| ![Who are the Masons?]() |
WHO ARE THE MASONS?
JUST WHO ARE THE MASONS?
That's not a surprising question. Even though Masons (Freemasons) are members of the largest
and oldest fraternity in the world, FREEMASONRY, and even though almost everyone has a father or grandfather
or uncle who was a Mason, many people aren't quite certain just who Masons are or what freemasonry is about.
The answer is simple. Masons (or Freemasons) are members of a fraternity known as Freemasonry or Masonry. A fraternity is
a group of men (just as a sorority is a group of women) who join together because:
There are things they want to do in the world.
There are things they want to do "inside their own minds."
They enjoy being together with men they like and respect.
(we'll look at some of these things later)
WHAT IS FREEMASONRY?
No one knows just how old freemasonry is because the actual
origins have been lost in time. Probably, it arose from the guilds of stone masons who built the castles and
cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Possibly, they were influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian
warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.
In 1717, Freemasonry members created a formal organization in England when the first Grand Lodge was formed.
A Grand Lodge is the administrative body in charge of Freemasonry in some geographical area. In the United States,
there is a Grand Lodge of Freemasonry in each state and the District of Columbia. In Canada, there is a Grand Lodge
of Freemasonry in each province. Local organizations of Freemasony are called lodges. There are freemasonry lodges in most towns,
and large cities usually have several. There are about 13,200 lodges in the United States.
WHO ARE THE MASONS?
Masons are men who have decided they like to feel good about themselves and others. They
care about the future as well as the past, and do what they can, both alone and with
others, to make the future good for everyone.
Many men over many generations have answered the question, "What are the Masons?" One
of the most eloquent was written by the Reverend Joseph Fort Newton, an internationally
honored minister of the first half of the 20th Century and Grand Chaplain, Grand Lodge
of Iowa, 1911-1913.
HOW DOES A MAN BECOME A MASON?
If you are from Michigan, click
here.
If you are from another state or country, find your jurisdiction by visiting your favorite search engine. Enter
Grand Lodge of (and the state you are in.)
see also:
100 Questions About Freemasonry
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