What is Freemasonry?  Is it a group of old men in funny aprons hiding the treasure of the Knights Templar?  Is it part of the Rotary or Kiwanis?  What does it have to do with the guys that wear funny hats and drive the little cars in the parades?  In the following essay, I will bring to light the ideas of Freemasonry as they were taught to me.  I also hope to also dispel some of the myths about Masonry, and answer some common questions people have.

                The first question is: “What is Freemasonry?”  Freemasonry is a fraternity that dates back several hundred years.  We call our fellow members “Brother” and the place where we meet is called the “Lodge”.  Our beliefs are based on the structure and teachings of the Stonemason guilds that were responsible for the building of King Solomon’s Temple.  We use allegory and symbolism to convey our ideas and beliefs.

                One of the most recognized symbols of Freemasonry is the Square and Compass.  Sometimes it is portrayed with a “G” in the center of it.  Each of the three parts of this symbol has a separate meaning which I will explain below. 

The Square teaches us to square our actions in life when dealing with others. Masons always try to be fair and truthful when dealing with people in our lives.  The sayings, “Square Deal”, and “Are you being square with me?” likely come from this Masonic principal.

The Compass is used to draw a circle.  The point left in the center of the circle represents the individual Mason, where the circle is used to show us our boundaries in life.  We try to live within the boundaries of what we consider to be morally right.

The “G” in the center has two meanings, God, and Geometry.  We, as Freemasons, hold both of these in the highest regard.  Without God, there would be no creation.  Without Geometry, our ancient Brothers would not have been able to build the temples, churches, and castles.  These structures have withstood the tests of time and are some of the most amazing examples of architecture known to man.

To become a Mason, there are three requirements.  The first requirement is that you have to be a man.  It is a fraternal organization; therefore women are not allowed to become members.  There are sister organizations to Freemasonry for women; some of which are the Order of the Eastern Star and the Order of Amaranth.

The second requirement is age.  The Grand Lodge of New Hampshire requires that you be at least eighteen years of age to join a Lodge.  Some other state’s Grand Lodges require that you be twenty-one. 

The third requirement is that you believe in a supreme deity.  Freemasonry is not a religion, but we are a religious organization.  Any religion that believes that there is one god that created everything is accepted by Freemasonry.  We have brothers that are members of many different faiths, such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism to name a few.

Masonry has three levels of membership that we call Degrees.  They are Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason.  Each Degree has its own ceremony that goes along with it.  The ceremonies serve to teach you a lesson about that level of membership.  Once you have gained enough knowledge in your Degree, there is a test and ceremony to progress to the next level.  When you become a Master Mason you are considered a full member, and may participate in the Lodge’s business.

                There are two types of Masons: Speculative, and Operative.  The original Masons were Operative Masons.  These were actual Stonemasons who belonged to guilds, and whose profession was stonemasonry.

                The Master Masons were considered geniuses in their time, because they knew the secrets of geometry and could build amazing structures using simple tools and math.  These secrets were closely guarded in the guilds, because it is what enabled them to build square and plumb structures.  That knowledge was what they used to earn their wages.  If the Master’s trade secrets became common knowledge, it would significantly reduce the value of their expertise.

                The second type is the Speculative Mason, which is what modern day Masons are.  We do not actually do stonework; instead we use the structure of the guild to base our Lodge on, and the tools of the Stonemasons as symbols for teaching.  One example is the white leathern apron, which we wear in Lodge.  The apron was worn by the Operative Masons to keep their clothing clean.  We wear them in tribute to them.  The white color of it symbolizes purity and innocence.  As a child enters the world innocent, so we enter the Lodge.

                Rituals aside, our Lodges run like any other charitable organization, such as the Rotary.  Our Lodges run by the Roberts Rules of Order.  We have several officers of the Lodge who have different jobs.  The head of the Lodge is the Worshipful Master, which is the equivalent to the Chairman or President.  Under him are the Senior and Junior Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary, and the Senior and Junior Deacons; all of which are elected offices.  Those are the officers that are required to open the Lodge to do our business.  We also have Stewards, Marshals, and other officers that are appointed rather than elected.

                There are other organizations under the umbrella of Masonry that we call Appendant Bodies.  In order to join these organizations, you must first become a Freemason.  Probably the most famous Appendant Body is the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.  Most people know them as the Shriners.  They are the old guys that drive the little cars around at the parades and wear the Fez hats.   

                The Shriners tend to be retired men, because they donate so much time to charity that you need to have a lot of free time.  They raise a lot of money to build and fund children’s hospitals.  Any child can go to one of these hospitals absolutely free and their parents get to stay with them for free as well.  You need not have a Masonic affiliation to go to these hospitals.

                Charity is one of our greatest tenets as Masons.  It is estimated that two million dollars a day are donated to charity by Masonic organizations.  Freemasons fund several hospitals, children’s programs and scholarships.  My Lodge is very active in the local community as well, hosting public suppers to raise money for the DARE program and help people in need in our community.  We also take part in parades and help with functions at the schools, such as serving meals at graduation.               

                One of the myths about Freemasonry is that we are a secret society.  Often, a Mason’s response to that statement is that we are a society with secrets.  Masons are proud of their Lodges and we welcome people that want to learn more about what we do.

There are really only a few secrets in Masonry.  The first secret is the way we identify ourselves to other Masons.  Just as our ancient brethren had to identify themselves to enter the guild, we require the same for our Lodge.

                The other thing we keep secret is our rituals and ceremonies.  As I stated earlier, the rituals are to teach a lesson.  Those lessons should be learned in an order.  A big part of the satisfaction you get from taking the degrees is, not knowing what the lessons are beforehand.  If you knew the ritual before you had the chance to experience it, the lessons would not be as meaningful and powerful.

                Other than those two things, I am afraid that the conspiracy theorists would be sorely disappointed with what goes on behind the closed doors of a Lodge.  There are no plots for world domination, just a bunch of guys that have common views and are looking to better themselves and their communities.  We have a saying that defines what we are about.  “We make good men better”

I hope that I have shed some light on what Freemasonry is about.  It is not as exciting as in the movie “National Treasure”, nor is it as nefarious as some would like you to believe.  Masonry looks to help men become the best they can be.  A Freemason will never push Masonry on you, or try to keep it a secret from you.  If you want a good example of what Freemasonry is about, you need to look no further than our founding fathers.  George Washington and Benjamin Franklin are two of the many famous Masons that helped shape this country.  I can think of no better examples of true Americans than them.