Masons
A Mason is a man and a brother whose trust is in God; he will meet you on the Level and act upon the Square. Truth is his Compass and he is ever Plumb in his dealings. He is master of himself. In the Lodge of life he wears unstained the white lambskin of innocence. From his initiation as an Entered Apprentice he travels ever toward the East in search of light and wisdom until he receives the final, the divine password that admits him into the ineffable presence of the Eternal Supreme Grand Master of the Universe.
Who We Are
Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternity in the world. But throughout history its structure and teachings have remained a mystery to many, and myths and misconceptions about the fraternity have arisen.
Exactly when Freemasonry began is not known for certain, but many historians trace the beginnings of Masonry to the middle ages, when stonemasons and other craftsmen travelled throughout Europe. These men were known as free masons because, unlike bondsmen, they were at liberty to move from one work to another. They gathered in shelter houses, or lodges, and eventually organised themselves into Masonic guilds, using the secrets of their craft to identify themselves as masons. The square and compasses — the tools of the mason’s trade — became the symbol of their brotherhood and of the moral truths those tools convey.
When the need for such buildings declined, speculative or symbolic Masonry evolved, using the customs and tools of the craft to convey moral truths. The growing organization attracted men of integrity and good will, and the Masonic guilds began to accept members who were not working masons, calling them accepted masons. The fraternity finally became known in some jurisdictions as Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and in others as Free and Accepted Masons. There are more than 13,000 lodges in the United States. In Illinois the fraternity is known as Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
Our History
Today, Freemasonry is composed of men bound together not by trade but by their desire to be fraternal brothers. The tools of those early builders have remained as symbols to help Masons understand and remember the teachings of the fraternity.
The organizational unit of Masonry is the Blue Lodge, or Craft Lodge. When a man has been accepted for membership he proceeds through three degrees — Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and finally Master Mason — in which the teachings of Masonry are first presented to him.
Lodges organize to form a Grand Lodge, which governs the lodges in a specified territory. In most of North America each state or province is governed by its own Grand Lodge. While the various Grand Lodges are bound together by tradition and custom, each is sovereign and autonomous within its own jurisdiction. There is no central governing body for any group of Grand Lodges, or for Masonry as a whole. Most Grand Lodges gather each year for a Masonic conference at which they discuss issues of interest to the individual jurisdictions.
The fraternity uses certain rituals, symbols and signs of recognition that are not made public, but Masonry is not a secret society. Its only secrets are its methods of recognition and its symbolic instruction. It does not hide its existence: many Masons proudly wear Masonic rings, tie clips and lapel pins, its buildings are known to all, and its meeting times are well published.
Through the improvement and strengthening of the individual’s character, Masonry seeks to improve the community and to make good men better through a belief in the brotherhood of men.
The Three Degrees
Entered Apprentice
The first degree. The candidate is received into the lodge and begins his study of the working tools and the moral lessons they teach.
Fellowcraft
The second degree, concerned with the education of the mind and the seven liberal arts and sciences.
Master Mason
The third and highest degree of the Blue Lodge, conferring full membership and the right to sit in any regular lodge.
To Be One, Ask One
No man is invited to become a Mason. If Freemasonry interests you, the first step is simply to ask.