PAGE UPDATES FOR MASONRY NEBRASKA BY DATE

Click on Table of Contents and arrow down to the page that you want to check. The changed pages will be listed here by date. Usually look under
Page Communications on that page: 

 January 3rd, 2008 - Sesostris Shrine, (Ernie Kunkee),

January 4th, 2009 - Grand York Rite (Lyle Johnson, Past Grand Commander of Iowa),  Patriot Guard Riders,  American Legion Riders

January 10th, 2008 - Our America (Seabee News), Liberty Lodge #300, Scottish Rite, Sesostris Shrine Chanters ( Clarence Johnsen),

January 11th, 2008 - Galahad Drill Team,

January 19th, 2008 - American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, Sesostris Shrine

January 20th, 2008 - American Legion Riders, Our America Page Seabee News

January 21st, 2008 - American Legion Riders

January 24th, 2008 - Chanters, Job's Daughters, Grand York Rite, Sesostris Shrine, Lincoln Scottish Rite Patriot Guard Riders, Nebraska Grand Lodge

February 2nd, 2008 - Our America (USS New York), American Legion Riders, Our America (Seabee Info)

February 5th, 2008 - Scottish Rite , Education Committee, Grand York Rite, Sesostris Shrine, Sesostris Harleys

February 12, 2008 - Grand York Rite, Grand Lodge, Galahad Drill Team, Our America (Why we are in Iraq) York Rite Degree Team (Assignments Page) Arrow Down to bottom of York Rite Degree Team Page and click on Assignments Page.

February 14th, 2008 - Masonry Nebraska Frontpage -Valentines Day, Sesostris Harleys

February 20th, 2008 - Sesostris Harleys, American Legion Riders

February 24th, 2008 - Our America arrow down to Seabee Info., Patriot Guard Riders Page

February 25th, 2008 - Patriot Guard Riders,  Masonic Motorcycle Club

February 29th, 2008 - Patriot Guard Riders, Sesostris Shrine

March 2nd, 2007 - Masonic Motorcycle Club,  American Legion Riders

March 3rd, 2008 - Iron Nobles, Sesostris Shrine,

April 7th, 2008 - Sesostris Harleys, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, Liberty Lodge #300.

April 9th, 2008 - Blue Lodge Page, York Rite Page, Sesostris Shrine, Sir Galahad Drill Team, Eastern Star, Scottish Rite. (Passing of Ted McNeese). Grand York Rite (Passing of Rawleyce Rife) Sesostris Harleys

April 14th, 2008 - Liberty Lodge #300, Patriot Guard Riders

April 15th, 2008 - Patriot Guard Riders, Liberty Lodge #300

April 17th, 2008 - American Legion Riders, Scottish Rite Lincoln Valley,

April 18th, 2008 - American Legion Riders,

April 23rd, 2008 - American Legion Riders, Sesostris Shrine, Patriot Guard Riders

April 29th, 2008 - Grand York Rite, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders

May 1st, 2008 - Grand York Rite (Sheila Speck) Scottish Rite Lincoln Valley

May 2nd, 2008 - American Legion Riders,  Patriot Guard Riders

May 5th, 2008 - American Legion Riders

May 7th, 2008 - Grand York Rite (Sheila Speck)

May 12th, 2008 - Grand Council Page,

May 13th, 2008 - Liberty Lodge #300, Bennett Lodge #94

May 14th, 2008 - Patriot Guard Riders, American Legion Riders

May 16th, 2008 - Sesostris Shrine, Sesostris Parades, Grand York Rite

May 23rd, 2008 - American Legion Riders, Grand York Rite, Sesostris Harley's,

June 4th, 2008 - Sesostris Harleys, Grand Council Page, Patriot Guard Riders, Bennett Lodge #94 AF &AM

June 6th, 2008 - American Legion Riders 

June 13th, 2008 - Patriot Guard Riders, Sesostris Harleys

June 14th, 2008 - Shrine Parades (Palmyra Parade), Shrine Harleys, Patriot Guard Riders

THE GRAND LODGE OF TEXAS

Has a website whereby they have on Real Audio or Windows Media Audio or MP3 , narrated by Brother Alan Holmes, Brother Joe B. Motley, and Brother Boyd Patterson what masonry is to them and I think, as editor of Masonry Nebraska, should be heard by all Masons and others. Of course, the request for petition on the link does not apply to members of Nebraska Grand Lodge.

