 Is Freemasonry a secret society?
 No, it
is not. Members of a secret society keep hidden the fact that they belong
to it. Even the existence of such a society may be denied. Freemasonry
is not a secret society, but is a society with secrets.
As a Master Mason,
may I visit another American Lodge at any time?
Only those which are
recognized by your Grand Lodge. Actually, it is the privilege of the
Worshipful Master to grant or deny the admission of a visiting Brother
into his Lodge. There may be times when private matters concerning only
the Lodge may be on the agenda and the presence of a strange Brother
would be a disturbing factor. At such a time the Master may feel it in
the best interest of the Lodge to deny admission. Also, it is the right
of any member of a Lodge to object to the visitation of one not a member.
You will find that except under most unusual circumstances you will be
welcomed and made to feel at home.
May I visit any Masonic Lodge in the
world?
Only those which are recognized by your Grand Lodge. If you plan
a trip abroad and want to visit foreign Lodges, inquire of your Lodge's
Secretary whether or not your Grand Lodge maintains fraternal relations
with the Grand Bodies in the countries you will be visiting and wish
to attend Lodge.
Does each officer in the line "step-up" or
advance one place or station automatically each year?
No. Advancement
should be for the good of the Lodge, and no officer is assumed of automatic
preferment each year.
What are the three types of punishment which may
be meted out to one convicted of un-Masonic conduct?
(1) Reprimand; (2)
Suspension; (3) Expulsion.
What is The Grand Lodge?
The body governing
Freemasonry within the state.
How many Grand Lodges are there in the United
States of America?
Fifty-one.
What is a clandestine Mason?
A man belonging
to an irregular or an unauthorized Lodge not subordinate to any Grand
Lodge recognized by The Grand Lodge of the state in which you reside.
How
old is Masonry?
No one knows for certain. Some early Masonic writers
ascribe it literally to the time of King Solomon's Temple, and still
others to the beginning of time; these were men who were so intrigued
with the idea of a truly ancient society that they allowed wishful
thinking to take place of known facts. We do find organizations of
masons in the
days of early Rome, but these were operative groups. The year 1717,
when the Grand Lodge of England was formed, is usually taken
as the beginning of speculative Masonry. In all probability the organization
did not take the form that we know it today until nearly the middle
of
the eighteenth century.
What is the origin of the "free" in
Freemasonry?
Some say it originally applied to operative Masons who worked
in freestone, and easily carved stone found in certain parts of England.
Others have said that operative Masons, because of their skill, were
free to travel from one part of the country to another to work, rather
than remaining in one area. Still another explanation is that they were
free of certain laws imposed on other workmen. Any one of these explanations
may be right, or possibly a combination of all of them.
When did Masonry
become transformed from operative to speculative?
This was a continuing
development which required many years to consummate. After the Reformation
in England, more and more non-operatives asked for, and received, membership
in operative Lodges. Gradually their numbers became greater and their
influence more powerful than the operatives until finally they were the
dominant factor in the Lodges. When the Grand Lodge of England was formed
in 1717, the operatives were few in number and eventually disappeared
almost entirely from the new speculative organization. The entire transition
period probably began around 1600 and ended more than a hundred years
later.
Is Freemasonry a religion, or can it take the place of religion?
No, to both questions. "Religion" implies "a" religion,
whereas Freemasonry is completely nonsectarian, hence its universality.
While Masonry is religious in nature, it does not take the place of
the religion a man finds in his church, synagogue, or other place of
worship.
Freemasonry is devoted to dogma.
Why is the Symbolical Lodge called the "Blue" Lodge?
There are several explanations which are accepted. One
is that as the Lodge is a symbol of the world, then it is covered by
the blue vault
of heaven. Another is that blue has since time immemorial been associated
with truth and fidelity. Dr. Albert Mackey points out another reason:
That the word "blue" in Hebrew is derived from a root meaning "perfection" and
that this color was thus adopted by Freemasonry as a natural association.
Why
is King Solomon's Temple selected as one of the central symbols of Freemasonry?
