Freemasons For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 4 Icons Used in This Book 5 Beyond the Book 6 Where to Go from Here 6 Part 1: What is Freemasonry? 7 Chapter 1: Lodges, Aprons, and Funny Handshakes: Freemasonry 101 9 What Is Freemasonry? 11 What Do Masons Do? 12 Conferring the three degrees 12 Meeting in lodges, blue lodges, craft lodges, and more 13 Wearing aprons (Real men do it!) 14 Keeping “secrets” 15 Performing public ceremonies 16 Providing something for everyone 17 Are [Fill in the Blank] Freemasons, Too? 17 Chapter 2: From Cathedrals to Lodge Rooms: A History of the Freemasons 21 Turning Stonecutters into Gentlemen: Freemasonry before 1700 22 Operative Masons: The great builders 22 Speculative Masons and the big change 29 Building Men: The 1700s 32 Founding the first Grand Lodge 32 Establishing Masonry in America 39 Finding favor and persecution during and after the French Revolution 44 Growing, Changing, and Branching Out: The 1800s 45 Reuniting Antients and Moderns 46 Spreading throughout America 46 Surviving and Surging: The 1900s 52 Relieving social concerns in the early 1900s 53 Being cast as villains and heroes in World War II 53 Growing again post-war 54 Declining in the ’60s 54 Experiencing the 21st Century: More Changes on the Way 55 The Internet 56 Masonic podcasts 56 Popular culture 57 Changes in Masonic practices 57 Traditional Observance lodges 58 University lodges 58 What’s next? 59 Chapter 3: The Philosophy of Freemasonry 61 Defining What Masons Believe In 62 Promoting brotherly love, relief, and truth 62 Adhering to basic principles 64 Establishing a New World Order? 67 Experiencing Mystic Masonry 68 Connecting members through a mystic tie 69 Expressing concepts through symbolism 69 Chapter 4: Politics, Religion, and Freemasons: They Don’t Mix 71 Exploring the History of Religion and the Masons 72 Bringing limited religion into the lodge 73 Examining the history of Freemasonry and Catholicism 75 Pairing Freemasons and Protestants peacefully (mostly) 79 Bridging great divides: Freemasonry and Judaism 81 Finding conflict between Freemasonry and Islam (where none exists) 84 Refusing to Play Politics 86 Placing Freemasonry amid the political turmoil of 18th-century Europe 87 Sparking anarchy in French lodges 87 Surviving the revolution 89 Enduring the rule of dictators 92 Continuing to weather distrust 95 Maintaining brotherhood during war 96 Part 2: The Inner Workings of Freemasonry 99 Chapter 5: How the Freemasons Are Organized: Who Does What and Why 101 What’s Inside the Lodge? 102 Examining the lodge room 103 Meeting and eating at the lodge 104 Who’s in Charge around Here? 105 Officers in the progressive line 106 Officers not in the progressive line 111 What Makes a Grand Lodge So, Well, Grand? 116 The Grand Master 117 The rules 118 What Is a Regular, Recognized Lodge? 119 Which one’s legit? Sorting through multiple Grand Lodges 120 Irregular, unrecognized, and all over the place: Lodges out of the mainstream 123 Chapter 6: The Ceremonies of Freemasons 131 Understanding Where Masonic Ritual Comes From 132 The historical medieval guild rituals 133 The written account 137 Performing the Rituals of the Modern Lodge 139 Setting the stage for the ritual 139 Entered Apprentice: Initiation and youth 141 Fellow Craft: Passing through manhood 143 Master Mason: Raising, age, and death 144 Movin’ on up! 145 Chapter 7: The Symbols of Freemasonry 147 Symbolizing the Lessons of Freemasonry 148 Deciphering the Key Masonic Ideas 149 The number three 150 Tracing boards: 18th-century PowerPoint 150 Solomon’s Temple 151 Square and compass(es) 155 Explaining More Masonic Symbols 156 Scythe and hourglass 156 The 47th Problem of Euclid or