MASSACHUSETTS FREEMASONRY PRIMER

Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest fraternity. It was formally organized in 1717 when four lodges in London created the Premier Grand Lodge; the Grand Lodge of Ireland followed in 1725. On July 30, 1733, Henry Price, a Boston merchant and tailor from London, under authority from the Premier Grand lodge, met with 18 Masons in The Bunch of Grapes Tavern on King (now State) Street and formed the first Duly Constituted Lodge in the New World. Known as “First Lodge” until 1783, it still meets today in Boston as Saint John’s Lodge.

On the basis of this precedence, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was established. It holds the distinction of being the third oldest Grand Lodge in the world, and the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. A Grand Lodge is the governing body that ensures the activities of the lodges within its jurisdiction comply with the Constitutions and Regulations of the Grand Lodge, as well as maintain the uniformity of the ritual ceremonies that initiates experience when becoming members. 2013 marked the 280th Anniversary of Freemasonry in Massachusetts.

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts represents more than 32,000 Masons belonging to 230 lodges throughout the Commonwealth, as well as in Panama, Chile, China (meeting in Tokyo, Japan), and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Its historic headquarters is located at the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets, across from the Boston Common, where it has resided since 1859.

The presiding officer, known as the Grand Master, is elected to serve three consecutive, one-year terms. It is a volunteer position. On December 27th, 2013, Harvey John Waugh of Lynnfield, MA was installed the 88th Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. The Grand Master is referred to as “Most Worshipful.” Masons use the original definition of worshipful, meaning “honorable”; English mayors and judges are still addressed as “Worshipful.” Past Grand Masters include Paul Revere, General Joseph Warren, and Arthur W. Coolidge, former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

Freemasons come from all walks of life: they are men representing every country, religion, race, age, income, level of education, and opinion who meet as Brothers based on the shared values of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Through these values – referred to as the “tenets of our profession” – Freemasons can develop deep and meaningful friendships and relationships with men they probably would have never met. They actively engage in community service and charity for the benefit of humanity. Freemasonry seeks to develop the moral and ethical foundations of its members by using symbolism and allegory from geometry and architecture in its ritual ceremony of instruction. By meeting these objectives, Freemasonry fulfills its motto of “making good men better.”

As numerous Freemasons have demonstrated, these tenets have also successfully inspired men to prepare for the greatness in life that awaited them. Since its formation, Freemasonry has played an important role in the life of some of our country’s most notable citizens: including founding fathers Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and George Washington; thirteen other U.S. Presidents, author Mark Twain, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Today’s men of accomplishment include Astronaut and Senator John Glenn, Apple Inc. Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah.

Freemasonry has also helped develop greatness in countless others whose names are not well known. Men who have made their families, workplaces, and communities better because of their association with the fraternity. Although there have been great differences between these men, whether famous or not, they are united by the common bond of Freemasonry.

The origins and history of Freemasonry is clouded in uncertainty. It is thought to have arisen from English and Scottish guilds of practicing stonemasons and cathedral builders in the Middle Ages. Others have speculated that the order descended from the Knights Templar. Researchers have never been able to conclusively determine exactly when, where, how, or why Freemasonry evolved. The formation of the Premier Grand Lodge in London in 1717 marks the beginning of the Modern (or “Speculative”) era of Freemasonry, when members were no longer limited to working stonemasons.

Long considered a secret society, Freemasonry has experienced a surge in interest and popularity in recent years. The fraternity has been prominently featured in best selling novels like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and The Lost Symbol, and Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Fate, movies such as Disney’s National Treasure, and television specials Mysteries of the Freemasons and Secret History of the Freemasons on The History Channel and Discovery Channel, respectively. Although the accuracy of these different portrayals varies, they have helped bring Freemasonry into the collective conscience.

Since the fall of 2005, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, working with the advertising agency Boston Light Inc., has engaged in a state-wide awareness effort on television and radio. Titled “Is there Greatness in You?”, the campaign brings to life Benjamin Franklin as the Mason’s spokesman. The ads feature the voice and image of Tony Award-winning actor Richard Easton, who starred in the 2002 PBS documentary Benjamin Franklin. AskaFreemason.org, a website developed to supplement the campaign, provides general information about the fraternity, helps interested individuals find their closest lodge, and offers a live forum to interact with Freemasons.

During the years following World War II, Freemasonry experienced a period of growth that was unprecedented in its history. Beginning in the mid-1960s, the number of men joining the fraternity began to drop, followed by a slow, steady decline in Masons, lodges, and lodge buildings. Recently this trend has begun to reverse itself. Fueled, in part, by the increased awareness of the fraternity, as well as a renewed interest among young men in the principles it offers, Freemasonry is growing again.

Long noted for its charity and community service, Freemasons in North America contribute approximately $3 million to charity every day, more than 70% of which benefits the general public. Among those found in Massachusetts are: * The Masonic Youth Child ID Program (MYCHIP) – which provides families with a comprehensive identification package to help law enforcement authorities find a lost or missing child – was developed by Massachusetts Masons. The program has now spread to more than 20 states and Canada. * The Masonic Angel Fund was created in 1998 by members of Universal Lodge in Orleans, MA to provide modest assistance to children who do not fit the criteria for usual social service programs. It is now found in 13 states. * Massachusetts Freemasons have adopted the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory (MMRL) as its signature charity program. Based in Utica, NY, the MMRL is an internationally renowned state-of-the-art medical research institute highly respected and referenced within the scientific and medical community. Their scientific breakthroughs have helped to develop new heart medications and diagnostic procedures, as well as novel therapeutic approaches for the management of cardiac arrhythmias. * The Shriners Burns Hospitals for Children in Boston and the Shriners Orthopedic Hospital for Children in Springfield are part of a network of 22 hospitals throughout North American that provide specialty pediatric care at no charge to the family – regardless of financial need or their relationship to a Shriner or Mason. * Massachusetts is also home to four 32° Masonic Learning Centers for Children where children struggling with dyslexia receive free, one-on-one tutorials that teach them to read using the Orton-Gillingham approach. The Masonic Learning Centers also train tutors for certification to help young people develop the ability to read and learn at appropriate levels.
There are countless other programs, services, and donations that are taking place on the local level, where Masons are addressing needs in their communities and trying to improve the lives of those around them.

In 2011, the Overlook Masonic Health System (MHS) celebrated its 100th Anniversary of as one of the leading providers of health care services to individuals of all ages. Based in Charlton, the MHS includes the Overlook Life Care Community, featuring independent, enhanced, post-acute, and skilled nursing; The Overlook in North Hampton, offering post-acute and skilled nursing; and, Overlook Care at Home, serving more than 1,800 people each day.

Freemasonry seeks to bring together men of every country, religion, race, level of education, income, and opinion and develop the bonds of friendship between them. Through a large variety of North American Masonic philanthropies, approximately $3,000,000 is given to charity every day, 70% of which benefits the general public. During its initiation ceremony, which uses symbolism and allegory, its members are encouraged to value principles, ethics, and morality and to live their lives accordingly. By “making good men better,” Freemasonry positively benefits its members, families and communities. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts represents 32,000 members and more than 230 lodges throughout the Commonwealth. For additional information, please call 800.882.1020, or visit MassFreemasonry.org.