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TBL Staff · 05-14-2006, 01:09 AM

The Freemasons were once a cornerstone of U.S. society, counting among their members nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, 14 presidents and 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices.

The organization is a fraternity, social club and "brotherhood" that, using the ancient craft of stonecutting as a metaphor, seeks to instill morality and upright behavior in members. At monthly lodge meetings, Masons perform rituals to induct new members, attend classes on what they call "the craft," and organize charitable activities in their communities.

"This is no different than any other fraternal organization," said John Baker, secretary of Morning Star Lodge No. 68, one of Stockton's two Masonic lodges. "We're a bunch of men who enjoy the companionship of men who think like us. It's not a real strange or secret thing."

While the organization is in serious decline in some communities, any close look at the centuries-old Masonic fraternity reveals more than a dying group with a mysterious past.

Popular with the World War II generation, the Masons hit their peak in 1959, with more than 4 million U.S. members. Now, membership is around 1.5 million.

Stockton's lodges have a total of about 500 members, and the number of applicants is on the rise, Baker said. He noted that many more Masons live in Stockton and belong to lodges in surrounding cities.

But Masons do seem to be making a cultural splash. Friday's release of the film version of "The Da Vinci Code" has piqued interest in secret societies and ancient rituals. "Da Vinci" author Dan Brown's next book, "The Solomon Key," is rumored to be about Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers. Freemasonry also figured prominently in the 2004 Nicolas Cage adventure film "National Treasure."

Some Masonic leaders see the spike in interest as an opportunity to re-energize Freemasonry and its various subgroups - which include the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Shriners.

Baker doesn't attribute the increase in interest to books or movies.

Instead, he said Generation X is turning to the Masons and other fraternal organizations for recreation.

Read Full Story: The Record

05-14-2006, 01:09 AM	#1
TBL Staff Staff Editors TBL Staff is Offline Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 101 Rep: Rep Power: 10	Freemasons on the Rise The Freemasons were once a cornerstone of U.S. society, counting among their members nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, 14 presidents and 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices. The organization is a fraternity, social club and "brotherhood" that, using the ancient craft of stonecutting as a metaphor, seeks to instill morality and upright behavior in members. At monthly lodge meetings, Masons perform rituals to induct new members, attend classes on what they call "the craft," and organize charitable activities in their communities. "This is no different than any other fraternal organization," said John Baker, secretary of Morning Star Lodge No. 68, one of Stockton's two Masonic lodges. "We're a bunch of men who enjoy the companionship of men who think like us. It's not a real strange or secret thing." While the organization is in serious decline in some communities, any close look at the centuries-old Masonic fraternity reveals more than a dying group with a mysterious past. Popular with the World War II generation, the Masons hit their peak in 1959, with more than 4 million U.S. members. Now, membership is around 1.5 million. Stockton's lodges have a total of about 500 members, and the number of applicants is on the rise, Baker said. He noted that many more Masons live in Stockton and belong to lodges in surrounding cities. But Masons do seem to be making a cultural splash. Friday's release of the film version of "The Da Vinci Code" has piqued interest in secret societies and ancient rituals. "Da Vinci" author Dan Brown's next book, "The Solomon Key," is rumored to be about Freemasonry and the Founding Fathers. Freemasonry also figured prominently in the 2004 Nicolas Cage adventure film "National Treasure." Some Masonic leaders see the spike in interest as an opportunity to re-energize Freemasonry and its various subgroups - which include the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Shriners. Baker doesn't attribute the increase in interest to books or movies. Instead, he said Generation X is turning to the Masons and other fraternal organizations for recreation. Read Full Story: The Record Last edited by TBL Staff : 05-14-2006 at 02:07 AM.