Ohio Lodge opens its doors

This from the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum in Ohio in the US. It explains how a lodge opened its doors in a bid to recruit members



Ever wonder what goes on behind the doors of a Masonic Lodge?
The public had a rare opportunity to take a peek recently when Galion Masonic Lodge 414 opened its doors in hopes of increasing its membership.
"We need new members, young blood," said F. Jay DeNise, past Master.
The lodge served a pancake and sausage breakfast on a Saturday morning in late March for guests, members and their families. Charles R. Murphy, Grand Master of Ohio Masons, called for lodges across the state to show their communities Masonic fellowship.
The world's oldest and largest men's fraternity, Free-masons claim just under 2 million members in the United Sates, of which about 110,000 are in Ohio.
The Constitution was signed by 13 Freemasons, and 14 U.S. presidents, including George Washington, were Freemasons.
Believed to have its origins in the late 16th century, the organization didn't traditionally recruit -- instead, one asked a Mason how he could join.
DeNise said in recent years, lodges have become more visible and open to recruiting members.
Timothy Cotton -- the lodge's Worshipful Master, or president -- said the improved visibility should draw young people, though he acknowledged the increased mobility and workloads of contemporary society have hurt recruitment.
In addition to those obstacles, DeNise said, "a lot of factors hurt membership in the last couple decades."
As he sees it, one factor is the widespread notion that Freemasonry is a secret society -- portrayed in the media and movies as perhaps something sinister or backward, akin to the Opus Dei of Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code."
In reality, DeNise said, Freemasonry teaches moral lessons, character, friendship and spiritual beliefs.
"A lot of Biblical teachings carried over into the Freemasons. You have to believe in the Divine God," he said.
Members are obliged to be quiet and peaceable citizens, adhering to the Freemason principles of "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth."
The origins of Freemasonry are rooted in the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages.
The tools and other objects used were later adapted as symbols for use in modern ceremonies.
"It's the moral building of character rather than building buildings," DeNise explained.
Two of the principal symbolic tools found in a lodge are the square and compasses, which have come to be seen by many as the Masonic emblem. Some Lodges explain the combined-tool imagery as a lesson in conduct.
Freemasons say they are non-dogmatic on this and other symbology -- that is, there is no one accepted interpretation of tools and symbols dictated by Freemasonry. In fact, there is no single governing body for the fraternity, only affiliations between jurisdictions usually based on proximity and mutual recognition.
Serving the community through educational initiatives is one priority of the Galion lodge.
It donates five $1,000 scholarships to area high school students, sponsors Special Olympics and two local little league teams, and donates to Masonic retirement homes across the state.
Junior Warden (vice president) Richard Swain, who is Galion's City Council president, said he joined the lodge while serving in the military. He noted how his mentors -- one of whom is DeNise -- had been important influences in his life.
"It's more than a club. It's something you live by," he said.