If you’re like most Freemasons—or Americans, for that matter—you probably have very warm memories of Halloween. Fun and funny costumes. Trick-or-treating with friends. Community parties attended by pretend-ghosts, Spider Man, or Barbie. But for some children, Halloween can be a challenge, as they struggle with shyness around others or fear of scary costumes. So how…

You’re probably heard his name your whole life: Mark Twain. (Real name: Samuel Langhorne Clemens.) But did you know that the famously independent, crusty, deep-thinking Mark Twain was a Freemason—one who greatly admired and helped to promote the values of the Brotherhood through his world-famous books and other writings? Early Ties to Freemasonry World-famous for…

From Abolitionist editor Elijah Lovejoy … to Civil War General Joshua Chamberlain … to revered U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith … Maine values have shown themselves throughout history to be virtually synonymous with integrity and a deep-seated commitment to ethical conduct. So how do Maine values specifically intersect with Freemason values?  Let’s take a moment…

Look all around you, and you’ll see a very troubled, divided world. But amid all that, we as Freemasons have been called to be very different. We have been called to be “Men who unite and not those who divide.” So how can we, as Freemasons, do our part—and more—to help unite a divided world?…

When you think “John Wayne,” you think “Famous Hollywood Actor.” You think “The Ultimate Cowboy.” You think “Red-White-and-True-Blue Patriot.” But did you know he also was a very devoted Freemason? Let’s take a moment to see why. Humble Roots in Iowa and California Born in Winterset, Iowa, on May 26, 1907, the man the world…

Let’s take a moment to focus on the Freemasonry Mission Statement spotlighted on the Valley of Portland’s website. It reads that our mission is “to improve [our] members and enhance the communities in which [we] live by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth, while actively embracing high social, moral,…

If you ask us, “What is the most frustrating thing Freemasons have to deal with?” many of us will reply, “All the myths and misinformation out there about Freemasonry.” The fact is, ever since Freemasonry was formally founded at the Grand Lodge of England in 1717, Masons have had to deal with a host of…

It’s a pretty amazing historical fact: Even though our U.S. presidents came from very different backgrounds and stations in life, nearly 1 out of 3 of them shared one important thing in common: they were Freemasons. What drew these outstanding American leaders—these 15 presidents—to Freemasonry? What values did they embrace as Freemasons that empowered their…

Here’s a quick, one-question Pop Quiz for you:  In the U.S., which state is the “oldest” in terms of the median age of its citizens? If you guessed “Maine,” give yourself an A+. Because the median age of folks in Maine is 45.1 years, and more than 1 in 5 of us is 65 or…