You can apply directly to the Nebraska Grand Lodge or webmaster of Masonry Nebraska, or ask any Nebraska Mason requesting a petition.

The address of the Texas Masonic Link is http://www.grandlodgeoftexas.org/between_friends      Paste this address to your address bar on your browser.

Masonry Nebraska wishes to thank The Grand Lodge of Texas and their members for such a fine explanation of Masonry.

Pictured are some famous Masons: President and Brother George Washington, Brother Benjamin Franklin, Brother Jose Navarro, Brother William B. Travis, Brother Sam Houston, Brother Lorenzo de Zavala, Brother Stephen Austin, President and Brother Theodore Roosevelt, Brother Charles Lindbergh, President and Brother Franklin D. Roosevelt, Brother Will Rogers, President and Brother Harry S. Truman, U.S. General and Brother Douglas S. MacArthur, Brother Norman Vincent Peale, Brother John Wayne and U.S. Lunar Astronaut and Brother Edwin  E. (Buzz) Aldrin.

         From Liberty Lodge #300 Past Masters Night, 2001,  W.B. Daniel Foreman, Master

                                                                    THE ROAD OF MASONRY

                                Two Horses

 

Author - unknown


Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.
 


From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

?

This alone is amazing.
 
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
 
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
 

 

It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.



As you stand and watch these two friends,
you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse,
and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk
to where the other horse is,
trusting that he will not be led astray.

 
When the horse with the bell returns
to the shelter of the barn each evening,
it stops occasionally and looks back,
making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

 


 
Like the owners of these two horses,
God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect
or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives
to help us when we are in need.
 
Sometimes we are the blind horse
being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.
And remember...
be kinder than necessary-
everyone you meet is fighting
some kind of battle.
 
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly....
Leave the rest to God
 

MASONIC ACTIVITIES IN THE LINCOLN AND NEBRASKA AREA

Because of Masonic Activities that are planned on the same date, hopefully, we will attempt to alleviate some of these problems. The following are dates that have come to light from Blue Lodges, Shrine, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Order of Eastern Star, Nile, and Youth Organizations to this editor. Please e-mail the Webmaster if you have a date that you would like to post. 

HIRAM CLUB OF LINCOLN

Hiram Club of Lincoln holds their Board of Governors Meeting on the Second Thursday of every month at 11:45 p.m. together with the Thursday  meal at the Scottish Rite Temple in Lincoln with the meeting commencing at 12:15.

The Hiram Club Ladies Night will begin on the fourth Saturday of the month in April and June at the Scottish Rite Temple at 6:00 p.m. It will be held four times  thru the year. 

FOR THE YEAR 2006

In January, is the month when Blue Lodges and Chapters have their installations.

FOR THE YEAR 2007

Sorry to be so late in updating this calendar.  Will hope to have it up shortly. Dont forget our York Rite One-Day in Hastings on Saturday 3/31/07/.

From Justin Wendt of Liberty Lodge #300

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited
by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors
was Jewish.  And it does not bother me even a little bit when people
call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel
threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are:
Christmas trees.
 
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry
Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to
put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all
brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother
me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near
my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just
as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

 
I don't like
getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like
getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in
God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea
where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist
country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being
shoved down my throat.
 
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the
idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed
to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting
old, too.  But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and
Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

 
In light of the
many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different:
This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you
thinking.
 
Billy
Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked
her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding
Katrina)  Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful
response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we
are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get
out of our government and to get out of our lives.  And being the
gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God
to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

 
In light of
recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started
when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently)
complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then
someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou
shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself.
And we said OK.
 
