The Charges Of A Free Mason
Extracted from
The Ancient Records
of Lodges beyond Sea, and
of those
in England,
Scotland, and Ireland, for the use
of the Lodges in London:
To be read
At The Making
Of New Brethren Or When The
Master Shall Order It.
The General Heads, viz.:
i. Of
God and Religion.
ii. Of the Civil
Magistrate Supreme and
Subordinate.
iii. Of Lodges.
iv. Of Masters,
Wardens, Fellow, and
Apprentices.
v. Of
the Management of the Craft in Working.
vi. Of Behavior,
viz.:
1. In the Lodge while constituted.
2. After the Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone.
3. When the Brethren meet without Stangers, but not in
a Lodge.
4. In the presence of Stranges not Masons.
5. At Home and in the Neighborhood.
6. Towards a strange Brother.
i. Concerning God And Religion
A Mason is oblig'd by his Tenure,
to obey the moral
law; and if he rightly understands
the Art, he will
never be a stupid ATHEIST, nor
an irreligious
LIBERTINE. But though in ancient
Times Masons
were charged in every Country
to be of the Religion
of that Country or Nation, whatever
it was, yet it is
now thought more expedient only
to oblige them to
that Religion in which all Men
agree, leaving their
particular Opinions to themselves;
that is, to be
good Men and true. or Men of Honour
and Honesty,
by whatever Denominations or Persuasions
they
may be distinguish'd; whereby
Masonry becomes
the Center of Union, and the Means
of conciliating
true Friendship among Persons
that must have
remain'd at a perpetual Distance.
ii. Of The Civil
Magistrate Supreme
And Subordinate
A Mason is a Peaceable Subject
to the Civil Powers,
wherever he resides or works,
and is never to be
concern'd in Plots and Conspiracies
against the
Peace and Welfare of the Nation,
nor to behave
himself undutifully to inferior
Magistrates; for as
Masonry hath been always injured
by War,
Bloodshed and Confusion, so ancient
Kings and
Princes have been much dispos'd
to encourage the
Craftsmen, because of the Peaceableness
and
Loyalty, whereby they practically
answer'd the
Cavils of their Adversaries, and
promoted the
Honour of the Fraternity, who
ever flourish'd in
Times of Peace. So that if a Brother
should be
Rebel against the State, he is
not to be countenanc'd
in his Rebellion, however he may
be pitied as an
unhappy Man; and if Convicted
of no other Crime,
though the loyal Brotherhood must
and ought to
disown his Rebellion, and give
no Umbrage or
Ground of Political Jealousy to
the Government for
the time being, they can not expel
him from the
Lodge, and his relation to it
remains indefeasible.
iii. Of Lodges
A Lodge is a Place
where members assemble and
work; Hence that Assembly,
or duly organiz'd
Society of Masons,
is call'd a Lodge, and every
Brother ought to belong
to one, and to be subject
to its By-Laws and
the General Regulations. It is
either particular
or general, and will be best
understoon by attending
it, and by the
Regulations of the
General or Grand Lodge
hereunto annex'd.
In ancient Times, no Master or
Fellow could be absent
from it, especially when
warn'd to appear at
it, with incurring a severe
Censure, until it
appear'd to the Master and
Wardens, that pure
Necessity hinder'd him.
The Persons admitted
Members of a Lodge must
be good and true Men,
free-born and of marute
and discreet Age,
no Bondmen, no Women, no
immoral or scandalous
Men, but of good Report.
iv. Of
Masters, Wardens, Fellows,
And Apprentices
All preferment among
Masons is grounded upon
real Worth and Personal
Merit only; that so the
Lords may be well
served, the Brethren not put
to Shame, nor the
Royal Craft despis'd:
Therefore no Master
or Warden is chosen by
Seniority, but for
his Merit. It is impossible to
describe these things
in writing, and every
Brother must attend
in his Place, and learn them
in a way peculiar
to the Fraternity: Only
Candidates may know,
that no Master should
take on an Apprentice,
unless he has sufficient
Imployment for him,
and unless he be a perfect
Youth, have no Maim
or Defect in his body, that
may render him incapable
of learning the Art, of
serving his Master's
Lord, and of being made a
Brother, and then
a Fellow-Craft in due time,
and even after he
has served such a Term of
Years, as the Custom
of the Country directs; and
that he should be
descended of honest Parents;
that so, when otherwise
qualify'd, he may arrive
to the Honour of being
the Warden, and at length
the Grand-Master of
all the Lodges, according to
his Merit.
