Hello Hogan,
That is a very good question, however, we should be clear that Freemasonry is different than regular Masonry. I’ll explain it like this:
If you know what a stone mason is, you are familiar with some of the jobs that a Mason might have, as far as building with stone and brick. Masons use certain tools and concepts to do their work. These are called operative Masons.
Freemasonry is also referred to as speculative Masonry, and this is a fraternal organization that (to make things simple), assigns certain ideas or principles to the working tools of operative Masons, and uses these to teach certain moral lessons. Our group is a fraternity based on this concept of conveying intangible ideas through the use of symbolism derived from ancient Masonic teachings.
As an example, Masons use a square to make sure that structures adhere to perfect angles. We may use this to remember to square our actions with others (to deal with people squarely and fairly). Also, an operative Mason uses a level to make sure that something is evenly perpendicular to the ground. Speculative Masons use this to teach that we are all equal and on the level with others.
Those are just a few examples of how Freemasonry and operative masons are related. However, it in not required that Freemasons be operative masons. We are bankers and ditch diggers, waiters and software engineers, preachers and bartenders, and all other occupations.
To be clear, Freemasonry doesn’t do any actual masonry work. We are a fraternal brotherhood, not a trade union. If you are looking to learn a trade, Freemasonry is not the place for that. If you are looking to improve yourself and help others however, Freemasonry is a step in the right direction.
Best of Luck,
Dan Madore
Columbian Lodge
Boston, MA
