As part of the Family & Community theme for 2025, we will be highlighting either a group, or groups, of Masonic related organizations. This will be our Fraternal Spotlight series and is intended to share a little more knowledge on some groups that may not be as familiar to people as some others.
January
Fraternity
What is a Masonic Lodge?
The term “lodge” itself comes from the structures which the stonemasons built against the sides of the cathedrals during construction. In winter, when building had to stop, they lived in these lodges and worked at carving stone.
But a Masonic lodge is more than a building; it is a living, breathing organization made up of and sustained by the members themselves. It is a tight-knit group of men who make solemn vows to one another and become comrades in Masonry and life.
Above all, a Masonic lodge represents open arms, a helping hand, and brotherly love to every Mason, anywhere, at any time.
Brotherhood
Lodge Life
No two Masonic lodges are the same. All have unique personalities driven by their members. Beyond the monthly meetings, a Masonic lodge is a place for dinners, special events, and just hanging out.
From the outside, a Masonic lodge can look rather mundane. But inside the lodge room itself, Freemasonry comes to life, often with age-old artifacts, art, and the pageantry of our sacred ritual. More than anything, when Masons gather in the lodge, it’s a reaffirmation of our Masonic values of brotherly love, relief, and truth.
A unique aspect of lodge life is the coming together of generations and differing backgrounds. To become a Mason, one only needs to be a man of good character and to believe in a God, whatever form that may take for each individual. What binds Freemasons together is our obligation to each other to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
With this bond as common ground, strong, lifelong friendships form naturally between men of different generations, religions, races, economic backgrounds, or political beliefs. Ask any Mason, and he’s sure to tell you that through the lodge, he has become Brothers with men whom he may otherwise never have crossed paths with in everyday life. This is one of the fundamental constancies of life as a Freemason.
Masonry
Masonic Symbolism
Freemasonry is rife with symbolism, and, while much has been made about the secrets and mysteries of the craft, most of its famous symbols are straightforward in meaning.
Of the many symbols of Freemasonry, the most prominent is the square and compasses. The unofficial trademark of Freemasonry, these symbols are said to have descended from the stonemasons, or operative masons, of old and represent the actual tools they used as builders.
In modern-day Freemasonry, the square represents honor, integrity, truthfulness, and the ways in which we should relate to the people around us. The compasses represent the importance of self-control and of leading a truly spiritual life. The G stands for God, who must reside at the center of our thoughts and deeds as Freemasons.
Using these symbols is an easy way to remind ourselves as men and Freemasons of the obligation we have to lead a true and virtuous life.
Core Values
Freemasons & Charity
The values of Freemasonry are based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness. Freemasons are taught to practice charity and to care, not only for their own, but also for the community as a whole through charitable giving and volunteer efforts. We gather together to help each other become better men and to forge a better world.
From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been concerned with the care of orphans, the sick, and the aged. This work continues today. More than 2.6 million dollars is raised each day to help people in need with large donations given to national and local charities.
Join with men of honor and integrity. Of deep caring with a devotion to helping others. Each with a vow to be the best they can be.
February
Nobles of Kazim,
In Virginia, when you join a Lodge and become a Master Mason you are in fact a member of the York Rite. Every Mason in Virginia, no matter if he realizes it or not, is a member of this group so long as he remains in good standing.
In each of the first three degrees of Freemasonry, the candidate expresses a desire for light. But once he has been raised, we tend to leave him to his own devices. Those true seekers will find the Royal Arch degrees to be the best “first step” on the path to more light in Masonry.
The six Royal Arch degrees are intimately related to the first three degrees in Masonry. They detail the story of the completion, dedication, destruction, and rebuilding of King Solomon’s Temple including the recovery of the lost secrets.
The Royal Arch Degree completes the Blue Lodge Mason’s basic instruction and prepares him for a lifetime of seeking light. In Virginia our ancient Constitution of Masonry (Chapter 3, Section 4, Number 7) states, “to exercise all degrees of the Ancient Craft, and consequently the Royal Arch.” This clearly shows the intimate connection between the Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch from ancient times.
Past Master
The Past Master Degree is a modern accommodation to the ancient custom that only those who have presided over a Lodge could receive the Royal Arch Degree. This degree provides several pointed lessons regarding one’s difficulties, rights and responsibilities when presiding over a Lodge and confers upon the candidate the title of being a “virtual” Past Master. The Grand Lodge of Virginia considers these lessons so important that the conferral of this degree is required before a Brother can be elected as Warden in his Lodge.
