Ask! Because Masons have not traditionally recruited members and do not hold public meetings, there has long been confusion about how to join the Fraternity. Should I wait to be asked? Does someone ask me, or do I need to ask them?

Today, because of widespread interest in the Fraternity - along with the breadth of both information and misinformation found on the Internet - the content on this site was assembled to help men understand the membership process.

Most men still begin the process of becoming a Mason by simply asking-just as Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Revere and most every Mason from the past to the present day has done.

Membership is open to men of every race, religion, culture, and income level. The basic requirements for membership are listed here.

Men usually seek out a Lodge near their home or workplace or ask a Mason they know to recommend a Lodge to them. Masonry is not for everyone, however. It does not purport to reform bad men, only to provide a lifelong opportunity for good men to improve themselves and the world around them.

The Masonic Fraternity seeks only men of good character as members. In fact, Masonic Lodges are required to review every applicant's moral and social character, and members must be unanimously balloted upon in a Lodge by all members present (and yes, the centuries-old "blackball" voting system is still in use).

Alternately, an Illinois Mason can inform a good man that he knows that should he wish to join, he is welcome to do so under a program called Invitation to Petition. So, if a Master Mason who knows you believes you have the character traits to be a good Mason, he may propose you for membership in a Lodge and have your name balloted upon, and then inform you of this action.

Or you may proactively seek out membership on your own by asking a Mason for a petition or completing a Petition Request Form here and submitting it via this website. In either case, the choice is still yours.

To request membership information please click the link below

http://www.ilmason.org/requestinfo.html

Please watch this to learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Limited-Edition Challenger SRT8 To Be Auctioned to Benefit Shriners Hospitals

BOSTON - An iconic muscle car of the 1970s, the Dodge Challenger, is back after a 35-year absence and a limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be up for auction on Ebay from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7, 2008, to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The car, which is 234 of 6,400 produced in 2008, goes zero to 60 in five seconds and is loaded with options, including a 6.1 liter HEMI® V-8 engine with 425 horsepower, GPS navigation system, Keyless Go Entry, MyGIG multimedia system and UConnect hands-free communication.

An association of Dodge dealers in the New England area donated the car because the group wants to help raise awareness and funds for Shriners Hospitals for Children. "The decision to donate the Challenger SRT8 was based on the positive personal experiences many of our dealers and the association's Board members have had with Shriners and with the hospitals," said New England Dodge Dealer Association President Frank Brody. "Shriners Hospitals for Children is truly a benevolent organization that has proven they really want to make a difference for children."

Through the end of November, members of the Shriners fraternity and Dodge representatives will display the car and provide information about the auction at Dodge Motorsport events and during visits to the Shriners Hospitals located in Springfield, Mass. and Boston.  During the final days of the online auction, the car will be displayed at the New England International Auto Show in Boston.

To find out more about the online auction, the car and Shriners Hospitals for Children, visit www.BeAChallenger.com.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children and Shriners International
 
Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs.  Children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns of all degrees, spinal cord injuries, and cleft and lip palate are eligible for care and receive all services at no charge – regardless of financial need or relationship to a Shriner.

Shriners International is the 375,000-member fraternity that founded and continues to operate 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

For more information about Shriners Hospitals for Children and Shriners International, visit www.shrinershq.org.

Freemasons in midst of popularity, membership boom

New Masons Drawn by Brotherhood, Not Myths

by Rachel Martin

May 5, 2007 · In the 18th century, the word on the cobblestone street was that Freemasons were an occult group promoting a pagan agenda through the American government.

After all, members themselves call Masonry "the craft." And the Masonic founders of  America built the roads around the U.S. Capitol in the form of a five-pointed star – a pagan symbol.

Then there is that "seeing eye" pyramid on the dollar bill – a known Masonic symbol. Some conspiracy theorists have argued that the pyramid is evidence of a Masonic cabal within the U.S. government. (Historians pooh-pooh that idea. It’s just a coincidence, they say.)

