Free & Accepted Masons of Washington
3219 N. Argonne Rd.
Millwood, Wa.
Freemasonry (or Masonry for short) is the world's oldest and largest
Fraternity. Its history and tradition date to antiquity. The singular purpose of
Freemasonry is to make good men better. Over the centuries, its bonds of
friendship, compassion and brotherly love have survived even the most
devisive political, military and religious conflicts. Freemasonry is neither a
forum, nor a place for worship. Instead, it is a friend of all religions which are
based on the belief in one God.
How did it start?
No one knows just how old Masonry is, because its actual origin has been
lost in time. Most probably, it arose from the guilds of stonemasons who
built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Possibly, they were
influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian warrior-monks
formed in 1118 A.D. to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.
The name Freemason appeared as early as 1212 AD in connection with the
master builders who traveled throughout Europe erecting the magnificent
cathedrals and churches. These builders were called Freemasons because
they were a privileged class, not subject to feudal servitude or bondage to a
lord. They were free to travel about Europe practicing their building craft,
while ordinary people labored as serfs under feudal lords.
The Freemasons were protective of their art, guarding against any
proliferation which would cheapen it or could cause them to be less in
demand. They knew that so long as their art was practiced only by relatively
few craftsmen, the demand for their services would continue and the
particular freedoms they enjoyed would endure. But they also recognized
the fact that if their work was to continue, the secrets of their craft must be
passed on to future generations.
So the Freemasons formed themselves into lodges in which their secrets
might be taught and preserved. They were, naturally, most selective of
those making application to join their lodges, determined that the secrets of
their art should be handed down only to those morally and otherwise fit to
receive and perpetuate them.
As time passed and cathedral building came to an end, the lodges of
Freemasons received fewer and fewer applications. Meanwhile many men
had become interested in the Freemasons, having admired their
circumspect behavior and their loyalty to their fellows. So it was perhaps
inevitable that the old practicing Freemasons, popularly called operative
masons, would eventually accept others (who weren't builders) into their
lodges.
These new non-operative or speculative members were taught the same
old rituals and were obligated in the same manner as were their operative
brethren. In time, the membership of Freemasons came to be totally
speculative (that is, composed of members who were not actual stone
masons.)
Today, Freemasonry is a fraternal society whose members are linked
together by a common moral uprightness, and whose ethical principles are
acceptable to all good men. Its doors are open to all men who seek
harmony with each other, who feel a desire to self-improvement and who
wish to participate in the adventure of making this world a better place in
which to live.
The fundamental virtues characteristic of a Mason are: kindness in the
home, honesty in all things, courtesy in society, fairness to all, compassion
for the sick and unfortunate, resistance toward evil, forgiveness for the
penitent, and above all, reverence and love for God.
So, what is Masonry?
In a nutshell, it is a philosophy of ethical conduct and a system of
character development practiced by men united by ancient fraternal ties.
What about the Secrets?
Contrary to what many believe, Freemasonry is not a secret society. It does
not hide its existence nor its membership. There has been no attempt to
conceal the purposes, aims and principles of Freemasonry. It is an
organization which has as its principal teachings Brotherly Love, Relief and
Truth. Its rules and regulations are open for all to see. Thousands of books
about Freemasonry have been published and are available in any public
library. It is true that Freemasonry does have some secrets, or private
information, it attempts to preserve. These have to do with secret modes of
recognition, which enable members to quickly recognize each other as
Masons and which serve to unite them into one society of friends and
brothers.
Masonry does have its secret (or private) rituals. These are the modes by
which we instruct new members. These rituals originated with the old
cathedral builders mentioned above and have been handed down over the
centuries.
Most of these secret rituals are based upon writings in the Holy Bible and
the writings of other great philosophers, so they are 'secret' only in their
unique adaptation and presentation. This ritualistic mode of instruction has
proven remarkably effective over the centuries and its use, being peculiar to
Freemasonry, has kept the Fraternity apart from those who would imitate it.
The lessons taught in the Masonic ritual are in no way secret; they may be
obtained from many and various Masonic writings available to all.
The unique modes of recognition and the rituals for instruction are the only
secrets Masonry has.
Free Masonry is not a Religion.
Masonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It provides no
system of faith, offers no sacraments, does not have a clergy and does not
claim to lead to salvation. Every member is free to follow the Faith or
Denomination which best agrees with his personal religious conviction, and
he is encouraged to do so.
Masonry expects its members to conduct themselves in accordance with a
strict moral code, and it believes the requirements of that moral code are in
harmony with the teachings of any religion or with the beliefs of any good
man.
Freemasonry accepts men from every religious faith. It does not bar any
man because of his religious leanings, so long as he believes in a Supreme
Being. The necessity to believe in one Supreme Being is an ancient
requirement to insure that if an individual recognizes the Fatherhood of God
he can readily accept the concept of the Brotherhood of man.
How does one become a Mason?
The conditions for membership are few. Applicants must be adult males,
mentally and physically competent and of good moral character. Masonry
does not solicit or recruit new members. A man seeking Masonic
membership must do so of his own free will and accord. Masons believe that
a man who becomes a Mason of his own personal choice is much more
likely to become a dedicated and productive member.
Once a man decides to seek Masonic membership, he needs only to ask for
a petition from one whom he believes to be a Mason.
Note: This information was excerpted from the pamphlet: The Marvel of Masonry, a publication of the
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington, 1993.
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