The Masonic experience encourages members to become better men, better husbands, better fathers, and better citizens. The fraternal bonds formed in the Lodge help build lifelong friendships among men with similar goals and values.

Beyond its focus on individual development and growth, Masonry is deeply involved in helping people. The Freemasons of North America contribute over two million dollars a day to charitable causes. This philanthropy represents an unparalleled example of the humanitarian commitment of this great and honorable Fraternity. Much of that assistance goes to people who are not Masons. Some of these charities are vast projects. The Shrine Masons (Shriners) operate the largest network of hospitals for burned and orthopedically impaired children in the country, and there is never a fee for treatment. The Scottish Rite Masons maintain a nationwide network of over 150 Childhood Language Disorder Clinics, Centers, and Programs.  For more information about the family of Masonic Organizations, Click Here

Many other Masonic organizations sponsor a variety of philanthropies, including scholarship programs for children, and perform public service activities in their communities. Masons also enjoy the fellowship of each other and their families in social and recreational activities.

Several Masonic Principles Are:

A BRIEF OHIO MASONIC HISTORY

Ohio Masonic history begins Jan. 10, 1789 in Marietta with the funeral of Brother George Varnum. Individual Masons had been in the Ohio Territory prior to that: George Washington as a surveyor, George Rogers Clark at Fort Washington in 1780, Josiah Harmar at Fort Harmar in 1785, Rufus Putnam, Manassah Cutler and Arthur St. Clair at Marietta in 1788.

The first meeting of a Masonic Lodge in Ohio was on June 28, 1790 when Jonathan Heart and eight others opened a lodge which is today known as American Union No. 1. This was originally an army lodge chartered by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1776. Massachusetts Lodges do not have numbers. Additional lodges chartered in Ohio included Nova Caesarea No. 10 at Cincinnati from New Jersey, Erie No. 47 at Warren from Connecticut, New England No. 48 at Worthington from CT, Mingo No. 78 from Pennsylvania, Amity No. 105 at Zanesville from Pennsylvania and Scioto at Chillicothe from Massachusetts.

While these lodges were forming St. Clair became governor and was defeated by the Indians where Jonathan Heart was killed. Anthony Wayne defeated the Indians at Fallen Timbers and signed the treaty of Greenville. Ohio became the 17"' state under Governor Thomas Worthington. During the first week of January 1808 twelve masons from six lodges met at the state capital Chillicothe to form a Grand Lodge. [Mingo Lodge had ceased meeting in 1806.] James Kilbourne the delegate from New England lodge was not admitted because the lodge had not yet been chartered. The remaining delegates wrote a constitution, elected Grand Officers and went home planning to meet again in 1809.

Remember in 1808 there were no computers, no airplanes, no interstates, no television. Travel was slow and dangerous. There were no Masonic Centers, no rituals, no inspections, no district deputies. Thomas Jefferson was president. George III was still king of England. Napoleon was master of Europe. Beethoven was writing symphonies in Vienna. Fulton had a steamship on the Hudson River. Slavery was legal. Spain controlled Texas, Mexico and South America. Ohio University had three students.

In 1809 Rufus Putnam declined to serve as Grand Master. American Union Lodge got mad because Samuel Huntington the governor of Ohio was elected Grand Master and refused to attend Grand Lodge until 1816. Lodges were opened in the Entered Apprentice, then went up to Fellow Craft and then to Master Mason. Uniformity of ritual was unknown. Some lodges portrayed the Royal Arch Degree but the Council Degrees and the Orders of Commandery were not. There were no dues cards.

In 1810 Lewis Cass was elected Grand Master. He was later elected Grand Master of Michigan. At this communication new lodges were chartered: Morning Dawn No. 7 at Gallipolis, Harmony No. 8 at Urbana and Mt. Zion No. 9 at Mt. Vernon. During the War of 1812 Army Lodge No. 24 was issued a dispensation to work at Camp Meigs. Its Worshipful Master was Col William Preston Anderson from Tennessee, the Senior Warden was Lt. Col. William McMillan from Cincinnati and the JW was Capt. Charles Gratiot of the Corps of Engineers. The lodge was never chartered and its number was given to Warren Lodge in Piqua in 1841. In 1816 the Grand Chapter was formed. In 1818 Sandusky's streets were laid out in the form of a square and compasses.

