Become a Member
Masonry is the world's first and largest fraternal organization. It is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself and help make the world a better place.
As Masons, we lead by example, give back to our communities, and support numerous Masonic philanthropies. We invest in children, our neighborhoods, and our future.
What is a Mason?
A Mason is a Man and a Brother whose Trust is in God. He meets you on the Level and acts upon the Square. Truth is his Compass and he is ever Plumb. He has a true Grip on all that is Rite. He is loyal to his Order and whatever his Degree he is Master of himself. In the Lodge of life he wears unstained the white Lambskin of innocence. From his Initiation as an Entered Apprentice he travels ever East toward the Light of Wisdom until he receives the final - the Divine Password that admits him into the Ineffable Presence of the Eternal Supreme Grand Master of the Universe - God.
What is Freemasonry?
Probably one of the finest definitions ever devised for Freemasonry is: "It is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols..." This system of morality, or ethics, is as old as civilization. One must penetrate the allegorical veils, with the aid of symbolical emblems, and practice the moral precepts which have been therein revealed to prepare ourselves, spiritually, "as living stones for that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Freemasonry is a "Way of Life."
Freemasonry is a progressive science. A Mason can only advance by taking every step. He must acquire and apply the knowledge available to him on each level and perfect his skills so that each stone designed for that Spiritual Building might be square, level, and plumb.
Candidates for Freemasonry must come of their own free will. The applicant must have a sincere desire to unite with a fraternity dedicated to "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth."
Many centuries ago the craft so successfully protected its trade secrets, consisting primarily of architectural and geometrical lore, that it became known as a secret society. Centuries later, when the fraternity had developed strong attachments to the precepts of Truth, Justice, and Liberty, and the religious establishment instituted the "Inquisition", the Freemasons became a secret society in fact. Today this description no longer applies. What Freemasonry teaches is written out for all to read. Masonic halls are listed in local telephone directories. The members wear emblems publicly. The only secrets of the craft today are the manner in which the degrees are conferred and the means of recognition among the members.
Freemasonry is neither a religious nor a political organization. It has been called the "handmaiden of religion" as it encourages all members to be active in the church of their choice. No theological dogmas nor creeds exist in Masonic practice, other than a reverence for God and a spiritual concern for our fellow man. While the Masonic craft does not support political candidates nor issues, it inspires each member to fulfill his civic responsibility as an American citizen. The discussion of sectarian religion or partisan politics is prohibited in all branches of Freemasonry in the United States except the Christian Orders which are not denominational.
The York Rite of Freemasonry, A History and Handbook
Summit Lodge # 112 F. & A. M.
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