Masonic Renewal Committee of North America
10200 N. Executive Hills Blvd.
Kansas City, Missouri, 64153
Tel. 1–888–891–8235
Fax. 816–891–9062
E-mail to: http:\\www.masonic-renewal.org

A new brochure accents the importance of family involvement in Freemasonry.

Men who are Masons get a lot out of their Fraternity. They get a chance to make new friends, do worthwhile things in their community, and improve themselves as human beings. They have opportunities for ethical, moral and spiritual growth. They have a support system in times of trouble, and they have a chance to be with other men, do things together, and to talk and share their ideas and goals.

But our families get a lot out of Masonry, too. You may not be aware of all those benefits, but it’s good to know them. Sometimes they can make a real difference!

First of all, there are Lodge activities for the family. We know that a Mason’s family is the most important thing in his life. We wouldn’t respect him as a Brother if it weren’t. So Lodges and other Masonic organizations plan activities in which the entire family can participate. There are picnics, dinners, dances, and social events of all kinds. The types of activities vary as the needs and interests of the people vary, but all Masonic organizations share a common commitment to the family. It’s good for everyone for families to do things together and with their friends.

Second, there are the Masonic Youth Organizations. The pressures on young people today are immense, far greater than those when most of us grew up. Drugs, crime, violence, AIDS—none of these was a major problem twenty years ago. Oh, most of them existed, but the vast majority of the young never encountered them on a day-to-day basis. Now, they are very real threats in the everyday lives of most young people. Young men and women today live in a tough time with many temptations and unbelievable peer pressure. Organizations for young people sponsored by Masons give your children an alternative, an opportunity to belong to a group which teaches leadership skills, social skills, and self-respect. For boys, there’s the Order of DeMolay. For girls, The Order of the Rainbow, and for girls from Masonic families, Job’s Daughters. All three organizations teach the highest ideals of honor and respect for truth and charity. When the drug dealers are on the streets or around the playground, it’s good to know that there are Masonic organizations promoting healthy ideals and goals.

Third, there are organizations for wives, too. The Order of the Eastern Star provides the same kinds of experiences for women as Masonry does for men. So does Amaranth, the Social Order of the Beauceant, and the White Shrine of Jerusalem. Not all are organized in every state and province, but at least one is there waiting to serve women who want to join with other women and share similar ideas and values.

In a strange town or a foreign city, help is as close as the nearest Mason. All you have to do is find one. Look for the Square and Compasses on a ring or pin, or look up the number of the local Lodge in the telephone book, usually under the heading of "Fraternal Organizations" in the Yellow Pages. Make yourself known as the wife, son or daughter of a Mason, and you’ll get all the help you need. Masons from the Arctic Circle to the South Pole have all promised to give you that help.

Fourth, your town benefits from Freemasonry, too. Masons do many things to make their own communities better places in which to live. It takes many pages of computer print-out to list the local projects in even one state or province in which Masons are involved. Such things as highway and street clean-up programs, Christmas baskets for the needy, eyeglasses for those who cannot afford them, support of anti-drug and anti-alcohol programs in the schools, buying supplies for teachers and classrooms, giving volunteer time to services for the elderly—the lists go on and on. But all these things make your town a better place for you to live. Masons care! We care about our own development as men and Masons. We care about our country. We care about our individual faiths. We care about the poor, the sick, the helpless, and the hopeless.

And, especially, we care about our families. We care about our wives as independent, equal partners in life. We care about our children, not only because they represent the hope for tomorrow but as growing, developing individuals who must be given every possible chance to be everything they can be.

Yes, Masons get a lot out of Freemasonry: Brotherhood, Growth, Support, Strength, Confidence. And so will you!