T
an
Produced by the Missouri Grand Lodge
Committee on Masonic Education
Be serviceable to our members and their families by providing support and assistance in a variety of forms;
Provide members and their families with opportunities for fellowship and friendship with other like-minded individuals;
Be serviceable to the community at large by Lodge participation in civic and charitable activities; and through the honest, fair and courteous actions of individual members.
THE VISION
Freemasonry in Missouri shall be:
· A pre-eminent organization for men of quality, regardless of race, religion, or creed; consistently delivering, by symbols, allegory and example, a moral code founded on the highest standards of ethics, honesty and strength of character:
· A fraternal organization committed to charity, true fellowship and brotherly love under the Fatherhood of God; and
· A relevant organization dedicated to gratifying, involving and educating members and their families in the community, where the Lodge is a vibrant, respected and contributing part of community life.
The organization must be committed to excellence, to maintaining quality programs and the quality use of time, and to forging alliances within the community designed both to help the community and to develop the character of Masons.
A man who becomes an Missouri Mason can expect to find in his fraternity the opportunity to learn and lead; to be inspired and entertained; to be challenged and respected; to be involved with his family, his Brothers and his community; and to be a proud member of an organization committed to making a difference.
FREEMASONRY AND SECRECY
People sometimes refer to Freemasonry as being a "Secret Society." In one sense the statement is true. Any social group or private business is "secret" in the sense that its business meetings may be open only to its members. In Freemasonry, the process of joining is also a private matter, and its members are pledged not to discuss with non-members certain parts of the ceremonies associated with the organization.
Like all college fraternities, Freemasonry does have certain handshakes and passwords, which are kept private. They are means of recognizing each other--necessary in an organization which spans the entire world and which encompasses many languages.
The tradition of using handshakes and passwords was very common in the Middle Ages, when the ability to identify oneself as belonging to a building or trade guild often made the difference in getting a job or in obtaining help for yourself and family. Today, Freemasons make the same pledge to every member that he will be offered assistance if he, or his family, ever requests it.
Freemasonry can't be called a "secret society" in a literal sense. A truly secret society forbids its members to disclose that they belong to the organization, or that it even exists. Much of the Masonic ritual is in books called "Monitors" that are widely available, even in public libraries. Most Freemasons wear rings and lapel pins that clearly identify them as members of the fraternity. Masonic Lodges are listed in public phone books, Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and in many areas of the country Masonic Lodges place signs on the roads leading into town, along with civic organizations, showing the time and place of meetings.
In terms of what it does, what it teaches, who belongs, where it meets; there are no secrets in Freemasonry! It is a private fraternal association of men who contribute much toward the public good, while enjoying the benefits of the brotherhood of a fraternity.
FREEMASONRY AND WOMEN
Masonic Lodges have maintained a long-standing tradition of restricting membership in Freemasonry to men. This is based on the historical makeup of the guilds during the Middle Ages. At that time men traveled far from home and lived in Lodges while constructing the great cathedrals throughout Europe.
However, in Freemasonry, as in all other areas of life, women play an important role. The opportunities for women to participate in Freemasonry are widespread and meet a variety of needs, from social interaction In the Orders for both men and women, to the unique needs met in the "women only" Masonic organizations. The moral and ethical values that Freemasonry encourages are universal and not gender-based.
In the middle 1800's, the fraternity took the then radical step of creating organizations for women so that men and women could share Masonic fraternalism The Order of the Eastern Star (the largest of these Masonic-related groups) was established in 1855, the Order of the Amaranth in 1873, and the White Shrine of Jerusalem in 1894. These groups are open to both men and women.
Two national Masonic-related youth organizations are for young women: the International Order of Job's Daughters, founded 1920, and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls, founded in 1922 . Rainbows and Job's Daughters are involved with local charities, community services, and educational programs.
