The term “Freemason” has been cloaked in secrecy and rumors over the years, but an Ocala Masonic lodge hopes to satisfy curiosity by hosting a rare open house.
Marion-Dunn Masonic Lodge No. 19 of Ocala, located at 1810 SE 36th Ave., will host an open house at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Gainesville and Ocala residents are invited to attend, said Lodge Master John Macias.
This is the second time the lodge has hosted an open house for the public in its 163-year history. The first was hosted last July.
Macias said he expects 30 to 45 people to attend, the same as the last open house.
Seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to call ahead to reserve a seat.
Masonic leaders will give a presentation on the basic structure, precepts and order of Freemasonry, the oldest active fraternity in the United States, Macias said.
“We believe in patriotism,” Macias said. “We believe in being respectful to yourself and women. We believe in the public school system. These are American tenets, and you should want your sons to know these.”
Male community members will have the opportunity to express interest in joining the Masonic order during the open house.
Very few people know how to get involved with Freemasonry, Macias said, but it’s as simple as going to a lodge and asking.
Macias, a military veteran, said the lodge is hosting the open house to inform people about what Freemasonry is and to dispel any negative rumors.
He said the definition of Freemasonry varies based on the motives of the individual.
His definition is a fraternity of like-minded men who help each other and the community grow.
“We want the community to sit down with us and understand that we are normal guys here to help the community, and for wives to know that their husbands are not a part of a drinking club,” he said.
Cree Armstead, a 23-year-old UF alumna, has a close friend who is part of the Masonic order, but she thinks of it as an underground society.
“I’m a lot more familiar with the traditional Greek organizations because I attended a lot of their events and have very close friends who are members,” she said. “Freemasons were always kind of on the hush-hush.”
Macias disagrees.
“There nothing really secretive about us,” he said. “For whatever reason, people are scared of Freemasons or something. We’ve heard the rumors out there.”
