This I believe… that the Freemasons are an amazing, altruistic fraternity of men, contrary to popular belief. I grew up around the Freemasons, which is why I feel so strongly about the importance of this organization. Growing up around Freemasonry I gained great insight into the core of this organization. Unfortunately, in today's society, it has become normal to hate and discriminate against things about which you are ignorant. It's also normal to fear things you don't know about, which for many is the case when it comes to this amazing organization.
People say that the Freemasons are evil and that they want to take over the world. From my own experience, I can say how wrong and ignorant these people are. Ironically, I hear some of these same people praise the Shriners for what they do.They must not know that to be a Shriner you have to be a Freemason. Every Shriner out there is a Freemason. The fraternal spirit that binds these men in their lodges isn’t to rule the world but rather to serve and give back to the community. They genuinely want to make a positive difference in people's lives. It breaks my heart and makes me so upset when I hear people talk badly about the Freemasons because they are so wrong.
Let me tell you from my experience growing up around them on what they're like. Almost every weekend there was an event going on. Whether it was a pancake dinner, a charity golf tournament, or some other fundraiser, the men were constantly doing something for charity. These events raised money to support the Masonic Children’s Home in Oxford, NC and to help pay for the tuition for residents at the Masonic and Eastern Star Home in Greensboro, which is a not-for-profit senior living community open to anyone. Both are incredibly worthy causes.
The motto of Freemasons is, “We make good men better.” This is so true. My dad has always been my hero and been the most amazing, dependable, caring, giving, and loyal man in my life. However, I remember my mom saying the motto is true. When my dad joined, they gained an amazing man, but somehow they made him even better. Through his involvement in Freemasonry, my dad has learned and has taught us that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service to others.
Every year our entire family volunteers at the Homecoming festival for the Children’s Home at Oxford. In addition to raising money for the home, my dad encouraged me to make friends with the residents, and I am proud to say that I have many friends who live there. This allows me to speak intelligently about the Freemasons involvement with these kids. This home is owned and operated by the Freemasons as an orphanage for children in NC. It’s not just that the Freemasons want to provide shelter for these kids. They want to help them lay a foundation for a happy and profitable life. To help with this, when the kids go to college, the Masons pay for not only the child’s undergraduate studies, but any level of schooling that they need to obtain a better future. That’s quite a commitment to each child. None of these men have to, but they choose to do it because they genuinely want to. As I mentioned earlier, every Shriner is a Freemason first.
There are Shriner’s Hospitals for Children around the world that specialize in many different areas. The Shriners pay to get the child to the hospital and then for everything that needs to be done for the child. The family literally pays zero dollars. So, again tell me how these men are evil? Because they’re secretive? So are sororities and fraternities when it comes to their initiation. The Freemasons are a brotherhood and a fraternity. The men in this organization are inspiring. They are what you should want in a man or want for yourself. They’re just a group of men who meet to do some ritual work, have dinner, gossip like old women and have a good time. When they do fundraisers, they go all out because they never half-ass anything and risk the opportunity of not getting a 110% for whatever charity they’re fundraising for. They aim to be better men, better citizens, and better family men. I admire the way they so desperately want to continue to help positively impact the world.
George Washington, Brad Paisley, Benjamin Franklin, Mozart, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Wayne, Nat King Cole and Jesse Jackson were all Freemasons. This I believe, that the Freemasons is one of the greatest, most successful and most genuine groups out there. This I believe, that Freemasons are amazing, inspirational and brave men out there. This I believe, that if you don’t know anything about them, you should ask a Freemason about the group instead of feeding the ignorance that surrounds the name. They will happily explain to you their mission, vision and goal. This I believe, that the Freemasons are here to help the world become a better and safer place, as well as, to help the community better themselves in any way they need.
