petitioning a lodge for membership.

A Masonic lodge is a place of learning, questioning, and freedom of thought. Free-Masons seek out the best in themselves and those around them. By learning about ourselves, we gain powerful insights into what it means to be human, and as our self-knowledge expands, we begin to see the interconnectedness of each and every person. It is both a spiritual and psychological quest for meaning and purpose.

By understanding that every person has an right to freedom of conscience we become accepting of the differences between people, and barriers such as race, social distinction, and culture are effectively removed. Those things which have separated people from the beginning of recorded history now become the building blocks of a new social order with the union of diversity as its foundation.

Praxis Lodge is about building positive relationships, self-improvement, and exploring the boundaries of thought. Virtually no subject matter is off limits in Praxis Lodge, if discussed in a professional, productive, and controlled manner. Praxis integrates intelligent and stimulating discourse with brotherhood and community involvement, bound together by a fascination and practice of secular rituals.

The following steps outline how one can become a Free-Mason of Praxis Lodge

A. If you are already a Free-Mason (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, or Master):

1. Complete a Request for Petition Letter (Send request to praxislodgegousa [at] gmail.com (someone will contact you with next steps)
• If you were referred by someone already in Praxis Lodge, please include the name
2. Send the completed petition to the mailing address you are given with a $50 petition fee
3. After you are contacted by someon from Praxis Lodge, read the preparatory reading materials:
   • The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts & Fictions, Margaret C. Jacob, Chapter 1 ("Origins")
   • U.S. Recognition of French Grand Lodges in the 1900s, by Paul Bessel
   • George Washington Union Website
   • Praxis Lodge Website
   • Grand Orient of France website
4. Be willing to uphold and defend our key principles
5. Be able to commit to regular participation in the order
6. Pay annual dues of $100 a year
7. Pay degree fees ($50 for each of the three degrees)

B. If you are not already a Free-Mason:

1. Be at least 21 years of age
2. Complete a Petition for New Membership (Send request to praxislodgegousa [at] gmail.com (someone will contact you with next steps)
• If you were referred by someone already in Praxis Lodge, please include the name
3. Send the completed petition and the petition fee of $50 to the mailing address you are given with a $50 petition fee
4. After you are contacted by someon from Praxis Lodge, read the preparatory reading materials:
   • The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts & Fictions, Margaret C. Jacob, Chapter 1 ("Origins")
   • U.S. Recognition of French Grand Lodges in the 1900s, by Paul Bessel
   • George Washington Union Website
   • Praxis Lodge Website
   • Grand Orient of France website
5. Be willing to uphold and defend our key principles
6. Interview with three members of Praxis Lodge
7. Be able to commit to regular participation in the order and work three the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason
8. Pay annual dues of $100 a year
9. Pay degree fees ($50 for each of the three degrees)