Freemasonry Today

I want to expand on part of my introductory post. As I said, I am a member of the Masonic Lodge.

According to www.tryfreemasonry.com:
Freemasonry, also known generally as Masonry, is the oldest and largest fraternity in the world. No other organization has a man walk into a room full of strangers, anywhere on earth, and immediately receive welcome and honor as a friend and Brother.

I have experienced this firsthand. When I became a Mason in 2003, I was in college and decided to visit some lodges in the area. Even though I did not know anyone at the lodge, I was welcomed with a hearty handshake. Every man there was sincerely interested in getting to know me and keep in contact.

Masons in Indiana have several rules in place to keep the fraternity as a whole in line. First of all, no alcohol in the buildings. This helps to make sure that men are not relying on booze to have a good time. Second, no discussion of politics in lodge. Politics can divide a country easily and we don't want brothers to quarrel over politics. Also, this allows the Masonic fraternity to be neutral when it comes to politics.

There are more rules, but I feel that these two give the most accurate impression of what Freemasonry is all about. We want friendly discussion and good fellowship in a place where we can make good things happen in our communities. A few years ago, it was estimated that Freemasons donate around a million dollars every day to charities and communities in America. We tend to keep quiet about it because seeing the smile on the faces of people we help is recognition enough. I suppose we could be called America's Silent helper.

What do Freemasons really get out of membership? Friends. Lots and lots of friends. In these days where Americans are busier than ever, sometimes we can forget how important it is to spend quality time with people you care about and people that care about you. Almost anywhere you go in the world, one can find Masonic Lodges.

I hope this has provided a bit of an overview of Freemasonry. This is a brief description of the World of Masonry. There are many other organizations for young men and women, wives, etc. I encourage everyone to seek out more information about this community of men and women. For more information, see http://www.thelodgeroom.com/