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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MASON
by Masonic Awareness Committee
It means sharing the values of our nation's founding fathers; me who believe in the brotherhood of man are firmlyrooted in the Constitution of the United States. and that of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It means becoming a better person while helping to improve the quality of life for others. It means forming a deep and lasting friendships that transcend the boundaries of race, religion and culture, as well as those of geography. But most of all, being a Mason means the kind of deep satisfaction that comes only from selfless giving; from doing for others without asking, or expecting, anything in return. Sharing the Traditions of Our Founding Fathers. Masons were active in Massachusetts even before 1733, the year the first Provincial Grand Lodge of Masons was formally organized by Henry Price. Today, the Grand Lodge in Boston remains the oldest continuously operating Masonic organization in the Western Hemisphere.
In Massachusetts, many of those who participated in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill were Masons. Many of the patriots who participated in the Boston Tea Party were believed to be Masons and others such as Dr.Joseph Warren, who was a Grand Master, sacrificed their lives inthe struggle for independence from British rule. The values that were important then -- loyalty, patriotism, liberty, courage and faith -- are just as important to Masons today. The principles upon which this country was founded are deeply imbedded in Masonic tradition. Improving Yourself and those Around You Basic to most of the world's great religions is the belief in what some might call the "old fashioned" values of honesty, fair play, and unselfishness in dealing with others. Freemasonry shares many of the same beliefs; and through its traditions and teachings, attempt to instill in its members both the desire and the means to improve themselves and the lives of others. However, while it may adhere to many of the same values associated with religious faith, Masonry is not a religion. It is a brotherhood of men from every country, sect, and opinion joined in a common effort to ease the suffering of others, and to make the world a better place. To achieve these goals, Masonry does not promote itself or its individual members. Instead it teaches by example. New members are not recruited; they are attracted by their example of good men performing good works and living good lives.No one is asked to join the Brotherhood. To become a Mason,one must ask. Having Friends Wherever You Go Who becomes a Mason: anyone and everyone, accountants, businessmen, teachers, contractors, professional men and laborers. Masons come from all walks of life and all levels of income. They represent every race, creed and culture. In Masonry, it doesn't matter whether a man is a bricklayer or a physician, a waiter or the mayor of the city. All are on equal footing in the Lodge room. The ceremonies and practices of the Masons have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. No matter where a Lodge is located, its members share the common bond of having passed through the same degree work, rites and rituals.. Because of this, members can find brother Masons wherever they go. In Massachusetts alone, there are over 300 lodges with nearly 70,000 members. Across the country and around the world, there are Lodges in virtually every city and most smaller communities. Its a good feeling to know that, wherever a man's travels may take him, he has friends he can depend on and trust. Committing Yourself to a Code of Moral Ethics. Freemasonry is built upon three basic tenets -- Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Brotherly Love is the practice of the Golden Rule. Relief embodies charity for all mankind. Truth is honesty, fair play, and adherence to the cardinal virtues. These moral lessons are taught during three ceremonies, or "degrees" through allegory and symbolism using the traditional stonemasons tools. The First Degree uses the gavel and gauge to remind the new member of
his dependence on others and subordination to God. In the Second Degree,
the square, level and plumb are used to reinforce the central moral lesson
of brotherly love and service. And in the Third Degree, the trowel and
other tools After the Third Degree, members may move into other branches of Masonry, such as the Scottish Rite, York Rite and Shrine. Masons are not a secret organization. However, because Masonry values confidentiality and trust, many of its rites and rituals are secret except to the membership. Giving Freely of Yourself and Asking Nothing in Return. Of all the cardinal virtues, none is more values in Masonry than selfless
giving. Examples of Masonic charity are legion. Nationally, Masons contribute
nearly $2 million every day to relieve suffering and for the enrichment
of mankind. Masons are founding sponsors of the Shriners Burns Institute
and the
Here in Massachusetts, Masons are the largest group of blood donors to the Red Cross, giving over 20,000 pints annually. The satisfaction derived from these endeavors cannot be measured in ordinary terms. We will say, however, that it is in helping others that man most helps himself. Picture Captions In 1760, Paul Revere, at the age of 25, joined St. Andrew's Masonic
Lodge which met at the Green Dragon Tavern in Boston. Revere is best known
for his famous 1775 midnight ride to warn fellow patriots that British
troops were coming. In 1794, he was elected Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of Harry S. Truman our 33rd President was born on May 8, 1884. Masonry played
a prominent and active part throughout his life. He was elected Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Missouri in As President, he led the nation in the final months of World War II and put forward the Marshall Plan to aid the recovery ofEurope after the war. On a windowsill in the Museum of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts rests a stone taken from the walls of The White House during its just-completed rebuilding. A sufficient number of these stones were discovered, each with a Masonic symbol upon it. A stone was given to each Grand Lodge in the United States as a gift from Brother Truman. A replica of the wooden bunch of grapes that hung in front of the Bunch of Grapes Tavern on King Street, now State Street, Boston, hangs in the foyer of Corinthian Hall, at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Wood, taken from the U.S.S. Constitution, Old Ironsides, was used to carve the replica and is on loan by St. John's Lodge of Boston, the oldest Lodge in America. Mural by Allyn Cox depicting George Washington at the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the United States Capitol building on September 18, 1793. George Washington was only twenty when he joined the Freemasons in November 1752. He was the only President of the United States who held office a Master of his Lodge while serving as President. This early nineteenth-century oil on canvas was based on (but not by) Gilbert Stuart's famous portrait of George Washington. After the death of George Washington in 1799, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts
received a lock of his hair from his widow. Past Grand master Paul revere
made a golden urn in which to preserve it. This historical treasure is
brought to Grand Lodge at the installation of each Grand Master of Masons
in Painting by A. Leslie Bailey, "The Battle of Lexington and Concord,"
depicted the first battle of the Revolution fought here on April 19, 1775.
