Portal:Freemasonry

Topics Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around 5 million, with around 480,000 in England, Scotland and Ireland alone, and just under two million in the United States. The various forms all share moral and metaphysical ideals, which include, in most cases, a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. The fraternity is administratively organised into Grand Lodges (or sometimes Orients), each of which governs its own jurisdiction, which consists of subordinate (or constituent) Lodges. Grand Lodges recognise each other through a process of landmarks and regularity. There are also appendant bodies, which are organisations related to the main branch of Freemasonry, but with their own independent administration. There are several affiliated organisations tied to Freemasonry: those that offer "other degrees" (i.e. Scottish Rite), and those who are relatives of Freemasons but do not qualify for membership in a lodge (i.e. Order of the Eastern Star and Job's Daughters).Template:/box-footer Show new selections The History of Freemasonry studies the development, evolution and events of the fraternal organisation known as Freemasonry. This history is generally separated into two time periods: before and after the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. Before this time, the facts and origins of Freemasonry are not absolutely known and are therefore frequently explained by theories or legends. After the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, the history of Freemasonry is extremely well-documented and can be traced through the creation of hundreds of Grand Lodges that spread rapidly worldwide. The origin of Freemasonry has variously been attributed to: King Solomon and the construction of the Temple at Jerusalem, Euclid or Pythagoras, Moses, the Essenes, the Culdees, the Druids, the Gypsies, or the Rosicrucians, not to mention the intellectual descendants of Noah. Some of the more popular theories include Freemasonry being an offshoot of the ancient mystery schools, or that it is an institutional outgrowth of the medieval guilds of stonemasons, or that it is a direct descendant of the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem" (the Knights Templar). Early operative Freemasons, unlike virtually all Europeans except the Clergy, were Free - not bound to the land on which they were born. 400px Photo credit: Ben Schumin The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is supported by the 52 Grand Lodges of the United States. ...that Indianapolis's Scottish Rite Cathedral is the largest building dedicated to Freemasonry in the United States, and features many measurements in multiples of 33? ... that Edward, Prince of Wales stayed at what is now the Order of the Eastern Star's International Temple in Washington D.C. at the behest of President Woodrow Wilson? ... that the Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial depicts the historical event of a Union officer aiding a Confederate officer at the Battle of Gettysburg, due to both being Freemasons? ... that the Grand Lodge of Indiana was started at the Schofield House of Madison, Indiana's historic district on January 13, 1818? Simón Bolívar (July 24, 1783 – December 17, 1830), was one of the most important leaders of Spanish America's successful struggle for independence from Spain, along with Argentinian general José de San Martín. After the triumph over the Spanish monarchy, Bolívar participated in the foundation of Gran Colombia, a nation formed from the liberated Spanish colonies. Bolívar became President of Gran Colombia from 1821 to 1830, President of Peru from 1824 to 1826 and President of Bolivia from 1825 to 1826. His legacy contributed decisively to the independence of present-day Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panamá, Perú and Venezuela. He was a great admirer of the American Revolution and a great critic of the French Revolution. Bolívar described himself in his many letters as a "liberal". Among the books he traveled with when he wrote the Bolivian Constitution one is Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws. Every city and town in Venezuela & Colombia (in this one each capital city but Pasto) have a main square known as Plaza Bolívar, that usually has a bust or a statue of Bolívar, the most famous of these Plaza Bolívar are the ones in Bogotá and Caracas. The central avenue of Caracas is called Avenida Bolívar, and at its end there is a twin tower complex named Centro Simón Bolívar built during the 1950s that holds several governmental offices. "The grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race." - George Washington “Freemasonry is an institution calculated to benefit mankind.” - Andrew Jackson "Masonic labor is purely a labor of love. He who seeks to draw Masonic wages in gold and silver will be disappointed. The wages of a Mason are earned and paid in their dealings with one another; sympathy that begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a Mason." - Benjamin FranklinTemplate:/box-footer Template:/box-header WikiProject Freemasonry Template:/box-footer Join WikiProject Freemasonry Return Freemasonry to Featured article status. Bring following articles to Good article status. Liberté chérie Masonic Lodge Officers Prince Hall Freemasonry Scottish Rite Square and Compasses Create a Freemasonry requested article, especially: Grand Lodge of Virginia (requires expansion) Obtain pictures for: History of Freemasonry What are portals? List of portals Featured portals