Before 1820 Thomas Smith Webb and John Snow had moved to Worthington and John Barney who served as Grand Master for six years had moved to Worthington. John Barney had become a traveling lecturer. In 1823 efforts to form a General Grand Lodge failed and in 1824 Ohio was divided into nine districts. In 1825 General Lafayfette visited Ohio and two lodges were named for him. There are also two lodges named Hamer. [at Owensville and Wapokoneta and one Franklin and one Benjamin Franklin and one Hiram and one King Hiram. In 1826 Bro. David Hudson started Western Reserve University.
On Sept. 12, 1826 William Morgan disappeared from Batavia, New York without a trace thus issuing in the Anti-Masonic craze which lasted for a decade. Governors DeWitt Clinton of New York and Duncan McArthur of Ohio refused to renounce the craft. Of the 101 lodges in Ohio in 1826, 45 ceased to meet. One of them was Erie No. 3 which closed in 1828. It did not reopen until 1854 as Old Erie.

The name Erie had been taken by Lodge No. 239 in Milan in 1853.] Only 17 sent delegates to the Grand Lodge in 1837. The 1830's saw a resurgence in Masonry as Most Worshipful Brother William J. Reese became the leader of Ohio's Masons. He was the first to give a report of his activities to the Grand Lodge. It is said he was the first Scottish Rite Mason in Ohio.

Two important events occurred in Ohio Masonry in 1843. The first was the Baltimore Convention which was called to provide a uniform ritual. This did not happen although most US Grand Lodges have adopted the Webb ritual. The convention approved the Webb lectures and directed that all business should be conducted in the Master Mason Degree. It also approved the Moderns method of wearing aprons and giving passwords for degrees. The same year the Grand Commandery of Ohio was organized. In 1846 Masonic scholar, writer and publisher Cornelius Moore began printing the Masonic Review at Cincinnati. During the Mexican War more than forty high ranking officers became members of the Aztec Club which was composed mostly of Masons. Lee and Grant who were not Masons belonged to the club.

In 1847 seven Black men from Cincinnati went to Pittsburgh, were raised in a Prince Hall Lodge and formed St. Cyprian Lodge No. 13. In 1851 this lodge, Corinthian No. 17 and True American No. 26 formed the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Prince Hall Affiliation. This Grand Lodge subsequently created 46 lodges in eleven states. In 2001 the Prince Hall Masons had 62 lodges in Ohio with 4359 members. A motion to recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge was tabled in 1877. In 1995 Prince Hall Masonry was finally recognized as legitimate.

In 1853 Brother Lorin Andrews became President of Kenyon College. He was the founder of the Ohio State Teachers Association. He was the first to volunteer to fight in the Civil War and served as Colonel of the 4th Ohio Volunteer Regiment. He died of typhoid Sep. 18, 1861 at camp in West Virginia. In 1856 District Deputies were appointed to visit lodges and in 1858 the use of Masonic emblems on business cards was prohibited.

Dispensations for seven Ohio Regimental Lodges were issued during the Civil War. Pioneer No. 4 has been mentioned. Its Master was Dr. Jacob Cantwell who was also Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge. The Senior Warden was his brother James who was killed at Second Bull Run Aug. 29, 1862. Benedict Lodge No. 55 was named for Gen. Lewis Benedict who was killed in 1863. Its Master was George Stafford a lawyer from Cleveland. Candy Lodge No. 66 was named for Col. Charles Candy. Its Master was Abram Shepherd from Mechanicsburg. The Senior Warden Sgt. Ross Colwell died of wounds at Harpers Ferry Nov. 17, 1862. Washington Lodge No. 68 was organized in Henry County. Its Master was regimental quartermaster James Haley of Napoleon. Senior Warden Robert Scott rose to Major General and was a carpetbagger Gov. of SC in 1868. Union Lodge No. 82 was organized by the Cantwell brothers of the 4'h Regt. and Pioneer Lodge. Ward Lodge No 17 was named for its Treasurer Durbin Ward who was a well known Democratic politician from Lebanon. The Master was Bonham Fox from Harveysburg who moved to Kansas in 1868. The Senior Warden was James Stinchcomb who took command at Chickamauga when Ward was wounded. Secretary Dr. Washington Schenck reported Col Connell was raised on the Shiloh battlefield. Shiloh Lodge No. 77 was organized by William Mason, Jr. from Marietta. After the war he was the county treasurer and postmaster.