Although the reality of Freemasonry is much less mysterious, it’s appealing to a younger generation.

The ’New’ Masons

On a recent evening, about 100 elderly men gathered at the Scottish Rite Masonic Hall in Washington, D.C., for an annual ceremony honoring masons who’ve died in the past year.

As the event began, the men — dressed in suits and ties, some in tuxedos — stood and sang the national anthem. Then one of the Masonic leaders stepped up to the podium and read a list of names of 65 brothers who have died — or, as the Masons say, "journeyed on to the celestial lodge."

The World War II generation that makes up the bulk of Freemasonry membership in the United States is dying at a quick rate. But now, a new generation of Masons is picking up the torch.

Alan Patterson is a member of Naval Lodge 4 on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. He and some of his Masonic brothers sit at a round kitchen table in the dining hall of their lodge. They joke about the rumors and speculation that have surrounded Freemasonry for generations.

"All the stuff you see on the Internet — from devil worship to sacrificing virgins — I joke, ’You know, we do have a couple of New York Yankees fans, but they’re not really considered Satan,’" he says.

Unlike older Masons who joined because their fathers were members, Patterson is the first Mason in his family. During rituals, he and other officers wear large silver neckpieces, which they call their "Masonic bling."

While they discount the conspiracy theories, these Masons clearly enjoy them.

David Johnson, 36, is junior warden of the lodge. "It’s not like we’re sitting in here, polishing the Holy Grail every Thursday night when we meet," he says with a sarcastic grin. "We drink out of the Holy Grail, but we don’t polish it. It couldn’t take it — it’s very old."

Johnson became a Mason at age 25. He has spiky salt-and-pepper hair and three small gold rings in each pierced ear. He gives a tour of the main lodge room. The walls are painted bright blue, and they’re covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Masonic symbols. Johnson explains that a big blue letter G at the far end of the room does stand for God; but even more importantly, he says, in Masonry, G stands for geometry.

The Brotherhood

Masons describe their fraternity as a brotherhood that teaches moral lessons through allegory and secret rituals. It spells out a structured code that Masons are to live by – truth, honor and charity. Masons pledge to take care of one another and their families for life.

There are at least 200 Masonic charitable foundations or programs in the United States. They fund everything from hospitals to charter schools. Overall, Masons donate millions of dollars each year to charities.

It’s not a religious organization, but Johnson says Masons have to profess a belief in a higher power.

"Masonically, we talk about God as the architect of the universe," he says. "It really doesn’t matter how a brother defines his faith, as long as he believes in a deity."

That universality has put Masonry at odds with organized religion for centuries. The Roman Catholic Church has long considered Freemasonry to be an anti-Catholic cult.

But Alan Patterson, a church-going man himself, says all of that stuff about undermining religion is just bunk; at its core, he says, Masonry is something really simple.

"We get together, we turn the phones off, we turn the pagers off, we close the doors, and we dedicate ourselves to bettering ourselves as men," Patterson says. "It’s quaint, but it’s appealing to a younger group of people."

Changing Member Profiles

In its glory days in the 1940s and ’50s, the Masons had 4 million members in the United States, and 50,000 lodges. Now, they have about 1.8 million members. But many lodges — including the Naval Lodge in D.C. — say their average age is going down. Why?

Mark Tabbert, 43, is the director of collections at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Va. Tabbert is the former grand master of his lodge in Massachusetts; he’s also a Masonic history buff. In his office, a plastic action figure is propped on a bookshelf with a little piece of paper stuck to him; it reads "Masonic superhero."

Tabbert says that when membership plummeted during the counterculture movement of the 1960s and ’70s, the Masons accepted virtually anyone who knocked on the door.

"In the quest to be larger and to do more good and to have more fun," he says, "they let in a lot more people, and it dropped the standards of the fraternity."

