They have also been organised around other interests, such as football or rugby fans. The Mike Hailwood lodge recruits motor racing fans. The Lux In Tenebris lodge — light in darkness — was established toward the end of the first world war for blind masons. There are a number of lodges for women, governed by their own grand lodges, but those governed by UGLE are entirely male affairs. Despite efforts to recruit younger men, particularly undergraduates, masons are also predominantly middle-aged or elderly.
Candidates were traditionally recruited by word of mouth, but in the digital age men can apply online.
Some of the rumours about the ancient initiation ceremony are true. The candidate must roll up one trouser leg to show that he is healthy and unshackled, a free man.
He must expose his left breast to show that he is not a woman. A rope noose known as a cable tow is placed around his neck. This represents either an umbilical cord or ties to fellow masons. It is open to interpretation. He is then led blindfolded into the lodge meeting room, where he is introduced to the secret signs of recognition — a word, a handshake, a symbol — and expected to deliver oaths of loyalty and secrecy.
The blindfold is removed and he is shown the light. At this point, he is an entered apprentice. Further initiation ceremonies are required before he can be accepted as a fellow craft mason and then a master mason. With each stage, known as a degree, comes a different ceremonial apron. There are other regalia — collars and white gloves and badges — and a plethora of ranks, with titles such as assistant grand pursuivant and grand sword bearer.
You can share your stories here via our encrypted form. They will help our journalists have a more complete picture and we will use some of them in our reporting.
During this period he is expected to acquire detailed knowledge of the rituals at the heart of Freemasonry. Masons are expected to learn and deliver long passages of texts, often in archaic language, and to help each other to do so.
The rituals are intended to deliver messages about rebirth as a mason, passage through life and preparation for death. Freemasonry is a secular affair open to men of any race or faith, although candidates for entry must declare a belief in a superior god-like being.
In practice, the overwhelming majority of masons in Britain are not only older men, but also white. To get started on your journey to becoming a Master Mason, visit our Join page. Freemasonry is an individual journey towards becoming a better father, husband, friend, citizen and man, supported by other men at different points on the same journey. For centuries, the Masonic Lodge itself has been the launchpad for Masonic Education, and a common ground for Brethren of different backgrounds to meet and exchange ideas, provide support and offer friendship.
Brotherly Love: Caring for Each Other and Our Communities Masons regard the human species as one family, and as members of that family, we should act with respect and understanding toward others and seek to aid and support those who are in need. As Masons, we understand that everyone has their own path and their own obstacles. We aid and whisper wise counsel where we can, and we offer support and protection when necessary.
In other words, Freemasons take responsibility for their communities and care for the people in them. Communities are not limited by geography, and a Mason is a member of many communities through his career, faith and interests. Relief: Humbly Assist Those in Distress As Freemasons, we should help others to negotiate the obstacles in their path, if not remove them altogether.
Sometimes, Relief takes the form of a well-needed kindness at the right time. Most Masonic Relief is of this nature and is rarely, if ever, talked about. A mother who has to transport her child to a hospital three times a week for cancer treatments will find an envelope in her mailbox containing gas cards, a veteran finds that his meal has been paid for, or someone stops to assist a family with a flat tire on the side of the road.
As Masons, we do not seek applause for our Relief work, because we believe that offering Relief is not a rare circumstance to be celebrated but the way that we are supposed to behave and conduct ourselves.
So could an atheist join? No, said James Sullivan, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York: "The reason we, I think in the past, wanted somebody that had a belief in a supreme being is because we take certain obligation to be a good man, to support the fraternity. And if you didn't have a belief in a supreme being, the obligation would mean nothing. Of the 56 figures who signed the Declaration of Independence, only nine were confirmed Masons, according to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania ; and of the 39 delegates of the Continental Congress who signed the draft of the new nation's Constitution in , only 13 one-third were Freemasons.
The back of the dollar bill features an incomplete pyramid with an eye on top of it. Many people -- including some Freemasons -- say it's a Masonic symbol, but that's not the case.
UCLA's Margaret Jacob says these symbols have been used by many different groups, including Masons, throughout history. Brent Morris said there are two types of people who want to promote the idea that the symbols are Masonic: "The pro-Masons and the anti-Masons -- and that pretty well covers the universe. The uncompleted pyramid [which also appeared on a pound Colonial note] represented that our country was not yet completed, that we were continuing to grow.
The Shriners known formally as the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine , the charity organization best known in the popular mind for driving tiny cars in parades, are an off-shoot of the Masons.
0コメント