Escurial Lodge # 7 is the home of Virginia City F & AM (Free & Accepted Masons) Freemasons.
The Lodge meets the first Saturday of every month at 10 AM.
The Lodge hosts meetings for Freemasons, their appendant bodies, and many other organizations.
The Fraternity:
Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, with a membership of well over a million in the United States alone. Freemasonry exists in many different countries and in a variety of forms. One of the chief guiding principles of freemasonry is a shared moral center, and joining requires a declaration of a belief in a supreme being (based on your religion).
Freemasons are not allowed to ask others to join their fraternal organization. If you are interested in becoming a part of the Freemason fraternity, you must ask a Freemason to join. (thus the saying - "To be one, ask one." or 2B1 Ask1)
We also have a catch phrase - "Making good men better." So, like the Marines, we are looking for a "few good men". If you believe you are one of the "few good men" and are like-minded, we encourage you to contact us and start the process of becoming a Freemason.
The Organization:
Freemasonry is organized into a series of Grand Lodges. Each of these Grand Lodges governs a particular jurisdiction (in the US, it is by State), with the jurisdiction comprised of a number of constituent lodges. Freemasonry also includes a number of other bodies, in essence organizations that maintain their own independence (known as appendant bodies).
Examples of appendant bodies include "the Shriners", Royal Arch, Knights Templar, York Rite, Scottish Rite, and others. There are also a number of youth organizations. Every day, Freemasons and their appendant bodies contribute over $2 million to charity (about 3/4 of a Billion dollars annually). (This does not count the charitable hours donated or other charitable acts.)
When Freemasons are asked to define their organization, they are likely to define it as a fraternity with a shared morality. Freemasons often compare the structure and moral center of their organization to the tools and implements of the stonemason - as these are used as symbols in their teaching.
Even though freemasonry is often referred to as a secret society, in reality this is not the case. In fact, it is not a secret society at all, simply a men's fraternity - with some secrets.
While certain aspects of the organization remain a closely guarded secret, the Freemasons of the modern age have become less secret than their reputation would suggest. Many of the private rituals and aspects of the Freemasons that remain secret are used primarily to allow members of different lodges to recognize one another so that impersonators or impostors cannot infiltrate their lodges and so that the lessons that are taught remain a special experience for new members.
If you are interested:
Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the fraternity. You can:
· Walk in and talk to us - prior to our Saturday Morning meetings. We have breakfast around 9 AM at the Lodge.
· Call us at the Lodge phone number - 775-220-5051 (please leave a message if no one is there - we'll get back to you)
· Drop us an e-mail - see the Contacts page - send to - admin1@escurial7.org
· Read a bit more here and elsewhere and let us know by using one of the 3 above options to contact us
If you are one of "the Good Guys" that meet the qualifications on the "About Us" page, we would certainly be happy to have you become a member of the Freemason fraternity.