WANT TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE MASONIC FRATERNAL FAMILY?

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MASON

(Information taken from Massachusetts Grand Lodge Website)

Membership in the brotherhood of Masons means many things.

It means being part of an unbroken tradition that stretches back over 500 years to a time when guilds of freemasons traveled throughout Europe laying the stones of the great Gothic cathedrals.

It means sharing the values of our nation's founding fathers; the ideals of men who believed in the brotherhood of man are firmly rooted in the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It means becoming a better person while helping to improve the quality of life for others. It means forming deep and lasting friendships that transcend the boundaries of race, religion and culture, as well as those of geography.

But most of all, being a Mason means the kind of deep satisfaction that comes only from selfless giving; from doing for others without asking, or expecting anything in return.

Sharing the Traditions of Our Founding Fathers

Masons were active in Massachusetts even before 1733, the year the first Provincial Grand Lodge of Masons was formally organized by Henry Price. Today the Grand Lodge in Boston remains the oldest continuously operating Masonic organization in the Western Hemisphere.

In its early years, Masonry numbered among its members some of the nation's most influential citizens - among them George Washington, Henry Knox, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Paul Revere.

In Massachusetts, many of those who participated in the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill were Masons. Many of the patriots who participated in the Boston Tea Party were believed to be Masons and others, such as Dr. Joseph Warren, who was a Grand Master, sacrificed their lives in the struggle for independence from British rule.

The values that were important then - loyalty, patriotism, liberty, courage and faith - are just as important to Masons today. The principles upon which this country was founded are deeply embedded in Masonry.

Improving Yourself and Those Around You

Basic to most of the world's great religions is the belief in what some might call the "old fashioned" values of honesty, fair play and unselfishness in dealing with others.

Freemasonry shares many of the same beliefs; and, through its traditions and teachings, attempts to instill in its members both the desire and the means to improve themselves and the lives of others

However, while it may adhere to many of the same values associated with a religious faith, Masonry is not a religion. It is a brotherhood of men from every country, sect, and opinion, joined in a common effort to make themselves better people, to ease the suffering of others, and to make the world a better place.

To achieve these goals, Masonry does not promote itself or its individual members. Instead, it teaches by example. New members are not publicly recruited; they are attracted by the example of good men performing good works and living good lives.

Having Friends Wherever You Go

Who becomes a Mason: anyone and everyone, accountants, businessmen, teachers, contractors, professional men and laborers. Masons come from all walks of life and levels of income. They represent every race, creed and culture.

In Masonry, it doesn't matter whether a man is a bricklayer or a physician, a waiter or the mayor of the city. All are on equal footing in the Lodge room.

The ceremonies and practices of the Masons have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. No matter where a Lodge is located, its members share the common bond of having passed through the same degree work, rites and rituals.

Because of this, members can find brother Masons wherever they go. In Massachusetts alone, there are 300 lodges with nearly 60,000 members. Across the country and around the world, there are Lodges in nearly every city and in many smaller communities.

It's a good feeling to know that, wherever a man's travels may take him, he has friends he can depend upon and trust.

Commiting Yourself to a Code of Moral Ethics

Freemasonry is built upon three basic tenets - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Brotherly Love is the practice of the Golden Rule. Relief embodies charity for all mankind. Truth is honesty, fair play and adherence to the cardinal virtues.

These moral lessons are taught during three ceremonies, or "degrees" through allegory and symbolism using the traditional stonemasons tools.

The First Degree uses the gavel and gauge to remind the new member of his dependence on others and his subordination to God. In the Second Degree, the square, level, and plumb are used to reinforce the moral lessons of brotherly love and service. And in the Third Degree, the trowel and other tools encourage the candidate to reflect on the end of life and on the value of faithfulness to his promises.

After the Three Degrees, members may explore other branches of Masonry, such as the Scottish Rite, York Rite and Shrine.