No Brother can be a
Warden until he has pass'd
the part of a Fellow-Craft;
nor a Master until he
has acted as a Warden,
nor Grand Warden until
he has been a Fellow-Craft
before his election,
who is also to be
nobly-born, or a Gentleman of
the best Fashion,
or some eminent Scholar, or
some curious Architect,
or other Artist,
descended of honest
Parents, and who is of
singular great Merit
in the Opinion of the
Lodges. And for the
better, and easier, and more
honourable discharge
of his Office, the
Grand-Master has a
Power to chuse his Deputy
GRand-Master, who
must be then, or must have
been formerly, the
Master of a particular Lodge,
and has the Privilege
of acting whatever the
Grand-Master, his
Principal, should act, unless
the said Principal
be present, or interpose his
Authority by a Letter.
These Rulers and Governors,
Supreme and
Subordinate, of the
ancient Lodge, are to be
obey'd in their respective
Stations by all the
Brethren, according
to the Old Charges and
Regulations, with
all Humility, Reverence, Love
and Alacrity.
v. Of The Management
Of The Craft
In Working
All Masons shall work
honestly on working
Days, that they may
live creditably on Holy
Days; and the time
appointed by the Law of the
Land, or confirm'd
by Custom, shall be observ'd.
The most expert of
the Fellow-Craftsmen shall
be chosen or appointed
the Master or Overseer
of the Lord's Work;
who is to be call'd Master by
those that work under
him. The Craftsmen are to
avoid all ill Language,
and to call each other by
no disobliging Name,
but Brother or Fellow; and
to behave themselves
courtesly within and
without the Lodge.
The Master, knowing
himself to be able of
Cunning, shall undertake
the Lord's Work as
reasonably as possible,
and truly dispend his
Goods as if they were
his own; nor to give more
Wages to any Brother
or Apprentice than he
really may deserve.
Both the Master and
Masons receiving their
Wages justly, shall
be faithful to the Lord, and
honestly finish their
Work, whether Task or
Journey; nor put the
Work to Task that hath
been accustom'd to
Journey.
None shall discover
Envy at the Prosperity of a
Brother, nor supplant
him, or put him out of his
Work, if he be capable
to finish the same; for no
Man can finish another's
Work so much to the
Lord's Profit, unless
he be thoroughly acquainted
with the Designs and
Draughts of him that began
it.
When a Fellow-Craftsman
is chosen Warden of
the Work under the
Master, he shall be true both
to Master and Fellows,
shall carefully oversee
the Work in the Master's
Absence to the Lord's
profit; and his Brethren
shall obey him.
All Masons employ'd
shall meekly receive their
Wages without murmuring
or Mutiny, and not
desert the Master
till the Work is finish'd.
A younger Brother shall
be instructed in
working, to prevent
spoiling the Materials for
want of Jedgement,
and for encreasing and
continuing of Brotherly
Love.
All the Tools used
in working shall be approved
by the Grand Lodge.
No Labourer shall be
employ'd in the proper
work of Masonry; nor
shall Free Masons work
with those that are
not free, without an urgent
Necessity; nor shall
they teach Labourers and
unaccepted Masons,
as they should teach a
Brother or Fellow.
vi. Of Behavior
1. In the Lodge while constituted.
You are not to hold
private Committees, or
separate Conversation,
without Leave from the
Master, nor to talk
of any thing impertinent or
unseemly, nor interrupt
the Master or Wardens,
or any Brother speaking
to the Master; nor
behave yourself ludicrously
or jestingly while the
Lodge is engaged in
what is serious and solemn;
nor use any unbecoming
Language upon any
Pretence whatsoever;
but to pay due Reverence
to your Master, Wardens,
and Fellows, and put
them to worship.
