What is a Mason?

What I Want My Friends To Know About Freemasonry

Why have I not been asked to join? Unlike the members of other fraternal organizations, Masons are forbidden to solicit anyone to become a member.

How does one become a Mason? Many men live a lifetime and never
know they must ask for admission to the world’s oldest, most purposeful and greatest fraternity.

They do not realize that they will not be invited. They must come in
of their own free will and accord, without persuasion. They must ask a Mason for a petition.

The prescribed requirements for membership in Tennessee are: being a man, at least 21 years of age, having a belief in a Supreme Being and in the immortality of the soul, being capable of reading and writing, being of good moral character, having been a resident of the county in which he resides for at least one year preceding the presentation of his petition, and being recommended by two Master Mason members of the Lodge to which he desires to apply.

What is Freemasonry?

It is a fraternal society based on certain moral and religious doctrines; the moral doctrines including Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, and the religious doctrines comprising a belief in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul.

Freemasonry might also be defined as a charitable, benevolent, educational, religious society with a purpose to teach by ritual and symbolism the building of good character.

It is charitable in that its income is not expended for private gain, but is devoted to the improvement and promotion of happiness and well being of mankind.

It is benevolent in that it teaches unselfish concern for the welfare of others as a duty, and exemplifies it by the relief of poor and distressed brethren and their needy widows and orphans. Masonry is not an insurance or benefit society.

It is educational in that it teaches by prescribed ceremonials a system of morality and brotherhood based on Sacred Law. It emphasizes the duty of man to be curious about the world; to develop his intellect and skill; to be just; to follow precepts of conscience and exercise
self-control; to be earnest and sincere. Freemasonry’s Lodges, Temples and Libraries are aids to this end.

It is religious in that it teaches belief in one God, a belief prerequisite for membership, though without dogma or creed, for Freemasonry is not concerned with creeds or theology. Every Lodge must have an altar and on it, when the Lodge is in session, a volume of the Sacred Law.

Freemasonry is social in that it fosters the natural friendliness and a true spirit of brotherly love and affection that should take place
in the lives of men associated and united for noble purposes.

While a belief in a Supreme Being is the primary mandatory requisite to membership, Masonry does not require membership in any church as a condition of membership. Conversely, membership in a church is no restriction to admission to Masonry. There is nothing in our requirements to prevent a Roman Catholic, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Latter Day Saint (Mormon), a Protestant or a member of any religious sect having a belief in one Supreme Being, or of any race from becoming a Mason, and we have within our membership adherents to each of these religious groups. Discussion of sectarian religion is prohibited in the Lodge in order to
maintain peace and harmony, but Masonry encourages its members to take an active part in the churches of their choice.

Discussion in the Lodge of political matters or candidates is also
prohibited for the same reason, but as individuals we have the right, outside the Lodge, to engage in political affairs. Indeed, civic duty encourages the individual Mason to actively participate in community affairs.

While we do not boast of our relief we can certainly say that the arm of Masonry reaches around the world in alleviating the distress of
our brethren, their widows and orphans. Such relief is not a part of a beneficial aid society but truly charity in the largest sense. In this Grand Jurisdiction there are charitable projects of which we are very proud, namely our Widow’s and Orphan’s Home Fund and the Educational Assistance program. On a national level we all talk proudly of the philanthropies of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite and the Shrine.

Many people do not fully understand our support of the public schools. We are proud of our founding and continued support of the public schools. A Mason, DeWitt Clinton, an outstanding statesman who was Governor of New York, was largely instrumental in establishing free public schools because of our belief that to have a strong America we must have an enlightened and knowledgeable citizenry.

It should be clear that we are not a secret society but rather a society possessing certain secrets. We do not hide our membership. We wear pins, rings, and emblems of the Masonic Fraternity. We do not meet secretly. Our Temples are listed, they usually bear the Lodge name and the emblem of Freemasonry is generally displayed as we hold our meetings.

The doors of Freemasonry are open to all men who seek harmony with their fellow creatures, who feel the need for self improvement and wish to participate in the adventure of making this world a more congenial place in which to live.

In a world where strife and derision are common and moral values so easily set aside, every Mason has at his immediate disposal the strength of the institution’s precepts and the encouragement and support of his fellow members to persevere. As it has been proclaimed by many, it is not possible for a good Mason not to be a good man. What a great feeling to be part of a way of life in which each member is not content with his present state but ever striving for self improvement, and with
every member, regardless of location cheering him on.

Do not be hesitant to ask a Masonic friend for more informationember of the world's oldest and largest fraternity. Masons join together because:

• They want to do good in the world.
• They want to do good inside their own minds.
• They enjoy being together with other men they like and respect.
  • You must ask a Masonic friend to recommend you. You must then sign a petition, stating your age, occupation and place of residence. Members of the Lodge will then vote on your admissions after careful consideration of your character and reputation.
  • If you don't know a mason, you can contact a Lodge close to you for more information. Most Lodges are listed in phone books under Fraternal Organizations. Ask around in your family. You may be surprised to find your father, grandfather or uncle may be a Mason.
  • Ways to identify ourselves to each other as Masons.
  • We have special grips and passwords (like many other fraternal organizations) which we keep secret so that unscrupulous people can't pass themselves off as Masons to obtain assistance under false pretenses.
  • Masonic secrets.
  • Entered Apprentice
  • Fellowcraft
  • Master Mason

 

What is Masonry?

Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest Fraternity. Its history and tradition date to antiquity. Its singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of friendship, compassion and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military and religious conflicts through the centuries. Freemasonry is neither a forum nor a place for worship. Instead, it is a friend of all religions which are based on the belief in one God.

Many of our nation's early patriots were Freemasons, as well as thirteen signers of the Constitution and fourteen Presidents of the United States beginning with George Washington. Today, the more than four million Freemasons around the world come from virtually every occupation and profession. Within the Fraternity, however, they all meet as equals. They come from diverse political ideologies, but they meet as friends. They come from virtually every religious belief, but they all believe in one God.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry has always been: how so many men, from so many different walks of life, can meet together in peace, never have any political or religious debates, always conduct their affairs in harmony and friendship, and call each other " Brother!"

Masonry, or Freemasonry, is a fraternity so old that its origins have been lost in time. It probably started with the guilds of stonemasons who built the great castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages and might have been influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.

Masonry was formalized in 1717 when the first "Grand Lodge" was formed in England. Today, there are about 13,200 Masonic lodges in the U.S.

What is a Masonic Lodge?

The word "lodge" refers to two things:  a group of Masons meeting in a particular place and the place in which they meet.  The term, "lodge," comes from the structures which the medieval stonemasons built against the sides of the cathedrals during construction. During the winter, when construction work was stopped, they lived in their lodges and worked at carving stone.

Masonic buildings are sometimes called "temples," because much of the symbolism Masonry uses to teach its lessons comes from the building of King Solomon's Temple in the Holy Land.

What do Masons believe in?

All Masons believe in God and in respect for each other.

 

What do Masons do?

Masons are men of charity and good works. In fact, Masonry is the world's leading charitable organization, contributing nearly $2 million a day to charitable causes which they have established themselves. Our hospitals for burned and crippled children are known worldwide and are just part of the work we do.

What are the qualifications to become a Mason?

We're proud of our philosophy and practice of "making good men better." Therefore, only men of the age of 18 or older and of high character are considered for membership. Every applicant must state his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. Atheists are not accepted into our fraternity.

How do I become a member of the Masons?

Why is Masonry so secretive?

Actually, Masonry isn't very secretive at all, although it sometimes seems to have that reputation. We make no secret of our membership --- we wear rings, lapel pins and tie tacks with Masonic emblems. Our buildings are clearly marked and are listed in phone books.   Lodge activities are even listed in newspapers in smaller towns!

Like most fraternities, however, we do have some secrets, and these fall into two categories:

When you truly accept responsibility for your own life and realize that real happiness comes from helping others, you experience certain changes. It's almost impossible to put these changes into words, to describe them to others. (It's like trying to describe a sunset or the feeling you get when you hear our National Anthem.) It's not that these "secrets" may not be told, but that they simply cannot be put into words.

 Frankly, if we're a "secret society," then we're the worst-kept secret in town!

Is Masonry a religion?

No. Religion plays an important part in Masonry, but Masonry itself is most definitely not a religion.

As we've already mentioned, our members must have a belief in God. No atheist can ever become a Mason.

We open our meetings with prayer. And one of the first lessons we teach is that one should pray for divine counsel and guidance before starting an important undertaking. But we are not a religion. We believe strongly in the importance of religion and encourage our members to be active in the religion and church of their choice.   We teach that without religion, a man is alone and lost and cannot reach his full potential.

If Masonry isn't a religion, why does it use ritual?

We all use ritual every day. Shaking hands when you meet a friend is a ritual. Standing for the National Anthem before a baseball game is a ritual. Our lives are filled with ritual.

Masonry uses ritual because it's an effective way to teach the important values we talked about earlier. Masonry's ritual is very rich because it's so very old. It has developed over centuries to contain some beautiful language and ideas. But when you think about it, there's nothing unusual about ritual. It's part of everyday life!

What is a degree?

A degree is a stage or level of membership in the Masons. It is also the ceremony by which you attain the three levels of membership:

During the Middle Ages, when a man joined a craft, such as the stonemasons, he was first apprenticed. As he learned the skills of the craft, he became a "Fellow of the Craft." (What we call a "Journeyman" today.) And finally, he attained the level called "Master of the Craft."

Our degrees teach the great lessons of life-the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature, the importance of self-control, of knowing how to love and be loved and of knowing how to keep confidences so that others may open up to you without fear.

 As a candidate, you'll attend three meetings to receive the three Masonic Degrees. The Degrees are solemn, enlightening lessons and are an enjoyable experience with absolutely no uncomfortable or embarrassing moments.

It is through the Degrees that the principles of Masonry are taught and where you'll learn that your family and your own necessary vocations are to be considered above Masonry.

Once you become a Master Mason, you will be welcomed as a "Brother" in any of the thousands of Masonic Lodges throughout the world.