How do I Find a Brother Mason?

Masons have used handshakes to identify themselves since the Middle Ages.

The Freemasons consider themselves a brotherhood of like-minded men who meet together to socialize and carry out charitable work. Despite having a reputation as a "secret society," Masons can reveal their membership if they choose. The society itself keeps the identity of members confidential, however, making finding a fellow Freemason occasionally challenging. Following some basic steps can help.

Instructions

1. Use a masonic handshake, or grip, to determine another man's membership to the Freemasons. If he returns the gesture, he is a fellow Mason. You already know the handshakes if you are a Mason.

2. Visit a Masonic lodge. For a new area, contact your local Grand Lodge to find out addresses of nearby lodges.

3. Ask a person if he belongs to Freemasonry. In "Freemasons for Dummies," Christopher Hodapp says that Freemasons have the saying "2B1 ASK1." Most modern Masons openly admit their membership.

4. Use one of the many codewords, passwords and questions Masons circulate among themselves to identify each other. If you receive the correct response, you have found a fellow Freemason.

5. Search the Web to find other members of the brotherhood. Since most Freemasons now openly talk about their membership, you can often find details of their status by typing in their name to a search engine such as Google, or a social networking site such as Facebook, along with a keyword such as "Mason" or "Freemason."

6. Visit a Masonic forum online to locate other Freemasons. Examples include thefreemason.com, masonforum.com and mastermason.com. Some users may disclose their names and statuses immediately and publicly, while others may want to establish trust before sharing personal information.

Tips & Warnings

• Never push a person for information beyond a simple request. Masons have the right to keep their membership confidential if they choose.

References

• Masonic Service Association of America: Freemasonry and Secrecy
• "Freemasons for Dummies"; Christopher Hodapp; 2005

Resources

• Grand Lodges in the USA and Elsewhere
• The Freemason: Forums
• Ask a Freemason
• Master Mason: Forums