If any Complaint be
brought, the Brother found
guilty shall stand
to the Award and
Determination of the
Lodge, who are the proper
and competent Judges
of all such Controversies,
(unless you carry
it by Appeal to the Grand
Lodge,) and to whom
they ought to be referr'd
unless a Lord's Work
be hinder'd the mean while,
in which case a particular
Reference may be
made; but you must
never go to Law about what
concerneth Masonry,
without an absolute
Necessity apparent
to the Lodge.
2. Behaviour
after the Lodge is over and the
Brethren not gone.
You may enjoy yourselves
with innocent Mirth,
treating one another
according to Ability, but
avoiding all Excess,
or forcing any Brother to eat
or drink beyond his
Inclination, or hindering him
from going when his
Occasions call him, or doing
or saying anything
offensive, or that may forbid
an easy and free Conversation;
for that would
blast our Harmony,
and defeat our Laudable
Purposes. Therefore
no private Piques or
Quarrels must be brought
within the Door of the
Lodge, far less any
Quarrels about Religion, or
Nations, or State
Policy, we being only, as
Masons of the Catholick
Religion
above-mention'd; we
are also of all Nations,
Tongues, Kindreds,
and Languages, and are
resolv'd against all
Politicks, as what never yet
conduc'd to the Welfare
of the Lodge, nor ever
will. This charges
has been always strictly
enjoin'd and observ'd,
but especially ever since
the Reformation in
Britian, or the Dissent and
Secession of these
Nations from the Communion
of Rome.
3. Behaviour when Brethren meet without
Strangers, but not in a Lodge form'd.
You are to salute one
another in a courteous
manner as you will
be instructed, calling each
other Brother, freely
giving mutual Instruction as
shall be thought expedient,
without being
overseen or overheard,
and without encroaching
upon each other or
derogating from that Respect
which is due to any
Brother, were he not a
Mason: For though
all Masons are as Brethren
upon the same Level,
yet Masonry takes no
Honour from a Man
that he had before; nay
rather it adds to
his Honour, especially if he as
deserv'd well of the
Brotherhood, who must give
Honour to whom it
is due, and avoid ill manners.
4. Behaviour in presence of Strangers not
Masons.
You shall be most cautious
in your Words and
Carriage, that the
most penetrating Stranger shall
not be abole to discover
or find out what is not
proper to be intimated;
and sometimes you shall
divert a discourse,
and manage it prudently for
the Honour of the
worshipful Fraternity.
5. Behariour at Home, and in your
Neighbourhood.
You are to act as becomes
a moral and wise
Man; particularly,
not to let your Family,
Friends, and Neighbours
know the Concerns of
the Lodge, &c.,
but wisely to consult your own
Honour, and that of
the ancient Brotherhood, for
Reasons not be be
mention'd here. You must also
consult your health,
by not continuing together
too late, or too long
from home, after Lodge
Hours are past; and
by avoiding of Gluttony or
Drunkenness, that
your Families be not
neglected or injured,
nor you disabled from
working.
6. Behaviour towards a strange Brother.
You are cautiously
to examine him, in such a
method as prudence
shall direct you, that you
may not be impos'd
upon by an ignorant false
Pretender, whom you
are to reject with
Contempt and Derision,
and beware of giving
him any Hints of Knowledge.
But if you discover
him to be a true and Genuine
Brother, you are to
respect him accordingly; and
if he is in want,
you must relieve him if you can,
or rlse direct him
how he may be reliev'd. You
must employ him some
Days, or recommend him
to be employ'd. But
you are not charged to do
beyond your Ability,
only to prefer a poor
Brother, that is a
good Man and true, before any
other poor People
in the same Circumstances.
