Why did you become a Freemason?

From: <Nikotnby@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 16:39:58 EDT
Subject: Why I became a Mason
Message-ID: <29.1862c364.2897201e@aol.com>

Well, to start, I became a Mason to become a better man.

We, as men, believe that we are only charged with the care of ourselves and our families. This, as I found out, is untrue. Masons believe in charity, community, country, self, and of course, God. We all have had our rough times in life. Lay-offs, illnesses, those times where we could not have made it through without support, Masons or not, we need to lend a helping hand, whenever possible. We also need to make sure children have life as easy as possible, as to afford them time to grow and prosper as a human being, again, Masonic families or not.

When I first wanted to become a Mason, I asked my friend Bill, about what a Mason does. He said to me, "We are men in search of enlightenment and the chance to better ourselves for our families, friends, and society, in general."

At the time, he was a middle school teacher in a difficult position, having twins and a wife to support on a teacher's pay. Not easy, by any means. Yet here he was, helping the next generation of leaders prosper into respectable, socially concious, men and women.

I looked at Bill as an exception, rather than the rule, of how a man should be. I decided I'd like to become a man, just as Bill had, by going through the process of becoming a Mason.

When the ceremony was over, I looked and saw many men, exactly like Bill, having taken the same rites and obligations as I just had. That is why I joined FreeMasonry. Men with a responsibility to lend that helping hand, whenever and wherever needed.

Englewood Lodge 166
Englewood, CO