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Freemasonry, or Masonry, is the world’s first and largest fraternity. Based on the belief that each man can make a difference in the world, Freemasonry enhances and strengthens the character of the individual man by providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, and education.
The term Masons comes from the occupation of original stonemasons’ guilds who built castles and cathedrals in England and Scotland. During the Middle Ages, the word “Free” was added because stonemasons often allowed to travel the world to share new knowledge and skills with others where their guild was operating.
Over time, men who were not builders were drawn to the practices of Freemasonry. To encourage intellectual diversity, the first stonemasons began accepting men from other professions into the fraternity. To differentiate themselves, those who were actually stonemasons were known as Operative Masons, and new members from different professions were known as Accepted Masons.
Today, the terms Freemasonry, Masonry, and Free and Accepted Masons are used interchangeably.
Any good-standing member of the Freemasonry fraternity is known as a Brother, a title given to him at his initiation into Freemasonry.
In the earliest era of Freemasonry, stonemasons guilds formed local organizations called lodges, which were used to take care of sick and injured Brothers or the families of stonemasons who died on the job. Freemasons also used lodges as places to meet, receive their pay, plan their work, train new apprentices, and socialize.
Today, this term refers both to a unit of Brother Masons and the room or building in which they meet and perform many of the same activities of the ancient stonemasons’ guilds. There are more than 400 lodges in New York State and approximately 13,000 in the United States.
While there are approximately five million Freemasons worldwide—including nearly two million in the U.S. alone—each Grand Lodge is sovereign and independent. All lodges, regardless of location, follow the same principles of Freemasonry but there is no U.S. or international governing body of Freemasonry.
No, Masonry is not a secret organization. Our mission, goals, principles, constitutions, rules, and meeting locations are all public. Additionally, our members are free to acknowledge their membership. However, like many similar organizations, some of Masonry’s internal affairs and documents are for members only.
A Lodge meeting can consist of one of two meetings: a business meeting or a ceremonial meeting.
A business meeting, or stated meeting, is devoted to administrative procedures. Activities may include reviewing minutes from previous meetings, discussing financial matters, voting on applications, and planning lodge activities. Generally, the lodge will host a portion of the meeting for Masonic education known as a “program” for its members and guests. These can take on many forms. From formal discourse and
debate to the less formal presentation of a topic relative to Freemasonry its philosophy, symbols, and history, it’s up to the sole discretion of the lodge and its Worshipful Master.
A ceremonial meeting takes place to confer the Three Degrees of Freemasonry – 1st Degree or Entered Apprentice, 2nd Degree or Fellowcraft, and the 3rd Degree or Master Mason.
There are three stages, or Degrees, of Masonic membership: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Each degree refers to a member’s self-development and increased knowledge of Freemasonry. As a man completes each phase of learning, the Lodge holds a ceremony to confer his Degree.
Degree names are taken from Craft guilds, or groups of Freemasons who practice similar skills. In the Middle Ages, to become a stonemason, a man would first be apprenticed. As an Entered Apprentice, he learned the tools and skills of the trade. When he had proved his skills, he became a Fellow of the Craft. When he gained exceptional ability, he became a Master of the Craft.
