Who is an entered apprentice

An Entered Apprentice is a candidate who has completed the First Degree upon initiation, entering the first stage of Pure Antient Masonry, as stated by the United Grand Lodge of England. Symbolically, an article on the Grand Lodge of India's website describes this state as a transition from darkness toward self-discipline and purification, with the Entered Apprentice represented by the rough ashlar—the unformed mind undergoing polishing through Masonic labor.

While occupying the initial stage of membership, an Entered Apprentice possesses distinct rights and protections 1. When a lodge is opened in the First Degree, he may sit during its proceedings, receive instruction suitable to his standing, converse with Masons on subjects belonging to his degree, and apply for advancement to the Fellow Craft degree 1. Mackey emphasizes that because an initiate enters with the legitimate expectation of advancing to Master Mason, his Masonic standing is protected under law; a lodge may vote by ballot to defer his advancement, but he cannot be deprived of his status or expelled from the Craft without due trial and the confirmation of the Grand Lodge 1.

In present-day physical specification, the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India notes that the apron of an Entered Apprentice is formed of plain white lambskin, rectangular in shape (38 cm wide by 33 cm deep), entirely unornamented, and fitted with white strings.