In addition to Bro. Cantwell, Cols. George Webster of the 98th OVI was killed at Perryville and Barton S. Kyle of the 71" OVI was killed at Shiloh. Both were former Senior Grand Wardens. Confederate prisoners held at Johnsons Island were permitted to hold lodge meetings. Future president William McKinley was raised by a Virginia lodge.
The first Ohio Masonic library was opened in Cincinnati in 1866. In 1870 $10,000 was collected to build a widows and orphans home. When the plan fizzled, the money was returned. In 1872 the Masonic Veterans Association, which still exists, was organized. During the 1880's James A. Garfield a former professor at Hiram College was assassinated.

Lafayette Van Cleve served simultaneously as Grand Chaplain for the Grand Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery. In 1885 a new problem caused some lodges to have their charters pulled by Grand Master S. Stacker Williams. Some Masons were joining the clandestine Cerneau Scottish Rite. They went so far as to contend the Grand Lodge had no right to determine what other Masonic bodies could be joined. New England Lodge tried to resign from the Grand Lodge. The question was settled by the courts who said the Grand Lodge had the authority to expel members who did not obey its rules. At this time the Test Oath was added to the Master Mason Degree by Grand Master Leander Burdick.. Lodges owing allegiance to Cerneau Masonry soon died out. The Eastern Star was denied the right to meet in Lodge buildings. [Ten years later this decision was reversed] In 1886 the state was divided into 15 districts. By 1890 the state had 500 lodges.

John Day Caldwell was honored for having served as Grand Secretary for 37 years. An inventory of the Grand Lodge Library showed 23,892 books. In 1892 the Ohio Masonic Home was built. At a cost of $104,000. Asa Bushnell of Springfield who had provided the land on which it was built was made a Mason "at sight". He was later elected Governor of Ohio. 1,500 Knights Templar and 2,100 masons attended the dedication ceremonies. The Grand Lodge determined it was a Masonic offense to traffic in liquor. By custom Grand Masters were limited to a one year term. In 1895 candidates were required to pass an examination in each degree before progressing. The minimum dues were at $2 per year.

83 of the 266 sailors who were drowned when the Battleship Maine sank were said to be Masons. As the Grand Lodge celebrated its Centennial 5834 persons were in the Cincinnati procession. President Teddy Roosevelt and Vice President Charles Fairbanks [both Masons] sent telegrams of congratulations. William Howard Taft was made a Mason at sight and served as President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Ohio had 72,339 Masons.

In the 20th Century Masonry survived five wars and a Great Depression. Ohio Masons have been active in every field of human endeavor. William Cunningham and John Reeves wrote the 3 volume history which sold for $4. Barton Smith and Robert Ralston headed the Scottish Rite NJ. Eddie Rickenbacker became the leading US ace. Ralph Rickley left half a million dollars to the Masonic home. Harding and Cox ran for President. John Wyllis, W. D. Packard and Alexander Winton built automobiles. Dr. Elmer Am was the president of the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Robert Clegg revised Mackey's Encyclopedia. John Glenn orbited the earth. Andrew White headed the Masonic Relief Association. Royal Scofield was president of the Philalethes Society. Frank Weise was the Supreme Tall Cedar. Powel Crosley, Jr. built radios, refrigerators, cars and took the Reds to the World Series. John Bricker and James Rhodes attended Grand lodge as Governor. Tad Clypool was Imperial Potentate. Vernon Stouffer sold frozen foods. Red Blaik coached Army and Weeb Eubank won the Super Bowl. Brian Donlevy and Clark Gable won Oscars and Roy Rogers was a singing cowboy. At Ohio State Howard Bevis and Novis Fawcett were president while Lynn St. John was athletic director and John Wilce was football coach and Ernie Biggs was trainor. Pete Henry made the College and Pro Hall of Fame. Karl King and Henry Fillmore and Frank Simon composed band music. Thor Johnson conducted the Cincinnati Symphony. Cliff Arquette was Charley Weaver while Clyde Beatty had a circus. Homer Rodeheaver wrote gospel hymns. Henry Busse played the trumpet and Ted Lewis the clarinet. Ken Burkhart called balls and strikes while Junior Norris made baskets for the Dayton Flyers. Wendell Willkie ran for president and Ken Blackwell for Governor. John Robinson wrote "Born in Blood". Ed Selby as General Grand High Priest started RARA. Edward Deeds founded Delco. Ray Evans won the Pulitzer Prize for cartooning. Winfred Fouse started General Tires. Fred Gruen made watches. Frank Hoover made vacuum cleaners. General Curtis LeMay bombed Japan. Norman Vincent Peale preached. Reuben Robertson and his son were president of Champion Paper. Finally Lowell Thomas left us with those famous words. "So long until tomorrow.-

