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The charitable work of the Masons goes back well over 600 years, with the earliest Masonic document dated from approximately 1390.
The first Masonic lodge in America was founded in Boston in 1733. Many of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were members of the Masons; other members include many senators, representatives, supreme court justices and fourteen United States presidents.
With more than four million members, Freemasonry is the world's largest fraternal organization. One half of its members are in the United States.
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Are there dues or membership fees required to be a Mason?
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Yes. To keep membership within reach of most men, initiation fees and annual dues are intentionally low. While the actual amounts vary among Iowa's lodges, the one-time initiation fee is usually under one hundred dollars. Annual dues are also under one hundred dollars a year.
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What do Masons believe?
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Overall, Masons believe in:
• Supporting public education
• Constitutional government and equality
• Freedom of religion and expression
• Helping where a void exists
• Personal responsibility
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What is Freemasonry?
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Masonry is a charitable organization dedicated to strengthening character, improving moral and spiritual outlook and broadening mental horizons. Masonry seeks to make good men better – not better than others, but better than themselves.
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Is Masonry a cult?
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Masonry is definitely not a cult. It's also not a secret society,
nor is it a political group.
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Is Masonry a religion?
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No, it's not a religion. There are no creeds and no plan of salvation.
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Is there religion involved?
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Masonry is religious by nature in that it requires a belief in a Supreme Being.
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