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Freemasonry: Grand Lodge
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Freemasonry is a charitable organization based on philanthropy and civic duty. Another accepted mission is to build character and leadership. There is no official definition of Freemasonry. There is no official spokesperson or ruling body of Freemasonry. In each state there are one or more Grand Lodges, each of which can define Freemasonry any way it wishes, and the same is true in other countries in the world. Religious tolerance and religious liberty seem to be an important undercurrent amongFreemasons, but religious belief is not discussed in meetings nor used as a screening device for Freemason membership (other than a belief in a creator).
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Freemasonry was an important element of the Russian Enlightenment and played a central role in the evolution of Russia's public sphere and civil society. The lodges were self-governed and open to free men (but not women) of almost every nationality, rank, and walk of life, with the notable exception of serfs. While many lodges were nothing but glorified social clubs, there were numerous brethren who saw themselves as on a mission to reform humankind and battle Russia's perceived "barbarity" by means of charity and self-improvement. They regarded the lodges as havens of righteousness and nurseries of virtue in a depraved world.
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A candidate for Freemasonry must petition a lodge in his community, obtaining an introduction by asking an existing member, who then becomes the candidate's proposer. In some jurisdictions, it is required that the petitioner ask three times... this is becoming less prevalent.[45] In other jurisdictions, more open advertising is utilised to inform potential candidates where to go for more information. Regardless of how a potential candidate receives his introduction to a Lodge, he must be freely elected by secret ballot in open Lodge. Members approving his candidacy will vote with "white balls" in the voting box. Adverse votes by "black balls" will exclude a candidate. The number of adverse votes necessary to reject a candidate, which in some jurisdictions is as few as one, is set out in the governing Constitution of the presiding Grand Lodge.
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With the foundation of this first Grand Lodge, Freemasonry shifted from being an obscure, relatively private, institution into the public eye. The years following saw new Grand Lodges open throughout Europe. How much of this growth was the spreading of Freemasonry itself, and how much was due to the public organization of pre-existing private Lodges, is uncertain.
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By 1816, Freemasonry had become firmly established in this country. The first Lodge in South Australia was the Lodge of Friendship, which was established in London in 1834 for intending settlers to the new colony. Charles Kingston brought the warrant to establish the Lodge with him when he arrived in South Australia with Governor Hindmarsh on the Buffalo in 1836.
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Such Lodges are not recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England.Traditionally, Freemasonry has been restricted to men. This was because in the past stonemasons were all male, and the position of women in the eighteenth century, when Freemasonry first became established in England, was very different from today.Fortunately times have changed. If women wish to join Freemasonry they can become members of exclusively female Grand Lodges.
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