Thus we end this brief history of Masonry in Ohio. But even as we speak, Masonry continues. Future historians will, it is hoped, write its ongoing progress. It is up to us to create events for them to record. This is not the beginning of the end, but only the end of the beginning.


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Why do Freemasons wear Masonic gloves?

Friday, 17 July 2009 16:24

The following is an excerpt about Freemason gloves from the book, "The Symbolism of Freemasonry:  Illustrating and Explaining Its Science and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols by Albert Gallatin Mackey.

The Symbolism of the Gloves:

The investiture with the gloves is very closely connected with the investiture with the apron, and the consideration of the symbolism of the one naturally follows the consideration of the symbolism of the other.

White Kid Masonic Gloves:  In the continental rites of Masonry, as practised in France, in Germany, and in other countries of Europe, it is an invariable custom to present the newly-initiated candidate not only, as we do, with a white leather apron, but also with two pairs of white kid gloves, one a man's pair for himself, and the other a woman's, to be presented by him in turn to his wife or his betrothed, according to the custom of the German masons, or, according to the French, to the female whom he most esteems, which, indeed, amounts, or should amount, to the same thing.

Masonic Gloves..The Works of the Hands:  There is in this, of course, as there is in everything else which pertains to Freemasonry, a symbolism. The gloves given to the candidate for himself are intended to teach him that the acts of a mason should be as pure and spotless as the gloves now given to him. In the German lodges, the word used for acts is of coursehandlungen, or handlings, "the works of his hands," which makes the symbolic idea more impressive.

1660 - Masonic Gloves Presentation

Dr. Robert Plott—no friend of Masonry, but still an historian of much research—says, in his "Natural History of Staffordshire," that the Society of Freemasons, in his time (and he wrote in 1660), presented their candidates with gloves for themselves and their wives. This shows that the custom still preserved on the continent of Europe was formerly practised in England, although there as well as in America, it is discontinued, which is, perhaps, to be regretted.

But although the presentation of the gloves to the candidate is no longer practised as a ceremony in England or America, yet the use of them as a part of the proper professional clothing of a mason in the duties of the lodge, or in processions, is still retained, and in many well-regulated lodges the members are almost as regularly clothed in their white gloves as in their white aprons.

The symbolism of the gloves, it will be admitted, is, in fact, but a modification of that of the apron. They both signify the same thing; both are allusive to a purification of life. "Who shall ascend," says the Psalmist, "into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart."

The apron may be said to refer to the "pure heart," the gloves to the "clean hands." Both are significant of purification—of that purification which was always symbolized by the ablution which preceded the ancient initiations into the sacred Mysteries.

But while our American and English Masons have adhered only to the apron, and rejected the gloves as a Masonic symbol, the latter appear to be far more important in symbolic science, because the allusions to pure or clean hands are abundant in all the ancient writers.

"Hands," says Wemyss, in his "Clavis Symbolica," "are the symbols of human actions; pure hands are pure actions; unjust hands are deeds of injustice." There are numerous references in sacred and profane writers to this symbolism. The washing of the hands has the outward sign of an internal purification. Hence the Psalmist says,

"I will wash my hands in innocence, and I will encompass thine altar, Jehovah."