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank
our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be
warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed
suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said
OK.
 
Now we're
asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know
right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their
classmates, and themselves.
 
Probably, if we think about it long and hard
enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE
REAP WHAT WE SOW."
 

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and
then wonder why the world's going to hell.  Funny how we believe what
the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.  Funny how you
can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you
start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about
sharing.  Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass
freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the
school and workplace.
 
Are you laughing?

 
Funny how when
you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list
because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you
for sending it.
 
Funny how we can be more worried about what other
people think of us than what God thinks of us.

 
Pass it on if
you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you
did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain
about what bad shape the world is in.  My Best Regards.

 

Honestly and
respectfully,
 
Ben
Stein

From Larry Zwart In Omaha on Monday, March 26th, 2007

Soup & Chili Supper Omaha Chapter No. 1

  Ron Clarke, High Priest, has asked that an E-mail reminder be released about the Omaha Chapter No. 1 Royal Arch Masons Soup Supper on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at the Mercer's Masonic Lodge Building at 5903 Maple Street in Benson from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  The dinner features chili, potato soup, chicken noodle soup, dessert and beverage.  This is the main fund raiser for Omaha Chapter No. 1.  Please attend and support this project.

Omaha Chapter No. 1 Royal Arch Masons SOUP & CHILI SUPPER
Masonic Lodge Building at 5903 Maple Street in Benson
Saturday, March 31, 2007 -- 4:00 - 7:00 PM
Adults $5 and Children under 12 - $2.50
MENU: Chili, Potato Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Dessert and Beverage

May 5 - Omaha Chapter No. 1 & No. 61 RAM & Omaha Council No. 1 Installation, Papillion Masonic Lodge 2 PM
Oct 7 - Omaha Chapter No. 1 RAM Omelet Breakfast, Benson Masonic Lodge,  8 to 12 NN
Dec 8 - Commandery & Beauceant Installation, Benson Masonic Lodge, 2 PM

From Larry Zwart In Omaha on Sunday, March 25th, 2007

Reminder:   Masonic Education Symposium to be held on March 26th at Papillion Lodge at 7:00 PM.
 

From Larry Zwart In Omaha on Wed. Nov. 29th, 2006

The next one day conferral will be sponsored by Centennial Lodge No. 326, Philip O. Edwards, Secretary, 14830 Holmes Street, Omaha, Ne. 68137-1312, Phone: 895-3781. The conferral will be held at Scottish Rite Center, 202 South 20th Street (20th & Douglas Streets - South West Corner) in Downtown Omaha, Saturday January 27, 2007 at 8:00 AM.

All prospective candidates must have their petitions read by the December 2006 business meeting and approved by the Lodge business meeting in January 2007.

A coat and tie worn by candidates would add dignity to the ceremony.

The request for Courtesy Work must be sent by the lodge secretary to the Secretary of Centennial Lodge No. 326 and a copy to The Grand Lodge Office by January 26, 2007.

There will be a $15.00 charge for each candidate to cover the cost of the degree workbooks each candidate will receive.

The lunch is prepared by the Tangier Shrine Divan and is complementary to the candidates and a suggested donation of $5.00 for attendees.

The candidates should be at Scottish Rite between 7:00 AM and 7:55 AM, with the degree work starting promptly at 8:00 AM.

From Larry Zwart from Omaha, Monday July 17th, 2006  

The next one day conferral will be sponsored by Nebraska Lodge No. 1,
Jack F. Duffield, Secretary, 13917 Ohern Street, Omaha, Ne.
68137-1570, Phone: 895-3857. The conferral will be held at Scottish
Rite Center, 202 South 20th Street (20th & Douglas Streets - South
West Corner) in Downtown Omaha, Saturday October 28, 2006 at 8:00 AM.

All prospective candidates must have their petitions read and approved
by the Lodge business meeting in September 2006. A coat and tie worn
by candidates would add dignity to the ceremony.

