Concerning the rites, ceremonies, and principles of Freemasonry it should be said that the underlying principle is a belief in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul. Next to that is the recognition of fraternal obligations among members of the Order. The duties of a Mason are always to be held subordinate to his duty to his God, to his country, and to his fellowmen, a fact not generally credited outside the fraternity, and ignorance of which has led to much of the opposition it has encountered, on account of its being a secret institution. It differs from other secret and beneficial societies in the matter of its beneficiary features, for there is no obligation expressed in the order of procedure set forth as part of its fixed policy.

The measure of relief to be extended to fellow members in distress and the participation in any work of charity are matters implied rather than commanded. Some of the lodges voluntarily create funds for charitable purposes, but this is a matter which rests with the particular lodge, which is independent in any line of action it adopts not antagonistic to the objects or principles of the Order. As a rule, the dispensing of relief is entirely governed by circumstances, and is not circumscribed by conditions of membership in any particular lodge. A sojourning or visiting Mason, in any locality where he may be temporarily staying, if in distress, has a claim on his brother Masons, in accordance with the spirit and teaching of the Masonic fraternity . 

A system of benevolence has been adopted in many of the American jurisdictions which is characteristic of the fraternity. It is the establishment in different jurisdictions of Masonic homes and infirmaries for the needy and distressed of the Order. The first of these homes was established in 1867 at Louisville, Ky., as the ' Masonic Widows and Orphans Home and Infirmary.' Other institutions have been founded in Philadelphia, Chicago, Saint Louis, Nashville, Springfield, Ohio, Wichita, Kan., Waterford, Conn., Burlington, N.J., Richmond, Va., and in Michigan, Texas, and California. Funds have been established in many other jurisdictions either to found homes or to provide a systematic administration of charity. The homes are, like the English institutions, largely supported by voluntary contributions, but in some States a per capita tax is levied upon each Master Mason within the jurisdiction.

The teachings of Freemasonry are symbolical, ceremonial, and allegorical. Rites, almost without number, were formed by degree-makers during the past one hundred and fifty years, but most of them had but a short existence. There are now ten Masonic rites or systems in use throughout the world, all having as their foundation the three symbolic degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow craft, and Master Mason. The two rites that are ranked as universal are the York or English rite, and the Ancient Accepted Scottish rite of thirty-three degrees. The English rite comprises the three fundamental symbolic degrees, and the Royal Arch degree, appended in 1813. 

The English rite has been enlarged and changed in this country and Canada and is known as the American rite. It consists of thirteen degrees, grouped as follows: Entered Apprentice, Fellow craft, and Master Mason, conferred in symbolic lodges; Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch, conferred in chapters of Royal Arch Masons; Royal Master, Select Master, and Super-Excellent Master, conferred in councils of Royal and Select Masters; and Orders of the Red Cross, Knight Templar, and Knight of Malta, conferred in commanderies of Knights Templars. Of the thirty-three degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish rite the first three or symbolic degrees are never conferred, all control of them and right to use them having been relinquished by the Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite to the Grand Lodges of the United States and Canada. 

The degrees from the fourth to the fourteenth are conferred in the Lodge of Perfection; these are Secret Master, Perfect Master, Intimate, Secretary, Provost and Judge, Intendant of the Building, Knight Elect of Nine, Knight Elect of Fifteen, Sublime Knight Elect, Grand Master Architect, Knight of the Ninth Arch, and Perfect and Sublime Mason. The degrees Knight of the East or Sword and Prince of Jerusalem are conferred in councils of Princes of Jerusalem. The degrees of Knight of the East and West and Knight of Rose Croix are conferred in chapters of Rose Croix. 

In consistories of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret are conferred the following degrees; Grand Pontiff, Master ad vitam or Master of All Symbolic Lodges, Noachite or Prussian Knight, Knight of the Royal Axe or Prince of Libanus, Chief of the Tabernacle, Prince of the Tabernacle, Knight of the Brazen Serpent, Prince of Mercy, Knight Commander of the Temple, Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept, Knight of Saint Andrew, Knight Kadosh, Inspector Inquisition Commander, and Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. The thirty-third and last degree, that of Sovereign Grand inspector-General, is conferred in the Supreme Council upon Masons who have rendered distinguished services to the craft. 

The English and the Scottish rites are the only two that are practiced in the United States and are recognized by Masons generally. The Scottish rite in the United States is controlled by two bodies, the Supreme Councils of the Northern and Southern Masonic jurisdictions. They are in fraternal communion with each other and with the Supreme Council of France as well as those of England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Central America, Greece, Canada, Cuba, Switzerland, Egypt, Tunis, and Spain.

The number of subordinate bodies in these jurisdictions is: Northern Jurisdiction, 239, with a membership of 34,035; Southern Jurisdiction, 267, with a membership of 14,867. There are in addition to the foregoing a number of societies in the United States, which though not in any sense Masonic in character, yet require as a pre-requisite to uniting with them membership in Masonic bodies. The largest and most popular is the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. (See MYSTIC SHRINE, ANCIENT ORDER OF NOBLES OF THE.) Minor organizations are the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, with headquarters at Hamilton, N.Y., and the Independent International Order of Owls, with headquarters at Nashville, Tenn. These societies are purely social organizations, founded for amusement and recreation.


The only society allied to Masonry that receives women into membership is the Order of the Eastern Star. It is not a Masonic body, nor has it ever been recognized by the Masonic fraternity, but its members are composed of Master Masons in good standing, their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters, together with the widows of such Master Masons. The system which admitted women to membership in bodies allied to Freemasonry originated in France about 1730. The bodies were called 'Lodges of Adoption,' because each organization was required to be adopted by a Masonic lodge and was under its control.

Lodges of adoption are said to have been introduced into this country about 1778, but they never flourished to any extent. As early as 1793 there was an 'Order of the Eastern Star' in existence in this country. This organization disappeared early in the last century. The system at present prevailing in the United States was founded in 1868 by Robert Macoy of New York, upon the basis of a ritual developed by Robert Morris, an eminent Masonic writer. There are now in the United States thirty-two Grand Chapters and over 250,000 members.

The Sovereign College of Allied Masonic and Christian Degrees of America is a body of Masons clothed with power to confer academic as well as ritualistic degrees, the former being given for honorable cause. The highest academic degree conferred is that of Doctor of Universal Masonry, which has been conferred on only five distinguished members of the Order. The ritual of the college comprises the degree of Ark Mariner, Secret Monitor, Tylers of Solomon, Saint Lawrence the Martyr, Knight of Constantinople, Holy and Blessed Order of Wisdom, Trinitarian Knight of Saint John of Patmos. The Order is in fraternal communication with the Grand Council of the Allied Degrees, and the Grand Ark Mariners Council, both of England.