Our Stated Communication is held Monthly on the second Thursday at 7:30 PM, Dinner is served at 7:00. What is a Mason? The answer is simple. A Mason (or Freemason) is a member of the world's oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organization. Membership is open to any male at least 21 years old who believes in a Supreme Divine Being and the immortality of the so
ul. Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and various religions are members. Although almost everyone has a father or grandfather or uncle who was a Mason, many people are not quite certain just who Masons are or for what they stand. A Mason binds himself to like-minded men in a Brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, social, cultural, and educational differences. A Mason is dedicated. He recognizes his responsibility for justice, truth, charity, enlightenment, freedom and liberty, honesty and integrity in all aspects of human endeavor. In fellowship with his Brothers, a Mason finds ways in which to serve his God, his family, his fellowman and his country. What is Freemasonry? Freemasonry is a fraternal society of men concerned with improving their moral and spiritual values. Its members are taught its principles (moral lessons and self-knowledge) by a series of ritual dramas – a progression of allegorical "degrees" learned by heart, performed within each Lodge, which follow ancient forms and use stonemasons' customs and tools as allegorical guides. Freemasonry instills in its members a moral and ethical approach to life: its values are based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness. Members are urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but, importantly, Freemasonry also teaches concern for people, care for the less fortunate, and help for those in need. What is a Lodge? The word "lodge" is used to mean both a group of Masons formally meeting somewhere and the room or building in which they meet. Masonic buildings are also sometimes called "temples" because much of the symbolism and allegory that Masonry uses to teach its lessons comes from the building of King Solomon’s Temple in the Holy Land. The term "lodge" also comes from the structures which the stonemasons built against the sides of the cathedrals during construction. In winter, when building had to stop, they lived in these lodges and worked at carving stone. The layout of a lodge room is much the same as that of the House of Commons in London. As Masonry came to America from England, we continue to use the floor plan and titles for the officers of English Masonry. The Worshipful Master of the Lodge sits in the East. "Worshipful" is an English term of respect meaning the same as "Honorable." He is called the Master of the lodge for the same reason that the leader of an orchestra is called the "Concert Master." It is simply an older title for "Leader." In other organizations, he might be called "President" or "Chairman". The Senior and Junior Wardens are the First and Second Vice-Presidents. The Deacons are messengers, and the Stewards have charge of refreshments. Every lodge has an altar holding a "Volume of the Sacred Law." In the United States and Canada, that is almost always a Bible. What goes on in a Lodge? The Lodge is the center of activities for masons. Masonry teaches that each person has a responsibility to make things better in the world. Most individuals will not be the ones to find a cure for cancer, or eliminate poverty, or help create world peace, but every man and woman and child can do something to help others and to make things a little better. Masonry is deeply involved with helping people -- it spends more than $1.4 million dollars every day in the United States, just to make life a little easier and the great majority of that help goes to people who are not Masons. Some of these charities are vast projects, like the Crippled Children’s Hospitals and Burns Institutes built by the Shiners. Also, Scottish Rite Masons maintain a nationwide network of over 100 Childhood Language Disorders Clinics, Centers, and Programs. Each helps children afflicted by such conditions as aphasia, dyslexia, stuttering, and related learning or speech disorders. Some services are less noticeable, like helping a widow pay her electric bill or buying coats and shoes for disadvantaged children. And there is just about anything you can think of in-between, but with projects large or small, the Masons of a lodge try to help make the world a better place. The lodge gives them a way to combine with others to do even more good. Freemasonry also does things "inside" an individual Mason. "Grow or die" is the great maxim of nature and most of us feel a need for continued growth as individuals. We feel that we are not as honest or as charitable or as compassionate or as loving or as trusting or as well-informed as we ought to be. Masonry reminds its members over and over again of the importance of these qualities and education and cultivates that desire to improve. It lets men associate with other men of honor and integrity who believe that things like honesty, compassion, love, trust, and knowledge are important. In some ways, Masonry is a support group for men who are trying to make the right decisions. It is easier to practice these virtues when you know that those around you think they are important, too, and will not laugh at you or try to drag you down. What is a degree? A degree is a stage or level of membership. It is also the ceremony by which a man attains that level of membership. There are three, called Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. The names are taken from the craft guilds. The degrees in Freemasonry are allegorical dramas in which the candidate participates. Each degree uses symbols to teach, just as plays did in the Middle Ages and as many theatrical productions do today. The Masonic degrees teach the great lessons of life -- the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature as well as a physical or animal nature, of the importance of self-control, of knowing how to love and be loved, of knowing how to keep confidential what others tell you so that they can "open up" without fear. Why is Masonry so "secretive"? It is not truly "secretive," although it sometimes has that reputation because it has some “secrets”. Masons certainly do not make a secret of the fact that they are members of the fraternity. We wear rings, lapel pins, and tie clasps with Masonic emblems like the Square and Compasses. Our lodge buildings are well marked and our meeting dates are published. Today one can find all sorts of information about Freemasonry on the internet, though one must sift through it with a critical eye as its detractors often publish false information about the fraternity and its members for reasons of their own. What are the requirements for membership? The person who wants to join Masonry must be a man (it is a fraternity), sound in body and mind, who believes in God, is at least the minimum age required by Masonry in his state, and has a good reputation. (Incidentally, the "sound in body" requirement -- which comes from the stonemasons of the middle Ages -- does not mean that a physically challenged man cannot be a Mason; many are). Those are the only "formal" requirements. But there are others, not so formal. He should believe in helping others. He should believe there is more to life than pleasure and money. He should be willing to respect the opinions of others, and he should want to grow and develop as a human being. How does one become a Mason? Some men are surprised that no one has ever asked them to become a Mason and may even feel that the Masons in their town do not think they are "good enough" to join. But Freemasonry does not work that way. Masons are forbidden to ask others to join the fraternity. We can talk to friends about Masonry. We can tell them about what Masonry does. We can tell them why we enjoy it. But we cannot ask, much less pressure, anyone to join. It is not that we are trying to be exclusive, but becoming a Mason is a very serious decision. Joining Masonry is making a lifelong commitment to live morally, ethically and charitably. We strive to live with honor and integrity, to be willing to share with and care about others, to trust each other, and to place ultimate trust in God. No one should be "talked into" making such a commitment. When a man decides he wants to become a Freemason, he asks one for a petition or application, fills it out and gives it to the Mason, who then takes it to the local lodge. The Master of the lodge will appoint a committee to visit with the man and his family, find out a little about him and why he wants to be a Mason, tell him and his family about Masonry, and answer their questions. The committee reports to the lodge, and the lodge votes on the petition. If the vote is affirmative -- and it usually is -- the lodge will contact the man to set the date for the initiation degree work.