The request for Courtesy Work must be sent by the lodge secretary to
the Secretary of Nebraska Lodge No. 1 and a copy to The Grand Lodge
Office by October 27, 2006.

There will be a $15.00 charge for each candidate to cover the cost of
the degree workbooks each candidate will receive.

The lunch is prepared by the Tangier Shrine Divan and is complementary
to the candidates and a suggested donation of $5.00 for attendees.

The candidates should be at Scottish Rite between 7:00 AM and 7:55 AM,
with the degree work starting promptly at 8:00 AM.

From Larry Zwart from Omaha, 6- 28-2005

Springfield Lodge No. 112 is the sponsor of the One Day Masonic Lodge to 
be held at Bellevue Lodge in Bellevue, Nebraska!!!  Bellevue Lodge is 
located at 1908 Franklin Street in Bellevue.  Candidates should report on 
Saturday, July 16, 2005, between 6:30 AM and 6:55 AM.  The Lodge is 
located in the old part of Bellevue across the street (West) from the park 
and just South of the old Presbyterian Church.  Parking is available on 
the street and the lot next to the building.  The degree work will take 
till about 4:00 PM.  Please remind all candidates that a coat and tie 
would add dignity to the ceremony.
   Secretaries need to complete a GL-323 for their candidates (Request to 
Confer Degrees Between Nebraska Lodges) and foward it to Springfield Lodge 
through the Grand Lodge Office before July 15th!!!!

One-Day Blue Lodge Degree Conferral  July 16, 2005
Bellevue Masonic Lodge, 1908 Franklin Street in Bellevue, Nebraska

6:45 a.m. Registration to 7:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m. Open Entered Apprentice Degree
7:05 a.m. Questions and Preparatory Address
7:30 a.m. Entered Apprentice Degree
8:10 a.m. Working Tools
8:20 a.m. Lecture 1 - Questions and Answers
8:30 a.m. Lecture 2
8:40 a.m. Lecture 3
8:50 a.m. Charge
9:10 a.m. Call off     (9:15-9:45 candidates are given instruction)
9:20 a.m. Open Fellow Craft Degree
9:45 a.m. Entered Apprentice examination of all candidates
10:00 a.m. Fellow Craft Degree
10:40 a.m. Lecture 1 - Middle Chamber
11:00 a.m. Lecture 2 - Questions and Answers
11:10 a.m. Charge
11:20 a.m. Call off     (11:20-12:00 candidates are given instruction)
11:25 a.m. Open Master Mason Degree
12:00 a.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. Fellow Craft examination of all candidates
12:40 p.m. Master Mason Degree First Section
1:20 p.m. Break
1:30 p.m. Master Mason Degree Second Section
2:20 p.m. Lecture 1 - Questions and Answers
2:30 p.m. Lecture 2
2:40 p.m. Lecture 3
3:00 p.m. Charge
3:10 p.m. Call off     (3:10-3:35 candidates are given instruction)
3:35 p.m. Proficiency examination
3:45 p.m. Introductions, remarks, closing comments, etc.
4:00 p.m. Close Lodge


 

For a complete rundown of all Greater Omaha Tri-county Events  compiled by First Lodge, copy and paste this in your browser address; http://www.firstlodge.com/MASONIC-ACTIVITIES.html 

My God is Love

One of the most inspiring songs that was written by United States Senator Orrin Hatch is the following song whose music was written by Janice Kopp Perry. It will be necessary to go to Orrin Hatch's website www.hatchmusic.com  to download a copy of RealPlayer 8 Basic Free Edition to hear this very beautiful song.  The address is: mygod(1).ra. To return to the theme music for this page go back or forward and return to the page. To clarify the words that must be understood, here they are:

My God is Love

Words by Orrin G. Hatch, Music by Janice Kapp Perry, Choir Soloist Tammy Robinson

        On Membership

This e-mail came to me by Shriners 2000. It was written by a young Noble  from Karem Shrine and it made a lot of sense to me and I quote:

               I don't really know how to start this email.  It may be a little long so please bare with me.  I have been reading all the emails lately and have only this to offer.  We are members of this group to promote membership and exchange ideas on how to accomplish membership gains in our respective temples.

