Masonic Lodge to hold open house

VW independent staff/submitted information

Van Wert Masonic Lodge No. 218 will open their doors for a public open house from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 22. The Lodge is located at 148 1/2 E. Main St. Anyone who would like to know more about Freemasonry or is just curious and would like a peek inside may attend. Members and their families are also invited to come share the day. Guided tours of the building will be offered. Questions about Freemasonry will be answered by knowledgeable brothers and refreshments will be available.

Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and largest men’s fraternity in the world. 13 signers of the constitution and fourteen U.S. Presidents, including George Washington, were Freemasons. Today, there are more than two million Freemasons in North America alone, including 90,000 in Ohio.

The origins of Freemasonry are rooted in the guilds of stonemasons, who built the castles and cathedrals during the middle ages. The tools and objects used by stonemasons have been adapted as symbols in the ceremonies of modern Freemasonry to teach moral lessons, known worldwide as a symbol of character, charity and friendship, the Square and Compasses design is the emblem of every Masonic lodge.

Today, Freemasonry is a fraternity that brings together good men from various political, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds to work to improve themselves and their communities in the spirit of brotherly love, relief and truth.