Freemasonry

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Overview

Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely recognized fraternal organization in the world. Thirteen signers of the Constitution and fourteen Presidents of the United States, including George Washington, were Freemasons. Today, there are more than 2 million Freemasons in North America alone, 114,000 of which are Ohio Freemasons.

The Mission Statement of Ohio Freemasons is: “Freemasonry provides opportunities for sincere, honest, forthright men who believe in God and desire to contribute to the improvement of their communities and themselves. Through our Masonic Fraternalism, we reaffirm our dedication and unity to become involved citizens who have a strong desire to preserve the values that have made, and continue to make America great.”

Freemasonry is descended from lodges of stonemasons, who built the castles and cathedrals of the middle ages. The tools and objects used by stonemasons have been adapted as symbols in the ritual and ceremonies of modern Freemasonry to teach moral lessons. Known worldwide as a symbol of character, charity and brotherly love, the Square and Compasses design is the emblem of every Masonic lodge.

Today, Freemasonry is deeply involved with helping people. Masonic related groups in the United States, including Lodges, Shriners, Scottish and York Rite, Grotto and the Order of the Eastern Star, contribute more than $2 million every day to charity. Various college scholarships are also available.

Ohio Masonic Lodges share the light of Brotherhood. Freemasons are men, age 19 and over, of good character who strive to improve themselves and make the world a better place, and have a belief in a Supreme Being. If an individual is interested in becoming a member, he can begin by contacting a Lodge in his area or speaking to a Freemason.

This year Ohio Freemasons are proud to celebrate the Bicentennial of their statewide organization, the Grand Lodge of Ohio. The Grand Lodge was formed at the Old Statehouse in Chillicothe on January 3, 4, 7 & 8, 1808.

Ohio History

Ohio Freemasons are celebrating the 200th anniversary of their statewide organization, The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio. As part of this yearlong celebration, the 525 Ohio Masonic Lodges are passing handcrafted tin lanterns from Lodge to Lodge across the state to symbolize the spread of Freemasonry in Ohio over the past 200 years.

“The lanterns are similar to ones that Ohio pioneers would have used. Punched tin lanterns were both practical and a form of early folk art. Ours have the Masonic square and compasses emblem on the side,” said Charles Eichensehr, historian of the Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge of Ohio was formed on January 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th, 1808 in the Chillicothe Statehouse by delegates from the six Masonic Lodges then meeting in Ohio.

These six Lodges were spread across the state and met in Cincinnati, Chillicothe, Marietta, Warren, Worthington, and Zanesville. They reflected the diversity of the early Ohio settlers and operated under the authority of charters issued by East Coast Grand Lodges, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The oldest Lodge was American Union, chartered in 1776, and the youngest was Scioto Lodge, chartered in 1806. Today, the 525 Masonic Lodges in Ohio have a combined membership of 114,000. As in their pioneer past, membership reflects the community in which the Lodges meet, uniting good men from a variety of social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

The kickoff for the yearlong celebration will be special Founders Dinners, to be held in 25 locations across the state in the month of January. The Grand Master of Masons in Ohio, Ronald L. Winnett, will make a personal appearance at several of these dinners, which promise to be memorable evenings for all involved. “I’m looking forward to celebrating our rich heritage in ’08 as we work towards an even brighter future,” said Winnett.

Several other events have been planned for the Bicentennial celebration, including a parade and reenactment of the Cornerstone Laying Ceremony at the Statehouse in Columbus on Saturday, June 21st.

A special memorial ceremony will take place July 4th at the grave of Rufus Putnam, Surveyor General for the Northwest Territory and first Grand Master of Ohio, at Mound Cemetery, Marietta.

A first-ever exhibition of historic Masonic artifacts will be presented to the public as part of the October state convention in Columbus. The exhibit will include several artifacts from around Ohio as well as several relating to founding father and Freemason, George Washington. The St. John’s Lodge Bible, upon which Washington took his presidential oath of office, will be a very special part of the exhibit.

Lodges

The presiding officer and head of the Lodge is the Master. The title of “Master,” instead of “President,” reflects the Masonic tradition of using ceremonies and titles from the stonemasons of the Middle Ages. When the great cathedrals of Europe were being built, the Mason in charge of a building site was referred to as a “master of the work.” He with his team of officers guides the Lodge through the initiation of new members, conducting business, and holding social functions. These latter can be for the members, for their families, or for the public depending on their purpose.

Lodge work takes place in private, not to conceal illegal or immoral activities, but to insure a sense of harmony during the meeting. Mason are bound by obligation to respect each other and to defer to the Master in all matters. In fact, patriotism, obedience to the laws of the country, and the building of a structure of morality that supports a life of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth is taught in education programs. Masons are all on a journey to being better men, and go out of their way to assist each other in reaching their goals.

To become a Mason requires learning something about the Fraternity, a petition, and the recommendation of a Lodge member. There are many articles, books and websites which will give information about Masonry. Obviously there are good and bad sources. Be skeptical of those which are very critical or negative in tone. If one does not know a Mason personally, go to a local Lodge meeting before their opening time, talk to some members who will be glad to give direction, and after private thought and reflection, ask for a petition if convinced that membership is desired. Be aware that acceptance is not automatic; the Lodge will conduct interviews and finally vote on the matter. Masons strive to present a positive image through their behavior and community service. It is therefore necessary to restrict candidates to those who will further this image.

Charity

Charity is an important tenet of the Masonic fraternity. As mentioned, charities receive more then two million dollars a day nationally. The 114,000 Masons in Ohio provide approximately $15 million in charitable giving annually. This year they gave $50,000 in college scholarships, contributed a record $200,000 to Special Olympics Ohio Summer Games, and funded $70,000 in free training for hundreds of Ohio school teachers to recognize students at non-academic risk. They also provided $12 million in elderly care, and helped many needy Ohio families and individuals through their Charitable Foundation. In addition, Lodges and others contribute to local institutions such as libraries, police and fire departments, and children's sporting groups.

Ohio Masons have given more than $2.5 million to Special Olympics Ohio to support the program over the past 30 years. In 2007, they contributed an all time high of $200,000. It costs about $100 per athlete to attend. In addition to financial support, the Masons host a welcome center for Summer Games’ athletes and their families, provide volunteer help during the contests, and participate in the Parade of Athletes during the opening ceremonies.

Special Olympics Ohio provides year-round sports training and competition opportunities for more than 21,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics contributes to the physical, social, and psychological development of the athletes. Through successful experiences in sports, they gain confidence and build a positive self-image which carries over into the classroom, home, job and community.