A few simple answers to frequently asked questions. Freemasonry, or more precisely, The Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is an initiatory and philosophical society whose origins are lost in time. The ancient manuscripts date from the 14th century but Masonic tradition dates back to the mystery schools of antiquity. The modern foundations, however, date from 1717, when four lodges in London developed an administrative structure (called the Grand Lodge) to organize the evolution of the movement more efficiently. After that, there was a phenomenal expansion of the Order, first in Europe, next in the British Colonies and then around the world. Freemasonry in Quebec has British origins -- the first Lodges appeared about the middle of the 18th century. Freemasonry and Religion In 1723, the Grand Lodge of England published its "constitutions" in which the first article stipulates: "A Mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law and if he rightly understands the art he will never be a stupid atheist nor an irreligious libertine. But, though in ancient times Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation, whatever it was, yet it is now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves, that is, to be good men and true, or men or honour and honesty, by whatever denomination or persuasions they may be distinguished, whereby Masonry becomes the centre of union, and the means of conciliating true friendship among persons that must have remained at a perpetual distance." Free Masonry is neither a sect nor a religion. It proposes no dogma and it does not have a spiritual leader. Founded on a belief in the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God, Freemasonry is a society where men of different backgrounds, from all origins and from all religions, beliefs or philosophies show each other sincere friendship, and where they join their efforts in constructing an Ideal Temple of Truth, Justice and Harmony. It maintains the utmost respect for all religions and rejects atheism. It lets its members have full freedom of thought and only forbids two topics of discussion within the Lodge: politics and religion. The Mission of Freemasonry Freemasonry defines itself as "a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." It is not a school and its teachings are not to be rigorously or scientifically applied. Jean-Pierre Bayard has written that "Freemasonry causes one to become conscious of the fact that he is not exactly what he would like to be; it causes him to acquire a mastery of himself. Thus, Freemasonry does not have a model rule, nor does it dispense a lesson, it rather awakens the mind." The morale values which it conveys are not unique: self knowledge, love of one's neighbour, respect of legally constituted authority, obedience to a Supreme Being, etc. What is exclusive is the method of communication, that is to say the initiation rite which is in effect an elaborate allegory of life which engenders in the initiate, a profound meditation, a perception, and an interior action which reveals himself to himself enabling him to surpass his own limits, his own self. The primary goal of Freemasonry is therefore the improvement of the individual and consequently, that of mankind. It necessarily follows that the Masonic initiation is done in an impeccable decorum with great human dignity and with the greatest respect for the individual. A Society Discreet, Not Secret A secret society, by definition, is one that tries to hide its own existence. Freemasonry is absolutely not that. Its headquarters is well known, as are the meeting places of its Lodges. Freemasonry is, however, discrete. It does not recruit members nor does it publicize its charitable works. The Masonic oath is not incompatible with the moral, civil or religious duties of any citizen of the world. Masonic charity. Even though it is not primarily a charitable organization, the charitable contributions of North American freemasons amount to more than 500 million dollars per year. In fact, each branch of Freemasonry selects one or several works: the Shriners maintain hospitals for children with orthopaedic problems (there is one in Montréal) and the Burn Care Center in Boston; the Scottish Rite contributes to research in mental health and cancer, as well as clinics for speech problems; the York Rite maintains a foundation for eyes and is active in biomedical research; the Craft lodges favour homes for the elderly and orphans. These groups also grant bursaries to those studying or doing research in a particular area. This only an overview, which does not take into consideration, projects by the many lodges at a local level. Freemasonry encourages its members to get involved not only financially but also through voluntary work in any laudable community project. Who can become a Free Mason? Any man who believes in God, who believes that humans must act honourably in all things, that they must leave the world in a better state than that in which they found it, that they must recognize the rights of others to have their own beliefs, who believes it is not only more deserving but more pleasurable to give than to receive, who believes that there are more important things in life than financial success, who considers it his duty to be an exemplary citizen of his country, who believes that one must have compassion for others and that goodness of heart is one of the most important human values, who finally believes that all men on earth must live a life of fraternal friendship is a fit person to become a Mason. Therefore all men of good will can become freemasons. How does one become a Freemason? Because Freemasonry forbids recruitment, the initiative must come from the individual himself. He must ask a freemason or if he does not know one, contact the Grand Lodge, who will put him contact with the nearest Lodge. Once the initial request has been made, the aspirant is guided through the process by the lodge. Not every one who wishes to join will necessarily be accepted, and the aspirant will be submitted to one or more interviews to enable the lodge to understand the individual, his motivation and his aspirations. What are the fees? The admission fees are generally minimal, less than $500 and they include the cost of the apron. The annual dues are in most cases around $100. No other financial contribution is required. The contributions to the benevolent fund of the lodge are voluntary. Can a person leave Freemasonry? Every member in good standing (up to date with his dues) can leave the Order through a simple request in writing to the lodge, which will automatically grant his request without any further obligations. What is its structure and where is its Headquarters? Freemasonry is not a monolithic organization. Each jurisdiction operates under the authority of a Grand Lodge. Each of the Grand Lodges is independent of each other and is sovereign within its jurisdiction. They are linked with one another through a system of mutual recognition. Quebec Freemasonry is governed by the Grand Lodge of Quebec with headquarters located at the corner of St. Marc and Sherbrooke, in Montreal. The building it occupies is known by the name of the Montreal Masonic Memorial Temple and belongs to the Masonic Foundation of Quebec, which is registered as a not for profit organization, with the main objective, other than the administration of the Temple, of coordinating the charitable activities of Quebec Masons. The Grand Lodge is composed of representatives of all Lodges and has as its head a Grand Master elected by the members annually. The Grand Master's mandate normally does not exceed two years. The Grand Lodge of Quebec comprises approximately one hundred lodges spread over the four corners of the province. You can communicate with the Grand Lodge at the following address: Grand Lodge Of Quebec Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons Office of the Grand Secretary 2295 rue St-Marc Montreal, QC. H3H 2G9 Telephone: (514) 933-6739 Fax: (514) 933-6730