Finally, all of these
Charges you are to observe,
and also those that
shall be communicated to you
in another way; cultivating
Brotherly-Love, the
foundation and Capestone,
the Cement and
Glory of this ancient
Fraternity, avoiding all
Wrangling and Quarreling,
all Slander and
Backbiting, nor permitting
others to slander any
honest Brother, but
defending his Character, and
doing him all good
offices, as far as is consistent
with your own or his
Lodge; and from thence
you may appeal to
the Grand Lodge at the
Quarterly Communication,
and from thence to
the annual Grand Lodge;
as has been the ancient
laudable Conduct of
our Forefathers in every
Nation; never taking
a legal Course but when the
Case cannot be otherwise
decided, and patiently
listening to the honest
and friendly Advice of
Master and Fellows,
when they would prevent
your from going to
Law with Strangers, or would
excite you to put
a speedy Period to all Law
Suits, that so you
may mind the Affair of
Masonry with the more
Alacrity and Success;
but with respect to
Brothers or Fellows at Law,
the Master and Brethren
should kindly offer their
Mediation, which ought
to be thankfull
submitted to by the
contending Brethren, and if
that submission is
impracticable, they must
however carry on their
Process, or Law-suit,
without Wrath and
Rancor (not in the common
way), saying or doing
nothing which may hinder
Brotherly Love, and
good Offices to be renew'd
and continu'd; that
all may see the benign
Influence of Masonry,
as all true Masons have
done from the Beginning
of the World, and will
do to the End of Time.
Amen so mote it be.
The above Charges, including
the original spelling, punctuation,
and capitalization are extracted directly
from the Ancient Constitutions
published in 1723, and adopted by most Grand Lodges throughout
the world.
~ 1 ~
The
modes of recognition are, of all the
Landmarks, the most legimate and
unquestioned. They admit of no variation.
~ 2 ~
The
division of symbolic Freemasonry into
three Degrees is a Landmark that has been
better preserved than almost any other.
~ 3 ~
The
Legend of the Third Degree is an
important Landmark, the integrity of
which has been well preserved. There is
no Rite of Freemasonry, practiced in any
country or in any language, in which the
essential elements of this Legend are not
taught. Any Rite which should exclude it,
or materially alter it, would at once, by
that exclusion or alternation cease to be a
Masonic Rite.
~ 4 ~
The
government of the Fraternity by a
presiding officer called a Grand Master,
who is elected from the body of the Craft,
is a fourth Landmark. Many persons
suppose that the election of a Grand
Master is held in consequence of a law or
regulation of a Grand Lodge. Such,
however, is not the case. The office is
indebted for its existence to a Landmark
of the Order.
~ 5 ~
The
prerogative of the Grand Master to
preside over every Assembly of the Craft,
wheresoever and whensoever held, is a
fifth Landmark. It is in consequence of
this Landward, derived from ancient
usages, that the Grand Master assumes the
chair at every Communication of a Grand
Lodge; and that he is also entitled to
preside at the communication of every
subordinate Lodge where he may happen
to be present.
~ 6 ~
The
prerogative of the Grand Master to
grant Dispensations for conferring Degrees
at irregular times is another very important
Landmark. The statutory law of
Freemasonry requires a month, or other
determinate period, to elapse between the
presentation of a petition and the election
of a candidate. But the Grand Master has
the power to set aside or dispense with this
probation, and to allow a candidate to be
initiated at once. This prerogative he
possessed before the enactment of the law
requiring a probation, and as no statute
can impair his prerogative, he still retains
this power.
~ 7 ~
The
prerogative of the Grand Master to
give Dispensations for opening and
holding Lodges is another Landmark. He
may grant in virtue of this, to a sufficnent
number of Freemasons, the privilege of
meeting together and conferring Degrees.
The Lodges thus established are called
Lodges Under Dispensation.
~ 8 ~
The
prerogative of the Grand Master to
make Freemasons at sight is an Ancient
Landmark which is closely connected with
the preceding one.
~ 9 ~
The
necessity for Freemasons to
congregate in Lodges is another
Landmark. From time immemorial, the
Landmarks of the Order always prescribed
that Freemasons should, from time to time,
congregate together for the purpose of
either Operative or Speculative labor, and
that these Congregations should be called
Lodges. Formerly, these were
extemporary meetings called together for
special purposes, and then dissolved, the
Brethren departing to meet again at other
times and other places, according to the
necessity of circumstances. But Warrants
of Constitution, by-laws, and permanent
officers are modern innovations wholly
outside of the Landmarks, and dependent
entirely on special enactments of a
comparatively recent period.
