This page is designed to give you a little information on what it means to be a Mason and the history of Freemasonry in the United States.
Freemasonry and the history of it's presence in the US.
Freemasonry is a fraternity of men that teaches it's
members how to live a rich moral life through the taught uses of certain Masonic
tools. This can be seen in the interpretation of the three great lights of
masonry. The HOLY BIBLE is the rule and guide of faith; the SQUARE, to
square our actions; and the COMPASSES, to circumscribe and keep us in due
bounds with all mankind, but more especially with a brother Mason.
Freemasonry is the oldest and the
largest fraternal order in the world. It is a universal brotherhood of men
dedicated to serving God, family, fellowman and country.
The heritage of modern Freemasonry is derived from the
organized guilds or unions of stone masons who constructed the beautiful
cathedrals and other stately structures throughout Europe during the
middle ages. The skills and architectural genius of these craftsmen and
their commitment to the highest standards of moral and ethical values were
universally applauded, and unlike other classes of people, they were
allowed to travel freely from country to country. Thus, during this
period, the word "Free" was prefixed to the word mason, and
these craftsmen, and the generations of masons who followed, were referred
to as Freemasons.
Until about the sixteenth
century, masons were strictly an operative craft-stone masons and
architects building those magnificent cathedrals and palaces, many of
which still adorn the landscape of the European country side. Early in the
seventeenth century, membership in these unions or operating lodges of
stone masons began to decline, and probably to compensate for their loss
in members, they began to admit certain men of prominence in society who
were not craftsmen or stone masons. This class of members were initially
considered patrons of the Fraternity, and over the years became known as
"accepted masons." At the conclusion of the seventeenth century,
a radical transformation had evolved; these accepted masons had become
predominant, and the older lodges of Freemasons began to emphasize and
teach moral philosophy rather than the technical and operative art of
earlier centuries. Tools of the stone masons are still used in the
Fraternity today, but only to symbolize moral virtue, not to build
cathedrals.
Although the moral philosophy of
Freemasonry is founded upon religious principles, it is not a religion,
nor is it a substitute for religion. Candidates for membership (adult
males) are however, expected to profess a belief in God, and be of good
moral character.