Be of good moral character

Be of good reputation

Let's expand what some of the concepts means:

A belief in a Supreme Being. Every applicant must profess such a belief but Freemasonry does not define, or impose, a definition of a Supreme Being. Each individual applicant must define that entity for himself.  Atheists and Agnostics cannot, therefore, become Freemasons.  This belief is absolute and admits of no exceptions. Of course individuals might lie in this respect in order to gain admission and there is little that Freemasons could do to identify such men. All is taken on the honor of the individual concerned.  In fact everything that a Freemason does in his private and public life must be honorable and Freemasonry encourages all members to behave in an upright and moral manner.  Members are encouraged to support their individual faith by attendance at their Mosque, Church, Chapel etc, but it is not a requirement.

A Member's Obligation. Each and every applicant must be able to fulfill his obligations (financial, moral, and in terms of his time) to his family, his employment and his faith before he makes any commitment to Freemasonry.

Masonic 'Obligation'.  Applicants must take a vow, or oath, on a holy book on his admission to Freemasonry. Such an oath, or obligation, is necessary in order to add sanctity to what is a serious undertaking and can be compared to; 'swearing the whole truth and nothing but the truth' in a court of law. Such oaths were common in many aspects of life 400 years ago when Freemasonry began and today's Freemasonry continues that practice. As all men who profess a belief in a Supreme Being are eligible for membership, the required oath may be taken on the Holy Book of each individual's faith. In multi-cultural societies it is common to find Holy Books in Lodges, other than the Bible, on which candidates take their obligation.

Moral and Upright Men. This means that a man who has been convicted, in a court of law, of a serious criminal offence cannot become a Freemason. Anyone who is a Freemason who is so convicted is subject to Masonic discipline and will be expelled from the Craft.

Membership. No man is permitted to use his membership to advance his own political, religious or business aims. For this reason Lodges do not allow members to discuss political, religious or business matters. Anyone who persists in doing so is in danger of expulsion. There is no doubt that one of the attractions of Masonic Lodges is the ability of all faiths, creeds and cultures to mix freely knowing that no one is interested in the individual's social position, faith, or politics. This ability to meet with others, of various backgrounds has been one of the mainstays of Freemasonry for centuries. This, unique situation has been described as being: 'the ideal escape from the rat race'.

Your character will be investigated by the Investigating Committee. This is done by three members who will meet with you, your family if so desire and answer any questions

Your petition will be presented and voted upon by secret ballot by all lodge member.  All present members must accept you that is it must be unanimous.

• If accepted, you will be notified by the Lodge's Secretary to appear to receive the first of three Degrees of Masonry.  He is the only one authorize to do so.
• If not accepted, the Lodge Secretary will notify you. and your initial deposit will be returned to you

If accepted you will receive information on when you will begin your degrees and your journey in Masonry begins

Demits are usually issued in these two circumstances:

1. If a brother in good standing finds himself, for whatever personal reason, unable or unwilling to maintain his association with Freemasonry, he may voluntarily withdraw from Freemasonry by requesting a demit, which he is entitled to receive
2. If a brother in good standing wants to affiliate to another lodge and withdrawal his membership from his current lodge.  Usually a brother does this due to the financial strain it can impose by paying "annual dues" to different lodges.  But also do not be surprise, you will find many brothers that are members in multiple lodges at the same time.  This is their choice as it should be yours

If a member is free of all charges (fiscal and conduct) and is in possession of a current dues card at the time of his demit or death, he shall be known as "a member in good standing at that time". However, a member in good standing at the time of demit is not a "member" nor in "good standing" thereafter, as he has voluntarily withdrawn himself from the rights and privileges of Freemasonry.

A demitted member may still, with some restrictions in some jurisdictions, visit Lodges; but most importantly he will also find it easier if he wishes to affiliate with a Lodge in the future.

Just as important is the potential bearing of his Masonic status on his family. Membership in appendant organizations such as the Eastern Star for women, Job's Daughters for girls, and DeMoley for boys, requires that a brother, husband, uncle, father or grandfather be, or have been, a Freemason. A member who is suspended does a potential disservice to his children or children's children.

To obtain a Demit, you must officially inform your lodge's secretary in writing of such request or if affiliating, the new lodge's secretary will request it for you.

Taking a demit is preferable to being suspended. 

Suspension deprives a member of all his Masonic rights and privileges, either for a definite or indefinite time. A member can be suspended by his Lodge for non-payment of dues. A Grand Lodge Trial Commission can also suspend or expel a member for unmasonic conduct. A member, once expelled or suspended, is no longer considered a Freemason.  He has no claims on Freemasonry and Freemasonry has no claims on him.