On the night before the Battle of Lexington and Concord, "It's not a secret organization but there are some secrets, and those are parts of the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. To be a Mason, means that I'm improving myself as a person, I'm helping out and giving back to other people, and really, you can't put any dollar sign on that." .....Don Gibb Mozart's Masonic Apron. Mozart wrote music for many Masonic ceremonies. His last opera, "The Magic Flute," is an allegory for the spiritual enlightenment initiates find in Masonry. Buzz Aldrin, a prominent Mason and one of the astronauts to walk on the moon during the Apollo program. Joe Mozzone became interested in the Masons through a friend, who worked for his as a bookkeeper. "It doesn't make any difference whether a man's a bricklayer, a physician, the mayor of the city or a common laborer, we're all equal in the lodge room." "When I became a Mason, I met hundreds of guys that I probably never would have met before." The East/West Shrine Game is the oldest and perhaps best known of all College All-Star Bowl Games. It's among the top games in the nation drawing 75,000 fans each year. The purpose of the game is to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled and Burned Children. John Wayne, nicknamed "Duke," was a prominent Mason. He was noted for his cowboy roles in classic westerns such as Stagecoach, Red River, and True Grit, for which he won an Academy Award. "Ara Parsegian and I were like father and son, he was so good to me. I was the first player he brought to Northwestern. In my senior year, I was invited to several bowl games, Ara said 'The only game to go to is the East/West Shrine game in San Francisco.' I went to San Francisco, and part of the Shrine program was to go through the hospital. When I went through the Shriners hospital I was devastated. I saw the love they gave to the kids, and that's where I am, and that's when I proceeded to make up my mind I wanted to be a part of the family.".....Ron Burton The work that's done in the Lodge is the same that's been done for hundreds of years. There are things that take place behind the scenes that one may only find out by becoming a Mason. From England to Japan, the lessons taught are universal. Every Mason shares the same traditions, the same degree work, that's one of the things that holds Masons together and really makes them brothers. The Blue Lodge room of the Masonic Temple at Tokyo, Japan, seats 125. The carpet that incorporates a beautiful mosaic pavement, tessellated border and blazing star and has an impressive starry-decked ceiling. Sinim Lodge, chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, meets in this room. Teddy Roosevelt visited his own lodge, while he was President. He attended the meeting, and enjoyed it thoroughly, and at the conclusion of the meeting he rose and asked permission of the Master to speak, and at the conclusion, he turned and thanked the Worshipful Master who was a gardener on an estate on Long Island. "The most important thing is the people of every country, opinion and religion, and their common goal is to improve themselves and those around them. There's a great satisfaction in knowing you have done well, even more than someone telling you so." .....Joel Peterson According to Masonic legend, when King Solomon ascended to the throne
of Israel, he dedicated his life to building a temple to God and a place
for the kings of Israel. Solomon contracted an army of masons and carpenters
to build the temple. The gavel shown here was made from a stone from King On a visit to America in 1784, Lafayette presented this Masonic apron
to his former Commander-in-Chief, and fellow Mason, George Washington.
The symbols on the apron were embroidered by The mosaic Grand Lodge of Massachusetts emblem, is inlaid on the lobby floor of the Grand Lodge in Boston. "One of the important features of Masonry today is that it still holds to what might be called old fashioned traditions and standards. It teaches its members to act right in their dealings with each other. Some people say that maybe that's religion. Well, we would say that it is basic to religion, but Masonry is certainly not a religion.' .....Robert Golledge The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum of Our National Heritage is a major educational museum and library of Masonic History. "No man ever stands so tall as when he stoops to help a crippled of burned child," is the motto of the men who utilize all the resources of their Temples to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals. The Grand Master's Day and Country Fair is one event the Masons have every year with a wide assortment of entertainment, food and novelties for everyone. The Masonic Retirement Home in Charlton is one of the finest long-term care facilities in Massachusetts. The home provides many activities and opportunities for residents to pursue whatever pastimes they prefer in a loving and caring environment. Shown here is the new administration building and chapel addition. The Fishing Festival at Jamaica Pond in Boston, features fishing instructions, demonstrations, and a cooking seminar. Each child received free gifts, awards were given at the end of the day. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education, (D.A.R.E.), program helps young people stay off drugs. "Masons in the United States contribute millions every day for the benefit of their fellow man. Some organizations are well known but the public is less aware of the Shriners Hospitals for Spinal-injured Children, Scottish Rite Alzheimer's research, Learning-disabled Children's Clinics, Muscular Dystrophy Clinics, Dentistry for the Handicapped, Multiple Sclerosis Fund Drives and the Veteran's Hospital Visitation Programs. These are but a few of the many endeavors in which Masons are involved with in their communities.".....Phil Berquist Masons do not solicit for membership.To become a Mason, or for more information,
contact any Freemason or Masonic Lodge in your community or telephone
1-800-882-1020.
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