       To give you all a little background on me; I have been a member of the Shrine for a little over four years now, and have served as Gen. Membership Chairman for the last two years.  I am currently serving my third year in this capacity.  I joined Masonry in 1997.  I was really excited about this and got really active.  I became a ritualist and earned a class A esoteric certificate in 1998.  I served as master in 2000 and went on to serve as District Masonic Relations officer as well as lodge education officer.  We have about 400 members in my blue lodge and like most lodges about 10% are active.   I also joined the Scottish and York Rites and serve in various positions there.  When I first joined all I heard people talking bout was membership and how we were declining.  To be honest, I got tired of hearing about it.

       I was asked to be the Gen. Membership Chairman for Karem Shrine in 2003.  I went to the membership school in Tampa and listened to what they had to say.  In 2003, Imperial started the "Year of the Shrine Mason" program.  I guess I got lucky because Karem ended that program as the #1 temple in Texas and the #13 temple in North America.  I could not manage to show a positive gain for the whole year though, and we ended up with a 2% loss in 2003.  In 2004 we got a little bit luckier and were the only temple in the state of Texas to have a membership gain.

       I found that the biggest problem in my temple was suspensions.  I realized early on that I couldn't do anything about deaths; although I did tell all the nobles a few times that nobody was allowed to die anymore because it made membership gains really hard.  I spent many hours on the phone calling every noble in Karem who was in danger of going suspended to try to talk them into paying their dues.  I found that personal contact is the key to retention.  It also helped that I was working with a Potentate who understood that the needs of the members were more important than the money.  We were able to identify members who were along in years and not able to afford their dues for various reasons.  We placed these nobles on a reduced dues class which covered per capita and the hospital assessment.  In some cases we carried the nobles who just could not afford it because of medical reasons.

       In the recruitment and retention areas we tried to make our temple more family friendly.  We encourage our nobles to bring their children to our dances and we provide child care.  We have more family events and encourage nobles to bring non-shriners and non-masons to these events so they can see what we are about.  We also have done surveys of the members to find out what they would like to see at the shrine and have tried to incorporate those ideas into our temple.

       As far as attracting younger members, I offer this; younger members want tradition.  We have heard all about the legendary Shrine and all the stories of how it used to be.  We want the same thing; we want to make our own stories.  I say we because I recently turned 34 and consider myself a younger member.   We need to get rid of the myth that you have to be rich to be a shriner or that the shrine is only for the elite.   We want a chance to show what we can do and be taken seriously as contributing members to the future of our fraternity.

       Membership has to be the main focus of every Shrine Temple.  It has to be the main focus for the entire Masonic family.  We need to do things WITH the other bodies and involve everyone.  I think that only then will be start growing as a whole again

Thanks for listening,
  Mike Turner
  Oriental Guide
  Karem Shrine
 

Freemasonry is the World's largest and oldest fraternal organization. Masonry evolved from the guilds of the ancient cathedral/temple builders and stands today as a fraternity promoting brotherly love (for all mankind), relief (for  the distressed and destitute), and truth (in our dealings with others) and a higher moral respect and understanding of all mankind.  

Masonry teaches through allegory and symbolism of the ancient operative guilds the importance of integrity and fidelity. Masonry is not a religion, but requires a belief in a supreme being, the Master Architect of the Universe, who guides us by Divine will. Masons believe, and have a respect for all things created, patriotism, benevolence, and a temperance for the beliefs and free opinion of others.

Masons view the entire human species as one family, and under one supreme being. All Masons view themselves equal to each other and on the level with all other Masons regardless of social or political status. Masonry regards no man for the clothes he wears, the house in which he lives, the kind of car he drives, or the other luxuries he owns or uses. All Masons are equal to each other in the Lodge Room, and are clothed in the same manner. The apron is the only apparel we see. Masons stand before God equal to one another, and the apron is the sign of equality.     

