What is okay to tell a candidate before initiation

A candidate must be informed of the moral and fraternal expectations of the order before being admitted. It should be made clear to every candidate at an early stage that membership is not to be used as a means of promoting personal or business advantage, as the United Grand Lodge of England states.

The signs, tokens, obligations, and ceremonial modes of preparation belong to the degrees themselves. They are received in the lodge from one brother to another, and are not to be had from books nor communicated prior to initiation. Historical records show the practical difficulties that arose when candidate preparation was undertaken prematurely prior to a ballot or obligation, leaving individuals with knowledge of ceremonial particulars without having formally taken on the duties of secrecy 1.