The who, what, and where of Masonry.

Masonry is the oldest, and largest, fraternal/charitable organization in the world. It is not a "secret society", nor is it a religion. It is a men's organization devoted to the betterment of mankind through the betterment of the individual. To a Mason, it is a path to "enlightenment" through study and practice; it is a way of life.

The roots of modern Masonry can be traced to the late 17th and early 18th centuries; this was the period in history when the great cathedrals of Europe were being built. At this time, most skilled workmen were members of various Guild Organizations. To become a member of a Guild you must have been able to prove the quality of your work and meet other professional standards. Generally speaking, a young man would apprentice himself to a Guild for a period of years. During this apprenticeship he would learn his trade from the Masters and Fellows of the Guild. Eventually he would become a Fellow of the Craft, more skilled and knowledgeable than an apprentice, but not yet a Master of his trade. His training would continue until he was able to demonstrate his knowledge and proficiency to the Guild Masters. If he had learned his lessons well he would then become a Guild Master himself. At this time all members of the Masonic Guilds were "operative" masons, that is they were practicing stone masons.

In the early 1700's the Masonic Guilds began accepting non-operative masons into the Guilds. This was the beginning of "Speculative Masonry" and the Masonic Fraternity which exists to this day. At that time, formal education was the domain of the wealthy and powerful; if you were not a Noble by birth there were basically two paths to gaining an education; you could enter the priesthood and be taught by the church, or you could enter a Craft Guild.

Since an entering apprentice rarely could read or write, the Master Masons would teach the apprentice to use the tools of the Craft not just to work in stone, but also as symbolic representations of the lessons the apprentice would need to succeed in life. Thus a 24" gauge (ruler) was not only used for marking dimensions on stone, but as a symbol of how a man should measure his time during a day. So an apprentice not only learned mathematics, the division of space along a plane, but in a higher sense how he should use his time wisely and to get the most out of his life. Such training continues and is practiced by the Fraternity today, every tool and device that is a part of Masonry not only has a practical function, but an esoteric one as well. Indeed if a Mason from the historic past were to be able to sit in a Lodge of Masons today, that Mason would recognize the ceremony and ritual, and understand the lessons being taught.

Masonry is not an "exclusive" men's organization, far from it; although there are some very definite requirements to become a Mason, it recognizes and promotes the brotherhood of man, and it's works focus on making this a better world for all to live in, Mason and non-Mason alike. This is accomplished not through some "grand scheme" controlled through a "power elite", but by focusing it's efforts on improving the individual member's lives through study, practice, and action. The aim and goal of Masonry is to take a good man, and make him better. By making one man a better person, the community which that man lives in will be a better place for everyone who lives there.

The tools and skills used to build a great cathedral, are the same tools and skills used to build a better man. The lessons are taught by practice and presented as allegories. The rough hewn stone removed from a quarry is not suitable to build a well fit and solid structure, such a stone in Masonic terms is called a "rough ashler". The task of the Mason is to shape and polish the rough ashler until it is suitable to fit together with other finished stones so that it can be fit into its place in the construction. The Mason learns to see himself as a rough ashler, he must chip away at his imperfections and polish his life, so that The Great Architect Of The Universe may find suitable use for him. The Masonic ideal that the Mason strives to shape his rough ashler into is called a "perfect ashler". Each and every Mason is but a rough ashler seeking to become a perfect ashler.

Masonry is more than a simple fraternity, it is a way of life. A path from the darkness and chaos of life to spiritual and emotional enlightenment, it is a process. There are no "mystic" secrets", but there are many "revelations" which a man will find about himself when he chooses to become a Mason.

Requirements to become a Mason:

Masonic membership is limited to adult males who meet recognized qualifications and high standards of character and reputation. No Mason or Masonic organization will ever ask a man to become a member, to become a Mason you must ask a Mason. Every man seeking membership must advocate his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, an atheist cannot become a Mason. A prospective Mason must be of sound mind and of good moral character. He must be in such financial circumstances that he can maintain himself as a member of his Lodge and meet the financial obligations imposed thereby. He must be a loyal citizen, an honorable member of his community, observant of his obligations to God and man, and be without reproach among his fellows.

Nothing within the Brotherhood of Freemasonry, will conflict with your religious or moral beliefs. The symbolism of Masonry deals with the intellectual, moral, and spiritual values of life. Symbolism reaches a high degree of development in Freemasonry, and it is largely responsible for it's universality. Men of different tongues often may find it difficult to reach a common understanding: but symbols enable all men to comprehend each other without the necessity of spoken word. Two subjects never discussed within a Lodge are religion and politics. Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols.

There are certain obligations a man must make to himself and to the Fraternity. The calling of a Mason is a high one, and you should not suffer yourself to deviate from it. Loyalty to home, country and the Fraternity is expected of you at all times. Patriotism is a bounden duty, and you should not countenance disloyalty or rebellion. The Masonic institution stands for Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, not only for Masons, but for all mankind. Freedom, of thought, speech, and action, is the watchword of Freemasonry, insofar as it is not incompatible with the same rights of others. In like manner, every Freemason is the enemy of ignorance, bigotry, oppression, superstition, and of all mental and spiritual darkness. A Mason champions the cause of the widow, the fatherless, the weak, and the oppressed; and challenges the arbitrary assumption by anyone of the power to dictate the actions, beliefs, and destinies of any group or individual. The time-honored virtues so cherished by our forefathers are especially cherished among Masons and that humility, patience, charity, and gentleness are among the hallmarks of purity and integrity of character.