Grand Lodge Solomon
Welcome onboard
The Learning and Development Team’s Worshipful Brother John Roscoe describes how Solomon satisfies the expectations of new Freemasons, while teaching them about Freemasonry’s history, traditions and symbolism
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Solomon can help members understand Freemasonry’s rituals and ceremonies
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eople often talk about life as a journey. These obviously have a start point and usually a destination in mind, too. In Freemasonry, we frequently describe people as having a Masonic journey. Each of us who is a Freemason knows the reason we decided to join. These vary, although interviews with many Freemasons reveal surprising commonalities across individuals as to why they wish to become a Freemason. At core, these include a desire to be with like-minded people with an underlying altruistic or charitable disposition; to become a ‘better man’ – motivated by curiosity to explore and understand the moral lessons contained in Masonic ritual, tradition, history, allegory and symbolism; to belong to an organisation that has enduring values over time and provides a sense of tradition that gives meaning, as part of something that puts your own life in the context of existing before and after your own life.
What is that meaning that people seek? Perhaps to achieve a sense that their life has been meaningful and that they have been able to contribute. For many, it is because they were inspired by a family member or someone else they respect who is a Freemason and wanted to join because of a desire to emulate them as an individual. Others join because of an innate curiosity about the Order. For some, it’s to recapture that sense of camaraderie and fraternity that they may have experienced in the forces. All of these are the kind of motivations that lead an individual towards becoming a Freemason. Perhaps the generic qualities in men attracted to Freemasonry include an empathic concern for others and a heightened sense of altruism. This journey starts with an approach to a friend or perhaps through the internet and visiting a Masonic website. The next step is to meet people who are Freemasons and members of a Lodge that
FMT Winter 2021
17/11/2021 15:13
