TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING FREEMASONRY
Freemasonry
Defined
The Purpose of
Freemasonry
Origin of
Freemasonry
The Transition
from Operative to Speculative Masonry
Origin of the
First Grand Lodge
Titles of Grand
Lodges
The Title of
“Free and Accepted”
Is Freemasonry a
Secret Society?
Is Freemasonry a
Religion?
Catholicism and
Masonry
Subjects Not
Proper for Discussion in Lodge
Qualifications
of a Petitioner
Preparation for
Initiation
No Horseplay or
Hazing
The Heart of the
Masonic Family
The History of FREEMASONRY IN GEORGIA
FAMOUS FREEMASONS
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GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING FREEMASONRY
FREEMASONRY DEFINED:
What is the definition of Freemasonry? In old England, it was defined
as “a system of morality, veiled in allegory (or a story) and illustrated by
symbols.” It is a course of moral instruction which uses both allegories and
symbols to teach its lessons. Our symbols of the Entered Apprentice Mason
Degree are the ”24 inch Gauge” and the “Common Gavel”. The modern definition
is “Freemasonry is an organized society of men, symbolically applying the
principles of Operative Masonry and architecture to the science and art of
character building.” In other words, we are trying to use the old methods to
make good men better.
THE PURPOSE OF FREEMASONRY:
What is the purpose of Masonry? One of the most basic purposes is to
make “better men out of good men.” We try to place emphasis on the
individual man by strengthening his character; improving his moral and
spiritual outlook; and broadening his mental horizons. We try to impress
upon the minds of our members the principles of personal responsibility and
morality; teaching each member to practice in his daily life the lessons
taught through symbolic ceremonies in the lodge. One of the universal
doctrines of Freemasonry is the belief in the “Brotherhood of Man and the
Fatherhood of God”. The importance of this belief is established by each
Mason as he practices the three principle tenets of Masonry: Brotherly Love,
Relief and Truth.
ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY:
How did Freemasonry originate? We are not sure at what point in time
our craft was born. We do know it goes far beyond written record and we
believe it was not always called Freemasonry. Some of the ancient mysteries
of Egypt, Greece and the Orient influenced our ceremonies that are used
today. These ceremonies were designed to test men and to admit only those
who were worthy. Our ceremonies are somewhat the same - only of a less
physical nature, and in a more spiritual form.
THE TRANSITION FROM OPERATIVE TO SPECULATIVE MASONRY:
What is the difference between “Operative” and “Speculative” Masonry?
Operative refers to the time in our history where Masons actually did the
physical labor of building. They were the best at their craft, and they kept
secret their methods of building. Speculative refers to the period of time
when men were accepted into the Craft as “non-operative” members. They were
not “physical builders”, but "“builders of character” instead.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRST GRAND LODGE:
By the first part of the 18th century, there were many lodges in
England. By the year 1716 A.D., most of the lodges had only non- operative
members. In December of 1716, on St. John's Day, a number of members met in
London and had an informal meeting. As a result of this meeting, the members
of the four Lodges met again in London on June 24, 1717 A.D. and formed the
first Grand Lodge. This became one of the most important dates in Masonic
history because it marked the start of modern Freemasonry as we know it
today. With the exception of a few Lodges, every regular Masonic Lodge today
was granted a charter or warrant from a Grand Lodge. Every Grand Lodge has a
certain jurisdiction or an area to represent. In the United States, every
State and the District of Columbia is governed by a Grand Lodge.
TITLES OF GRAND LODGES - F. & A. M. and A. F. & A. M.:
Titles of Grand Lodges in the United States also vary. Some are called
A. F. & A. M. which means Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The other most
commonly used title is F. & A. M., or Free and Accepted Masons.
The reason for this difference is that in England, when Grand Lodges
first started, there was a rivalry between the Irish faction and the English
faction - much like there is, yet, today. One faction adopted the Ancient
title and the other did not. This carried over to the United States, and we
still have both titles in existence. Two other titles exist in America.
South Carolina Masons call themselves Ancient Free Masons or A. F. M., the
only jurisdiction so designated in the United States. The District of
Colombia Masons call themselves Free Ancient and Accepted Masons, or F. A. &
A. M., but, no matter what the title, all Lodges work toward the same goals.
In Georgia, we call ourselves F. & A. M, - Free and Accepted Masons.
THE TITLE OF “FREE AND ACCEPTED”:
How did the words “Free” and “Accepted” originate? The ancient
craftsmen were very skilled, and their craft was considered to be
indispensable to the welfare of both “Church” and “State”. For this reason,
they were not placed under the same restrictions as were other workers -
they were “free” to do their work, travel and live their lives in a manner
which befitted their importance. Back in old England, this type of behavior
was rare. Most workers were under bond to the owners of the land on which
they worked. We believe this freedom for the Operative Mason dates back to
the year 946, in York, England. The word “Accepted” also goes back to the
time of the Operative Mason. During the latter years of the Middle Ages,
there were few educated men outside the monasteries of the world. Naturally,
men wanted to become Freemasons to obtain the advantages the craft had to
offer. These men did not, necessarily, want to build buildings; they wanted
to belong to the organization. These were “Accepted” Masons, rather than
“Operative” Masons. This practice, probably originated when some of the
people, for whom craftsmen were working, asked to be admitted and,
therefore, the practice grew with time. This was a big boost to Masonry,
because the secrets of building trades were becoming more widely-known,
architecture was changing and our membership was declining. By becoming
“speculative” the Craft grew rapidly. As time went on, there became many
more “accepted” members than there were operative members and eventually we
became a speculative rather than an operative organization.