The Council Degrees: Select & Royal Master
The two Council Degrees (Select Master and Royal Master) are shorter in length than the other degrees in Royal Arch Masonry and are usually conferred at the same meeting. In most other Grand Jurisdictions they are not included in the Royal Arch degrees but come under a completely separate organization called the Cryptic Council. These degrees are referred to as “cryptic” because they introduce the candidate to a secret work which took place underground and to a conversation which took place on the evening prior to the death of one of our first three Grand Masters. The candidate learns of the leader of a plot to extort certain secrets and why this conversation caused him to recant. In Virginia
these degrees are included in Royal Arch Masonry because they are a very necessary piece of the puzzle which is solved at a later time in the Royal Arch Degree.
Most Excellent Master
The Most Excellent Master Degree is peculiar to American Masonry. It is the rich story of the completion and dedication of King Solomon’s Temple and a re-enactment of the ceremonies surrounding that event. Those craftsmen found worthy were received and acknowledged Most Excellent Masters by King Solomon.
Royal Arch Degree
The Royal Arch Degree begins with a recounting of the destruction of the Temple, the taking of the Jews into Babylonian exile, the overthrow of Babylon by King Cyrus of Persia, and his order that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt. The candidates portray three Most Excellent Masters returning from that exile to aid and assist in that rebuilding. While clearing some rubbish, they discover the secret underground work described in the Select Master Degree, and in
spite of the difficulties and dangers involved, eventually discover the lost secrets referred to in the second section of the Master Mason Degree. The lost is finally found and restored. This degree also teaches that there is no substitute for truth and that the discovery of concealed things comes through hard work, persistence, and personal risk.
March
Good morning Nobles,
We wrap up our Fraternal Spotlight on the main 3 bodies of the York Rite with information on the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar, unlike many other bodies of Masonry, requires a different belief and declaration from it’s candidates. There are 3 Orders to which each candidate will partake, culminating in the Order of the Temple. Here, in the final Order of the York Rite, you will experience many emotions as you journey through one of the most beautiful degrees offered in Masonry while seeing and hearing call backs to your entire progression to this point.
The Knights Templar, full name The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, is a fraternal order affiliated with Freemasonry. Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a regular Masonic Lodge, which (in most Regular Masonic jurisdictions) only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation, the Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity. One of the obligations entrants to the order are required to declare is to protect and defend the Christian faith. The word “United” in its full title indicates that more than one historical tradition and more than one actual order are jointly controlled within this system. The individual orders ‘united’ within this system are principally the Knights of the Temple (Knights Templar), the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St Paul, and only within the York Rite, the Knights of the Red Cross.
Like the Masonic Red Cross of Constantine being inspired by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of Malta being inspired by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Masonic order of Knights Templar derives its name from the medieval Catholic military order Knights Templar. However, it does not claim any direct lineal descent from the original Templar order.
Illustrious Order of the Red Cross—The first order conferred in the chivalric system is the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross and the story contained within predates the era of the Crusades. The candidate represents Zerubbabel who is well familiar to the Royal Arch Mason (a requirement for admission) at the time of King Darius. Zerubbabel visits the king in order to convince him of his commitment to the Jewish people and in the process is asked to take part in a debate over which has the greatest sway in the kingdom – wine, women or the king. The end result of the debate being the candidate offering a fourth option and an excellent argument is made on the power of Truth.
Order of Malta—This is the first of the Christian Orders contained in the Chivalric system and relates the story of St. Paul’s arrival on the island of Melita which we know today as Malta. In the next portion of the Order the history of the Knights of St. John (Knights of Malta) is explained and the periods of the Order’s history are paralleled with the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. While Freemasonry often comes under attack by fundamentalists who view it as unchristian, the candidate for admission into this Christian order can offer a clear argument to the contrary.
Order of the Temple—The Order of the Temple is the most beautiful in the series. During the ceremonies the candidate represents a knight of the era that succeeded the Crusades and vowed to visit the Holy Sepulcher. As a trial of his worthiness he is assigned seven years of preparation. At the end of this preparation he is made a Knight and a member of the Order. The ritual teaches beautiful lessons on the death and ascension of our Savior and the candidate is at last received into full fellowship in the most solemn manner. Unlike most branches of Freemasonry, wherein the Candidate need not follow a particular faith, the Chivalric Orders of Masonry require a belief in the doctrine of the Trinity. That is to say he must profess a faith in Christianity.