the Pythagorean theorem 156 Jacob’s ladder 157 Anchor and ark 157 Sun, eye, Moon, and stars 157 Lamb and lambskin apron 158 Slipper 158 Point within a circle and parallel lines 159 Pot of incense 160 Beehive 160 Plumb 161 Level 161 Letter G 162 Five-pointed star 163 Naked heart and sword 164 Tyler’s sword and the Book of Constitutions 165 Trowel 165 Handshake 165 Rough and perfect (or smooth) ashlars 165 Pillars 166 24-inch gauge and the common gavel 167 The shovel, setting maul, coffin, and sprig of acacia 167 Chapter 8: Myths and Misconceptions about Masons 169 Digging to the Root of Freemasonry Misunderstandings 170 Debunking Common Myths about Freemasonry 171 Riding the lodge goat 171 Keeping an eye on you with the all-seeing eye and the U.S $1 bill 172 Reading a Masonic bible 173 Worshipping strange gods 174 Pairing up Pike and Lucifer 178 Taking over the world 180 Breaking the law 181 Part 3: When One Lodge isn’t Enough: The Appendant Bodies 183 Chapter 9: Introducing the Appendant Bodies: Who’s Who, and Who Isn’t 185 What Are Appendant Bodies? 187 Concordant bodies 187 Appendant bodies 190 What About These Other Groups? 192 Animal lodges 193 Service clubs 194 Other unrelated fraternal groups 196 Masonic-sounding groups 199 Chapter 10: The York Rite 203 The York Rite System 204 Why York? 205 How it’s organized 205 Royal Arch Masonry 207 Mark Master 208 Past Master 208 Most Excellent Master 210 Royal Arch 210 The Cryptic Rite 210 Chivalric Masonry and the Knights Templar 212 The chivalric orders 213 A crash course in Templar history 215 Other York Rite Bodies 222 York Rite College 222 Knight Masons 222 Allied Masonic Degrees 223 Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (SRICF) 223 Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests 225 Knights of the York Cross of Honour 225 Red Cross of Constantine 225 St Thomas of Acon 225 The Operatives 226 The Masonic Order of Athelstan in England, Wales, and Its Provinces Overseas 226 York Rite Charities 227 Chapter 11: The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite 229 Surveying the Scottish Rite System 231 Organization: Meeting the departments that confer degrees 231 Membership: Earning degrees in the Scottish Rite 232 Presentation: Raising the curtain and lighting the lights 234 Tracing the Scottish Rite’s Origins 236 France: Freemasonry’s foundry furnace 236 The Americas: The Scottish Rite’s real home 237 Introducing Albert Pike: Sage of the Scottish Rite 238 Pike’s life outside of Masonry 239 Discovering Freemasonry 239 Writing and revising rituals, morals, and dogma 242 Putting Pike in perspective 242 Listing the Degrees of the Scottish Rite 244 The Southern Jurisdiction degrees 244 The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction degrees 246 Serving Communities through Charitable Work 247 Chapter 12: Shriners International 249 Getting to Know the Shriners 250 Tracing the History from Partiers to Philanthropists 250 The Knickerbocker boys start the fun 251 So why the goofy hats? 251 The first growth of the Shrine 252 Polio and the first Shrine hospital 252 Depression and growth 253 Greatest philanthropy in the world 253 Putting a Little of the Boy Back in the Man 255 Getting initiated 255 Gathering at the oasis 255 Forming units to suit every Shriner 256 Having fun in little cars 257 Considering the Shrine’s Place in Freemasonry 258 Chapter 13: The Extended Masonic Family 261 Bringing Women into the Lodge 262 The Order of the Eastern Star 262 The Order of the Amaranth 267 The White Shrine of Jerusalem 268 The Social Order of the Beauceant 269 Not Just Kidding Around: The Youth Groups 270 DeMolay International for boys 270 The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls 271 Job’s Daughters 273 Checking Out Lesser-Known Masonic Groups 274 The Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm of North America 274 The Ancient Egyptian Order of SCIOTS 275 The Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America 275 National Sojourners 276 High Twelve International 277 Widows Sons 277 Investigating Masonic Research Societies 278 Quatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076 278 Philalethes Society 279 Phylaxis Society 279 Scottish Rite Research Society 279 The Masonic Society 280 Lodges of research 280 Part 4: Freemasonry Today and Tomorrow 281 Chapter 14: Why Freemasonry is Still Relevant 283 A Breakdown in Community 284 Isolating individuals 285 Disconnecting from each other 285 Getting shortchanged in social capital 286 Where Freemasonry Fits In 287 Making good men better ones 288 Providing something for everybody 289 Supporting brotherly love 289 Involving people in charitable work 291 Practicing religious tolerance 291 Giving comfort through constancy 292 Chapter 15: Freemasons and the Future 295 Speculating on the Future of the Craft 297 One-day classes 297 Advertising and Masonry’s public image 298 Paying your dues 299 Going Back to the Future 300 Reducing Masonic real estate 301 Growing the Observant-style lodge movement 302 Returning to old ways 303 Exploring ancient lessons with new technology 303 “Masoning” on the Internet 304 Freemasonry online 304 Blurring the concepts of recognition 305 Contending with anti-social social media 305 Chapter 16: So You Want to Become a Freemason 307 Examining Why Men Become Masons 308 What’s in it for you 308 Hearing from Masons themselves 309 Why I joined 310 To Be One, Ask One 312 Finding a Freemason 312 Finding a lodge 313 Joining a Lodge 314 Qualifying for membership 314 Petitioning to join the lodge 315 Being investigated 316 Balloting 316 Scheduling your degree ceremonies 318 Being welcomed as a Brother 318 Part 5: The Part of Tens 321 Chapter 17: Ten Groups of Famous Masons 323 Founding Fathers 323 Explorers and Adventurers 325 Pioneers of Science and Medicine 326 Actors and Entertainers 326 Incredible Athletes 327 Military Leaders 328 Significant Businessmen 329 Players in the World of Statecraft 329 U.S Civil Rights Leaders 330 Men of Arts and Letters 331 Chapter 18: Ten Amazing Conspiracies, Anti-Masons, and Hoaxes 333 Leo Taxil and the Great Hoax! 333 The Illuminati! 335 Trilats, CFRs, and Bilderbergers, Oh My! 336 The Secret 33rd Degree! 338 Jack the Ripper: A Freemason! 338 The Italian P2 Lodge Scandal! 340 Washington, D.C., Is Satan’s Road Map! 341 Aleister Crowley, Satanist and Freemason! 342 Freemasons Founded the Nazis! 343 Masonic Cops! Masonic Judges! 344 Chapter 19: Ten Cool Masonic Places 347 George Washington Masonic National Memorial (Alexandria, Virginia) 348 House of the Temple (Washington, D.C.) 348 Freemason’s Hall (Philadelphia) 349 Masonic Temple (Detroit) 349 Grand Lodge of New York Masonic Hall (New York City) 350 Scottish Rite Cathedral (Indianapolis) 350 Freemason Hall (London) 350 Templar Church (London) 351 Rosslyn Chapel (Roslin, Scotland) 351 Musée de la Francmaçonnerie and other Masonic sites (Paris) 351 Part 6: Appendixes 353 Appendix A: The Regius Manuscript 355 A Poem of Moral Duties 356 Appendix B: Anderson’s Constitutions 379 The Charges Of A Free Mason 379 i Concerning God And Religion 380 ii Of The Civil Magistrate Supreme And Subordinate 380 iii Of Lodges 381 iv Of Masters, Wardens, Fellows, And Apprentices 381 v Of The Management Of The Craft In Working 382 vi Of Behavior 383 Appendix C: Finding a Lodge 387 Mainstream U.S Grand Lodges 387 Prince Hall Grand Lodges 391 Canadian Grand Lodges 394 Index 397