From the writings of our Illustrious Brother Albert Pike comes this: The "secrets" in Masonry are personal insights. They are secret not because we are pledged to conceal them, but because they cannot be truly communicated from one person to another.  In other words, we have to experience and learn from the degrees and apply them to our own personal thoughts. Therefore, the secrets have been revealed to us in this manner and we have gained further light. This takes ALL of the bodies of  Freemasonry to communicate this light. We also learn from the writings of our Past Masters as well as their actions, for they are as true today as they were in the times that they lived. It is for each individual Mason to discover the secret of Freemasonry.

WHO ARE THE MASONS?

The largest fraternal organization in the world works to build brotherhood, and moral character

The following is an article written for the Lincoln Journal Star Newspaper on Saturday, March 13th, 2004 by the Lincoln Journal Star Reporter Mr. Bob Reeves. He interviewed Dr. James F. Brown Jr. a professor of accounting at University of Nebraska - Lincoln and Past Grand Master of Masons of Nebraska, John Parsons, Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska, Mr. James Foote of the Lincoln Lending Group, Kent I. Hemmerling, Worshipful Master of Lancaster Lodge #54, Lincoln, Nebraska and Les Seiler, an attorney in Hastings, and the present Grand Master of Masons of Nebraska. The article is quite long but very well written and it is quoted in its entirety:

One of the most highly skilled crafts in the middle ages was that of the stone masons, who traveled from place to place building castles and cathedrals. The stonemasons formed guilds, akin to trade unions to assure that everyone calling himself a mason was properly trained and qualified. They were called freemasons, because unlike serfs tied to the land, they were free to move from job to job. While working on a job, they lived in buildings called lodges. To be admitted to a lodge, freemasons demonstrated their membership in the guild by secret handshakes and passwords. Masons were also known by the leather aprons that they wore to protect themselves from rough stones and tools.

These  practical aspects of the masons craft have carried over into the modern organization known as Freemasonry or just Masonry. The lodges, aprons, secret grips and passwords continue. But, rather than building edifices of stone, today's Masons focus on building brotherhood and moral character. Today, the Masons are the largest fraternal organization in the world, with some six million members on all continents. But Masons have also been the subject of controversy, misunderstandings, and even violence.

The popular novel "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown draws links between the Masons and secret societies that supposedly have passed down beliefs and practices considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church. Lately, there were news stories about violence involving Masons. In Istanbul, two suicide bombers stormed a Masonic Lodge, killing one person and wounding five. That same day, it was reported that a man was fatally shot at a Masonic Lodge in Patchogue, New York when a gun went off during an initiation ceremony. A Masonic leader said that guns are not part of any officially sanctioned Masonic ceremony.

The organization known as Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons traces its origins to 1717 in England, when four Masonic lodges joined together to form a grand lodge, explained John Parsons. Within a few decades, it had grown to a significant organization that included members of British society, he said. It also spread rapidly to the European Continent and American Colonies, where it became an influential force in building a new nation.

Masonry continued to grow during the 19th & 20th centuries, becoming a popular organization for business and professional men worldwide. It has grown largely because of its emphasis on character building and good will said James F. Brown Jr. "What I really like about the organization is this: Its an organization where you have men of high integrity,"  he said. "They constantly try to improve themselves. They are men who are very moral." But, he admits that the Masons are something of a mystery to outsiders, who wonder about the rituals they perform and the strange symbols that they use.

One of the chief mistakes about Masonry is made by those who call it a "secret society" , he said. "There is nothing secret, except the handshakes, and the passwords, which are like any other fraternal organizations," he said. The so-called Blue Lodges, which are the entry points into Masonry, are open to men of all faiths and backgrounds, he said. "Masonry isn't a religion and we do not ask a persons religion. We only ask if they believe in a supreme being."

New members must be voted into a lodge, but it is not supposed to be a matter of money, prestige, or family background, Brown said. "Race, creed, color, none of that matters to a Mason."

