I am the master of Burke Masonic Lodge. Master is the title we give to the person elected to serve for one year as the chief operating officer of the local branch of our fraternity. 

Recently, I had a discussion with an acquaintance about Freemasonry and was astounded to hear him ask me if Masons were Christians, because he had heard that we didn’t believe in God. Imagine his surprise when I informed him that his own pastor was a Mason. This encounter got me to thinking that there must be quite a number of people who also have the wrong idea about Masons.

A man cannot join a Masonic Fraternity unless he believes in God. Indeed, we require a petitioner to swear on the Holy Bible that he will serve God and that he will do his best to serve humanity and help people in need, especially widows and orphans. 

Freemasons in North America collectively donate $2.7 million to charities every day. Local lodges also support local charities, like The Alms House, among others, and individual cases of hardship that come to our attention, especially around Christmas.

Moral and ethical conduct is also an absolute requirement to join a Masonic Lodge. The petitioner must be known as a moral and upright man by members of the lodge before he can become a member and must be recommended by two members who know him.

Furthermore, if a member fails to maintain his morality and this becomes known to lodge members, he is cast out and suspended from membership, after due and strict investigation, of course. 

I have heard the opinion that men join the Masons for influence and connections. Such men are in for a rude awakening, because they soon discover that such men are not valued in our fraternity.

The overriding tenet of Freemasonry is that all humankind are brothers and sisters and children of God our Creator, and that we should and must treat each other as such, regardless of race, creed, religion or, for that matter, political party.

Our membership is diverse. True, active duty and retired military and law enforcement personnel constitute a noticeable percentage, but nowhere near a majority. The rank-and-file membership are farmers, businessmen, truck drivers, clergymen, metal workers, mechanics and ordinary working men who recognize we all have a responsibility to assist each other and better our community.

H. Tony Burgess lives in Crewe. His e-mail address is htonyburgess@gmail.com.