A wise man hears one word and understands two

Freemasonry is the leading fraternal organization in the world. Its origins are lost in the unrecorded history of medieval times. Current worldwide membership totals over 3 million members.

As a fraternal organization, Freemasonry unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind.

A BLUEPRINT FOR LIVING TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Freemasonry is an individual journey towards becoming a better father, husband, friend, citizen and man, supported by other men at different points on the same journey.
For centuries, the Lodge itself has been the launch pad for Masonic Education, and a common ground for Brethren of different backgrounds to meet and exchange ideas, provide support and offer friendship.

Masons live by the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

Brotherly Love: Caring for each other and our communities.
Relief: Humbly assist those in distress.
Truth: Using knowledge and understanding to improve ourselves, our families and our communities.

BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF AND TRUTH
The traditions of Freemasonry are founded upon the stonemasons (builders), and its fraternal ceremonies use the working tools of the stonemasons to symbolize moral lessons of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
For example, Masons are reminded at Lodge to “meet upon the level of equality, act by the plumb of uprightness, and part upon the square of virtue.”
Freemasonry is not meant in any way to interfere with an individual’s commitment to his faith, family or occupation.
Freemasonry is not and never can be a replacement for religion or a substitute of religion; rather, it is a positive environment that reminds every Mason of himself, his family, community and the Supreme Being.
Most men join freemasonry for four main reasons: Fraternity, Charity, History and Esoteric.

• Fraternity, to share a community with like-minded men and discuss what it means to be a good man in today’s society. Also to have a beer with, if you’re so inclined.
• Charity, to give back to the community through an enormous myriad of foundations and charities.
• History, to be part of an organization and tradition with its earliest proven documents appearing in the year 1310.
• Esoteric Masonry is the personal exploration to some of the less mainstream areas of the fraternal society. Esoteric Freemasonry means digging a bit deeper to see if there is a possible further understanding of the ritual and practices that lies beyond the surface. It is that which is not revealed until one has been taught how to find it and then one delves deeper into the meaning and significance of the words and actions.

Freemasonry is a way of life which, when practiced, makes us good citizens. Happiness is the outcome of such activity. It cannot be expressed in words but can only be experienced in the heart. As such it is sometimes described as the only true mystery of Freemasonry.

“The Masonic ritual defines Freemasonry as “a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols”. Founded in justice and benevolence… The grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race.”
George Washington

“Freemasonry is a science of symbols, in which, by their proper study, a search is instituted after truth, that truth consisting in the knowledge of the divine and human nature of God and the human Soul.”
Dr. A. G. Mac-Kay

"The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by those who seek it, serve it, live it. It cannot be uttered; it can only be felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it according to his quest and capacity. Like all things worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no man can know it alone."
William Howard Taft

"Freemasonry is an ancient and respectable institution, embracing individuals of every nation, of every religion, and of every condition in life. Wealth, power and talents are not necessary to the person of a Freemason. An unblemished character and a virtuous conduct are the only qualifications for admission into the Order."
Andrew Jackson

“I congratulate you on having advanced thus far………

Whether you are interested in joining Freemasonry or just curious about the requirements of membership, we appreciate your interested and hope we can help.
However, you should know that you cannot become a Freemason through this or any other Website. We encourage you to gather information online. You may be able to request a contact, but membership can only be obtained in person and inside a lodge room.
The Masonic fraternity and its appended bodies exist in almost every country of the world.
And, where it does exist the process of applying for membership is very straightforward.
The list below delineates the general procedure for joining the Freemasons.
However, every jurisdiction may differ slightly in their own requirements.

Not everyone can or should be a Mason. To become a Mason and member of The Grand Orient of Lebanon, you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be prepared to profess a belief in God.
• Be a male at least 21 years old.
• Be able to submit a clean police report.
• Be a Lebanese resident.
• Be able to pay your dues and commit to attend regular lodge meetings.
• Be of good reputation as a man of honor and integrity.
• Be recommended by two members of the Lodge they wish to join.

When a potential member does not know anyone in the local Lodge, the Lodge will arrange a casual meeting with several members who will be glad to share information about their Lodge and its activities. This kind of meet and greet provides an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other, to ask and answer questions, and to discover if it looks like there is a good fit between the man and the Lodge.