Three national Masonic-related organizations limited to women only include the Daughters of the Nile, the Daughters of Mokanna, and the Social Order of Beauceant. These Masonic-related organizations, like many organizations in the United States, both social and professional, base their membership on gender. For instance Junior League, P.E.O, National Association of Female Executives, and even Girl Scouts, are organizations created exclusively for women, established to fulfill their unique interests and specific needs.
All Masonic groups--for men, for women, and for both--are organized for fraternal, educational, and charitable purposes. No Masonic organization allows its members to use their membership to advance their business social or religious interests.
FREEMASONRY AND RELIGION
Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members a belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extempore, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion and sectarian discussion is forbidden in lodge rooms. Masons meet in a spirit of toleration and brotherhood.
Masons believe that there is one God and that people employ many different ways to seek and to express what they know of God. Masonry primarily uses the appellation, "Grand Architect of the Universe," and other non-sectarian titles, to address Deity. In this way, persons of different faiths may join together in prayer, concentrating on God, rather than differences among themselves. Masonry believes in religious freedom and that the relationship between the individual and God is personal, private and sacred. It strongly encourages each man to be active in his own church, synagogue or house of worship It expects each member to follow his own faith and to place his duty to God above all other duties. Freemasonry's moral teachings are acceptable to all religions.
Freemasonry lacks the basic elements of religion. It has no dogma or theology, no wish or means to enforce religious orthodoxy and it offers no sacraments. Freemasonry does not claim to lead to salvation by works, by secret knowledge or by any other means. The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with modes of recognition, not with the means of salvation.
An open Volume of the Sacred law, "the rule and guide of life: is an essential part of every Masonic meeting. The Volume of the Sacred law to a Christian is the Bible; to Freemasons of other faiths it is the book held holy by them. The obligations taken by Freemasons are sworn on the Volume of the Sacred law. They are undertakings to follow the principles of Freemasonry and to keep confidential a Freemason's means of recognition.
Many outstanding religious leaders are and have been Masons--including the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, Bishops of the Methodist Church, Episcopal Bishops and Archbishops. Presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, Rabbis and leaders of all the world's great religions. Masons are members of numerous denominations representing many faiths-- including many thousands of Roman Catholic Masons in the United States and around the world.
THE ORGANIZATION OF MASONRY
Freemasonry is the oldest fraternal organization for men in the world, and its organizational structure shows its age. The basic organizational unit of the fraternity is the Lodge. We believe the term comes from the Lodges (shelters) constructed at the building sites of cathedrals and castles during the Middle Ages. Masons worked and lived in these shelters.
Each Lodge is headed by an officer called the "Worshipful Master." "Worshipful" means "highly respected" or "honored." The term comes from the judicial system of England and carries no religious implication. "Master" means "leader" or "best qualified," as in "Concert Master" or "Master Architect."
Each officer of a Lodge has a title that originated during the Middle Ages. These titles may vary somewhat from state to state, but in general the officers and their contemporary equivalents are:
Worshipful Master --President
Senior Warden --1st Vice President
Junior Warden -2nd Vice President
Treasurer --Financial officer
Secretary --Recorder
Marshal --Master of Ceremonies
Deacon --Messenger
Steward –Page
Tiller --Door Keeper Chaplain --Chaplain
Until 1717, each Lodge of Masons was autonomous. On June 24, 1717, four of the Lodges operating in London met together to form the first Grand Lodge of England. It became the first administrative or policy-making body of Freemasonry.
Masonic Lodges still retain autonomy over their finances, activities, officer election, fundraising, and joining ceremonies. But administratively, each State or Province has a Grand Lodge which coordinates activities, serves as a central source of record-keeping, and performs other administrative and policy functions for the fraternity. The state president is called the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge. He has broad powers in overseeing the progress of the fraternity and while there is no national spokesperson for the fraternity, within his own state (Jurisdiction) he is the chief spokesman.
THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
No one knows with certainty how or when the Masonic Fraternity was formed. A widely accepted theory among Masonic scholars is that it arose from the stonemasons' guilds during the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in the fraternity's ritual come from this era. The oldest document that makes reference to Masons is the Regius Poem, in a copy dated about 1390, which was a copy of an earlier work. In 1717, four Lodges in London formed the first Grand Lodge of England, and records from that point on are more complete.
Within thirty years, the fraternity had spread throughout Europe and the American Colonies. Freemasonry became very popular in colonial America. George Washington was a Mason; Paul Revere served as the head of the fraternity of Massachusetts, as did Joseph Warren. Other well known Masons involved with the founding of America included Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Sullivan, Lafayette, Baron Fredrick yon Stuben, Nathaniel Greene, and John Paul Jones. Another Mason, Chief Justice John Marshall, shaped the Supreme Court into its present form.
Over the centuries, Freemasonry has developed into a worldwide fraternity emphasizing personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy. During the late 1700's it was one of the organizations most responsible for spreading the ideals of the Enlightenment: the dignity of man and the liberty of the individual, the fight of each person to worship as they choose, the formation of democratic governments, and the importance of public education. Masons supported the first public schools in both Europe and America.
During the 1800's and early 1900's, Freemasonry grew dramatically . At that time, the government, and the Masonic tradition of founding orphanages, homes for widows had provided no social "safety net", and homes for the aged provided the only security many people knew.
Today in North America, the Masonic Fraternity continues this tradition by giving almost $1.5 million each day to causes that range from operating children's hospitals, providing treatment for childhood language disorders, treating eye diseases, funding medical research, contributing to local community service, and providing care to Masons and their families at Masonic Homes.
MISSOURI MASONRY
The first Masonic Lodge established in what is now Missouri was constituted November 14, 1807, under warrant issued by The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania And Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging July 17, 1807, to Aaron Elliott, Master, Andrew Henry, Senior Warden, and George Bullitt, Junior Warden, for The Louisiana Lodge No 109, to be held in St. Genevieve, Territory of Louisiana.
On September 15, 1808, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania granted a warrant to Meriwether Lewis (leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the first governor of the Territory of Louisiana), Master, Thomas Fiveash Riddick (our first Grand Master), Senior Warden, and Rufus Easton, Junior Warden, for Saint Louis Lodge No.111. This Lodge was constituted November 8, 1808, by Otho Shrader under dispensation dated September 16, 1808.
Later, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee granted charters to three Lodges in Missouri Territory: Missouri Lodge No.12. in St. Louis, October a, 1816, Joachim Lodge No.25. at Herculaneum, October 5, 1819, and St Charles Lodge No.28, at St. Charles, October 5, 1819.
In 1820 Unity Lodge was established at Jackson under dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Indiana. It was in existence when the Grand Lodge of Missouri was organized, and was rechartered by it as Unity Lodge No.6.
On February 22, 1821, representatives from Missouri Lodge No.12, Joachim Lodge No.25. and St. Charles Lodge No.28, assembled in the hall of Missouri Lodge and resolved to organize a grand Lodge for the State of Missouri. The Grand Lodge was organized April 21, 1821, and a constitution and by-laws were adopted.
The "Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons of the State of Missouri" was incorporated by act of the General Assembly of Missouri February 17, 1843. An amendment to this act, repealing its requirement of operation of a college, was approved February 11, 1861. By act of the General Assembly approved February 13, 1864, certain named members of the "Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons" were incorporated as “The Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons." By act of the General Assembly approved March 22, 1870, The "Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri" was, among other things, "authorized to own property of any value not exceeding $300,000.00”. By decree of the Circuit Court of the City of Saint Louis entered November 18, 1933, the corporate names used in these legislative acts were replaced by "The Grand lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri," which is now the correct corporate name of the Grand lodge, and the powers of the corporation, especially with reference to the Masonic Home and to the holding of property, were greatly amplified.
