Recent publicity in the entertainment industry...

It is simply amazing how skewed our opinions can become through misinformation. I am an Oklahoma Mason as were my Father and Grandfather. My son is a Mason and joined at 18. My Brother is also a Mason. Our heritage dates back to the builder guilds. Masons built with stone and were very skilled laborers. Their talents were highly sought after. In order for a Mason to travel from town to town there had to be a method of recognition by which they could be identified. Some were more talented than others and thus, different handshakes were developed to differentiate a highly skilled "journeyman" from a simple laborer. These handshakes were a closely guarded secret by necessity. Later, as was the case in Germany during the war, secrecy once again became necessary. This was true for many religions as well. In both cases, if caught, you were imprisoned or executed. Both survived because men of conscience found them worthy of the risk. Joining Masonry is a conscience choice to strive to be a better man. Integrity, Honor, Morality and Ethics are our hallmarks. Many of us have and will fall short of our goals but the fact we have these goals and strive to reach them makes us better than we would otherwise be.