Once joining the Masons, a man progresses through three "degrees" called Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. At each level, he goes through an exercise like a drama in which lodge members play parts, teaching him valuable lessons. He is also given reading material and a small amount of memory work and has to answer a series of questions before moving to the next level. At one time it took at least three months - sometimes more than a year - to advance through the three degrees, but now most candidates do it in three weeks.

"The Masonic Degrees teach the great lessons of life - the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature as well as a physical or animal nature, of the importance of self control, of knowing how to love and be loved, of knowing how to keep confidential what others tell you so they can "open up" without fear,"  according to a pamphlet entitled "What's a Mason?"

The "degree work" and other meetings take place in the main meeting room of the lodge, which looks something like England's House of Commons. Benches line the sides of the room, with the alter in the middle on which an open Bible is placed with a brass square and compass, the main symbols of Masonry, lying on it. "The compass draws a circle, which means circumscribing your desires ," Brown said. "The square means to square your action by the square of your virtue."

In most American lodges, the Christian Bible is used, but it could be the Jewish Torah, the Quran, or a holy book of Hinduism, Buddhism or other faith, Brown said. The Bible isn't read or recited in the rituals, but sometimes men are asked to place a hand on it when taking an oath. Masons have been criticized for requiring "blood oaths," but any such references are merely traditional carryovers from the early days of Masonry and have only symbolic significance, Brown said.

At the East end of the room is a raised platform where the highest ranking officer of the lodge , the worshipful master sits. On the wall above is a framed letter "G" which is interpreted to stand for both God and geometry, the later referring not only to mathematics but to an orderly and well balanced life. Participants generally wear suits and ties, but all wear white aprons symbolizing purity.  "The idea is to keep your life spotless," Brown said. Lodge officers' aprons are adorned with special symbols, and they also wear ornate chains with a pendent known as jewels, identifying their office.

Masons move up through the offices, giving men an opportunity to learn different skills. "For me it's a personal leadership development program." said member James Foote.

Although the organization formerly began in England, some Masons trace its origins to the architect of King Solomon's Temple. Masons also draw a connection with the Knights Templar, an order formed in 1118 during the Crusades. Many of the leaders of the French Revolution were Masons, Parsons said. In America, at least a third of the founding fathers - signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and the members of the Continental Army - were Masons, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and General Lafayette, as well as Benedict Arnold.

There is evidence that the Boston Tea Party was hatched at a Masonic lodge in Boston. Many principals of Masonry such as "all men are created equal" are expressed in our founding documents. After Washington became president, he performed a Masonic ceremony to lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

Composers Mozart and Liszt were Masons, as were Goethe and Rudyard Kipling. A number  of other U.S. Presidents were Masons, including Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Today, there are about 13,200 Masonic lodges nationwide. There are 159 lodges in Nebraska, with more than 17,000 members.

Despite the widespread nature of Masonry, many outside the organization still see it as something mysterious or even evil. A number of Christian denominations have opposed Masonry over the years. Some objected to the taking of oaths while others feared that the rituals represented a rival religion. In 1738, Pope Clement xii ordered the excommunication of all Catholics who had joined Freemasonry, and for more than two centuries the church specifically forbade membership in Masonic organizations.

In l983, the Vatican issued a new code of cannon law which omitted the specific reference to Masons, leading some to conclude that the ban had been lifted. However, subsequent statements from the Vatican made it clear the even though they were not referred to by name, the principals of Masonry were still incompatible with church teachings. Some of the objections included the alleged secrecy of the organization and relative in regard to matters of faith.

In 1996, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Lincoln Roman Catholic Diocese gained national attention when he said local Catholics would be excommunicated if they joined any of a dozen prohibited organizations, including the Masons and Masonic-affiliated organizations. That prohibition still stands, said father Mark Huber, chancellor for the Diocese. Nevertheless, Brown said he knows a number of Catholics who are Masons and apparently sees no conflict.

With the popularity of the "DaVinci Code,"  public interest has grown in the Masons, Knights Templars and secret societies in general. However, Foote said, he believes most Masons" would be just as shocked by 'The DaV