Texas Masonic District 43 AF&AM

FREEMASONS: WHO ARE THEY

Freemasonry is the oldest, and by far, the largest fraternal order in the world. Its Lodges stretch around the globe. It might well be said that the sun never sets upon the Masonic Lodge. In North America alone there are more than 2-million Freemasons. These men represent virtually every occupation and profession, yet within the fraternity, all meet as equals. Masons come from various religious beliefs and creeds, yet all believe in one God. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Freemasonry is that so many men, from so many different walks of life, meet and conduct their affairs in harmony and friendship and call each other “brother.” The Masonic experience encourages members to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, and better citizens in the community. It endeavors to impress upon the minds of those who come into it virtues recognized as prerequisites for a better life. Its teachings include morality, brotherhood, justice, tolerance, citizenship, education, freedom of ideas and religious choice. Freemasonry came to America from England in the 1730’s when Lodges were established in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Georgia. American Freemasons take pride in members of the fraternity who played a part in the history of our country. Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons and the same statement is true of those who signed the Constitution of the United States. Famous men such as George Washington, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Lafayette, James Monroe and many others whose names awaken memories of the founding of our country. Since our country's beginning thirteen of its President's have been Masons. In Texas, Brother Stephen F. Austin, the father of Texas, was a Mason and considered membership in the Fraternity as an attribute for selecting the original settlers of the Texas frontier. The revolution against Mexico was lead by Brother Sam Houston, who presided over the formation of the Grand Lodge of Texas. It was he who installed Brother Anson Jones as the first Grand Master of Masons in Texas. Upon the creation of the Republic of Texas, all five presidents and vice presidents were Texas Masons. Another point of interest is the free public school system in Texas, the father of which is Mirabeau B. Lamar, a Mason. Masons have also won laurels in other fields of endeavor and we find them prominent in government, in science, in sports and entertainment: Ty Cobb, John Wayne, Al Jolson, Military General’s Jimmy Doolittle and Douglas MacArthur, J. Edgar Hoover, Norman Vincent Peale, Red Skelton, Roy Clark, Will Rogers, Harry Houdini, Davy Crockett, Arthur Godfrey, Buffalo Bill Cody, Henry Ford…etc. And in man's newest field, that of space exploration with Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Virgil Grissom and "Buzz" Aldrin -- all bound by the tie of Freemasonry.