King Solomon's Temple was long noted as one of the most famous and
magnificent structures ever erected, as well as being the first temple
to be dedicated
to the one living and true God. Its appeal -- from both the architectural
and religious standpoints -- was irresistible to operative and speculative
Masons. Operative Masons must have revered the structure for its magnificence,
while to speculative Masons this architectural perfection combined with
its religious significance made it the logical symbol around which to
center the teachings of Freemasonry.
Why do St. John the Baptist and St.
John the Evangelist appear so prominently in Freemasonry?
It was the
custom of organizations of workmen in medieval times to adopt a patron
saint or saints. Operative Masons selected St. John the Baptist as their
patron because of his many virtues. It is believed that St. John the
Evangelist was added as a second patron saint a great many years later
for the same reason, probably in the latter part of the sixteenth century.
Why
was the "Lodge of the Holy Sts. John" situated in Jerusalem?
After operative Masons had adopted the two Sts John as patrons, with
the passing of time it was only natural they should come to think of
them as having been Craftsmen. Since Craftsman should have a Lodge, the
most logical place for this theoretical Lodge must be Jerusalem.
Why is
perfection in Masonic ritual work regarded as so important?
For several
reasons. One is that perfect ritual work makes a better impression on
the candidate. Another is that it leads to greater pride in the Lodge
on part of members and officers. Another is if slip-shod work became
a custom, within a relatively short time ritual changes would be condoned;
these in time would lead to still more laxity and the deletion of some
parts and the insertion of new material. Within a few years the Masonic
Ritual that we know and love would be a thing of the past.
How can there
be such a thing as an "oblong square"?
Originally the word "square" meant
any figure whose four corners were formed by right angles. Later
the word changed to mean a figure as we know it, with four sides of equal
length and with right-angled corners. An "oblong" square
in days gone by meant what we now term a rectangle.
Why is the discussion
of religion or politics forbidden in a Lodge of Freemasons?
In the Constitution
or Anderson, published in 1723, it is said: "No private piques or
quarrels must be brought within the door of the Lodge, far less any quarrels
about religion, or nations, or State policy." The injunction is
based on the Old Constitutions which prohibited contention or quarreling
within the Lodge.When are the feasts of the two Sts. John? June 24
for St. John the Baptist; December 27 for St. John the Evangelist.
What is
the Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript?
The oldest known Masonic document
is the Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript, as it is sometimes called
in honor of its discoverer. It dates back to approximately A.D. 1390.
It is written in doggerel verse and is in Chaucerian English. It contains
the "Legend of the Craft," which takes Masonry (in theory)
back to Egypt long before the days of King Solomon's Temple, and tells
later of the convention of Masons supposedly held at York, England, in
A.D. 926 under the sponsorship of King Athelstan. It is believed that
the book is copied from still older manuscripts, including "Instructions
to a Parish Priest." The book is still in good condition and is
now in the British Museum.
Whence came the familiar words "So mote
it be!"?
They are the last words of the Regius Poem and, of course,
mean "Amen" or "So may it be!"
May a maimed or otherwise
handicapped man be made a Mason?
The Old Charges specified that apprentices
must be sound in body -- obviously necessary in operative Masonry because
of manual labor workmen of the mason's trade had to do. This was carried
over into speculative Masonry and for a long time no man with "maim
or defect" was accepted for membership. Gradually this strict
rule has been relaxed.
Were Masons responsible for the Boston Tea Party?
No
one knows. Some writers have stated that they were and that the minutes
of a Boston Lodge mention that on the night in question the Lodge could
not be opened because of poor attendance.
What is a Lewis? A louveteau?
The Lewis is a form of iron cramp by which heavy stones can be raised.
In English Freemasonry it is used as a symbol of strength. The son of
a Mason is called a Lewis because he is supposed to be the strength and
support of his aging parent. In some instances in the past a Lewis had
been made a Mason before reaching legal age, according to some writers.
