A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is the room or building where a Masonic Lodge meets. The term "Masonic Temple" began to be applied not just to the symbolic formation of the Temple, but also to the physical place in which this took place. With permanent facilities, the term "Masonic Temple" began to be applied to the lodge rooms themselves. Though Masonic Temples in their most basic definition serve as a home to one or more Masonic Lodges and bodies, they can also serve many other purposes as well. Smaller Masonic Temples will often consist of nothing more than a single room, while larger ones may include multiple rooms, offices, and even commercial spaces. The Masonic lodge is the basic organizational unit of Freemasonry, and it is also commonly used as a term for a building. The Masonic lodge is the local organization of the Masonic fraternity, and it operates under a charter from the grand lodge. It has two primary functions: to provide an opportunity for members to experience fraternal and social bonding through its meetings, programs, and sponsored events, and to initiate new members according to time-honored ceremonies called degrees, ultimately passing down the fraternal heritage that unites all Freemasons in brotherhood.