The Fraternity

The Fraternity:

Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, with a membership of about 1.4 million in the United States alone. Freemasonry exists in many different countries and in a variety of forms - with over 4 million Freemasons worldwide. One of the chief guiding principles of Freemasonry is a shared moral center, and joining requires a declaration of a belief in a supreme being or God (based on your religion).

The Organization

Freemasonry is organized into a series of Grand Lodges. Each of these Grand Lodges governs a particular jurisdiction (in the US, it is by State), with the jurisdiction comprised of a number of constituent lodges. Freemasonry also includes a number of other bodies, in essence organizations that maintain their own independence (known as appendant bodies). Examples of appendant bodies include "the Shriners", Royal Arch, Knights Templar, York Rite, Scottish Rite, and others. There are also a number of youth organizations. Every day, Freemasons and their appendant bodies contribute over $3 million to charity.

When Freemasons are asked to define their organization, they are likely to define it as a fraternity with a shared morality. Freemasons often equate the structure and moral center of their organization to the tools and implements of the stonemason - as these are used as symbols in their teaching.

Even though freemasonry is often referred to as a secret society, in reality, this is not the case. Indeed, it is not a secret society at all, simply a fraternity - with some secrets.

While certain aspects of the organization remain a closely guarded secret, the freemasons of the modern age have become less secret than their reputation would suggest. In fact, many of the private rituals and aspects of the freemasons that remain secret are used primarily to allow members of different lodges to recognize one another so that impersonators or impostors cannot infiltrate their lodges and so that the lessons that are taught remain a special experience for new members.