Most of us at one time or another have witnessed Freemasonry at work or play. It may have been a Shrine or Commandery parade. It could have been a group of men serving dinner to senior citizens. Perhaps it was men wearing white aprons gathered about at a funeral home to pay their final respects to a deceased brother. You may have wondered, "Who are these guys?" or "What is Masonry all about?"

You see, Masons come in every shape and size. It is a brotherhood of over 5 million men worldwide. When we welcome a man of good character, we do so with the hope that in our ceremonies and teachings, we can make him better: a better family man, a better churchman, a better citizen. He must have a belief in a supreme being. Masons worship in churches and synagogues to show their belief in God, and meet in Lodges to celebrate and enjoy the brotherhood of man.

As you may have heard, we do not solicit members. A man must want to join us in our charitable, educational, and spiritual endeavors. Our numbers include men of every faith: the Muslim, the Jew, the Buddhist and the Christian. We are men of every color and every creed. It's a true brotherhood, where one-time strangers become lifelong friends. Our three degrees teach a system of morality through allegory and symbolism which has been passed down for hundreds of years.

Modern Freemasonry's formal organization commenced in England in 1717 with the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England.

There are Lodges in every free country in the world. There are 51 Grand Lodges or jurisdictions in the United States, namely the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The two oldest Grand Lodges in the world are in England and Ireland. There is a Lodge in Edinburgh, Scotland, Canongate Kilwinning #2 which has been meeting in the same building continuously for over 500 years. You have undoubtedly heard of Robert Burns and Rudyard Kipling - they served as Poets Laureate for that Lodge.

As individuals, Masons have religious differences, but these differences are transcended by like-thinking and a shared philosophy that men of totally different backgrounds, education and interests should meet on common ground. There is a saying that "Freemasonry is largely invisible." The whole of it is never found in any one place, nor in any one time, nor comprised by any one thing that it does. Much of it belongs to the inner life of a member, especially to his heart and his mind. It is not a secret society; we enjoy privacy, not secrecy, just as you have privacy in you family, your home, business or profession. Freemasonry is a way of life, a discipline for inculcating a code of morals, the pointing of a way to a better life.

One of the greatest strengths is the men who preceded us - Revolutionary War General Joseph Warren, who fought and was killed at Breed's Hill, and Paul Revere. Both served as Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. George Washington was an active Mason. He served as Worshipful Master, or head of his Lodge, while in office as the first President of the United States. Masonic history, our country's fight to gain freedom, and our past struggles to preserve those freedoms have been closely entwined; they are practically one and the same.

You may recognize a few names of Masons in the public eye. Over one third of all U. S. Presidents have been Masons: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman (who served as Grand Master of Masons in Missouri) and Gerald R. Ford, to name a few.

Some famous names familiar to us who have been or are members include: John Wayne, Arnold Palmer, Ernest Borgnine, Red Skelton, Will Rogers, Danny Thomas, Mark Twain, Roy Rogers, Henry Ford and J. C. Penney.

Astronauts John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper and Gus Grissom.

Doctors such as Fleming, Jenner, Mayo and Menninger.

Musicians such as Mozart, Sibelius, Liszt and Hayden.

As you can see, our membership has numbered men from all walks of life, from presidents and statesmen, to Supreme Court Judges, artisans and craftsmen.

Locally, our membership ranks have included industrialists, financiers, bankers, political leaders, businessmen, attorneys, doctors, educators and craftsmen.

Speaking of familiar names, almost everyone has heard of the Shriners. Well, something you may not know is that all Shriners are Masons. As members of a Blue Lodge, or local Lodge, you may channel your interest to different areas. This can be done through the activities and efforts put forth by Shrine Masons, Scottish Rite and York Rite Masons. Why is this important? Well, Masons are men from all walks of life. One of our basic teachings is charity - charity to all mankind. We practice this daily and accomplish our goals in many different ways.

Masonry is the five-year old child with extensive burns being driven or flown to the Shrine Burn Institute in Cincinnati from a remote location and, through the assistance of Shrine Masons, being treated - at no charge.

Masonry is the three-year old child from Maryland, born with deformed feet, having them corrected at the Shrine hospital for physically challenged children in Lexington, Kentucky.

Masonry is the thirteen-year old child who can now see clearly for the first time because of the work of the Knights Templar Eye Foundation.

Masonry is the ten-year old child who can now read at her own grade level because of the professional care provided at the Scottish Rite Children's Learning Centers.

Masonry is the nursing student or the theological student whose expenses are offset by assistance from Masonic scholarship funds.

Masonry supports:

* 19 orthopedic hospitals and 3 burns institutes giving free care to children from all over the world
* Schizophrenia and Alzheimer's research
* The Scottish Rite Children's Learning Centers
* The Knights Templar Eye Foundation
* The veterans hospital visitation program
* The Special Olympics
* Numerous college scholarships, including scholarships to Maryland colleges and universities provided by the Grand Lodge of Maryland's Scholarship Fund.

These are just a few of the ways Masonry touches the lives of so many people. In all, one million five hundred thousand dollars each and every day is donated by Masons for the benefit of Mankind.

How do you become a Mason? To be one... You must ask one. One of our strengths is that we do not solicit membership. This remains a long-held tradition. We do, however, certainly suggest your consideration.