The present Constitution was adopted May 28, 1866, with a Code of By- laws, which has been amended through the years. The By-laws are subject to change by the action of the Grand lodge members at the annual communication (meeting) of the Grand lodge.
SOME WELL-KNOWN MASONS
Throughout the years, many well-known men have belonged to the Masonic Fraternity. This is only a partial listing
Masonic Presidents Masonic Entrepreneurs Masonic Actors &
Directors
George Washington John Jacob Astor James Monroe
James Monroe Walter Chrysler Gene Autry
Andrew Jackson Eberhard Father Ernest Borgnine
James Buchanan Henry Ford Eddie Cantor
Andrew Johnson King Gillette Cecil B. DeMille
James Garfield Charles Hilton Douglas Fairbanks
William McKinley Andrew Mellon W. C. Fields
Theodore Roosevelt J. C. Penny Glenn Ford
William Taft Nathan Rothschild Clark Gable
Warren Harding Arthur Godfrey Oliver Hardy
Franklin D. Roosevelt Masonic Astronauts Harry Houdini
Harry S Truman Col. "Buzz” Aldrin Al Jolson
Lyndon Johnson Gordon Cooper Louis Mayer
Gerald Ford John Glenn Tom Mix
Virgil "Gus" Grissom Roy Rogers
James Irwin "Red"Skelton
John Wayne
Masonic Explorers Masonic Authors Masonic Founding
Fathers
Adm. James Bruce James Boswell Benjamin Franklin
Richard Byrd Robert Burns John Hancock
Elisha Kane Arthur Conan Doyle Joseph Warren
Charles Lindbergh William S Gilbert Paul Revere
Robert Perry Wolfgang Goethe Henry Knox
Robert Scott Rudyard Kipling John Sullivan
Lowell Thomas Alexander Pope John Paul Jones
AIeksander Push kin Mordecai Gist
Masonic Musicians Sir Walter Scott Edmund Randolph
Irving Berlin Jonathan Swift John Marshall
Roy Clark Anthony Trotlope John Blair William
George M. Cohan Oscar Wilde
Franz Josef Haydn
Ferlin Huskey
Mason Frontiersmen Masonic Military &
Franz Liszt Political Leaders
Wolfgang Mozart Gen. Omar Bradley
Jan Sibelius Sir Winston Churchill
John Phillip Sousa Adm. William Crowe
Mel Tillis Gen. Douglas Macarthur
Burl Ives Gen Geo. Marshall
Hank Thompson Audie Murphy
Paul Whiteman Gen. John Pershing
Kit Carson Eddie Rickenbacker
"Buffalo Bill" Cody
Davie Crockett
Sam Houston
William Travis
MASONIC PHILANTHROPY
Freemasons support more ways to help people than any other private organization. In the beginning--the 1700's and early 1800's, Masonic charity Was largely limited to members, their widows and their orphans Homes for the Aged and Orphanages were established all over America.
But Masonic charity soon reached far beyond that fraternity, and now the great majority of the $525 mi/lion dollars given in America each year goes to those with no connection to Masonry.
Perhaps the best known Masonic charity are the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Where the World's very best care for birth defects and orthopedic problems is available completely free of charge. In recent Years, the Shrine has established Burn Centers Where childhood victims of burns are treated, also free of charge.
The Scottish Rite has established Childhood Language Disorders Centers across America, where children with language problems (the most common problem children experience) are treated. Another part of the program provides training for teachers in a technique which is 87% effective in teaching children with dyslexia how to read.
The York Rite Eye Foundation does important vision research, as well as offering free eye surgery to children when the surgery is necessary to save their vision.
There are many other Masonic organizations which fund major research efforts into: Muscular Dystrophy, Childhood Neural Development, Diabetes, Schizophrenia, Mental Retardation, Learning Disorders and many other areas. One organization provides dental treatment for children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis, Conditions that require highly specialized treatment.
