What is Freemasonry?
The Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons is the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternal organization in the world. Today, there are more than 160 Grand Lodges in free countries around the world with a membership of more than 3.6 million. In the United States alone, there are 51 Grand Lodges presiding over a total of approximately 1.2 million Freemasons.
Contrary to popular belief, Freemasonry is not a secret society. It does not hide its existence or its membership. There has been no attempt to conceal the purpose, aims and principles of Freemasonry. It is an organization formed and existing on the broad basis of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Its constitutions are published for the world to behold. Its rules and regulations are open for inspection. The Tenets of Freemasonry are ethical principles that are acceptable to all good men. It teaches tolerance toward all mankind. It dictates to no man as to his beliefs, whether they be religious or secular. It seeks no advantage for its members through business or politics. Freemasonry is not a forum for discussion on partisan affairs. Freemasonry is kindness in the home, honesty in business, courtesy in society, fairness in work, pity and concern for the less fortunate, resistance toward evil, defense to the weak, forgiveness for the penitent and love for one another and all mankind.
Freemasonry is first and foremost, a fraternal organization that seeks to elevate and ennoble mankind through the use of allegory, symbolism and rituals once endemic to the stonemason craft guilds of the Middle Ages. The fraternity provides a forum whereby men may engage in education, fellowship and philanthropy as part of their never-ending pursuit toward moral perfection. While no single definition exists for our institution, below is an abbreviated list of the values espoused by the fraternity in general and Lodge No. 2 in particular:
Fellowship:
Freemasonry is an organization encompassing men of virtually every religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, political ideology, profession, vocation and socioeconomic status. The morals and values which govern Freemasonry center on the premise that the fraternity serve as a brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. In the interest of promoting camaraderie among its members, Lodge No. 2 hosts a number of fellowship events including monthly socials at local taverns, family picnics, theater nights, historical tours and more, all while enjoying the magnificent splendor of downtown Philadelphia. There truly is no better place to experience fellowship than in the “City of Brotherly Love”.
Tradition:
Masonic rules, edicts, customs and landmarks of the fraternity borrow heavily from the Ancient Charges, the rules of medieval stonemason craft guilds. The rituals, passwords, gestures and handshakes used by Freemasons to identify one another are so-called “trade secrets” that have been safeguarded for centuries and are known only to those who have achieved full membership status in the Craft.
Education:
Freemasonry encourages life-long learning in its membership and guest speakers are regularly invited to give talks at lodges on a plethora of subjects. Lodge No. 2, for instance, frequently invites lecturers from Philadelphia’s local academic and research institutions to give presentations centered on the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy.
Morality:
Freemasonry uses elaborate rituals to communicate certain social and moral virtues, using the tools and language of ancient craft guilds as allegories for man’s pursuit toward personal enlightenment. These virtues are cited in the vast majority of the world’s faiths, though Freemasonry is not, in fact, a religion nor does it profess to be a substitute for organized religion.
Tolerance:
Since Freemasons consist of men from all walks of life, our members are instructed to demonstrate tolerance toward one another’s beliefs and treat each other with the utmost decorum, benevolence and respect even towards those with whom they may disagree. Freemasonry pioneered many of the values now considered fundamental human rights, including the rights to free speech, peaceful assembly and freedom of religion. Seeing as many of the Founding Fathers, including nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, were Freemasons, it stands to reason that these values first celebrated by the Craft ultimately made their way into the U.S. Constitution in the form of the 1st Amendment.
Philanthropy:
From its inception, the fraternity has made charity a cornerstone of its mission to extend goodwill towards all mankind, regardless of their affiliation with the Craft. To that end, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has championed a number of charitable endeavors including but not limited to: the Masonic Children’s Home, the Masonic Retirement Villages, and perhaps most notably, the Shriners Hospitals for Children. In like manner, Lodge No. 2 regularly sponsors community outreach programs through partnerships with the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, Broad Street Ministry, Philabundance, Grace Café at Arch Street United Methodist Church, West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) and the Gift of Life Family House, and many more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What do Freemasons do in and out of a Lodge?
A. Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morality, vailed in allegory, and illustrated by symbols dedicated to the brotherhood of man under the all seeing eye of our Creator. Freemasons in a Lodge conduct the fraternal business of making Freemasons, disperse lodge charity and receive instruction in truth. Freemasons out of their lodges are to be active citizens in the community by practicing brotherly love, relief, and truth.
Q. Is Freemasonry a religion?
A. Freemasonry is not a religion although it is comprised of religious men. We have no specific book nor dogma as religion does. Freemasonry accepts men from all faiths and traditions that claim belief in a Supreme Being.
Q. What is the purpose of Freemasonry?
A. Our mission is guided by the enduring and relevant tenets of our fraternity - Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth - and our core values, including:
Tolerance - The fraternity values religious, ethnic, cultural, social, and educational differences and implores us to respect the opinions of others and strive to improve and develop as human beings.
Personal growth - Our continuous pursuit of knowledge, ethics, spirituality, and leadership brings more meaning to our lives.
Ethics - Our lives are based on honor and integrity, and we believe that honesty, compassion, trust, and knowledge are the underpinnings of every successful man.
Q. How does one become a Freemason? What are the costs to apply for membership?
A. To be considered for admission to Lodge No. 2, one need only be a man of at least 18 years of age, of sound moral character and profess a belief in a Supreme Being (which is up to the petitioner’s interpretation). Applicants must fill out and sign a petition and e-mail the completed form to Lodge No. 2's Secretary. Please enclose a check in the amount of $100.00 when mailing a petition to the Secretary. An additional $400.00 is due to the Secretary one week prior to the date of the petitioner’s scheduled initiation.
Q. What are Lodge No. 2’s annual dues?
A. Lodge No. 2’s annual dues are $70.00 and may be paid via cash, check or online. Please make all cash and checks payable to “Lodge No. 2” and submit payments to Lodge No. 2’s Secretary. All dues are to be received by no later than December 31.