Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The history of Freemasonry encompasses the origins, evolution and defining events of the fraternal organisation known as Freemasonry.It covers three phases. Firstly, the emergence of organised lodges of operative masons during the Middle Ages, then the admission of lay members as "accepted" (a term reflecting the ceremonial "acception" process that made non-stone masons members of an operative ...
Freemasonry is the oldest fraternity in the world and among the oldest continued organizations in history. [4] Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of two main recognition groups: Regular Freemasonry, which insists that a "volume of sacred law", such as the Bible, the Quran, or other religious scripture be open in a working lodge, that every ...
The History of Freemasonry, Vol. 6 (Masonic History Co., NY, 1898) pages 1485-1486 online membership by state 1898; Weisberger, R. William et al. Freemasonry on Both Sides of the Atlantic: Essays concerning the Craft in the British Isles, Europe, the United States, and Mexico (2002), 969pp; York, Neil L. “Freemasons and the American ...
The Ku Klux Klan and Freemasonry in 1920s America: Fighting Fraternities (Taylor Francis, 2019) Hinks, Peter P. et al. All Men Free and Brethren: Essays on the History of African American Freemasonry (Cornell UP, 2013). Jeffers, H. Paul (2006). The Freemasons in America: Inside the Secret Society. (2006) excerpt, superficial anecdotes
In the UK, the term "Light Blue Lodge" typically refers to a Craft Lodge which focuses on new and young masons or any Freemasons begin their journey. The name "Light Blue" comes from the color of the aprons worn by new members and young Masons, which are light blue, symbolizing the early stages of their Masonic journey.
Continental style Freemasonry originated in France and its members make up the overwhelming majority of Freemasons in the nation. The Grand Orient de France is the largest Masonic jurisdiction, with the Grande Loge de France (also within the Continental tradition) second in membership.
There are a number of masonic manuscripts that are important in the study of the emergence of Freemasonry.Most numerous are the Old Charges or Constitutions.These documents outlined a "history" of masonry, tracing its origins to a biblical or classical root, followed by the regulations of the organisation, and the responsibilities of its different grades.
Some, such as the Modern Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Foresters, became insurance companies themselves. The Freemasons, as the oldest and most storied of the ritualistic fraternities, continued to grow as a result of an influx of members after World War II, reaching their zenith in terms of absolute numbers in 1959.