Freemasonry is not a secret organization. Lodge buildings are clearly marked and listed in the phone book. Members frequently wear rings and pins identifying them as Masons. However, Masonry values confidentiality and, as with many other organizations, many of its meetings are not open to the public.

Giving Freely of Yourself and Asking Nothing in Return

Of all the cardinal virtues, none is more valued in Masonry than selfless giving. Examples of Masonic charity are legion.

Nationally, Masons contribute over $2 million every day to relieve suffering and for the enrichment of mankind. Masons are the founding sponsors and supporters of the Shriners Burns Institutes and the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children, both of which offer their services free of charge. Every Shriner is a Mason.

Masons are responsible for the Scottish Rite Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington, the Masonic Retirement Homes, the Knights' Templar Eye Foundation, and the 32° Masonic Learning Centers for Children in addition to supporting Childrens Identification Program, DeMolay for Boys, Rainbow for Girls, scholarships, and hundreds of other programs nationally and locally.

Satisfaction derived from these endeavors cannot be measured in ordinary terms. We will say, however, that it is through helping others that man most helps himself.

If you would like to learn more about Masonry or to become a Mason, contact any Mason or Masonic Lodge or telephone the Grand Lodge of Masons of Massachusetts at 1-800-882-1020.


(Information taken from Nevada Grand Lodge Website)

HOW DO I BECOME A MASON?

Becoming a member of our Fraternity is not a difficult task ...

If you look around you, you very well may discover that you are already in the company of Masons ... look closely for bumper stickers or medallions with the "Square and Compass" insignia - look for rings, tie tacks and/or lapel pins with the insignia ... and if you find one amongst your acquaintances, make inquiry with him about joining "the Craft" ...

If you don't find a friend who is already a Mason, look in the telephone directory (in the white pages under "Masonic Lodges" or in the yellow pages under "Fraternal Organizations"), and pick a Lodge near you. Drive by the Lodge building during the day - many Lodges have an active Secretary with regular Office Hours ... if so, stop in and make inquiry. (Several of our Lodges find that well over half of our new members come from drop-in visits, which sometimes turn into long conversations held in the Lodge office.) If there are no Office Hours posted, call the Lodge on the telephone, and leave a message - someone will get back to you. Or another way would be to make note of their next scheduled meeting date and time, and drop in about a half hour before the meeting starts - locate the "Tyler" (whose job during meetings is to act as an "outer guard", to insure that no non-member is allowed to disturb the meeting), and talk to him ... and it will probably flow from there into him presenting you with a "petition" for membership. (You should, of course, pick a Lodge whose meeting nights pose no conflict with your current activities!)

Once a petition is submitted, the following things happen, in the following order:

The petition is read, for the benefit of the membership, at the next regular Stated Communication ("Business Meeting"), and the Master of the Lodge (the "C.E.O. of the organization") will appoint an investigating committee (usually several senior members of the Lodge), who will contact you and find a mutually-convenient time to meet with you, to talk to you, and to determine if you meet the prerequisites for membership (which are generally that you are an honest and upright man, who conducts his affairs with dignity, and treats all mankind fairly and decently) ... they will then report their findings to the Master. (Since it is not practical that you meet each person who will be balloting on your petition, the "committee" interviews you and reports their findings, through the Master, to the entire Lodge.)

The petition will be read at the next Stated Communication, and it will be voted on by the membership present. If you are accepted as a member, you will be contacted by the Secretary, and instructed as to when and where to report for your "First Degree" - that of "Entered Apprentice" - at which time the Lodge, in full ceremony, will confer the ancient rites and rituals of that Degree.

After the Degree, there will be some study on your part, to commit parts of what happened to you and with you that night to memory and recite it before the Lodge, or in front of an examining committee of some sort ... and then on to the Second Degree (that of "Fellowcraft" - or in the terms of our ancient brethren, "Fellow of the Craft") and then on to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason.

You can meet no finer group of men than those you will find in a Lodge of Free Masons - and, in our opinion, no higher ideals to hold yourself to.