Here at the Valley of Portland, we join our masonic brothers around the world in being serious-minded about becoming our best selves and in offering caring, devoted service to others. As we discussed in our recent blog “What is Masculinity? A Valley of Portland Response,” we emphatically believe the world needs more men of honor—more men whose lives are grounded on unwavering values and principles. For Freemasons, there are 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry that are absolutely crucial to a man becoming all he can be: Brotherly Love, Relief (Charity), and Truth. Let’s take a few minutes to look more closely at each of these 3 Great Principles, and at how membership in the Valley of Portland helps you uphold them.
Brotherly Love
Every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others, and behave with kindness and understanding to his fellow creatures.
Relief (Charity)
Freemasons are taught to practice charity and to care not only for their own, but also for their community as a whole, both by charitable giving and by voluntary efforts as individuals.
Truth
Freemasons strive for truth, requiring high moral standards and aiming to achieve them in their own lives.
When you join and become fully involved with the Valley of Portland, you’ll see every day how these 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry “combine forces” to empower you and make you all you can be—to yourself, your family, your community, and to God. You’ll see that—by living these 3 Great Principles—you can work to bring about loving kindness in the home, honesty in business, courtesy and civility in society, fairness in work, pity and concern for those less fortunate, resistance of evil, help for the weak, forgiveness for the penitent, love for one another, and—above all—reverence and love for God.
A Special Word about Relief (Charity)
As you go deeper into your Freemasonry journey, you’ll be struck—time and again—by how much the 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry complement and empower each other. Without a true embrace of Brotherly Love and a courageous embrace of Truth, your efforts at Relief (Charity) might lack the passion and effectiveness they otherwise would have. But when you DO embrace all 3 Great Principles, you’ll see how life-changing your works of kindness and charity for others can be.
You’ll also see specific ways we here at the Valley of Portland “walk the talk” to lovingly help those in need. As we discussed in our recent blogs “Valley of Portland Urges Support of the Blue Envelope Appeal” and “Valley of Portland Partners with Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation,” we remain actively focused, year-round, on how we can better serve our local communities and our neighbors living in them. It all comes down to building your life on a firm foundation of principles and values. That’s the Freemason way.
Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?
Additional information about the Valley of Portland is available here and at our website here. Interested in learning more about local events? Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date and informed about upcoming events.
New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.