Cleanliness of Hands:  In the ancient Mysteries, the washing of the hands was always an introductory ceremony to the initiation, and, of course, it was used symbolically to indicate the necessity of purity from crime as a qualification of those who sought admission into the sacred rites; and hence on a temple in the Island of Crete this inscription was placed:

"Cleanse your feet, wash your hands, and then enter."

Indeed, the washing of hands, as symbolic of purity, was among the ancients a peculiarly religious rite. No one dared to pray to the gods until he had cleansed his hands. Thus Homer makes Hector say:

    ."—Iliad, vi. 266.

    "I dread with unwashed hands to bring
    My incensed wine to Jove an offering."

In a similar spirit of religion, Æneas, when leaving burning Troy, refuses to enter the temple of Ceres until his hands, polluted by recent strife, had been washed in the living stream.

    "Me bello e tanto digressum et cæde recenti,
    Attrectare nefas, donec me flumine vivo
    Abluero."—Æn. ii. 718.

    "In me, now fresh from war and recent strife,
    'Tis impious the sacred things to touch
    Till in the living stream myself I bathe."

Gloves Worn By Ecclesiasticals:  The same practice prevailed among the Jews, and a striking instance of the symbolism is exhibited in that well-known action of Pilate, who, when the Jews clamored for Jesus, that they might crucify him, appeared before the people, and, having taken water, washed his hands, saying at the same time, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man. See ye to it."

White Linen Gloves:  In the Christian church of the middle ages, gloves were always worn by bishops or priests when in the performance of ecclesiastical functions. They were made of linen, and were white; and Durandus, a celebrated ritualist, says that:

"by the white gloves were denoted chastity and purity, because the hands were thus kept clean and free from all impurity."

Masonic Gloves...Purity:  There is no necessity to extend examples any further. There is no doubt that the use of the gloves in Masonry is a symbolic idea borrowed from the ancient and universal language of symbolism, and was intended, like the apron, to denote the necessity of purity of life.

We have thus traced the gloves and the apron to the same symbolic source. Let us see if we cannot also derive them from the same historic origin.

The apron evidently owes its adoption in Freemasonry to the use of that necessary garment by the operative masons of the middle ages. It is one of the most positive evidences—indeed we may say, absolutely, the most tangible evidence—of the derivation of our speculative science from an operative art.

The builders, who associated in companies, who traversed Europe, and were engaged in the construction of palaces and cathedrals, have left to us, as their descendants, their name, their technical language, and that distinctive piece of clothing by which they protected their garments from the pollutions of their laborious employment. Did they also bequeath to us their gloves?

This is a question which some modern discoveries will at last enable us to solve.

Operative Masonic Gloves:  M. Didron, in his "Annales Archeologiques," presents us with an engraving, copied from the painted glass of a window in the cathedral of Chartres, in France. The painting was executed in the thirteenth century, and represents a number of operative masons at work.

Three of them are adorned with laurel crowns. May not these be intended to represent the three officers of a lodge? All of the Masons wear gloves.

M. Didron remarks that in the old documents which he has examined, mention is often made of gloves which are intended to be presented to masons and stone-cutters. In a subsequent number of the "Annales," he gives the following three examples of this fact:

·         In the year 1331, the Chatelan of Villaines, in Duemois, bought a considerable quantity of gloves, to be given to the workmen, in order, as it is said, "to shield their hands from the stone and lime."

·         In October, 1383, as he learns from a document of that period, three dozen pairs of gloves were bought and distributed to the masons when they commenced the buildings at the Chartreuse of Dijon.

·         And, lastly, in 1486 or 1487, twenty-two pair of gloves were given to the masons and stone-cutters who were engaged in work at the city of Amiens.

It is thus evident that the builders...the operative masons...of the Middle ages wore gloves to protect their hands from the effects of their work.

It is equally evident that the speculative Masons have received from their operative predecessors the Masonic gloves, as well as the apron, both of which, being used by the latter for practical uses, have been, in the spirit of symbolism, appropriated by the former to "a more noble and glorious purpose."