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Who Are The
Masons?
 Masonic Information Center
8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, Md.
20910–4785
Masons (also known as Freemasons) belong
to the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world. Today, there are
now more than two million Masons 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.
Many of North America's early patriots
were Masons. Thirteen signers of the Constitution and fourteen Presidents of the
United States, including George Washington, were Masons. In Canada, the Father
of the Confederation, Sir John A. MacDonald, was a Mason, as were other early
Canadian and American leaders.
One of the most fascinating aspects of
Freemasonry is how so many men, from so many different walks of life, can meet
together in peace, always conducting their affairs in harmony and friendship and
calling each other "Brother."
Freemasonry (or Masonry) is dedicated to
the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. It uses the tools and
implements of ancient architectural craftsmen symbolically in a system of
instruction designed to build character and moral values in its members. 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. Masonry is a fraternity
which encourages its members to practice the faith of their personal acceptance.
Masonry teaches that each person, through self-improvement and helping others,
has an obligation to make a difference for good in the world.
No one knows just how old Freemasonry is
because the actual origins have been lost in time. Most scholars believe Masonry
arose from the guilds of stonemasons who built the majestic castles and
cathedrals in the Middle Ages. In 1717, Masonry created a formal organization
when four Lodges in London joined to form England's first Grand Lodge. By 1731,
when Benjamin Franklin joined the Fraternity, there were already several Lodges
in the Colonies, and in Canada the first Lodge was established in
1738.
Today, Masonic Lodges are found in almost
every community throughout North America, and in large cities there are usually
several Lodges. A Mason can travel to almost any country in the world and find a
Masonic Lodge where he will be welcomed as a "Brother."
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What
Do Masons Do?
 The Masonic experience encourages members to become better
men, better husbands, better fathers, and better citizens. The fraternal bonds
formed in the Lodge help build lifelong friendships among men with similar goals
and values.
Beyond its focus on individual development and growth, Masonry is
deeply involved in helping people. The Freemasons of North America contribute
over two million dollars a day to charitable causes. This philanthropy
represents an unparalleled example of the humanitarian commitment of this great
and honorable Fraternity. Much of that assistance goes to people who are not
Masons. Some of these charities are vast projects. The Shrine Masons (Shriners)
operate the largest network of hospitals for burned and orthopedically impaired
children in the country, and there is never a fee for treatment. The Scottish
Rite Masons in the Southern Jurisdiction maintain a network, as of 2001, of 150
Childhood Language Disorder Clinics, Centers, and Programs. Other Masonic
organizations sponsor a variety of philanthropies, including scholarship
programs (photo above) and perform public service activities in their
communities. Masons also enjoy the fellowship of each other and their families
in social and recreational
activities.
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Several Masonic
Principles Are:
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Faith must be the center of our lives.
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All men and women are the children of God.
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No one has the right to tell another person
what he or she must
think or believe.
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Each person has a responsibility to be a
good citizen, obeying the law.
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It is important to work to make the world a
better place for all.
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Honor and integrity are keys to a meaningful
life.
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What Is
The Masonic Lodge?
The word Lodge means both a group of Masons meeting together as
well as the room or building in which they meet. Masonic buildings are sometimes
called "temples" because the original meaning of the term was "place of
knowledge," and Masonry encourages the advancement of knowledge.
Masonic Lodges usually meet once or twice a month to conduct
regular business, vote upon petitions for membership, and bring new Masons into
the Fraternity through three ceremonies called Degrees. In the Lodge room,
Masons share in a variety of programs. Here the bonds of friendship and
fellowship are formed and strengthened.
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Who Can Qualify To
Join?
Applicants must be men of good character who
believe in a Supreme Being. To become a Mason, one must petition a particular
Lodge. The Master of the Lodge appoints a committee to visit the applicant prior
to the Lodge balloting upon his petition.
So Who Are The
Masons?
Masons are men of good character who strive to improve themselves and make
the world a better place. They belong to the oldest and most honorable
Fraternity known to man. If you think you may be interested in becoming a
member, you can begin by contacting a Lodge in your area or speaking to a Mason.
Men of
Character And Integrity Join The Masons
Most are men who go about their jobs and professions with no hint they are
Freemasons except for the way they lead their lives. Many are readily
recognizable by name, face, or accomplishment. George Washington and 13 other
Presidents, 8 Vice Presidents, and 42 Justices of the Supreme Court have been
Masons.
Some Notable
Masons
Eddy Arnold
Roy Acuff
Edwin
"Buzz" Aldrin*
Gene Autry
L. Van Beethoven
Irving Berlin
Simon
Bolivar
Gutzon Borglum
Ernest Borgnine
Omar Bradley
Richard E.
Byrd
DeWitt Clinton
Ty Cobb
George M. Cohan
Davy Crockett
Norm
Crosby
Cecil B. deMille
Jack Dempsey
John Diefenbaker*
Jimmy
Doolittle
Duke Ellington
Sir Alexander Fleming
Gerald R. Ford*
Henry
Ford |
Benjamin Franklin
Clark
Gable
Benjamin Gilman*
John Glenn
Arthur Godfrey
Barry
Goldwater
John Hancock
Harry Hershfield
Harry Houdini
Sam
Houston
Hubert H. Humphrey
Burl Ives
Andrew Jackson
Al
Jolson
John Paul Jones
Jack Kemp
Rudyard Kipling
Marquis de
Lafayette
Fiorello LaGuardia
Charles Lindberg
Douglas
MacArthur*
George C. Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Charles W.
Mayo |
William McKinley
Lauritz
Melchior
James Monroe
Wolfgang A. Mozart*
Arnold Palmer*
Dr. Norman
V. Peale*
J. C. Penney
John Pershing
Eddie Rickenbacker
Branch
Rickey
Will Rogers
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
David
Sarnoff
Jean Sibelius
Red Skelton
John Philip Sousa*
Danny
Thomas
Dave Thomas*
Lowell Thomas
Harry S. Truman*
George
Washington*
Thomas J. Watson
John
Wayne |
*Pictured
below
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The above article is
published by and available as a color brochure from the Masonic Information
Center, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910–4785, Tel: (301)
588–4010; Fax: (301) 608–3457; Web site: http://www.msana.com; E-mail:
msana@ix.netcom.com |
| Can you name all these famous
Masons? Try and then check their names below (listed top to bottom, left to
right). They are only a few of the many thousands of good men who, as Masons,
have learned to better themselves, their families, their communities, and the
world. Scroll down for the answers. |
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Answers:
George Washington, Norman Vincent Peale, Wolfgang A.
Mozart, Harry S. Truman, Douglas MacArthur, Arnold Palmer, John Diefenbaker,
Dave Thomas, John Philip Sousa, Gerald R. Ford, Benjamin Gilman, Edwin "Buzz"
Aldrin
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