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The
fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons is the oldest and largest
fraternal organization in the world. Hundreds of volumes have
been published and millions of words have been written about it, yet
to many Freemasonry remains a mystery.
Freemasonry has been
erroneously called a secret society. Its purposes, aims, and
principles are not concealed. Its constitutions, rules and
regulations are open for public inspection. Its membership
lists are published, meeting places are well identified and
advertised, and the public often participates in Masonic
activities and functions.
It is true there are signs of
recognition, rituals and ceremonies with which the world is not
acquainted, but all human groups and institutions have their private
affairs.
The local lodges are the keystone of Freemasonry in
the United States. They are organized into state groups or
Grand Lodges, the titular head of which is a Grand
Master.
Freemasonry is available to any man of good character
who believes in a Supreme Being, and is closed only to avowed
atheists and agnostics. There are no restrictions relating to
race, creed or color.
Masonry is not a religion in any sense
of the word, yet it is religious. Church membership is not
a requirement, yet membership in any church is no
bar to admission. There is nothing in the requirements
of Masonry to prevent a Catholic, a Mohammedan, a Protestant,
a Morman, or a member of any religion from becoming a
member.
For Masons in the United States, the Holy Bible is
the rule and guide of their conduct and the source of all light and
knowledge. The Square and Compasses is the oldest and most
universal symbols of Masonry. The Square represents the Master
of the Lodge and the Compasses the Brethren. The letter "G" in
the center symbolizes the
Deity.
Lodge meetings always
open and close with a prayer. The pledge of allegiance to the
flag of our country is an integral part of the
ceremonies.
Each mason belongs to a local lodge where the
three degrees are conferred leading to the status of a Master
Mason. The initial step taken by the candidate makes him an
Entered Apprentice Mason. Completing the second degree, he
becomes a Fellowcraft Mason, and after the third degree a Master
Mason.
The object of the three degrees or learning process is
to expose the candidate to the influence of the good things in life
with the philosophy of making him a better man. A Mason
believes in the Fatherhood of God, the Brotherhood of Man, and gives
action to his beliefs by the practice of virtues of temperance,
fortitude, prudence, and justice.
Since brotherly love,
relief, and truth, backed by a reliance on faith, hope, and charity
are fundamental tests of Freemasonry, the exercise of benevolence to
promote human welfare is basic to its existence. Not only in
America but all over the world. Mason care for their needy
brothers, their widows and orphans, and maintain homes for their
care. They support their mother country in just wars, aid in
medical research in gerentology, contribute to blood banks, maintain
and support hospitals for crippled and burned children, grant
scholarships, provide research, surgery, and hospitalization for
diseases and injury to the eye, support studies in aphasia and
deafness, and many others. It is estimated the total value of
Masonic charitable contributions exceed one million dollars a
day.
When, of his own volition, a man petitions a Lodge for
admission and is accepted, he becomes an inclusive and active part
of a group that believes in time-tested methods of intellectual
progress. Within the Lodge is no discussion of partisan
politics or religious dogma. Each successive step in his
education brings the exhilaration that comes from a new
experience. He finds an open door to new knowledge and new
horizons.
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