The interview
Membership to a lodge working under the jurisdiction of The Grand Orient of Lebanon includes visitation rights to all recognized international Masonic bodies within signed fraternal agreements.
In order to join us, there is a process, the same way you would pursue a job, you need to get to know us, and likewise, we need to get to know you. This is to ensure your membership with us and Freemasonry is mutual and you have a full understanding of Freemasonry where we reveal as much as we can about our fraternity without divulging the Masonic Secrets which are reserved for Freemasons only.

The process involves:

• Interview with the Membership committee in a public area
• Private Panel Interview with the Membership Committee
• Attending few times our dinners after the weekly Meeting (3-4 times is recommended) Police Check and Reference Checks

All of the interviews are an equal opportunity to get to know each other, we do have some set basic questions we need to know about you which are not to be worried about, however some of the questions that candidates usually find hard to answer, which you may want to have good ponders, such as:
What do you know about Freemasonry?
Why do you want to join Freemasonry?
How do you expect to benefit from Freemasonry?
What do you intend to contribute to Freemasonry?

People find the hardest part of answering these questions is that until you experience Freemasonry you can’t fully explain it.
The truth is whatever reason you have now, it will certainly evolve over the course of your lifetime in the fraternity.
Each lodge decides who may become a member consistent with our customs, rules, and regulations; however, a felony or criminal record usually disqualifies a prospective candidate from membership unless the lodge finds that there are mitigating factors.
Some lodges will invite the potential member to several activities or social functions before two members will agree to make the recommendation. On occasion, after meeting with members of the Lodge, the potential candidate will discover that he already knows somebody in a Lodge who will be willing to make that recommendation.

Are there costs to join?
There will be a fee to join. This fee is due at the time a formal application is submitted for membership. There is no charge to meet with the lodge to learn more about it or the process of becoming a member. Once a man becomes a member, he then pays annual dues to help support Lodge operations, and he will most likely have to pay for meals and event fees if the Lodge holds banquets, charitable or social events.
If you have any questions, email us at: info@grandorientduliban.org

November 24, 2018

Today I present to you my last interview which I take from the Grand Master of Grand Orient of Lebanon Dr. W.A.D. 33º. I think this the most interesting which I take about Freemasonry. I am grateful to dear Grand Master and let's look at the interview:

Q: What does Freemasonry mean to you? Please give your definition?
A: Freemasonry is a form of dedication to God and service to humanity. I too was a Freemason in my heart and so I will remain. I am proud of my involvement. I am proud to walk in fraternal fellowship with my Brethren. I enjoy my involvement because it gives me another dimension to living.
I am proud to be a man who wants to keep the moral standards of life at high level and leave something behind so others will benefit. Only as I, personally, become better, I can help others to do the same. But the most important part of it is the friendship that I have made, since most Masons come from different walks of life, most of these people I would have never met.

I become Freemason for four main reasons: Fraternity, Charity, History and Esoteric.
· Fraternity, to share a community with like-minded men and discuss what it means to be a good man in today’s society. Also to have a beer with, if you’re so inclined.
· Charity, to give back to the community through an enormous myriad of foundations and charities.
· History, to be part of an organization and tradition with its earliest proven documents appearing in the year 1310.
· Esoteric Masonry is the personal exploration to some of the less mainstream areas of the fraternal society. Esoteric Freemasonry means digging a bit deeper to see if there is a possible further
Understanding of the ritual and practices that lies beyond the surface. It is that which is not revealed until one has been taught how to find it and then one delves deeper into the meaning and significance of the words and actions.

I consider Freemasonry to be a way of life which, when practiced, makes us good citizens. Happiness is the outcome of such activity. It cannot be expressed in words but can only be experienced in the heart. As such it is sometimes described as the only true mystery of Freemasonry.

Q: What role did the Masonic Lodges play in Lebanon history?
A: Lebanon has a long Masonic history. Lebanese Masons played a significant role as MEN in Lebanon history. Lebanese Freemasonry has been both witness to and sometimes participants in the events which occurred. In addition, the events and forces which shaped our world from the beginning unto today have had an effect on us.