IS FREEMASONRY A SECRET SOCIETY?:
The answer is: “NO”. A secret society is one in which the membership
is concealed; the meeting places are kept secret; and knowledge of its
organization and principles is unknown to the public. We have a few secrets
in Freemasonry - a part of our ritual, our modes of recognition and the
business of the Lodge. Portions of our ritual have been handed down within
Freemasonry for centuries and form a part of our traditions. However, our
purposes, ideals and principles may be learned by anyone who inquires. There
are numerous books on these subjects available to the public. All printed
masonic information, with the exception of our esoteric work, may be freely
discussed in public. We wear lapel pins and masonic jewelry, march in
parades as Masons with our distinctive aprons, advertise the time and place
of our meetings, and openly sponsor charities. We can hardly be called a
secret society. Yes, we have some secrets, but no more so than most other
fraternities or even families.
IS FREEMASONRY A RELIGION?:
Again, the answer is “NO”. Because of the nature of the teachings of
Freemasonry, we do ask our candidates to acknowledge a belief and trust in
God. Otherwise the ceremonies would be meaningless. But we do not require
that you belong to a particular religion or a particular church. An atheist
can not become a Mason because he can not express a belief in a Supreme
Being.
Religion is defined as:
1. Belief in a divine or superhuman power or powers to be obeyed and
worshiped as the creator and ruler of the universe.
2. Expression of this belief in conduct and ritual.
3. Any specific system of belief, worship conduct, etc., often
involving a code of ethics and a philosophy. Masonry, like all its
teachings, is not set forth in written creeds. The Mason must come upon it
for himself and put it in such form as will satisfy his own mind, leaving
others to do likewise. This is Masonic tolerance, one of the prime
principles of the Craft, and protected by the Old Charge which forbids all
sectarian discussion in our assemblies. Our Order seeks only to unite good
men for the purpose of brotherhood - not to promote a specific religion.
CATHOLICISM AND MASONRY:
Can a Catholic become a Mason? There is nothing within of our
doctrines which would prohibit a Catholic from becoming a Mason. There are
many misunderstandings by the public, and by our own members, concerning
this issue. These misunderstandings have led to many false conclusions, and
created barriers where none exist, so far as Freemasonry is concerned. In
other eras, some Catholic Popes regarded Masonry with disfavor and have
issued edicts which condemned Freemasonry and prohibited membership to all
Catholics. In spite of this, many prominent Catholics have become Masons.
Our organization generally has given no official recognition to these
edicts. We have chosen to follow a course of “silence and circumspection”
since the first of these edicts was issued, in 1738, by Pope Clement XII.
SUBJECTS NOT PROPER FOR DISCUSSION IN LODGE:
Religion and politics should not be addressed in Lodge, and there are
very good reasons why these subjects should not be discussed. When we meet
in a Lodge, we are all on a common level, and are not subject to the classes
and distinctions of the outside world. Each Brother is entitled to his own
beliefs and may follow his own convictions. Our objective is to unite men,
not to divide them. These subjects create honest differences of opinion
which might well cause friction between Brethren. There will also be
subjects concerning the Lodge's business that should not be discussed. All
deliberations should be kept within the bounds of propriety and everyone
should show a tolerance for the opinion of the other. Every Master wants
harmony in his Lodge; and, once a matter has been put to vote in the Lodge
and a decision is made, the decision should be accepted by all members,
regardless of how they voted. We try to teach every Mason to be a good
citizen and to perform his civic duties. We do not try to keep anyone from
expressing his opinion, or from serving his city, county, state, or nation,
in an honorable manner. Anyone who serves in political office should not act
politically as a Freemason. Nor use the name of Freemasonry, in exercising
his political rights - such as showing affiliation with any Lodge in his
campaign advertising.
QUALIFICATIONS OF A PETITIONER:
The qualifications to be a Mason are few. The person must be a man,
have a belief in a Supreme Being, at least 21 years old (in Georgia),
free of any previous felonious criminal convictions and be of good moral
character. Loyalty to one's country is an essential qualification in
Freemasonry, and only those are acceptable who cheerfully render obedience
to every lawful authority. Disloyalty in any form is abhorrent to a
Freemason, and is regarded as a serious Masonic Offense.
PREPARATION FOR INITIATION:
While Freemasonry is not a religion, its ceremonies are of a serious
nature, dignified in its presentation and impart teachings which, if
properly understood, obligate a man to lead a better life. To get the
greatest good from the ceremonies, a candidate should first prepare his mind
to understand and absorb these teachings. The candidate should pay strict
attention to every part of the ceremony, in order that he may gain some
understanding of the teachings of Freemasonry. The methods we use in
teaching will be new and unusual to the candidate. These methods have been
used for over two centuries and have not changed significantly since they
originated. Finally, he should learn that every Mason in the Lodge room is
his friend and brother.
NO HORSEPLAY OR HAZING:
There is no place for horseplay or hazing during our ceremonies, and
the candidate can be assured that there will be none. The rituals are
serious and solemn, and we try to teach moral lessons with great dignity.
Anything which is told to the candidate in a joking manner serves only to
desecrate the honorable purposes of Freemasonry. The candidate should have
no apprehension about entering a Lodge. He is always entering a society of
friends and Brothers, where he will be treated with dignity and decorum at
all times.
THE FOUNDATION
A band of English colonists under the
leadership of James Edward Oglethorpe, British soldier, statesman and
humanitarian, arrived on the west bank of the Savannah River on February 12,
1733. This was the birth of the English Province of Georgia, the last of
the Thirteen Colonies. Georgia was the southwestern frontier of British
America for many years.
“A Basic Masonic Education
Course” for Entered Apprentice Masons”
“A Basic Masonic Education Course”
for Fellowcraft Masons”
“A Basic Masonic Education Course”
for Master Masons”