Masonry (or Freemasonry) is the oldest fraternity in the world. No one knows just how old it is because the actual origins have been lost in time. Probably, it arose from the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Possibly, they were influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.
In 1717, Masonry created a formal organization in England when the first Grand Lodge was formed. A Grand Lodge is the administrative body in charge of Masonry in some geographical area. In the United States, there is a Grand Lodge in each state and the District of Columbia. In Canada, there is a Grand Lodge in each province. Local organizations of Masons are called lodges. There are lodges in most towns, and large cities usually have several. There are about 13,200 lodges in the United States. In a time when travel was by horseback and sailing ship, Masonry spread with amazing speed.
By 1731, when Benjamin Franklin joined the fraternity, there were already several lodges in the Colonies, and Masonry spread rapidly as America expanded west. In addition to Franklin, many of the Founding Fathers — men such as George Washington, Paul Revere, Joseph Warren, and John Hancock — were Masons. Masons and Masonry played an important part in the Revolutionary War and an even more important part in the Constitutional Convention and the debates surrounding the ratification of the Bill of Rights. Many of those debates were held in Masonic lodges.
To become a Mason You must complete the an application. You will be required to get two Master Mason’s signature. Look for a local lodge in your area or better yet bring it to Belle Point Lodge #20, and they will help you finish the paperwork, you will also need to bring a copy of your birth certificate and to fill out and sign a basic background check form.
You will then have a committee appointed who will come and visit you and then report back to the Lodge. If the lodge moves to accept you, then you will be initiated as and Entered Apprentice. Once you have learn something about that. You will then become a Fellowcraft Mason. After you have learned more information you will then be Made a Master Mason in due form… This entire process should take about three months, depending on your diligence to put in the work.
