Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternity in the world. We have been around so long no one yet knows with certainty when we got started. We can trace our origins to the 17th century at the very latest; and, depending on which theory of origin might one day prove to be true, it is possible that Freemasonry could have evolved from an ancestral tree dating back nearly a thousand years. This begs the question: What would be so compelling about an organization that it would attract every generation of men for more than 300 years? There are many reasons too long to mention in a single post. But I think one of the most significant is that young men need a moral and ethical structure for learning and action that is not tied solely to the women in their lives.

The fundamental purpose of Freemasonry is to establish a pathway of communication for men which will mold their individual need for fulfillment with their desire for a collective well-being in their life. This pathway is nothing less than the road to mature masculinity. The corporate task of Freemasonry is erect this path for its current members and those who will come after them.

The inherent role of any male-based organization is to take on the virtues of manliness, to enhance and extend the male tradition. All of this occurs within the sacred space of lodge and in the social network of Brothers.

Freemasonry's strength lies in the fact that it offers the right model by which men can grow and achieve balance as men. The lodge is the channel for an inter-generational dialogue in the ways of manhood, virtue and integrity. It facilitates the role of patriarchy for men--male role modeling, if you will--which guides younger men to mature and manly judgment through repeated contacts with older men. It is a dynamic center for male communication and a shared dialogue about the nature of being men.

The timeless ethical and spiritual traditions which are to be discovered in Masonic ritual, symbols, allegory, and conversations, are facilitated in the classic "Men's House"--the manly and sacred space of lodge; where together we lead each other to our own transformation and rebirth. It is indeed a venue for truth-seeking, a vehicle for self development and a quest for the spiritual.

Freemasonry's latent power and enduring quality rests in this one compelling and central truism--such a place does not exist anywhere else in the world!