Welcome Bretheren and Guests

We hope to provide you with a greater understanding of freemasonary

Vandalia Temperance Lodge No. 16 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, welcomes you to our Masonic Website! This website represents a collection of information on Freemasonry, that is suitable not only for our visiting Bretheren as a valuable resource tool, but it is also our hope that by the assistance of the information and links found within these pages we may provide our guests with a greater understanding of our organization and purpose in this community and the world in general.

Who Are The Freemasons

Oldest fraternity in the world!

Freemasonry is the oldest fraternity in the world. No one knows just how old it is because the actual origins have been lost in time. Probably, it arose from the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages. Possibly, they were influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land.

In 1717, Masonry created a formal organization in England when the first Grand Lodge was formed. A Grand Lodge is the administrative body in charge of Masonry in some geographical area. In the United States, there is a Grand Lodge in each state and the District of Columbia. Local organizations of Masons are called lodges. There are about 13,200 lodges in the United States. In Illinois alone there are 500 lodges and over 70,000 Masons!

›› Read More About Masonic History

Join Our Faternity

Just ask a Mason!

Some men are surprised that no one has ever asked them to become a Mason. But it doesn't work that way. For hundreds of years, Masons have been forbidden to ask others to join the fraternity. We can talk to friends and relatives about Masonry, we can tell them about what Masonry does, but we can not ask, much less pressure anyone to join. No one should ever be "talked into" making such a decision.

So, when a man decides he wants to be a Mason, he must ask for a petition or application from a Lodge or Mason.

›› Read More About Becoming A Mason