Sorry Shambles I did not intend to miss out your Blackball point.
In all Lodges you first have to express your interest to become a member ideally to a person in the Lodge you wish to join.If you do not know anybody in Freemasonary you can apply direct to a Provincial Grand Lodge who will pass on your interest to a Lodge in your area.
You will then be interviewed by normally two senior members of the Lodge who will talk the whole thing over with you.Things like Why do you want to join,What do you expect to get out of Masonary etc. Certain applicants just join because they think it is a quick route to wealth and these applicants go no further.The representatives then report back to the Lodge saying that the candidate has been interviewed that in their opinion he would be ideal as a candidate and a further interview with a large number of the lodge members is then arranged and if satisfactory he is then proposed and seconded for membership.Please note that at no time does financial or your work situation effect your membership, but you odviously have to be able to afford the joining fee etc.You do not have to be a business man.We have a Postman and an X Featherweight weight boxer in our lodge.You will be asked if you have a criminal record and this will be checked out. On the evening of your admittance into the Lodge a vote of all members will be taken and at this point you could be Blackballed,it is usual however that if anyone has reservation about a possible member that this is discussed before this point to avoid any embarrassment.It has only happened once in my forty years and not in our Lodge
I hope this fully covers the points you raised.
Al