North Dakota accepts a petition from a Lewis prior to legal age but does
not initiate him until he is twenty-one. A louveteau -- young wolf --
is the French equivalent of a Lewis.
Who were Gormogons?
An anti-Masonic
group in the early days of speculative Masonry.
What was the Morgan Affair?
This unfortunate occurrence took place in 1826. William Morgan was a
man whose habits and character should have barred him automatically from
becoming a Mason, but in some way he became a member of the Fraternity.
When he petitioned a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in Batavia, New York,
and was rejected he swore to have revenge by publishing the secrets of
Freemasonry. He disappeared and it was claimed by Morgan's friends that
he had been murdered by Masons. Despite the lack of evidence of such
a crime, several Masons were sent to jail for varying lengths of time
and a storm of criticism arose against the order, spreading rapidly throughout
the country. The Fraternity was badly affected, many Lodges surrendering
their Charters. Membership dropped to a fraction of what it had been.
Gradually the storm blew over, Lodges reopened, and with twenty years
the effects of the Morgan affair were over.
What is "Prince Hall
Masonry"?
Prince Hall was a Negro living in Boston about the time
of the Revolutionary War. He and fourteen other Negroes were made Masons
in that city by a military Lodge connected with the British army. Later
they applied for, and received, a Charter from the Grand Lodge of England.
After Prince Hall died the Lodge ceased to function. Years later a
petition was sent to the Grand Lodge of England for a new Charter,
but no answer
to the petition was received. The Negro Masons then announced that
because of their color and race they were not subject to the usual
Masonic regulations
and established their own "Grand Lodge," bearing the name
Prince Hall, and began to issue charters to Negroes for subordinate
Lodges.
In 1983, the Phylaxis Society, a research organization within Prince
Hall Freemasonry, reported about 5,000 Lodges with 300,000 members.
(from A Prince Hall Masonic Quiz Book, by Joseph A Walker, Jr.)
What is a "moon" Lodge?
In times when streets and roads were few, nonexistent,
or extremely bad and travel was by horse and buggy, or on foot many
Masonic Lodges
set
their meeting date at the time of the full moon each month, so that
its light would aid members on their way to Lodge. With the coming
of modern
transportation and artificial illumination for streets the dependence
on the moon for lighting disappeared. A few "moon" Lodges
still exist, however, to carry on the tradition.
What are Masonic "Landmarks"?
According to the celebrated Masonic writer, Dr. Albert
G. Mackey, they are "those peculiar marks of distinction by which we are separated
from the profane world and by which we are enabled to designate our inheritance
as the 'Son's of Light'. . . The universal language and the universal
laws of Masonry are Landmarks, but not the local ceremonies, laws, and
usage's, which vary in different countries." Mackey lists twenty-five
Landmarks. Others list fewer, and others more.
Why are Lodges in some
Jurisdictions known as A.F.&A.M., in others as F.&A.M.?
From
1751 until 1813 there were two Grand Lodges in England, one called
the "Moderns" (actually
the older of the two) and the other termed the "Ancients." The
latter used the title Ancient Free & Accepted Masons (A.F.&A.M.)
while the original Grand Lodge used Free & Accepted Masons (F.&A.M.).
Charters to Lodges in the United States were issued by each body and
hence the difference. Twenty-four Grand Jurisdictions in the United States
use A.F.&A.M., twenty -three use F.&A.M. One, South Carolina,
uses A.F.M., and the District of Columbia uses F.A.A.M.
Who were the Quatuor
Coronati?
These are the Four Crowned Martyrs, and the story is one
of the legends of operative Masonry. In one version, these were four
skilled
workmen who ere Christians living in the third century A.D. They
were employed by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. When they refused to erect
a statue to a pagan god they were sealed alive in lead coffins and
thrown into the River Tiber. Haloes were said to have arisen above
their
bodies.
Various guilds adopted them as their patrons, but English Masons
did not recognize them as part of the their tradition until the latter
part of the fifteenth century. The oldest Masonic research Lodge takes
its
name from them -- Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, of London.
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