In Missouri, Masons support the Masonic Home, with facilities in St Louis and Kansas City. In addition, each Lodge can apply for up to $5; 000 each year in Matching Funds from the Masonic Charity Foundation, to help fund local needs and projects It takes 17 pages of computer printout to list those projects for a single year.
Caring is an essential part of the personality of a Mason That caring touches the lives of 1 in 4 Missourians every year.
MASONRY & COMMUNITY
For all of Missouri's history, the Masonic Lodge has been the center of the community. In the early days, the Masonic Temple often also served as a church on Sunday and a post office or general store during the weekdays. Civic functions such as parades, July 4th Celebrations, and Founders' Days were planned in the Lodge and with the participation of the members of the Lodge.
Anyone who saw any community need--from paving or lighting the streets to planning a city park--always involved the Masons at the beginning of their plans.
It is still that way today, in many parts of Missouri. A quick glance at the Matching Funds list of any year shows hundreds of civic and community projects in which the Masons are involved.
Selflessness is the essence of Masonry. We are taught that we have an obligation to help, to make things better for everyone. So it's only natural that the teaching should find expression in Masonic volunteers cleaning the streets of the town, or serving as volunteer teacher's aides in the classroom. It's only natural to find Masons holding a pancake breakfast to buy uniforms for the high school band, or working with pick and shovel and hammer and nails to create a city park accessible for handicapped children.
Masonry dies when it stays inside the Lodge room. It has always been a vital part of the community, for the leaders of the community have always been active in the fraternity.
Masonry is active at the state level, as well. Raising funds for public television, giving grants to the state Teacher of the Year finalists, establishing an award for professional ethics in law, and offering scholarships, Student of Today Awards, and sponsoring essay contests. These are only a few examples of the way Masonry is involved with the state community.
It is our task to seek out new ways we can benefit the community. A good Lodge requires a good, strong, humane and compassionate community, and a good, strong, humane and compassionate community deserves a good Masonic Lodge.
MASONRY'S PURPOSES & OBJECTIVES
The primary purpose of Masonry is often stated in this way:
Masonry takes good men and makes them better.
The major task of Masonry is to provide a setting and context in which men can seek their own spiritual development. Masons engage in a program for personal growth. A person usually joins Masonry because he feels that there is "something more" in life that he is missing. Masonry stresses a process of self-control and self-discovery. The rituals are used to teach the basic lessons of human duty and responsibility, including duty to one's faith, one's country, one's community, one's family and oneself.
But Masonry also has objectives in the world. We know the great truth in the line, "No man is an island." No person of integrity can be truly happy when those around him are in sorrow and suffering. No one can rest comfortably when he knows that want and need surround him.
Thus Masonry works to improve the world by improving the lot of the world's people. Masons give to help children see and read and learn and run and play. Masons give to help the elderly live lives of comfort and security. Masons work to make communities better and cleaner and happier.
Masonry tells its members that the growth they experience must be shared, for it is our objective that all men and women shall someday have the same freedom of thought and action which are taught in the Lodge.
Masonry supports the Constitutional separation of Church and State because we know that in nations in which the two are combined, either the one or the other becomes subservient and weakened.
Masonry has a purpose. The liberation of all people from fear, from hatred, from poverty and from tyranny.
It makes its changes one Mason at a time, but each Mason influences the lives of those around him. Like a pebble cast into a pool, Masonry reaches out to touch the lives of the world.
WHAT DOES MASONRY TEACH?
Because of the way in which Masonry teaches -confronting the person with symbols and allegory and then asking him to reflect upon them and discover the lessons for himself -it is impossible to list all of the things a man can learn in the fraternity. Masonry is a process of self-discovery and self-awareness.
But there are certain great lessons that, as almost all Masons would agree, form the basis of Masonic philosophy.
Human Beings are creatures of God.
Because God is our common Father, all men are brothers. The fact of that common heritage is more important than race, denomination, wealth, position, education, social status, or anything else.
