Question 1

What is Freemasonry?

Accepted Answer

Freemasonry (also called “Masonry”) is one of the oldest surviving modern fraternal organizations, and is generally considered the largest fraternal organization in the world today.

Question 2

Where do the names Freemasonry, Masonry, and Free and Accepted Masons come from?

Accepted Answer

The name "Mason" comes from the occupation of the organization's original members – stonemasons who built castles and cathedrals in England and Scotland. The word “free” was added during the Middle Ages. Because stonemasons possessed knowledge and skills not found everywhere, these men had the privilege of, or were free to, travel between countries.
 
Over time, many men who were not builders were drawn to the practices of Freemasonry. To encourage intellectual diversity, stonemasons began accepting men from other professions into the fraternity. These men were known as “accepted Masons.” This trend continued, and accepted members eventually outnumbered  members who worked as stone masons. Today, the names “Freemasonry,” “Masonry,” and “Free and Accepted Masons” are used interchangeably to refer to the fraternity.

Question 3

What is a lodge?

Accepted Answer

Today, this term refers both to a unit of Masons and the room or building in which they meet. There are more than 330 lodges in California (and approximately 40,000 members  in the state of California).

Question 4

What is a grand lodge?

Accepted Answer

A grand lodge is an administrative body that oversees Freemasonry in a specific geographic area, called a jurisdiction. The United States has grand lodges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Question 5

Is Freemasonry an international organization?

Accepted Answer

There are about five million Masons worldwide, including almost two million in the U.S. and more than 40,000 in California. All lodges follow the same principles of Freemasonry, but their activities may vary. Each grand lodge is sovereign and independent; there is no U.S. or international governing body for Freemasonry.

Question 6

Is Masonry a secret organization?

Accepted Answer

Membership in Masonry is not a secret; all members are free to acknowledge their membership. There is no secret about any of Masonry’s aims or principles. Masonry’s constitutions and rules are available to the public, and meeting locations are clearly identifiable. Like many similar organizations, some of Masonry’s internal affairs, such as ceremonies, are regarded as private matters for members only.

Question 7

What happens at a lodge meeting?

Accepted Answer

There are generally two kinds of meetings for members. The most common is a business meeting, called a "stated meeting", devoted to administrative procedures: minutes of the last meeting, discussing financial matters, voting on applications, and planning/discussing lodge activities. The second kind of meeting is ceremonial, used for conferring degrees.

Question 8

What are degrees?

Accepted Answer

There are three stages of Masonic membership: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason. These stages are referred to as “degrees,” and correspond with members’ self-development and increased knowledge of Freemasonry. As a man completes each phase of learning, the lodge holds a ceremony to confer his degree.
 
Degree names are taken from craft guilds: In the Middle Ages, to become a stonemason, a man would first be apprenticed. As an apprentice, he learned the tools and skills of the trade. When he had proved his skills, he became a “fellow of the craft,” and when he gained exceptional ability, he was known as a “master of the craft.”

Question 9

Why does Masonry use symbols?

Accepted Answer

Symbols allow people to communicate quickly, and to transcend language barriers. When you see a green light or a circle with a line through it, you know what it means. Likewise, Masons use metaphors from geometry and the architecture of stonemasonry to inform their continuing pursuit of knowledge, ethics, and leadership skills.
 
To reflect their heritage, Masons wear aprons while in lodge, at certain public events, and at funerals to demonstrate their pride in the fraternity, and their lineage from stonemasons, who historically carried their tools in leather aprons. The square and compass is the most widely known symbol of Masonry: When you see the symbol on a building, you know that Masons meet there.

Question 10

Do Masons engage in politics?

Accepted Answer

Masonry does not endorse political candidates or legislation, and the discussion of politics at Masonic meetings is not allowed.

Question 11

Is Masonry a religion?

Accepted Answer

Masonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. The fraternity requires its members to have a belief in a Supreme Being and to belong to an established religion, but the fraternity itself is not affiliated with any religion, and men of all faiths are represented in the fraternity. Religion is not discussed at lodge meetings.

Question 12

What are the other Masonic organizations?

Accepted Answer

A man first becomes a Mason at his local lodge. After he has achieved the third degree of Masonry, he may join any of the other allied Masonic organizations, each of which has a unique focus. The best known in the United States are the Shrine, Scottish Rite, and York Rite.

Question 13

Why can’t women join Masonry?

Accepted Answer

Masonry is a fraternity, a brotherhood. The essence of a fraternity is that it is for men, just as the essence of a sorority is that it is for women. There are several affiliated Masonic organizations for women only, as well as organizations for both men and women.

Question 14

Are there Masonic organizations for youth?

Accepted Answer

In the years following World War I, Masons in the United States helped establish a trio of youth orders dedicated to teaching young men and women the principles and values of Masonry. Today, DeMolay International, Job’s Daughters International, and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls offer young men and women ages 10 to 21 opportunities for personal growth and community service. More information is available at masons4youth.org.

Question 15

Are there financial commitments for Masons?

Accepted Answer

There is a modest fee when submitting an application for membership. There is also an annual fee for maintaining membership, that varies slightly from one lodge to another, as each lodge determines their "dues" amount.

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