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Your
Questions Answered
What is Freemasonry?
How many Freemasons
are there?
How and when did Freemasonry
start?
How many degrees are
there in Freemasonry ?
What happens at a
lodge meeting?
Isn't ritual out of
place in modern society?
Why do grown men run
around with their trousers rolled up?
Why do you wear regalia?
How much does it cost
to be a Freemason ?
Why are you a secret
society?
What are the secrets
of Freemasonry?
What happens at a
lodge meeting?
Why do Freemasons
take oaths?
Why do your 'obligations'
contain hideous penalties?
What
is the relationship between Freemasonry and groups like the Orange Order,
Odd Fellows and Buffaloes?
Is Freemasonry an
international Order?
Q What is Freemasonry?
A Freemasonry is the U.K.'s largest secular, fraternal and charitable organisation.
It teaches moral lessons and self-knowledge through participation in a progression
of allegorical two-part plays.
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Q How many Freemasons are there?
A Under the United Grand Lodge of England, there are 330,000 Freemasons, meeting
in 8,644 lodges. There are separate Grand Lodges for Ireland (which covers
north and south) and Scotland, with a combined membership of 150,000. Worldwide,
there are probably 5 million members.
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Q How and when did Freemasonry start?
A It is not known. The earliest recorded 'making' of a Freemason in England
is that of Elias Ashmole in 1646. Organised Freemasonry began with the
founding
of the Grand Lodge of England on 24 June 1717, the first Grand Lodge in the
world. Ireland followed in 1725 and Scotland in 1736.
All the regular Grand
Lodges in the world trace themselves back to one or more of the Grand Lodges
in the British Isles. There are two main theories of origin. According
to
one, the operative stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles
had lodges in which they discussed trade affairs. They had simple initiation
ceremonies and, as there were no City and Guilds certificates, dues cards
or trade union membership cards, they adopted secret signs and words to
demonstrate
that they were trained masons when they moved from site to site. In the 1600s,
these operative lodges began to accept non-operatives as "gentlemen masons".
Gradually these non-operative took over the lodges and turned them from
operative
to 'free and accepted' or 'speculative' lodges.
The other theory is that
in the late 1500s and early 1600s, there was a group which was interested
in
the promotion of religious and political tolerance in an age of great tolerance
when differences of opinion on matters of religion and politics were
to lead
to bloody civil war. In forming Freemasonry, they were trying to make better
men and build a better world. As the means of teaching in those days
was by
allegory and symbolism, they took the idea of building as the central allegory
on which to form their system. The main source of allegory was the Bible,
the contents of which were known to everyone even if they could not read,
and the only building described in detail in the Bible was King Solomon's
Temple, which became the basis of the ritual. The old trade guilds provided
them with their basis administration of a Master, Wardens, Treasurer
and Secretary,
and the operative mason's tools provided them with a wealth of symbols
with which to illustrate the moral teachings of Freemasonry.
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Q How many degrees are there in Freemasonry ?
A Basic Freemasonry consists of the three 'Craft' degrees (Entered Apprentice,
Fellow Craft and Master Mason) completed by the Royal Arch degree (Chapter).
There are many other Masonic degrees and Orders which are called 'additional'
because they add to the basis of the Craft and Royal Arch. They are not basic
to Freemasonry but add to it by further expounding and illustrating the principles
stated in the Craft and Royal Arch. Some of these additional degrees are numerically
superior to the third degree but this does not affect the fact that they are
additional to and not in anyway superior to or higher than the Craft. The
ranks that these additional degrees carry have no standing with the Craft
or Royal Arch.
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Q What happens at a lodge meeting?
A The meeting is in two parts. As in any association there is a certain amount
of administrative procedure - minutes of last meeting, proposing and balloting
for new members, discussing and voting on financial matters, election of officers,
news and correspondence. Then there are the ceremonies for admitting new Masons
and the annual installation of the Master and appointment of officers. The
three ceremonies for admitting a new Mason are in two parts - a slight dramatic
instruction in the principles and lessons taught in the Craft followed by
a lecture in which the candidate's various duties are spelled out.
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Q Isn't ritual out of place in modern society?
A No. The ritual is a shared experience which binds the members together.
Its use of drama, allegory and symbolism impresses the principles and teachings
more firmly in the mind of each candidates than if they were simply passed
on to him in matter-of-fact modern language.
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Q Why do grown men run around with their trousers rolled up?
A It is true that candidates have to roll up their trouser legs during the
three ceremonies when they are being admitted to membership. Taken out of
context, this can seem amusing, but like many other aspects of Freemasonry,
it has a symbolic meaning.
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Q Why do you wear regalia?
A Wearing regalia is historical and symbolic and, like a uniform, serves to
indicate to members where they rank in the organisation.
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Q How much does it cost to be a Freemason ?
A It varies from lodge to lodge but anyone wishing to join can find a lodge
to suit his pocket. On entry, there is an initiation fee and an apron to buy.
A member pays an annual subscription to his lodge which covers his membership
and the administrative cost of running the lodge. It is usual to have a meal
after the meeting; the cost of this can be included either in the annual subscription
or paid for at the time. It is entirely up to the individual member what he
gives to Charity, but it should always be without detriment to his other responsibilities.
Similarly, he may join as many lodges as his time and pocket can allow as
long as it does not adversely affect his family life and responsibilities.
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Q Why are you a secret society?
A We are not, but lodge meetings, like those of many other groups, are private
and open only to members. The rules and aims of Freemasonry are available
to the public. Meeting places are known and in many areas are used by the
local community for activities other than Freemasonry. Members are encouraged
to speak openly about Freemasonry.
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Q What are the secrets of Freemasonry?
A The secrets in Freemasonry are the traditional modes of recognition which
are not used indiscriminately, but solely as a test of membership, e.g. when
visiting a Lodge where you are not known.
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Q What happens at a lodge meeting?
A The meeting is in two parts. As in any association there is a certain amount
of administrative procedure - minutes of last meeting, proposing and balloting
for new members, discussing and voting on financial matters, election of officers,
news and correspondence. Then there are the ceremonies for admitting new Masons
and the annual installation of the Master and appointment of officers. The
three ceremonies for admitting a new Mason are in two parts - a slight dramatic
instruction in the principles and lessons taught in the Craft followed by
a lecture in which the candidate's various duties are spelled out.
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Q Why do Freemasons take oaths?
A New members make solemn promises concerning their conduct in Lodge and in
society. Each member also promises to keep confidential the traditional methods
of proving that he is a Freemason which he would use when visiting a lodge
where he is not known. Freemasons do not swear allegiances to each other or
to Freemasonry. Freemasons promise to support others in times of need, but
only if that support does not conflict with their duties to God, the law,
their family or with their responsibilities as a Citizen.
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Q Why do your 'obligations' contain hideous penalties?
A They no longer do. When Masonic ritual was developing in the late 1600s
and 1700s it was quite common for legal and civil oaths to include physical
penalties and Freemasonry, however, the physical penalties were always symbolic
and were never carried out. After long discussion, they were removed from
the promises in 1986.
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Q What is the relationship between Freemasonry and groups like the Orange
Order, Odd Fellows and Buffaloes?
A None. There are numerous fraternal orders and Friendly Societies whose rituals,
regalia and organisation are similar in some respects to Freemasonry's. They
have no formal or informal connections with Freemasonry.
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Q Is Freemasonry an international Order?
A Only in the sense that Freemasonry exists throughout the free world. Each
Grand Lodge is sovereign and independent, and whilst following the same basic
principles, may have differing ways of passing them on. There is no international
governing body for Freemasonry.
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