Faith is essential to us if we are to be truly free. Only the knowledge of the Deity in our lives can give freedom.
Each person is entitled to dignity, and no one, for any reason or under any pretext, has the right to compromise the dignity of another.
Each man and woman is entitled to complete freedom of thought, belief, political expression, and speech. No person, government, or earthly spiritual authority has the right to dictate the thought or belief of another individual. No tyranny, no matter how benign, is ever acceptable.
It is the duty of every person to make the world better for others in every way he can. No man ever has the right to "pass by on the other side."
It is the duty of each Mason to develop himself, through study, thought, reflection, conversation, and by every means he can find. We are committed to intellectual, spiritual and emotional growth, and to growth as ethical, caring and compassionate men.
There are two natures in Man --an animal nature that is the result of our physical selves and a spiritual nature that is a gift from the Deity. The two are usually in conflict. It is our duty to see that the spiritual nature wins.
Each person has the responsibility to obey the law, and to seek to change It only through legal means. Only in this way can society survive.
A Mason must know how to keep absolutely confidential the things others tell him in confidence. Under no circumstance should a Mason ever spread gossip or slander. We cannot be true friends and Brothers if we cannot hold secret the things told to us which would cause pain to others if they were revealed.
Charity is an obligation on all Masons. And charity is not limited to giving money. Charity means involved compassion, really caring what happens to others, putting ourselves in their place and sharing in their sorrow or hurt.
There Is no such thing as a "small" or "unimportant" act. Every action we take affects both others and ourselves. We never have the luxury of acting without thinking.
Above all things and at all times, Masonry teaches toleration. We have seen the results too often in history of intolerance. The most deadly words known are "I know I am right and you are wrong, and I have the right to force you to agree with me." Those words were spoken as men burned women and children at the stake because they disagreed on some point of theology, as Hitler sent millions of human beings to the gas chambers, as foolish, defenseless old women were hanged as witches, and as Stalin wiped out his political opposition. Masonry teaches that each person, each idea must be respected. No one has the right to be intolerant
There are many other lessons in Masonry: lessons about the nature of the world; about the relationship between people, and between people and God; and about responsibility. Masonry is the study and lessons of life.
MASONIC YOUTH GROUPS
While there are several youth organizations sponsored or supported by the various Masonic organizations, three are the largest and best known.
The Order of DeMolay is an organization for young men aged 12 to 21. Young men do not need to have a Masonic relative to join the organization It was founded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1919 and is now international in scope. Like the other Youth Orders, DeMolay Chapters (local groups) usually meet in a room at a local Masonic lodge. Adult leadership is provided by Masons known as Chapter Dads, and by non-Mason fathers of the DeMolays. The Order takes its name from Jacques DeMolay, the last Grand Master of the Templars, who was martyred in the Middle Ages for refusing to compromise his honor. The Order teaches the virtues of reverence, love of parents, comradeship, patriotism, courtesy, cleanness and fidelity The Order provides many social events and activities, and uses these to teach social skills and leadership.
The International Order of Rainbow for Girls is an organization for young women aged 11 to 20. It was founded in McAlester, Oklahoma in 1922. No relationship to a member of the Masonic Orders is required for membership. A Masonic lodge or a Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star generally sponsors either local Assemblies or groups. Women known as Mother Advisors give adult supervision and guidance. Rainbow teaches the importance of character development. Each of the colors of the rainbow is associated with a particular virtue or source of inspiration.
Red--Love
Blue--Fidelity
Yellow--Nature
Green--Immortality
Indigo--Patriotism
Violet--Service
Orange--Religion
Like the other Youth Orders, Rainbow is deeply involved with local charity and support of education. It teaches planning, leadership, responsibility and social skills through officer training programs and social events.
