Yes. A fee of $200 is payable with your application. Should your application be turned down or not approved for any reason, the application fee is fully refunded. Upon initiation, an additional fee of $200 is payable.

Upon completion of the three degrees, all members are required to pay annual dues of $260. 

Freemasonry (also called Masonry) is the world's first and largest fraternity. Freemasonry enhances and strengthens the character of the individual man by providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, and education.

The name "Mason" comes from the stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals in England and Scotland. The word “free” was added during the Middle Ages. Stonemasons possessed secretive knowledge and skills not found elsewhere, and because of this, Stonemasons had the privilege of traveling freely between countries.

Over time, many men who were not builders were drawn to the practices of Freemasonry. To encourage intellectual diversity, stonemasons began accepting men from other professions into the fraternity. These men were known as “Accepted Masons.” Today, the names “Freemasonry,” “Masonry,” and “Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons” are used interchangeably to refer to the fraternity.

The individual local organizations formed by early Stonemasons within given regions were called Lodges. Lodges were places to meet, care for sick and injured members, and to take care of the families of Stonemasons who were killed on the jobs.

In addition to holding regular meetings at a lodge, early Stonemasons received their pay, planned their work, and trained new apprentices at their lodges. Today, "Lodge" refers both to a group of Masons and the room or building in which they meet. 

A Grand Lodge is an administrative and governing body that oversees Freemasonry in a specific geographic regions. In Canada, these regions are called Districts. Grand Lodges form associations with other Grand Lodges around the world to ensure the integrity of the fraternity.

There are over five million Masons worldwide, including almost two million in the U.S. and more than 7,000 in British Columbia. All lodges follow the same principles of Freemasonry, but their activities may vary. Each grand lodge is sovereign and independent; there is no Canadian or international governing body for Freemasonry.

No. There is no secret about any of Masonry's aims or principles and all members are free to acknowledge their membership within the fraternity.

Meeting locations are clearly and publicly identifiable, and the consitutions and rules are available to the public.

However, like many other organizations including your workplace, some of our internal affairs are regarded as private matters for the benefit of members only. 

There are two kinds of meetings for members. The most common is a Business Meeting, also called a stated meeting, devoted to administrative procedures: minutes of the last meeting, discussing financial matters, voting on applications, and planning for lodge activities. The second kind of meeting is ceremonial. At Joppa Lodge we call it an Emergent Meeting and it is used for admitting new Masons and conferring degrees.

There are three stages of Masonic membership: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. These stages are referred to as “degrees,” and correspond with members’ self-development and increased knowledge of Freemasonry. As a man completes each phase of learning, the lodge holds a ceremony to confer his degree.

Degree names are taken from craft guilds: In the Middle Ages, to become a stonemason, a man would first be apprenticed. As an apprentice, he learned the tools and skills of the trade. When he had proved his skills, he became a “fellow of the craft,” and when he gained exceptional ability, he was known as a “master of the craft.”

Masonry came to America from England and many of the original English titles are still in use. ​

The Master is the leader of the lodge, similar to the term president in other organizations. He is called “Master” for the same reason that the leader of first violins in an orchestra is called the concertmaster. It’s simply an older term for leader. The senior and junior wardens represent the first and second vice presidents.

Symbols allow people to communicate quickly, and to transcend language barriers. When you see a green light or a circle with a line through it, you know what it means. Likewise, Masons use metaphors from geometry and the architecture of Stonemasonry to inform their continuing pursuit of knowledge, ethics, and leadership skills.

To reflect their heritage, Masons wear aprons while in lodge, at certain public events, and at funerals to demonstrate their pride in the fraternity, and their lineage from Stonemasons, who historically carried their tools in leather aprons. The square and compass is the most widely known symbol of Masonry: When you see the symbol on a building, you know that Masons meet there.

Masonry does not endorse political candidates or legislation, and the discussion of politics at Masonic meetings or events is strictly forbidden.

Masonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion.

The fraternity requires its members to have a belief in a Supreme Being, but the fraternity itself is not affiliated with any religion, and men of all faiths are represented in the fraternity.

Religion is not discussed at lodge meetings or events.

A man first becomes a Mason at his local lodge, also known as his Mother Lodge.

After he has been awarded the three degrees of Masonry, he may join any of the other allied Masonic organizations, each of which has a special social, educational, or philanthropic focus.

The best known allied organizations are the Shrine, Scottish Rite, and York Rite.

In Canada, the fraternity recognizes three types of lodges: Regular (exclusively men), Irregular (may include women), and Clandestine (not recognized by a Grand Lodge).

The Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon is a fraternity of men. We sponsor Masonic organizations for men, women, and youth.

DeMolay International, Job’s Daughters International, and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls offer young men and women ages 10 to 21 opportunities for personal growth and community service.