He says the current renewed interest in Freemasonry has brought in men who take a more serious approach to the ritual than older generations did, and who want to tighten initiation standards and raise dues. But he says the fraternity must watch out for men who sign up because of misguided theories linking Freemasonry to "divine secrets."

"Once you get through the romanticism of a quest that doesn’t exist, or foolishness about the Knights Templar or the Arc of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, you find out that there actually is a quest," Tabbert says. "And the quest is the inner journey, the self improvement, to be useful in society and improve yourself."

Masonic Treasures

While the Masons may not have any big secrets, they do have treasures – including the gavel that George Washington used to hammer in the cornerstone on the Capitol building in 1793. The head of the gavel is made from the same marble used in the original interior of the Capitol, the handle made from native American cherry wood.

It’s one of the most treasured Masonic artifacts, guarded by a lodge in the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C. Longtime Mason Dean Klatterbach says the gavel represents a bridge to the past and to Washington himself, the quintessential American Masonic hero. It’s a powerful connection for Klatterbach, who becomes visibly emotional when discussing the gavel.

"He still stands as a man of indisputable integrity," Klatterbach says of America’s first president. "It’s pretty nice to be associated with someone of that stature."

But for many new, younger members, Masonry’s attraction lies less in historical icons and artifacts than in its sense of fraternity. Johnson, the junior warden of Naval Lodge 4, says what bonds Masons together is oral tradition: passing knowledge, experience and wisdom from generation to generation.

"It takes another brother to show you the way and take you down the path to get to the enlightenment that we offer," he says.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Link to original article and audio slide show on NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9981492

Starkville soldier first Hamassa Shriner to die in Iraq, officials say

By Brian Livingston / staff writer

— Chris Nettles of Starkville knows the McDavid family well having gone to school with Robert McDavid. McDavid’s son, Robert Taylor McDavid III was almost like one of Nettles’ family. So it is understandable why the death of Taylor McDavid March 10 while on patrol in Baghdad has hit Nettles so hard.
"I watched him grow up," said Nettles by phone Wednesday afternoon. "He worked for me some at Mississippi State University and I sort of recruited him to join the Hamasa Shriners. I was real close to him and this hit me and the community very hard."
McDavid, according to Nettles, is the first Hamasa Shriner to lose his life in the Iraq War.
The 29-year-old tank operator with the Army’s 164th Armored Division, 3rd Infantry was on foot patrol Monday with other soldiers in a shopping district of the predominantly Sunni Mansour neighborhood when a man in his 30s detonated his explosives about 30 feet away, said a police officer who witnessed the attack.
Four of the soldiers died at the scene, and the fifth died later from wounds, the military said. Three other American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were also wounded in the attack, which military spokesman Maj. Mark Cheadle said was "was reported to us as a suicide bomber."
Iraqi police said two civilians also were killed.
McDavid was a past Master at the Abert Lodge in Starkville. He was a member of the Scottish and York Masonic bodies.
"His body is back in the states now and we are hoping it will arrive in Starkville sometime Friday," said Nettles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 1999-2006 cnhi, inc.

"Being persuaded that a just application of the principles on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded must be a promotive of private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interest of the Society and be considered by them as a deserving brother."  -- George Washington.

OUR MISSION

Masonry is the world's first and largest fraternal organization. It is a body of knowledge and a system of ethics based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, faith, country, and fraternity.

As Masons, we lead by example, give back to our communities, and support numerous Masonic philanthropies. We invest in children, our neighborhoods, and our future.

Our values

Our mission is guided by the enduring and relevant tenets of our fraternity--brotherly love, relief, and truth--and our core values, which include:

Ethics

Our lives are based on honor and integrity, and we believe that honesty, compassion, trust, and knowledge are important.

Tolerance

The fraternity values religious, ethnic, cultural, social, and educational differences. We respect the opinions of others and strive to improve and develop as human beings.

Personal growth

Our continuous pursuit of knowledge, ethics, spirituality, and leadership brings more meaning to our lives.