The International Order of Job's Daughters takes its name from the story in the Biblical Book of Job. It was organized in Omaha, Nebraska in 1920. Membership requires that the young woman be the daughter, granddaughter, stepdaughter, niece, or be otherwise related to a Mason. The local organization is called a Bethel. The teachings of the Order are Biblically based and the same virtues are stressed as in the other Youth Orders. Job's Daughters places special emphasis on community service. Many Bethels work with D.A.R.E. and other drug education programs. Membership is for young women aged from 12 to 20 years.
All Youth Orders make provision for senior or "majority" status for their members after they reach the upper age limit, and many such senior members serve as adult leaders for the organizations.
Membership in a Youth Order does not guarantee that a person will be accepted into a Masonic Order later. They are independent organizations sponsored by Masonic Bodies, not junior Masonic Organizations.
FREEMASONRY & RACE
The Fraternity of Freemasonry has members from every race and every continent in the world Brotherhood is a primary teaching of Masonry--that each person must be judged as an individual, on his own merits, and that such factors as race, national origin, religious creed, social status or wealth are incidental to the person's character.
The exact racial make-up of Freemasonry is impossible to determine. No petition for membership in Masonry asks a petitioner's race, and racial breakdown statistics are not kept by any Grand Lodge because collecting such information is considered as inappropriate as collecting information about a Brother's financial standing.
When visiting Lodges in various parts of North America, it is obvious that the racial mixture of the Brothers varies within geographical areas and tends to reflect the demographics of the general population.
No Lodge is permitted to exclude a candidate on the basis of his race or national origin. To petition for membership, the petitioner must be "a man of legal age, good reputation, and possess a belief in God". While election to membership in the fraternity is a matter for the local Lodge to decide, the qualifications for membership are standard and all Masons are required to observe them.
Freemasonry began in North America in the 1700's. Unfortunately, this was a time in the newly created United States when racial attitudes were very different than today. As a result, and as happened in many churches, Freemasonry for black men and white men developed independently from each other. The original Black Lodges, called Prince Hall Grand Lodges also trace their history back to the 1700's, and their members are predominately African-American. Today, there is now far more interchange between the two groups of Freemasons and a strong trend toward mutual recognition is well underway.
The Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God is a basic and essential teaching of Freemasonry. Every effort is being made to make sure that it is not just a teaching but a full reality!
HANDLING OBJECTIONS
Here are some of the more common questions that may arise, and some suggested answers.
Are there any African-Americans In Masonry?
Freemasonry does not discriminate on the basis of race. There are many African-American Masons in the United States. The rules of Masonry in Missouri do not even mention race as a qualification for membership. Most African-Americans choose to join Prince Hall Lodges (Lodges composed primarily of Black gentlemen), but there are Masons of every race in the Masonic fraternity.
My Minister said Freemasonry was a Cult?
Webster defines a cult as "the rites and ceremonies of a religion; or the practice of worshiping a deity or group of deities." Since Freemasonry is not a religion, but a fraternal association, it cannot be a cult.
Why all the secrets? Isn't Masonry a secret society?
It was popular in the 1800's for organizations like the Masons, the Elks, Moose, the Oddfellows to call themselves secret societies. It was a social thing. If you did not belong to at least one "secret society" you simply were not a part of the "in" group. But real secret societies are secret. They try not to let people know they exist. Its fraternal emblem identifies almost every Masonic building. The public is often invited to meetings at Masonic Halls. Masons commonly wear rings and lapel pins identifying themselves as Masons. And it is easy to find books in the library about Masonry. There's really nothing secret about the fraternity save for the modes of recognition.
What does Masonry have to offer that I don't already get in my civic club?
The purpose is different. Civic clubs exist to give their members a "break" each week from their usual occupations. They generally help their communities with projects of civic improvement. Masonry does these things also, but its purpose is learning and charity. It is mainly concerned with the self-development of men. We know it works because many wives tell us their spouses have become better men, husbands and fathers as a result of their involvement in Masonry.
I've heard it is complicated to join Masonry. Why do you have to go through three different degrees?