Famous Lebanese Freemasons:

• Khalil Gibran (1883–1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. He is chiefly known in the English speaking world for his 1923 book “The Prophet”.
• Emir Majid Arslan was a national political figure with a role in Lebanon's independence, a long-running Member of the Lebanese Parliament and a government minister several times
• Charles Debbas (1885 - 1935) was a Greek Orthodox Lebanese political figure. He was the first

President of Lebanon.

• Camille Nimr Chamoun (1900–987) was President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958.
• Riad as-Solh (1894–1951) was the first Prime Minister of Lebanon (1943–1945)
• Anton Sade (1904–1949) was a Lebanese Syrian philosopher, writer and politician.
• Charles Habib Malik (1906-1987) was a Lebanese philosopher and diplomat, Malik represented Lebanon at the San Francisco conference at which the United Nations was founded.
• Mikha'il Na'ima(1889 1988) was a Lebanese author and poet of the New York Pen League.
• Bachir Gemayel (1947–1982) was a Lebanese politician, and president-elect.
• Rashid el-Solh was a Lebanese politician and former Prime Minister, kin of one of the most

Powerful Sunni families in the country

• Ibrahim al-Yaziji (1847–1906) was a Lebanese philologist, poet and journalist. Christian Catholic
• Adel Osseiran was a prominent Lebanese politician and statesman, a former Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, and one of the founding fathers of the Lebanese Republic.

Q: What are the goals of Masonic lodges in our time?
A: Apart from the usual charity work and community involvements, our main goal is membership.
It’s very obvious that Membership is down worldwide. Participation in Masonic activities is in decline. Attendance is low or spotty in most Lodges. A shortage of worthy and well-qualified candidates has inhibited the orderly flow of succession from chair to chair, thus forcing the "recycling" of past masters to keep the chairs suitably warm.
Our strategy is increase membership and to attract new Blood to the craft and the young members are the key.
We are attracting younger members thanks to less secrecy and tapping into social media. We have pointed to social media campaigns as the success behind recruiting new members.
Inside the lodge room there's no phone, there's no IPad. It's very much like an enlightenment society. It's a time for peace, tranquility and learning.
For young people, the idea of "a society of secrets" is appealing, but they are mostly joining to find meaning in an ever-changing globalised world. Young men joining Freemasonry to find connection in changing world.
The historically "secret society" of the Freemasons has been mired in conspiracy theories and controversy for years, but young Lebanese are looking past that and choosing to become part of the fraternity. An average of 20–25 per cent increase in young people aged between 21-30 joining our group. They are the future.
The attitude of lodges depended on members, not the belief system, It depends on the time and the place and the people that are there.

Q: How did Freemasonry appear in your state?
A: We all are aware, that Arab countries in general and the religion of Islam in particular, have a problem with Freemasonry. However few, one suspects, are aware of the reasons for this, or of the historical and current situations.
But in Lebanon it’s different, our Lebanese Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the freedom to practice all religious rites provided that the public order is not disturbed.
Our Grand Lodge “Grand Orient Of Lebanon” with our lineage from “The Grand Lodge Of Scotland” 1930, has a legal permit from the Lebanese Ministry of Interior to practice freemasonry in Lebanon dated since 1936.

Q: Who can become a Mason?
A: The process of joining freemasonry in Lebanon is the same around the world.
To join you must be a man, of good reputation, well recommended, 21 years old or older, and beliefs in a supreme being.
Not all men can become Masons, however. Masonry does not claim to make “bad men good,” only “good men better.
He must have an appetite for “esoteric knowledge”, and grateful for the opportunity to do charity work and make new friends.

Q: With which Masonic lodges around the world you have dialogue?
A: Been a Past District Inspector DGIW in UGL of NSW & ACT Australia and currently the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Lebanon, we have open channels with many Grand Lodges and international fraternal friendship and recognitions among our Grand Lodges.
84 Grand Lodges, from all over the world, recognized the Grand Orient Of Lebanon. The Grand Orient of Lebanon is in the process of obtaining recognition by other regular.
More to come...

Dr W.A.D. 33º
Grand Master
Grand Orient of Lebanon
www.grandorientduliban.org