Ten Facts About Masonry
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Freemasonry is the oldest fraternal organization in the world. It has its roots in the Middle
Ages when skilled tradesmen, such as stone masons who built the magnificent cathedrals,
castles, and monasteries of Europe, were organized into crafts.
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Masonry in Connecticut dates back to 1750. Thirteen out of the 39 signers of the
Constitution were Freemasons, including George Washington and Ben Franklin. Several
U.S. Presidents were Masons, including Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Truman and Ford.

A Mason is taught to be a good citizen: to be of good character, to care for those less
fortunate, and to give back to the community.

Freemasons give millions of dollars to charitable causes, more than 70% of which
supports the general public. In the U.S., Masonic philanthropy totals over $750 million a
year.
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There are several organizations related to Masonry including Order of the Eastern Star,
The Amaranth, Prince Hall, DeMolay and Rainbow. In order to be a Shriner, you must
first be a Mason. Throughout North America, Shriners operate 22 Hospitals for Children
including world-renowned burn centers and orthopedic facilities.
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Masonry is neither a secret society nor is it anti-religion. As a matter of fact, one of the
tenets of the Masonic Fraternity is that its members are expected to acknowledge the
existence of a Supreme Being and they are free to express their beliefs in the religion of
their choice.

Masonry in Connecticut hosts a Child Identification Program, a free service that gives
parents and guardians of children a video and fingerprint record of their child that can be
given to the authorities in the event that their child is abducted.
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
Masonry is not a secret society. There are a few rituals such as the handshake and
greeting which are unique and “secret” but the so-called secrets of Freemasonry have
actually been in print for well over a century.


Membership in the Masonic Fraternity is an act of free will, and one must ask for the
opportunity. The potential member must be at least eighteen years of age, of sound moral
character, and express belief in a Supreme Being.

Connecticut Masonry created Masonicare, the largest and most comprehensive continuum
of care and retirement living for seniors in the state.
DRAFT PRESS RELEASE
Contact: [YOUR NAME & TEL / EMAIL]
For immediate release
Public Invited to Masonic Open House Day
Visit a Lodge Oct. 19, 2013
(TOWN, DATE) ………… Have you ever wondered what goes on in a Masonic Lodge?
Have you heard rumors of “secret” rituals? Local Masons [and their affiliated
organizations?] invite you to find out for yourself when they host a Community Open House
on Saturday, October 19.
“We welcome families, civic organizations, community and spiritual leaders to stop in and
take a look,” said [LOCAL LODGE MASTER’S NAME.] “We have a great story to tell and
we care deeply about the communities in which we live.”
Connecticut Masons date back to 1750, and a third of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence were Masons, including George Washington and Ben Franklin.
“With 90 lodges in the state, we look forward to opening our doors to many visitors on the
19th,” said Simon R. LaPlace, the current “Grand Master” or titular head of Connecticut’s
14,000 Freemasons. “If all you know about Masonry is from reading a Dan Brown book,
that’s OK. But there’s a lot more to us and we hope many folks from the community will take
a few minutes to stop in.”
The open house will be from __[TIMES]_____. The lodge in [TOWN / TOWNS] is located
at [ADDRESS – Parking Info if necessary.]
“We’ll have refreshments and activities. You
can stay as long or as briefly as you like,” [LOCAL MASTER] added.
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Little-known fact: The Bulkeley Bridge over the Connecticut River in Hartford, was largely
the work of Connecticut Masons. It’s the longest stone arch bridge in the world. Built in
1908, it carries more than 130,000 cars a day and is one of the oldest bridges in the U.S.
interstate highway system.