WHAT MASONRY IS

   Of the over 700 different Fraternal Organizations, Masonry is by far the largest and the oldest. We attribute this to two basic reasons:

1. That Freemasonry is based on the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.

2. In the method of our membership selection, Freemasonry has no membership drives such as other organizations. Each member seeks membership of his own free will and accord. He petitions for the degrees in Masonry because of individual Masons that he knows and because of the good works that we as Masonic groups do for humanity.

   Freemasonry is a fraternity of men bound together by vows of morality in public and private life who believe in God and the Constitutional right of members to free choice of religion and political persuasion. When we kneel at the altar in the first degree, we learn that ours is an institution founded on the purest principles of morality and virtue, possessing great and inestimable truths.

   Freemasonry strives to make good men better, to teach its members to be "better than themselves". It accepts only men of high moral character.

   The fraternity of Freemasonry endorses free public education, encourages self improvement, promotes patriotism and respect for the constitution, sanctions equal rights under law, practices good will toward all men and contributes generously to philanthropies.

   Freemasonry is a charitable, benevolent, educational and religious society. Its basic tenets are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.