mason

"Freemasonry in South Carolina began in 1736 when Solomon's Lodge was granted a Warrant issued the year before by the Grand Master of England."

"Freemasonry is one of the oldest secular fraternal societies. . . .[it] is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values. Its members are taught its precepts by a series of ritual dramas, which follow ancient forms and use stonemasons' customs and tools as allegorical guides." ~from United Grand Lodge of England (1984)

This has been prepared because you have expressed an interest in Freemasonry. Perhaps, in it you will find the answers to some of the questions you may have. We hope that you will find it useful.

You may have many reasons for your interest. Perhaps you have a relative or friend who belongs to a lodge. You may have followed the activities of a neighbor or someone in your community who you know to be a Mason. You may have wondered about the significance of the square and compasses You will often see men wearing this emblem on a lapel button or a ring. You will see it above the door or set on the side of buildings in our cities and towns. No matter where in the world it is found, it always indicates a connection with Freemasonry.

Those of us who are already Masons are pleased that you are interested in our fraternity. We are proud of its unselfish character. We support its programmes which are designed to improve the individual and create happiness in a wide variety of ways without thought of reward. We approve of the generous and careful distribution of our resources to those whose need is greater than ours. We believe in the high standards of morality which Masonry teaches and maintains in a world where old ideals are constantly under attack. We who are members value highly the privilege of holding membership in such a time tested and well proven institution.

From this material, you may read more about Freemasonry; about its principles and objectives, its history, what it expects of its members, major misconceptions, what happens at its lodge meetings, your progression through our rituals and how you can become a member.

Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It requires of its members belief in God as part of the obligation of every responsible adult, but advocates no sectarian faith or practice. Masonic ceremonies include prayers, both traditional and extemporaneous, to reaffirm each individual's dependence on God and to seek Divine guidance. Freemasonry is open to men of any faith, but religion may not be discussed at Masonic meetings .

Freemasonry is a non religious organization which throughout its very many years of existence has maintained a consistent set of principles which are in parallel and which compliment those of major religions of the world while at the same time promoting the simple but important objectives of helping men and women everywhere to live happy lives. These principles include; kindness and consideration at home, honesty in business, courtesy towards others, dependability in one's work; compassion for the unfortunate; and being a good citizen of the whole world. Freemasonry helps its members through its lessons and friendships and society as a whole through both its members' activities and its charitable works.

While Freemasonry's activities and works may vary from town to town and from country to country, its principles and objectives remain the same wherever it exists in the world. The organization of Freemasonry is based on a system of Grand Lodges, each sovereign within its own territory. There is no central authority governing all Grand Lodges. To be acknowledged by others, however, acceptable traditions, standards and practices must be maintained.

Freemasonry's traditions can be traced directly to the associations of operative Masons. They were men of outstanding character and high ideals, who built the cathedrals, abbeys and castles of the Middle Ages.

With the decline of Cathedral building in the 17th Century, many guilds of craftsmen called "Operative" Masons started to accept those who were not working members of the Masons' crafts into their membership and they were called "Speculative" or "Accepted" Masons. These Speculative Masons were learned and well thinking men - men of integrity and goodwill. With their admission into membership in these groups which were called lodges, Freemasonry as we know it today had it beginning. The tools once used for building have been transformed into emblems of moral and spiritual laws.

In 1713, four such lodges, which had been meeting regularly in London, united to form the first Grand Lodge of England under the direction of a Grand Master. From that first Grand Lodge, Freemasonry has spread throughout the world. Today, there are some 150 Grand Lodges having a total membership of approximately five million Masons.

As a Fraternity, Freemasonry provides an opportunity for men to meet and enjoy friendly companionship. In the spirit of helpfulness and brotherly love and guided by the strict moral principles, it encourages goodwill towards all mankind. Freemasonry promotes self-improvement and teaches the basic principles of brotherly love, charity and truth which Masons are encouraged to practice in their daily lives. Masons serve society charitably - not just with money (although over two million Masonic dollars are contributed every day to Masonic philanthropies in North America alone) but also through actions and deeds.

