About Masonry

Freemasonry is a fraternity of men bound together by vows in morality in public and private life who believe in God and the constitutional right of members to free choice of religion and political persuasion. Masonry strives to make good men better- to teach its members to be "better than themselves". It accepts only men of high moral character.

The fraternity of Freemasonry endorses free public education, encourages self improvement promotes patriotism and respect for the Constitution, sanctions equal rights under law, practices good will toward all men and contributes generously to philanthropies. Masonry is charitable, benevolent, educational and religious society. Its basic tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief (philanthropy), and Truth. Through the improvement and strengthening of the character of the individual, Freemasonry seeks to improve the community. This, then, is what Masonry IS. On the other hand, Masonry IS NOT a benefit society or a charitable institution. It assists members by many means through times of hardship, but it is not an insurance society with sickness, death, disability, or old age benefits.

Masonry also IS NOT a secret society. It is a well known, international fraternity whose members proudly declare their membership, Masons meet in buildings identified as Masonic Temples. Public announcements of their meetings are made in stories that include the names of Masons.

Masonic ritual, often considered by Masons to have been the most moving experience of their lives, dramatizes a philosophy of life based on morality. It employs the tools of the stone Mason as symbols of basic moral truths.

Masonry is a strictly voluntary organization. A Mason is forbidden by Masonic law to invite a friend to join. The friend must voluntary seek membership by contacting a Mason.

Masons of the Blue Lodge or any appendent body may participate in varied activities. Degree presentations require ritualists and persons with dramatic ability, musicians for orchestras, vocalists for choirs, stage crews, make-up and service committees of all kinds. Masons also are part of an active social life that includes their families and friends. Besides national philanthropic activity, such as scholarship and medical research, Masons maintain many types of local charitable projects.

Non-Masons, observing the social, civic, and philanthropic activity of Masons, frequently comment on the close bond that exists among Masons and the obvious belief by Masons that they are their brothers' keepers. Masons, they notice, are quick to assist their fellows in misfortune with encouragement, kindness and tangible assistance.

The bond of faith and confidence among Masons is largely the result of the common knowledge that all during the rituals, have accepted high ethical standards as guide to their conduct. The insistence of Masonry on ethical conduct is embodied in the exhortation: "So live that men will hate less and love more, be honorable, in public dealings as in private acts, create more than destroy." Masons do not discuss religion or political matters-- or any other subject likely to excite personal animosities- in a Masonic Temple. Masonry teaches men to be religious without advocating a particular doctrine or creed. It requires its members to be good citizens but free to choose their medium of political expression.

Throughout the history of North America, as an expression of this good citizenship, the Masonic fraternity has supported free public schools in all possible unofficial and non-political ways, "Let there be light" is a famous Masonic Motto.

Masonry, with its dedication to education, morality, brotherly love, non-sectarianism in religion and politics and equal rights is a steadying influence that balances and consolidates the social, religious and political life of America.

The Blue Lodge

The Blue Lodge (symbolic masonry) confers the first three degrees- Entered Apprentice (first degree) Fellow Craft (second degree) and Master Mason (third degree). Promotion depends on a Mason's proficiency in learning certain things about freemasonry, its ethics, and its philosophy. There is no higher degree in masonry than Master Mason. However, a Master Mason may enter the Scottish Rite or York Rite that elaborate basic Masonic principles.

The Scottish Rite

The Scottish Rite confers the 4th through the 32nd degree in degree conferring reunions. The degree work may be, but is not necessarily, completed at one time. Any Master Mason in good standing may ask a Scottish Rite friend for a petition or may obtain one from a Scottish Rite secretary. He must be judged to be of good moral character, and his election to the Rite must be unanimous.

The York Rite

The York Rite is composed of ten degrees and four orders. The Blue Lodge, Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, Council of Royal and Select Masters, and the Commandery of the Knights Templar. The Chapter and Council are constituted by a State Grand Body and and a General Grand International. Being exalted as a Royal Arch Mason, a new member becomes a companion of the oldest and largest Rite of Freemasonry in the world.

The senior Order is the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar of the United States of America. Through their eye foundation, thousands of people have had their eyesight restored as a result of corrective surgery. Knights Templar was the first fraternal order to institute a scholarship fund, and to date, have helped educate over sixty eight thousand collage students.

The Knights Templar is a Christian Military Order dedicated to the defense of the Christian religion, and whose members cultivate, perpetuate, and practice the Christian chivalric principles of the Ancient Order along with all the moral teachings and philosophies of Freemasonry.

The Shriners

The Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine is an appendent body of Masonry whose members are Scottish or York Rite Masons. Shriners are distinguished by a desire for fun in the interest of philanthropy.

The Shrine, with 870,000 members, often is called "The Playground of Masonry". An Imperial Potentate of the Shrine characterized the Shrines buoyant philosophy this way: "Pleasure without intemperance, hospitality without rudeness, and jollity without coarseness".

The fun does not suppress a sense of mission, however. The shriners who participate in the famous Shrine parades and administer the Shrine circuses and football games such as the East-West Shrine Game, all carry with them the vision of little children who will know happiness because of their efforts. The money that Shriners raise supports the 22 Shriners Hospitals for crippled children that include 19 orthopedic hospitals and three Shriners Burn Institutes. The institutes were built to treat severely burned children , conduct research to find more effective treatment and educate burn specialists. The Shrine does not solicit funds for its philanthropies. All Shriners pay an annual per capita tax to help support these philanthropies.

Thirteen Masons organized the first Shrine Temple in 1872- Mecca Temple in New York City. The 13 fun loving Masons had formed a luncheon group in 1870 during a craze over the psychic significance of the number 13 that was sweeping New York then.

They knew they needed an appealing theme for their new order. So they chose an Arabic ( Near East) theme that has influenced the names of Shrine Temples, pageantry that accompanies initiation of new Shriners, titles of Shrine Officers, and parade costumes. The most noticeable of Shrinedom is the distinctive Red Fez that all Shriners wear for official functions.