With large donations to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, as well as loans of precious historic artifacts from our first president, today’s Freemasons are more open and charitable as an organization than many people realize.
Originating from the guilds of medieval Europe, Freemasonry was first established in the New World in the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies and ultimately claimed George Washington as one of its most prominent members.
Today’s Freemasons are not just Protestant Christian, either.
“We just ask that members believe in a supreme being,” said Master Mason Harry Shaffer, tour guide and spokesman for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. “At our meetings you’ll see the Old or New Testament, the Koran or the teachings of Buddha. We see ourselves as the building of men.”
Operating as a loose organization with meeting halls, known as lodges, in every state and the District of Columbia, the Fraternity has no national administration.
Members join lodges based entirely on where they live geographically.
Because of the looseness of the organization, the Masons use secret handshakes and obscure gestures to identify one another.
“If you’ve ever been in a fraternity in college, you’d understand,” said Hendrick Brown of Alexandria, a Mason who joined the group four years ago.
“A lot of people think we’re a secret cult, but the secrets we have are modes of recognition,” said Shaffer.
With negative perceptions clouding the image of the Masons, it is no surprise that overall membership is on the decline.
“That is characteristic of almost all clubs of this nature,” said Brown. “Membership has gone down, but that’s the same as most churches.”
“A lot of veterans from WWII and Korea were Masons, and they’re dying,” Shaffer said. “Right now, the average age for a Mason has gone from 62 to 57. A lot of our new members are younger, at 32 or 33.”
Because Masons do not actively recruit, it is up to an individual to ask at a lodge and be sponsored by a member. There is a charge, and the members vote on the petition. A newly accepted Mason takes between three to six months to climb the three-tier system to become a Master Mason.
Charity, including the lending of historic artifacts at Mount Vernon, also plays a role in Freemasonry. According to Shaffer, between $2 to $3 million is given daily to nonprofit organizations, including support for the maintenance of 22 hospitals throughout the country that provide free services for all children.
“The organization is very open,” said Brown, “but, you know, it is a fraternal organization and there are secrets. In the end, however, you have to ask how closed is an organization … who openly parades and funds 22 hospitals across the U.S.?”
The George Washington Memorial Masonic Temple
» Money from every Masonic lodge in the U.S. was used in the construction between 1922-1932.
» Two regular Lodges, a Lodge of Research and seven other Masonic organizations meet regularly at the memorial
» It is maintained by the Masons, and is free of charge for the public
» There are daily tours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
