Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest and largest fraternal organizations but where did it come from? Its history is most interesting and romantic.
Speculation that Freemasonry originated with the very beginning of civilization is interesting, but there is no 
basis for such a belief. The word "Mason" means "Builder," and Freemasonry, as we know it today came into being some 800 years ago. In its operative form it lasted nearly 400 years while Masons built the hundreds of Gothic structures in western Europe. Many of these structures still stand today as a memorial to the past.
During the Cathedral Age the Masons formed themselves in workmen's Guilds; each Guild forming a Lodge with regular officers and with three degrees of Membership. The first group were apprentices or bearers of burdens, the second were craftsmen or skilled workmen on the Temples and the third were Masters or superintendents of the structures being built.
Each Guild member had to develop certain proficiencies in his work to advance to a higher status, and during this advancement each member was also taught certain attributes of moral conduct. It was these Guild Lodges which actually gave birth to the modern Masonic Lodges and present-day Freemasonry.
During this operative era a worker was a Freemason because he was not born a slave, he was free to
travel in foreign countries and work where he would, he worked in freestone or he was free of certain restrictions when he had advanced to be a Master of the Craft. In some instances he was free from paying taxes - but he was probably known as a Freemason because of his skill, ability and knowledge, all attributes which set him apart from those of lesser abilities in the Cathedral Building Age.