The process of becoming a Mason is not complicated, but three degrees, or stages of membership, are indeed required in joining. These are learning experiences It takes time to learn and develop any skill, even the skill of productive living. The degrees of Masonry teach progressive lessons in morals, ethics, and philosophy. To understand these lessons and use them in our daily life requires that we invest some individual time and thought. But that's what makes being a Mason so special.
If Masonry is such a good organization, why do so many groups today seem to condemn it?
It's a matter of misunderstanding. Many people have been told the wrong things about Masonry by others who think they know what Masonry teaches, but have not taken the time to actually find out the truth. Spreading the same wrong information to others then perpetuates these myths. Some people sell anti-Masonic pamphlets, videotapes, and books in order to personally profit. They know that hate sells. Some members of the clergy are "coerced" into preaching against Masonry by anti-Masons within their own churches. But groups and organizations that take the time to find out for themselves usually end up as supporters of the fraternity.
Is there any hazing, or horseplay associated with the degrees?
No. The degree ceremonies of Masonry are both serious and meaningful.
I've heard that Masonry takes a lot of time. Is this true?
The process of becoming a Mason involves three evenings. There is some homework that goes with each degree that is worked out with another member of the Lodge. But, after a man becomes a Mason, the time he gives to the fraternity is entirely up to him. There is no requirement that a man participate in the meetings and projects of his Lodge. Each man determines for himself the time he wants to give to the fraternity.
Masonry Is a fraternity for men. Does this mean my family cannot participate?
No. There are many activities that involve the wives and family members. Dinners, picnics, tours, study groups, forums, entertainment, and many others. There are organizations within the fraternity for women and youth. The meetings that are limited only to members are the business meetings, special meetings, and the degree ceremonies. Masonry is very much a family affair.
THE MASONIC FAMILY OF ORGANIZATIONS
Freemasonry is not one organization. Many different organizations make up the Masonic family.
Basic or fundamental Masonry is called Blue Lodge, or Symbolic Lodge. Masonry It is the organization of which most people think when Masonry is mentioned. It is a fraternity--open only to men--who must be of legal age, of good character, and must profess a belief in God. It consists of Three Degrees, or levels of membership: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. When a man has received the Master Mason Degree, he is fully a Mason. Further Degrees in other Masonic organizations add to his knowledge, but a Mason is not a "higher" Mason if he has a Degree with a higher number.
After a man has become a Master Mason, he may choose to join the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, or both. Although they differ in structure and organization as well as in philosophic emphasis and outlook, both Rites offer further Masonic education and intellectual/ethic development.
The York Rite is organized into local units, called Chapters, Councils, and Commanderys, which generally meet in the same buildings and rooms as the Blue Lodge. The Scottish Rite is organized into larger geographic areas, called Valleys, each of which is served by a Scottish Rite Temple.
Members of either the Scottish Rite or York Rite may elect to join the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, far more commonly known as the Shriners. Although all branches of Masonry are deeply involved in philanthropy, the Shriners Hospitals for Children and Burn Centers are best known to the public.
There are other organizations which have Masonry as a basic requirement for membership, but which also have specialized membership requirements or serve specialized needs. National Sojourners, for example, requires military service as a qualification for membership. The Red Cross of Constantine requires membership in the York Rite, profession of faith as a Christian, and invitation for membership. Additionally, there are Masonic camping associations, nature associations, lecture associations and research associations, to name but a few.
Masonic organizations exist for both men and women. The largest in the United States is the Order of the Eastern Star. Other organizations include the Order of Amaranth, the White Shrine of Jerusalem, Social Order of the Beauseant, True Kindred, Daughters of the Nile, and many others.
Youth Orders include the Order of DeMolay for young men aged 13-21, The International Order of Rainbow for Girls, and Job's Daughters; both for young women from age 12 through 21. The Youth Orders teach such virtues as reverence for sacred things, patriotism, industriousness, the importance of education, and other family values, as well as teaching leadership skills and social skills.
For more information: www.momason.org