Duane Hicks
The local Masonic Lodge (Granite Lodge 446) has given a thumb’s up to “Freemasonry: A History Hidden in Plain Sight”–an exhibit at the Fort Frances Museum that runs through the end of March.
An open house for the exhibit, which explores some of the symbolism and history that surrounds the Masons (who have captured the public imagination through pop culture in recent years), was held Thursday afternoon.
Several Granite Lodge 446 members who were on hand to answer questions.
“Masonry isn’t a secret society–it’s a society with some secrets–and it’s nice for the public to have an opportunity to view a display like this,” said Donald Taylor, current Junior Warden for Granite Lodge 446.
“It’s very, very impressive,” he added. “The museum has done a wonderful job.”
Taylor, a Past Master who has been a lodge member for some 25 years, said Granite Lodge 446 (located at 302 Scott St.) is “open” in the sense that they have open houses from time to time to invite members of the public up to view it.
“We do have public ceremonies from time to time, and we do have Masonic funerals if a Mason has passed and the family requests it,” he noted.
“We are in the public’s eye from time to time.”
Taylor said there’s popular misconceptions about masonry, and obviously, they’re “not devil worshippers.”
But they are a fraternal organization–with some requirements. For instance, you have to be a male at least 21 years of age to join.
They don’t solicit members so someone has to show an interest in Masonry.
“So if someone indicates that they want to understand or learn about Masonry, we can conduct an investigation and see if they’re suitable,” Taylor explained.
“And they are then balloted for in-lodge, and if they’re accepted, they’re initiated into Masonry,” he added.
He added that while some sons of Masons follow in their fathers’ footsteps, having Mason relatives is not a prerequisite.
Taylor conceded the gender requirement does cause some “friction” among some members of the public, but added the Masons has a sister organization (the Order of the Eastern Star) for women.
“Unfortunately, Masonry locally has been on the decline,” said Taylor, noting this trend has been seen with service clubs such as Kinsmen and Jaycees, as well.
Taylor said one of the principles of Masonry “is to make good men better.”
“We conduct meetings behind closed doors but most of them are ordinary business meetings,” he remarked.
“We conduct regular business in terms of paying bills, that type of thing.
“Everything is voted for in an open lodge, so every member has an equal say and an equal vote,” stressed Taylor.
“We do a bit of socialization, too,” he added. “We do have, generally before our meetings, a dinner and we do have refreshments after the meeting, so there’s an opportunity to socialize.
“It’s more of a social organization, so you have a chance to get out and meet other Masons and share some stories.”
There also is an aspect of self-improvement to being a Mason.
“There is, for example, in terms of the advancement of degrees, memory work required of candidates and certain obligations that are required to be repeated and recited,” explained Taylor.
“And so it does focus the mind and trains you to become a fairly cognizant individual.”
The Masons are a fraternal organization but they do a lot of charity work, Taylor said.
“It’s not something we’re necessarily publicizing,” he noted, adding each year there’s a project that’s initiated by the Grand Master and lodges are expected to support it.
“We do it quietly,” he remarked.
Granite Lodge 446 has been existence for almost 120 years now, and is one of the few lodges of the 10 in the Western District that owns its own building.
“I think we have one of the nicest buildings in the district,” noted Taylor, adding one of the distinctive features is a pattern carpet from Scotland.
Anyone interested in becoming a Mason is urged to contact a local lodge member or drop a note in their mailbox at 302 Scott St., said Taylor.
Meanwhile, museum curator Sherry George said the local museum rarely brings in a travelling exhibit simply because they often are too costly for their budget.
“So we are very pleased with the quality of this exhibit,” she noted.
“The Bruce County Museum, who put it together, did their homework, drawing on a lot of history on the origins of freemasonry, its place worldwide, and its importance today.
“They’ve also tied it into some of the hype that symbolism has received today with the Dan Brown books,” added George.
As an added bonus, when setting up the exhibit, the museum was able to partner with Granite Lodge 446.
“They’ve supported the exhibit by providing some local history and artifacts, and were present at the open house on Thursday to answer questions,” George said.
“Overall, we’ve been very pleased with the exhibit and the response it has received from the community.”
