About Freemasonry

What is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry—or Masonry, as it is more commonly called—is a worldwide fraternity that unites good men seeking to become better men: better friends, better husbands, better fathers, better leaders, and better members of their community. Toward these ends, Masonry provides its members a three–part lesson plan for personal improvement. Each of the three lesson plans is called a "degree" and full membership in the fraternity is accorded when a man has learned all three degrees.

Who are Masons?
Masons are men who voluntarily asked to join a lodge. They were accepted because they were good men who believe in God and hold high ethical and moral ideals. They go to meetings which they call the lodge, in order to learn and to teach what "friendship, morality, and truth" really involve, and to practice on a small scale the reality of brotherhood. They also have meetings open to their wives, children, and friends where they promote an understanding of the serious nature of the Fraternity by entertainment and sociability. Practical programs for charity and relief are planned and executed. The special kinship they feel for each other as a brotherhood is their deepest satisfaction.

What Do Freemasons Do?
This is a very difficult question to answer. Freemasonry is many things to different people and each Lodge has its own personality. In all cases, Masons have regular meetings in which standard organizational needs are addressed such as communicating with members, announcing events, and paying the rent.

Beyond that, lodges offer members a variety of other activities. As a philosophical self–improvement society, members go through the degrees, absorb the lessons presented therein, then at subsequent meetings hear the lessons again and think further about their meanings and personal application. As a charitable and community support organization, members plan charity drives and come up with ways to help their community. As a historical debating society, Masons break the monotony of doing the same ritual over and over by making presentations on some topic relating to Masonry and the other members discuss it. As a social club, members gather for dinner, drinks, dances with their ladies, or for outings to someplace interesting.

Most of all, the fraternity is what a man makes of it.

Where Can I Learn More?
Wikipedia has several informative articles about Freemasonry.

Several Masonic organizations have excellent articles about Freemasonry. Use Google or Yahoo! to search for these phrases:
1. Grand Lodge of England
2. Grand Lodge of Ontario Canada
3. Masonic Service Association

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed on this webpage represent those of the individual authors and, unless clearly labeled as such, do not represent the opinions or policies of any Masonic lodge, Grand Lodge or recognized Masonic body..