A degree is a stage or level of membership. It’s also the ceremony by which a man attains that level of membership. There are three, called Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. As you can see, the names are taken from the craft guilds. In the Middle Ages, when a person wanted to join a craft, such as the gold smiths or the carpenters or the stonemasons, he was first apprenticed. As an apprentice, he learned the tools and skills of the trade. When he had proved his skills, he became a "Fellow of the Craft" (today we would say "Journeyman"), and when he had exceptional ability, he was known as a Master of the Craft.

The degrees are plays in which the candidate participates. Each degree uses symbols to teach, just as plays did in the Middle Ages and as many theatrical productions do today. (We’ll talk about symbols a little later.)

The Masonic degrees teach the great lessons of life – the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature as well as a physical or animal nature, of the importance of self-control, of knowing how to love and be loved, of knowing how to keep confidential what others tell you so that they can "open up" without fear.

Yes. Like all organizations, Lodges must be able to pay their light bills. There is a one-time fee for the three degrees of Masonry, as well as regular annual dues. These vary widely depending on the number of members, the actual physical facilities of the Lodge, etc. The fees and dues, however, are not prohibitively expensive.

No one. Each Grand Lodge has its own jurisdiction and is the supreme authority within that jurisdiction.

Obviously, many Grand Lodges have regular communication with each other, but official policy in one has no effect in another.

Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest Fraternity. Its history and tradition date to antiquity. Its singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of friendship, compassion, and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military and religious conflicts through the centuries.

Freemasonry is neither a forum nor a place for worship. Instead, it is a friend of all religions which are based on the belief in one God.

Freemasons are respectable citizens who are taught to conform to the moral laws of society and to abide by the laws of the government under which they live.

They are men of charity and good works. They remain unchallenged as the "world’s greatest philanthropy".

Only individuals believed to be of the finest character are favorably considered for membership. Every applicant must advocate his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being (atheists are not accepted into the Fraternity).

One must ask a Masonic friend to recommend him for membership. He must sign a petition, stating his age, occupation and place of residence. Members of the Lodge vote by secret ballot.

The candidate receives three Masonic Degrees, concluding with the Third (or Master Mason’s) Degree.

The Degrees are solemn, enlightening and an enjoyable experience with no uncomfortable or embarrassing moments. It is here where the principles of Freemasonry are taught and where the new member learns that his family and his own necessary vocations are to be considered above Freemasonry.

Every Master Mason is welcomed as a "Brother" in any of the thousands of Regular Masonic Lodges throughout the world.

It’s good to spend time with people you can trust completely, and most Masons find that in their lodge. While much of lodge activity is spent in works of charity or in lessons in self-development, much is also spent in fellowship. Lodges have picnics, camping trips, and many events for the whole family. Simply put, a lodge is a place to spend time with friends.

For members only, two basic kinds of meetings take place in a lodge. The most common is a simple business meeting. To open and close the meeting, there is a ceremony whose purpose is to remind us of the virtues by which we are supposed to live. Then there is a reading of the minutes; voting on petitions (applications of men who want to join the fraternity); planning for charitable functions, family events, and other lodge activities; and sharing information about members (called "Brothers," as in most fraternities) who are ill or have some sort of need. The other kind of meeting is one in which people join the fraternity - one at which the "degrees" are performed.

But every lodge serves more than its own members. Frequently, there are meetings open to the public. Examples are Ladies’ Nights, "Brother Bring a Friend Nights," public installations of officers, cornerstone laying ceremonies, and other special meetings supporting community events and dealing with topics of local interest.