Why did you become a Freemason?

From: "Robert Robinson" <archkey@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 14:28:21 EDT
Subject: Why I became a mason

Fraternal Greetings
I respectfully submit the following:

I grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Over the years I visted the various historic sites. I kept running into the work and legacy of Benjamin Franklin. One summer I worked at Pennsylvania Hospital, the oldest hospital in the US and was told it was founded by Benjamin Franklin. I later heard that he founded the postal service, local fire department, and a local University as well. I saw his scientific and printing work displayed at the Franklin Institute and heard he had donated money in his will to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston with the intention that it gather interest for many years first. The donation grew large enough to start a trade school in Boston. What in the world motivated this man?

I heard he was a Mason -- as were many involved in founding the country. I wondered if there was a connection. We all knew his famous activities in founding the country. Why would someone like him bother with also helping the local community... and in so many ways? How did he get so much cooperation?

Frankly much is available about Masonry in writing. I read what I could get my hands on. After reading a bit I was pretty convinced that Masonic principles were behind a lot more around me than the Fire Department and Library.

I wanted to find a way to become part of that tradtion. I wanted to learn the same principles which obviously had affected a group of men to somehow make major positive contributions to people around them -l- in the face of very real obstacles.

Somehow in all my reading I had not picked up the "how to join" part of the equation. Fortunately, I met someone through a consulting job who always wore the square and compasses in his lapel. After knowing him for a while, we had an occassion to work together on the same project.

I asked him if he was a Mason, etc. I then went on for about 15 minutes about what I had found over the years and how much I admired Ben Franklin and that I was pretty convinced Masons had played a major and positive part in our history. He eventually became one of my recommenders for joining. Only later did I find out that Benjamin Franklin had also been a Grand Master of Pennsylvania Masons.

Robert Robinson
Montgomery Lodge #19
Philadelphia