~ 10 ~
The
government of the Craft, when so
congregated in a Lodge, by a Master and
two Wardens is a Landmark. A
Congregation of Freemasons meeting
together under any other government, as
that, for instance, of a president and
vice-president, or a chairman and
subchairman, would not be recognized as a
Lodge. The presence of a Master and two
Wardens is as essential to the valid
organization of a Lodge as a Warrant of
Constitution is at the present day. The
names of these three officers vary in
different languages; but the officers, their
number, prerogatives, and duties are
everywher identical.
~ 11 ~
The
necessity that every Lodge, when
congregated, should be duly tiled, is an
important Landmark of the Institution
which is never neglected. The necessity of
this law arises from the esoteric character
of Freemasonry. The duty of guarding the
door, and keeping off cowans and
eavesdroppers, is an ancient one.
~ 12 ~
The
right of every Freemason to be
represented in all general meetings of the
Craft, and to instruct his representatives, is
a twelfth Landmark. Formerly, these
general meetings, which were usually held
once a year, were called General
Assemblies, and all the Fraternity, even to
the youngest Entered Apprentice, were
permitted to be present. Now they are
called Grand Lodges, and only the Masters
and Wardens of the subordinate Lodges
are summoned. But this is simply as the
representatives of their members.
Originally, each Freemason represented
himself; now he is represented by the
officers of his Lodge.
~ 13 ~
The
right of every Freemason to appeal
from the decision of his Brethren, in
Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge or
General Assembly of Freemasons, is a
Landmark highly essential to the
preservation of justice, and the prevention
of oppression.
~ 14 ~
The
right of every Freemason to visit and
sit in every regular Lodge is an
unquestionable Landmark of the Order.
This is called the Right of Visitation. This
right of visitation has always been
recognized as an inherent right which
inures to every Freemason as he travels
through the world. And this is because
Lodges are justly considered as only
divisions for convenience of the universal
Masonic family.
~ 15 ~
It
is a Landmark of the Order, that no
visitor unknown to the Brethren present,
or to some one of them as a Freemason,
can enter a Lodge without first passing an
examination according to ancient usage. If
the visitor is known to any Brother present
to be a Freemason in good standing, and if
that Brother will vouch for his
qualifications, the examination may be
dispensed with, as the Landmark refers
only to the cases of strangers, who are not
to be recognized unless after strict trial,
due examination or lawful information.
~ 16 ~
No
Lodge can interfere in the business of
another Lodge, nor give Degrees to
Brethren who are members of other
Lodges. This Landmark is founded on the
great principles of courtesy and fraternal
kindness, which are at the very foundation
of our Institution.
~ 17 ~
It
is a Landmark that every Freemason is
amenable to the laws and regulations of
the Masonic Jurisdiction in which he
resides, and this although he may not be a
member of any Lodge in that Jurisdiction.
~ 18 ~
Certain
qualifications of candidates for
initiation are derived from a Landmark of
the Order. These qualifications are that he
shall be a man, unmutilated, free born, and
of mature age.
~ 19 ~
A
belief in the existence of God as the
Great Architect of the Universe, is one of
the most important Landmarks of the
Order. It has always been admitted that a
denial of the existence of a Supreme and
Superintending Power is an absolute
disqualification for initiation. The annals
of the Order nver have furnished or could
furnish an instance in which an avowed
Athiest was ever made a Freemason. The
very initiatory ceremonies of the First
Degree forbid and prevent the possibility
of such an occurrence.
~ 20 ~
Subsidiary
to this belief in God, as a
Landmark of the Order, is the belief in a
resurrection to a future life.
