Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that traces its origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities from the end of the 14th century. Here are some key facts about Freemasonry:

• Freemasonry is a worldwide organization that unites men of good character who share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind.

• The Masonic lodge is the basic organizational unit of Freemasonry. The Lodge meets regularly and conducts the usual formal business of any small organization, such as approving minutes, electing new members, appointing officers and taking their reports, considering correspondence, bills and annual accounts, organizing social and charitable events, etc..

• Freemasonry evolved from the guilds of stonemasons and cathedral builders of the Middle Ages. With the decline of cathedral building, some lodges of operative (working) masons began to accept honorary members to bolster their declining membership. From a few of these lodges developed modern symbolic or speculative Freemasonry, which particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries adopted the rites and trappings of ancient religious orders and of chivalric brotherhoods.

• Freemasonry is not a Christian institution, though it has often been mistaken for such. Its teachings enjoin morality, charity, and integrity.

• Freemasonry has encountered considerable opposition from organized religion, especially from the Roman Catholic Church, and from various states. Freemasonry is not a secret society, but an oath-bound society that conceals at least some of its rituals, customs, or activities from the public.

• Freemasonry uses building analogies to teach members how to lead productive lives that benefit the communities that they live in. Its guiding principles are Integrity, Friendship, Respect, and Service.

Despite its longevity, Freemasonry remains a misunderstood organization, often mistaken for a cult or religious zealots. However, it is a fraternal organization that promotes fellowship, moral discipline, and mutual assistance among its members.