On Saturday, March 28th, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts will hold a statewide Masonic open house. More than 150 Masonic buildings across the state will be open from 9am to 3 pm sharing information about the fraternity, and celebrating 275 years of Freemasonry in Massachusetts.
I think these are terrific events, and I wish more grand lodges would promote them. It's a great way to connect with the local community and once a year remind the neighbors that there is still a Masonic lodge in town that's thriving and open for business. It also generates far better visibility across the state than one single lodge can hope to do.
No, I am not about "demystifying" the fraternity. I AM about teaching our communities about who we are, what we stand for, and why a 21st century man should consider becoming a Freemason. We've fallen out of the habit and collective memory of society. We need to get that back. This is a good way to start.
From our Lodge, we get 1 bona-fide candidate for every 4 men that visit on "Square & Compass Day" (that what the Mass GL calls it.) Often they are men from the same town, and never knew of the town having a Lodge. I think it has tightened and strengthened the local Masonic community in most Massachusetts cities and towns.
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