~ 21 ~
It
is a Landmark that a Book of the Law
shall constitute an indespensable part of
the furniture of every Lodge. It is not
absolutely a requirement that the Old and
New Testamets be used. The Book of the
Law is that volume which, by the religion
of the country, is believed to contain the
revealed will of the Great Architect of the
Universe. Hence, in all Lodges in Christian
countries, the Book of the Law is
composed of the Old and New
Testaments; in a country where Judaism is
the prevailing faith, the Old Testament
alone would be sufficient; and in a
Mohammedan countries, and among
Mohammedan Freemasons, the Koran
may be substituted. Freemasonry does not
attempt to interfere with the particular
religious faith of its disciples, except so far
as it relates to the belief in the existence of
God, and what necessarily results from
that belief. The Book of Law is to the
Speculative Freemason his spiritual
Trestleboard; without this he cannot labor;
whatever he belies to be the revealed will
of the Great Architect constitutes for him
in his hours of speculative labor, to be the
rule and guide of his conduct. The
Landmark, therefore, requires that a Book
of the Law, a religious code of some kind
as the revealed will of God, shall form an
essential part of the furniture of every
Lodge.
~ 22 ~
The
equality of all Freemasons is another
Landmark of the Order. This equality has
not reference to any subversion of those
graduations of rank which have been
instituted by the usages of society. The
monarch, the nobleman and the common
laborer are all equal within Freemasonry.
~ 23 ~
The
secrecy of the Institution is another
and most important Landmark. If the
Instituion were divest of its secret
character, it would cease to be
Freemasonry. This secrecy is based on the
forms and modes of recognition so that
one Freemason may know another.
~ 24 ~
The
foundation of a Speculative Science
upon an Operative Art, and the sumbolic
use and explanation of ther terms of that
art, for the purposes of religious or moral
teaching constitute another Landmark of
the Order. The Temple of Solomon is the
symbolic cradle of the Institution, and,
therefore, the reference to the Operative
Masonry which constructed that
magnificent edifice, to the materials and
implements which were employed in its
construction, and to the artists who were
engaged in the building, are all component
and essential parts of the body of
Freemasonry, which could not be
subtracted from it without an entire
destruction of the whole identity of the
Order.
~ 25 ~
The
last and crowning Landmark of all is,
that these Landmarks can never be
changed. Nothing can be subtracted from
them -- nothing can be added to them --
not the slightest modification can be made
in them. As they were received from our
predecessors, we are bound by the most
solemn obligations of duty to transmit
them to our successors.
The above descriptions of The Ancient
Landmarks Of Freemasonry
were taken
directly from Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia.
Mackey's compilation of these Ancient Landmarks is considered
by many to
be one of the most authoritative
sources of information on this topic.
Masonic Creed
Freemasonry teaches
the universal principle of
unselfish friendship
and promotes those moral
precepts which are
in keeping with all great
faiths.
In pursuing this doctrine,
the following, though
not exclusive, is
considered to be basic.
Masonic Beliefs
Mankind was created by one God.
This one God is the author of all life.
God's existence is revealed to man through faith
and the Book of Holy Scriptures.
The Book of Holy Scriptures is the Ultimate
Authority or Great Light of Freemasonry.
The soul of man is immortal.
Man's commitment to Divine Providence
determines his destiny.
Considering the universality of Freemasonry, its
teachings cannot be defined in a single statement
or established profile. The following is considered
to be representative of its fundamental precepts.
Masonic Teachings
Man's first duty is to love and revere God,
Implore His aid in all laudable undertakings,
Seek His guidance through prayer,
Embrace and practice the tenets of religion,
Extend charity and sympathy to all mankind,
Shield and support the widow and orphan,
Defend virtue,
Respect the aged,
Honor the bonds of friendship,
Protect the helpless,
Lift up the oppressed,
Comfort the downcast,
Restore dignity to the rejected,
Respect the laws of government,
Promote morality, and
Add to the common stock of humanity's
knowledge and understanding.
A man in your family has received his First degree in the Masonic Fraternity.
He is
now an Entered Apprentice and you are now a Mason's Lady. We take this
opportunity to extend our first greeting to you. While you personally have
not
joined our organization, there are certain things that may be helpful for
you to know
in the future. At the same time, the are matters of general interest about
your
Mason and his new Fraternity that we think you would like to know.
WHEN AND WHERE
DID IT BEGIN ?
The Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons (F.&A.M.) is the oldest,
largest and
most widely known fraternal organization in the world. It has its roots
in antiquity
and is directly descended from the association of "operative masons," the
cathedral
builders of the Middle Ages, who traveled through Europe employing the
skills of
their craft. The organization, as we know it today, began in 1717 in England
when
cathederal building was on the decline and the "operative masons," or "free
masons" as they were known, started to accept members who were not members
of the mason's craft, calling them "speculative masons" or "accepted masons."
Freemasonry was brought to the United States by our early settlers. Today,
there
are over 700 Masonic Lodges in New York with membership totaling nearly
90,000. Through out the world, there are approximately five million Masons,
with
nearly three million of them in the United States.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FREEMASONRY ?
The basic purpose is to make "better men out of good men"; better fathers,
better
husbands, better brothers, and sons. We try to place emphasis on the individual
man by strengthening his character, improving his moral and spiritual outlook
and
broadening his mental horizons. We try to build a better world . . . by
building
better men to work in their own communities.
Membership is limited to adult males who can meet recognized qualifications
and
standards of character and reputation.
IS FREEMASONRY A
SECRET ORGANIZATION
OR A RELIGION ?
The answer is NO. A secret organization is one which conceals its membership,
has secret meeting places and which the public has little knowledge regarding
its
organization or its principles. This does not fit the Masonic Fraternity
at all. Our
secrets a very few in number and deal with methods of personal recognition,
some
details of our degrees and privacy of each member's ballot.
Freemasonry is not a religion, although it is religious in character. Every
applicant
for Masonry must express a belief and a trust in God. Masonry does not
take the
place of religion, but stresses the personal commitment and involvement
in the
individual faith of each member.
WHAT ARE THE DEGREES ?
Lessons in Masonry are taught in three separate stages in our Masonic Lodges.
The degrees, in order are Entered Apprentice (first degree), Fellowcraft
(second
degree), and Master Mason (third degree). Each blends Masonic moral philosophy
in a unique lesson which is intended to have a serious impact and influence
on the
man who receives the degree.
WHAT ARE MASONIC
APRONS?
The symbolic apron was worn by operative masons to protect themselves from
rough stones and tools. Presently, it is a badge of fraternal distinction.
It represents
the white lambskin, a symbol of innoncence. Some decorations may appear
on
Masonic Aprons and often designate an officer or special recognition. All
are,
however, a proud display of membership in this world-wide Fraternity.
WHAT DO MASONIC
SYMBOLS MEAN ?
The most widely recognized symbol of the Fraternity is the Square and Compasses
with the letter "G" in the center.
Members wear it to remind themselves of their obligation to the lessons
learned in
their Lodges, and to identify their membership to other Masons and all
people.
Masonic symbols have wide meanings, some directly related to the tools
used by
actual operative masons and some, represent the need for order and direction
in
life. The letter "G" represents God, the Supreme Architect of the Universe.
WHEN ARE MEETINGS
HELD ?
Lodges meet in regular monthly sessions and on such other days as are necessary
to conduct its business and ritualistic work. While every Mason's attendance
is
earnestly solicited, yet it is not intended that a Lodge should interfere
with one's
regular vocation or duty to family, God, or country.
Your Mason has invested time and money in joining our Fraternity. He can
best
receive all that he should by frequently participating in its deliberations
and events.
We hope that you will approve and encourage him to attend regularly, and
we
hope also, that you, too, will join us whenever possible for the guest
activities held
by the Lodge.
SHOULD I CONTACT ANYONE
WHEN MY MASON IS
ILL OR HOSPITALIZED ?
In the event our member becomes ill, we would appreciate knowing. You may
call
the Master or Secretary of his Lodge. Your Mason has joined an organization
which wants to assist him and you when in need, and we need your help to
do it.
WHAT CAN YOUR
INVOLVEMENT BE ?
Countless opportunities abound through active participation and membership
in any
of the numerous Masonic-related ladies' organizations. You are encouraged
to
share in many social activities, parties, dinners, dances, tours, civic
events, and
charitable efforts of the Lodge. Many full family activities are regularly
scheduled.
Non-Masonic friends and families may also take part in many Masonically
supported programs.
We hope you will be proud that your husband has chosen to become a member
of
the world's oldest and best fraternity. We welcome you as a "Mason's Lady."