Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternity in the world.  Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a worldwide membership estimated at around 5 million, 2 million of which are in the United States.   The roots of our organization date to when its members were operative Masons who built castles and cathedrals throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.  Freemasonry was brought to the United States by our early settlers and the craft became popular  in colonial America.  In 1733, Henry Price, a Boston merchant received a deputation from the Grand Lodge of England to form the first Provincial Grand Lodge in the Western Hemisphere.  This was the foundation which grew into the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, which celebrated its 275th anniversary in 2008.
 
                          
 
Freemasonry uses the metaphors of operative stonemason’s tools and implements, against the allegorical backdrop of the building of King Solomon’s Temple, to convey what has been described by masons as “a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
Freemasonry enhances and strengthens the character of the individual by providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, education, and leadership based on the three ancient Masonic tenets: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. 
 
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