ABOUT FREEMASONRY Freemasonry is ancient, having existed in some form for so long that many serious students have differed as to the exact time and place of its origin. Masonry is not a secret society. Its Lodges are openly marked and almost everyone in the community knows where they are located. The Grand Lodge of Texas publishes a list of members of every Lodge in the state. Many Lodges have individual bulletins with the names of the officers and of members. Masonry does have private information among its members but the fraternity does not conceal its principals or aims. In fact, the most well known of Masonic symbols, the square and compasses, are proudly worn by members everywhere. The square and compasses are examples of tools and implements of ancient architectural craftsmen. During the Middle Ages operative Masons constructed the beautiful cathedrals, castles and other stately structures in Europe, England, Scotland and Ireland. We call them operative Masons. It was during this period that the word "Free" was prefixed to the word “Mason,” because these builders were one of the very few classes of persons allowed to travel from country to country as builders. These men differed from other working craftsmen because they, possessing knowledge in the art of geometry and building, were free men rather than bonded servants. These groups of operative Masons were much like labor unions in which apprentices were taught the secrets of geometry, architecture and the Mason’s art of building. They then advanced to the various ranks of the fraternity. Until about the Sixteenth Century Masons were strictly an operative craft, bound together by the close ties found in the constructive craft guilds of the day. Early in the Seventeenth Century, the meeting places of these groups of men became known as lodges. In addition, men of prominence were admitted, not as craftsmen, for they were not skilled in the builders art, but rather as patrons. Gradually these men came to be known as "accepted" Masons. Thus, by the time the Seventeenth Century came to its end the accepted or speculative Masons were predominant in many of the older Lodges of Freemasons. Today Masonic Lodge is termed speculative because its emphasis is on the moral philosophy that is its foundation, rather than the operative art of the Sixteenth and earlier centuries. The tools of the operative stonemason are used by speculative Masons today to symbolize moral virtues. Freemasonry is religious in character, but it is not a religion. It offers no salvation and it doesn’t tell men what to believe. Rather, Freemasonry attracts men who already adhere to religious beliefs and the moral conduct their beliefs require. But there’s a much greater presence in modern Masonry…the presence of antiquity. In Masonry there are many emblems, symbols and allegories of the ancient Temples of Initiation. It has persuaded the most learned among Masonic scholars to conclude that Masonry is of very ancient origin, and is, in some aspects, the modern successor of the sublime mysteries of the Temple of Solomon and of the Temples of India, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece, and Rome… as well as containing basic doctrines of the Essenes, Gnostics and other ancient mystic Orders. As a result, there are many organizations within the Masonic fraternity. The Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Shrine, the Grotto, Royal Arch and Cryptic Masonry. But no matter where a man fits in the body of Freemasonry, he can only have entered through the local Masonic lodge. And not until a man has completed his work in the local lodge and becomes a Master Mason can he join any of the other aspects of the fraternity. You could say these Masonic organizations represent the hub of a Masonic wheel. A wheel with spokes extending to the entire family. Eastern Star, Job’s Daughter’s, Rainbow Girls and DeMolay for boys add to the total wheel of the Masonic body. FREEMASONRY IN THE COMMUNITY Beyond the focus on individual development and growth, members of the Masonic fraternity are deeply involved in assisting worthwhile community projects and helping people. Freemasons across our land contribute more than 2-million dollars each and everyday to charitable causes including widows, orphans and disadvantaged children. The Grand Lodge of Texas operates the Masonic Home and School in Fort Worth that provides orphaned or deprived children a wholesome home environment and education. Royal Arch and Cryptic Masonry support the Texas Masonic Retirement Center in Arlington. Widows of Mason’s who live at the home are supported by the Grand Lodge of Texas. The York Rite Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides surgical care to the eyes and in many cases, sight to the blind…without charge. The world famous Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas is another representation of the deep commitment to brotherly love and relief, which are held as principal tenets of Freemasonry. This world class Hospital provides surgery, prosthetics and Dyslexia learning therapy to thousands of children, of all religions and races, entirely free of charge. In fact, it was the staff of the Scottish Rite Hospital who established the original clinical definition of Dyslexia and who now provide training for professional educators in the treatment of this condition in Texas schools. Other world famous Masonic facilities in Texas are the Shriners Hospital and Burn Center in Galveston and the Shriners Hospital in Houston. Nationally, there are 19 orthopedic and 3 burn hospitals that not only provide extensive care to burn victims but also conduct ongoing research into new treatments…all with no charge made to patients. These unique medical centers, supported in part by the Shrine Circus, have made the Shrine the most visible aspect of American Masonry. In San Antonio, the Scottish Rite Learning Center of South Texas assists Children with dyslexia to succeed in the educational environment. The Grotto sponsors a broad program of dentistry for handicapped children and supports cerebral palsy research. The Eastern Star is not like the York Rite, Scottish Rite or the Shrine. It is made up of men and women with a Masonic connection. Men who join must be Master Masons while women who join must be the wife, mother, sister, daughter or granddaughter of a Master Mason. With a total membership of some 2-million, the Easter Star is easily the largest coed fraternal society in the world. The Eastern Star maintains a home for elderly members and provides educational assistance for young people. The Order of DeMolay is for young men ages 13 to 21. It shares many of Masonry’s precepts, teaching dedication to God, to home and country. DeMolay helps mold young men into responsible citizens. The Order of Rainbow is for girls age 12-to-20. Members don’t have to have a family connection to Freemasonry, but they do enjoy Masonic sponsorship and assistance. Members of Job’s Daughters do have a family connection to Freemasonry. DeMolay for boys, Rainbow Girls and Job’s Daughters share a Belief in God and concentrate on charitable efforts in volunteer service to others.