Secretive or sekective

Freemasonry operates both selective admission processes and retained confidences, though Masonic writers distinguish between a "secret society" and a "society with secrets" 2.

Regarding selectivity, candidate proposals require a lodge member to nominate an applicant at least one meeting prior to initiation, allowing the brethren time to conduct a strict enquiry into his character, morals, and circumstances 1. Regulations historically required candidates to be of mature age, upright in body, freeborn, and earning an honest livelihood 1. In the Craft, William Preston describes a graded system of three classes, where advancement depends on diligence and merit, restricting the third class to a selected few distinguished by fidelity and experience 4.

Regarding secrecy, Albert C. Mackey holds that the secret character of the institution is an unchangeable landmark, arguing that divesting it of secrecy would destroy its identity and lead to social suicide 2. However, Mackey also points out that Freemasonry is not a secret society, as its buildings are publicly marked, its constitutions and proceedings are published, and thousands of books and magazines document its existence 2. Preston explains that keeping certain matters private preserves their value, since human nature tends to undervalue whatever is easily attained or familiar 4. Ernest Friedrichs observes that beyond its minimal internal confidences, lodge work focuses on ethical lectures, mutual aid, and charity 3.