Why Join

The notion that Freemasons rule the world, that immense wealth and power are to be had within the Fraternity, or that Masonic connections will advance your career, is simply false. Anyone who attempts to enter our organisation for any of these reasons will be deeply disappointed – if, indeed, he gets past the initial interview at all.

Do we offer great wealth? Certainly not the material wealth you probably have in mind. Our wealth is knowledge: knowledge of oneself, and an understanding of moral ideas and philosophies unencumbered by religious and political baggage. That is a wealth without equal, of far greater worth than any material riches.

Time is a precious commodity, not to be squandered without good reason. Freemasonry demands commitment, and commitment demands time. Although Freemasonry should never encroach upon your professional obligations or upon your duties to God, to your family or to your neighbour, you must find the time to practise and to work in our Lodges. The cultivation of your mind and your awareness calls for dedication, and time devoted to improving oneself is never lost.

Taking part in Freemasonry requires considerable effort, hard work and a great deal of energy. Without that investment you will find no fulfilment. It is simply not possible to enter a respected organisation such as ours and contribute nothing. Everything of worth has its price, and work is the only honourable means of earning what is worth having.

Freemasonry has no need of an audience; it needs active participants. That is why taking part in the practical work is essential for everyone in the Craft. If you are not prepared to devote yourself to the Fraternity, to raising the quality of your Lodge and to Freemasonry as a whole, then this serious organisation is not for you.

Masonic activity brings with it obligations beyond the Lodge, should you be asked to represent the Fraternity. Within the Lodge, you will be expected to contribute actively to Masonic education and to fill whatever offices best serve the Lodge. Freemasonry should benefit from your participation as much as – if not more than – you benefit from the Brethren. Selfish ends are not welcome.

Freemasonry is not a religion. It neither requires nor forbids anyone to hold or to practise a particular faith. A member of a Lodge of the Grand Regular Lodge of Croatia may not, however, be an atheist, nor a religious fanatic – that is, someone who aggressively promotes one religion while denying the possibility of any other belief.

We require belief in a Supreme Being, for it is the foundation of our Fraternity. This may be understood as the creative or organising principle of the universe – some sublime, universal cosmic force that binds together man and the physical world in which we live (the microcosm) with the visible and invisible universe that surrounds us (the macrocosm). We call it the “Great Architect of the Universe” in order to express our reverence for a universal principle, or creative force, at work in the cosmos. The “Great Architect of the Universe” is not confined to any theological or religious concept of God; it is a symbolic principle pointing to the ordered structure of the Universe.

In practical terms, belief in a Supreme Being means that a man must be bound by his moral obligations and hold himself to higher standards of honour and integrity. That is why trust in a Brother is fundamental to the Fraternity. It means that your Brother will not betray the organisation, divulge its secrets, or take advantage of another Brother and abuse his trust.

Everyone has an ego; without one we should achieve little in life. But when we speak of the kind of ego that is unwelcome in Freemasonry, we mean the lust for power, unworthy advancement for the sake of titles and prestige, and that posture of absolutism in which a man believes his opinion should be the only one, or that he deserves more respect than other people. We meet on the level, and that equality extends beyond the walls of our Temples. Humility, openness and the charity of acceptance are what is asked of you.

Freemasonry is an ancient and honourable institution founded upon tradition, in theory as in practice. We stand for goodness, morality and dignity for all, and our ceremonies are designed to foster those qualities in men. To those with no patience for the historical conventions of our forebears, these traditions may seem tedious. To the wise man, however, the rites and the modus operandi found in our Temples open the way to new insight. If you cannot respect the Landmarks and principles of Freemasonry, membership of our organisation is not for you.

If your motive for joining Freemasonry is social intercourse, partying, playing games and “hanging out”, then you have come to the wrong place. Although the Fraternity encompasses many such activities, the fundamental purpose of Freemasonry is to provide the education, culture and ethical grounding that help a good man to become a better one. “Making Good Men Better” – taking a good man and making him better still – is our motto and our guiding thread. So if personal growth holds no interest for you, you might do better to seek out another organisation.

In short, as an organisation we accept men who will commit themselves, over the long term, to the pursuit of personal excellence, to the service of others and to the acquisition of knowledge. Freemasonry is not for the average man. We want only the best – men of quality who honour the Supreme Being, their family, the laws of their country and themselves, and who strive to become the men they ought to be according to the plan of the Great Architect of the Universe. Are you such a man? If so, you are welcome!