Philanthropy

We make a difference in our communities through charitable giving, community service, and volunteerism.

Family

We strive to be better spouses, parents, and family members. We are committed to protecting the well-being of members and their families, especially when they are in need.

Freedom

Masons value the liberties outlined in the U.S. Constitution and continually promote freedom of speech and expression, freedom to worship a Supreme Being in an individual way, and other important liberties. We believe it is our duty to vote in public elections and to exercise all of our liberties within proper bounds.

If this sounds like something you want to be a part of think about petitioning a lodge for membership.  You can start by asking any mason you know or look up your local lodge in the yellowpages. Or you can go to your state's Grand Lodge website. (Here is a site that might help http://bessel.org/usgls.htm)

Thanks to all the good brothers of Tuscan Lodge 44 PHA and Worshipful Master Vincent Davis for the warm hospitality they showed to me and my Shekinah Lodge brothers while we visited their lodge. Good luck to the young brother that was initiated that night. We were honored to have a small part in his 1st degree. He has a good lodge of brothers to grow in.

We are looking forward to having all the regular masons of Carbondale working closley together to see our noble and ancient craft thrive in our community into the 21st century.

For some information on the original historic Tuscan Lodge building read this article from the Southern Illinoisan.

On the endangered list: State preservation group says Tuscan Lodge needs to be saved

BY ANDREA HAHN

Friday, March 11, 2005 7:04 AM CST

CARBONDALE - The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois has recognized a historic building in Carbondale for the second year in a row.

This year, the Tuscan Lodge No. 44, a brick building on the corner of the downtown square at 201 N. Washington, made the "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois" list. The lodge is the only building in Southern Illinois to be recognized.

The list is intended to bring attention to sites threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funding, or inappropriate development. The list has been expanded to 11 sites several times over the years since it was first begun in 1995.

LaRue Love, presiding officer of the Tuscan Lodge

No. 44, said the disrepair of the building is visible from the street. He said restoring the building and making it usable again would benefit the downtown area generally.

"You can't be in downtown Carbondale and not see that building," he said. "And you can't talk about Carbondale and not talk about the downtown."

The building dates back to 1894, when it was an Odd Fellows Hall. The Tuscan Lodge bought it in 1903. The Tuscan Lodge is an African-American Masonic order.

Besides functioning as a community center, the banquet facilities hosted such musical greats as Cab Calloway, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington - and Love said those are just the names that can be verified.

"When the railroads were used more, this was a central location for a lot of people," Love said. "There was a hotel nearby, and it was really easy to stay at the hotel and play at the (lodge)."

The Masons met in the Tuscan building until about eight years ago. Love said they met on the top floor and rented out the lower level. Two locally well-known restaurants, Jeremiahs and Cousins, both called the building home. It was during the restaurant phase, though, that Love said most of the damage was done.

"The restaurants knocked out some of the interior walls, and some of those were supporting walls," he said. "Whenever you do that, you damage the outer walls and the whole building."

Love said inclusion on the list makes the Tuscan Lodge eligible for grants and may help bring attention to the stately structure.

Love said one of his favorite features is the round windows. He said standing on the second story and gazing out through those windows at night presents a picture of downtown Carbondale "like you might see in an old movie."

Evelyn Koine of the Carbondale Historic Preservation Commission was in Springfield for the ceremony and the announcement of the list.

"The Tuscan Lodge is the only property on the town square owned by African-Americans," she said. "This will give it some recognition."

Kevin Clark, also affiliated with the CHPC, said the lodge is working with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Architecture. The university has provided some expertise in determining what is needed for restoration, and will help draw up plans.

Last year, the RBF Buckminster Fuller Dome was on the list. Clark said the fund-raising efforts used by the "Bucky Dome" are an example of the community effort he hopes to see with the Tuscan Lodge.

For more information about historic landmarks, and to view the rest of the endangered list, go to www.landmarks.org.

andrea.hahn@;thesouthern.com