Why did you become a Freemason?

Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 07:18:14 -0500
Subject: Why I Became A Freemason (a contribution for your Masonic page)

I became a Freemason due to the influence of my father, who became a Freemason shortly before I was born. While not active in the Fraternity, he is a Mason in his heart. He is a man who is scrupulously honest, endlessly diligent, and eternally loyal to his family and neighbors. He taught me that Freemasonry is a source of good men -- men who are honest in their dealings and who are also the movers in their communities. I was raised to believe that when two Masons meet and identify each other as such, that each indeed has found a friend in whom they can entirely trust, no matter how new the acquaintance may be.

Equipped with this knowledge, I eventually petitioned a lodge for the degrees of Masonry, and then the great drama truly unfolded. Added to my familial knowledge of the Craft came the cavalcade of ceremony and history that make up the body of Freemasonry. As these things unfolded before me, the effect upon me was so compelling, so electric, that I immediately spent much energy reading everything I could find about the Craft and attending many Masonic activities and events. The result was a magnificent education concerning humankind, and the growth of a network of genuine friends throughout the world.

A man recently commented to me that, while he is not a Mason, he lives the Masonic life. I agree that this is doable. However, the notion of organizing such good men into a society of brothers is the great treasure which Freemasonry offers to its votaries. We unite in a grand design, spread friendship, and thereby maintain the goodness we profess. One does not have to be on the inside to be "like a Mason", but, I am very glad to be inside. It is truly glorious. There is no experience like it. Good men with a sense of history should not miss it.

-- 
Paul Trusten
Monument Lodge No. 96, AF&AM, Houlton,ME, USA
Past Master (1990), St. Andrew's Lodge No. 56, F&AM, Portsmouth,NH, USA