Masons are men who have joined a fraternity, and who refer
to themselves as Freemasons.
The main principles of Freemasonry insist that each member
show tolerance, respect and kindness in his actions toward
others; practices charity and care for the community as a
whole; and strives to achieve high moral standards in his
own personal life.
Honor and integrity are at the core of the Masonic belief
system. Members are obligated to practice self control
and treat the people around them with respect, regardless
of their own personal opinion of that person.
Masons can be a very secretive lot, however much of
the “secret” information has been publicized. The Lodge
buildings are clearly marked on the outside, address and
phone numbers listed in the phone book. Their website
probably even includes an “Upcoming Events” page.
Meetings are held at the Lodge, where Lodge business
and upcoming activities are discussed. They also use
the Lodge buildings to train the younger members.
The Lodge building is often used to hold fundraising and
public relation events that are open to non-members and
invited guests, like fish fries, pot luck, breakfast, etc.
Freemasons do a lot of work for charities, including
holding and participating in various fund raisers within
the community to promote charitable causes.
To become a member, a candidate must satisfactorily meet
all the specific criteria. He must be: At least the minimum
age required by that particular Lodge; be of good morals
and good reputation; believe in a Supreme Being; he must
apply of his own free will, and be unanimously elected by
the Lodge members.
Applications will usually be considered by a membership
committee, who will hold an interview with the candidate,
and formally report back to the Lodge, before the admission
process is allowed to begin.
Some of the members and officers still view the Internet
with suspicion, while many others embrace it. As a result,
there is much good information to be found on the WWW.
Membership has declined to such a degree in recent years
that some lodges now promote via podcasts, commercials,
videos, blogs, etc. for potential candidates!