Masons,
also known as Freemasons, belong to the oldest and largest fraternal
organization in the world. There are more than 2 million Freemasons
in North America. Masons represent virtually every occupation and
profession, yet within the fraternity, all meet as equals. Masons
come from diverse political ideologies, yet meet as friends. Masons
come from varied religious beliefs and creeds, yet all believe in
one God. One of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry is how
so many men, from so many walks of life, can meet together in peace,
always conducting their affairs in harmony and friendship and
calling each other "Brother".
Freemasonry is a fraternal
order whose basic tenets are brotherly love, relief (philanthropy),
and truth. We strive to enjoy the company of our brother Masons,
assist them in times of personal trouble, and reinforce essential
moral values. There is an old adage that Masonry "takes good men and
makes them better", which is our goal. It has often been observed
that men are the products of everything they come into contact with
during their lifetime.
Masonry offers a man an opportunity to
come into regular, enjoyable contact with men of good character,
thus reinforcing his own personal moral development. Of course,
Masonry is also meant to be enjoyed by its membership, so the order
should not be viewed simply as a philosophical club, but rather a
vibrant fellowship of men who seek to enjoy each other's company, a
fraternity. To maintain this fraternity, discussion of religion and
politics within the Lodge is forbidden, as these subjects are those
which have often divided men in the past. Masons cover the spectrum
of both religious and political beliefs and encourages a man to be
religious without advocating a particular religion, and to be active
in his community without advocating a particular medium of political
expression.
While there probably are some actual
stone-workers who are Masons, Masonry does not teach is membership
the literal techniques of stonework. Rather, it takes the actual
"operative" work of Medieval Masons and uses it as an allegory for
moral development. Thus, the symbols of Masonry are the common tools
that were used by medieval stonemasons: the gavel, the rule, the
compass, the square, the level, etc. Each of these has a symbolic
meaning in Masonry. For example, Masons are said to meet "on the
level", meaning that all Masons are brothers, regardless of social
status, personal wealth, or office within the Lodge or in the world
at large. Similar symbolism exists for other tools.
Masonry
is distinguished from other fraternal orders by its emphasis on
moral character, its ornate rituals, and its long tradition and
history, which dates back to at least the 17th century in modern
form, the 14th century (c. 1350-1390) in the written evidence of its
precursors, and back to the mists of antiquity in its origin.
Masonry has a continuously documented paper history (i.e., Lodge to
Lodge) since 1717, though historical analysis shows Masonry to be
much older. There are also a great many things that Masonry is NOT:
a religion, a secret society, etc.
There are three degrees in
Masonry (Blue Lodge). Other appendant or concordant bodies confer
additional degrees, up to the 32nd (or the honorary 33rd) of the
Scottish Rite, but in symbolic Masonry proper, there are only three.
At the Blue Lodge, Masons receive the degrees of Entered Apprentice
(EA) (first degree), Fellowcraft (second degree), and Master Mason
(third degree). Promotion generally requires the mastery of a small
body of memorized material, the contents of which varies from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, only the signs,
tokens, and grips of each degree must be learned; in others, a
longer amount of material. Of course, no Mason would ever look down
upon a Brother simply because he was of a lower degree-- the degrees
do not exist to create a pecking order or to confer rank. Rather,
they are a system of initiation that allows men to become familiar
with the august and ancient history and principles of Masonry at a
comfortable pace.
Proceeding from Entered Apprentice to Master
Mason in Canada can take as little as three months, while in
England, the degrees are spaced apart by a year's interval. Most
Lodges have regular communications (meetings) once a month, that are
also referred to as "business meetings". In Canada, these are
typically only open to Master Masons. In England, these meetings are
usually opened in the first degree, and EAs may attend). Conferring
of degrees is usually done at other meetings during the month. While
conferral of degrees and mundane business do take up a lot of a
Lodge's time, there are a host of other activities that Masons
engage in within the fraternity. Charitable work is often done, in
the form of fundraisers, community volunteer work, etc. And there
are also a great many things done for the simple pleasure of
company: monthly breakfasts or dinners, picnics, card/chess matches,
lecturers on Masonic history, you name it. Masonry is a fraternity,
and its membership seeks to have fun.
"2B1 ASK1"
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