In the Middle Ages each lodge of Operative Masons maintained a charity chest to help widows and orphans, or members in distress. In addition, they assisted a fellow Mason by giving him a day's work or the means of traveling to the project of a neighbouring lodge.

In same manner, Masonic Lodges of today provide funds to quietly assist members in need, send remembrances to widows or special greetings to brethren confined by age or illness.

Freemasonry participates in community fund raising projects such as scholarships, disaster relief, food banks, specialized hospital equipment, vehicles for the handicapped or additions to hospitals.

Freemasonry welcomes applications from men who seek harmony with their fellow man and who wish to participate in making this world a better place in which to live by promoting Masonic ideals of reverence, morality, kindness, honesty, dependability and compassion.

Masons believe that there is one God and that people employ many different ways to seek, and to express what they know of God. Masonry primarily uses the appellation, "Grand Architect of the Universe," and other non-sectarian titles, to address Deity. In this way, persons of different faiths may join together in prayer, concentrating on God, rather than differences among themselves. Masonry believes in religious freedom and that the relationship between the individual and God is personal, private, and sacred .

An open Volume of the Sacred Law, "the rule and guide of life," is an essential part of every Masonic meeting. The Volume of the Sacred Law to a Christian is the Bible; to Freemasons of other faiths, it is the book held holy by them .

The obligations taken by Freemasons are sworn on the Volume of the Sacred Law. They are undertakings to follow the principles of Freemasonry and to keep confidential a Freemason's means of recognition. The much discussed "penalties," judicial remnants from an earlier era, are symbolic, not literal. They refer only to the pain any honest man should feel at the thought of violating his word.

It offers no sacraments. It does not claim to lead to salvation by works, by secret knowledge, or by any other means. The secrets of Freemasonry are concerned with modes of recognition, not with a means of salvation.

Freemasony is far from indifferent toward religion. Without interfering in religious practice, it expects each member to follow his own faith and to place his Duty to God above all other duties. Its moral teachings are acceptable to all religions.

Freemasonry is not a religion. Even so, no atheist may become a member. Before being admitted, every candidate is required to affirm that he believes in a Supreme Being, that he is convinced that a virtuous life is rewarded and the wrongdoing is punished, and that he recognizes that Divine Truth has been revealed to man.

Masonry is not a social club, even though it encourages fraternal fellowship among its members. Topics such as politics or religion which might provoke controversy or dissension are not introduced at its meetings. Masonry seeks for happiness among its members, and it encourages the communication of happiness to others.

Masonry has no policy of evangelism or reformation. It does not strive to convert or rehabilitate wicked or immoral men; in fact, it tries to to exclude them from its ranks. It does seek to make good men better. It encourages charity in act, word and thought.

Masonry is not an avenue of social advancement. There is no place in the Fraternity for a man who cannot meet his associates, and deal with them as equals. He must always remember that all men, no matter what their station in life, or their colour, are partakers of the same nature, and that in the long run the only distinction which counts for anything is individual human worth.

Just as the new applicant or "Entered Apprentice" progressed his way through the craft guilds in the Middle Ages by learning how to build cathedrals, etc., so applicants to Freemasonry, who are also called Entered Apprentices, progress their way through our society by learning how to build character and so lead a better life. They do this through a dramatized series of lessons or ceremonies which we call "rituals".

Freemasonry uses the same tools in its rituals as the Operative Masons used to build cathedrals as tools or symbols in Character Building. Two of those tools are the square and compasses which together form Freemasonry's familiar "trademark" or emblem. The letter "G" in the centre, reflected the Masonic belief in God as the centre of all life.

Man is constantly re-examining his goals and his values as he seeks to relate them to his changing world. In Masonry you will find men of good will and high ideals, men who believe in God and who try to live in a spirit of universal brotherhood. The principles in which they believe are proven and tested. A Masonic Lodge is one place in which all can work together with a rare unanimity, looking towards a brighter tomorrow.