Welcome to Carrollton Masonic Lodge No. 1400

Carrollton, Texas

What is a Mason?

A Mason is a member of the world's oldest and largest fraternity. Masons join together because: • They want to do good in the world • They want to do good inside their own minds. • They enjoy being together with other men they like and respect

What are the Qualifications to Become a Mason?

We're proud of our philosophy and practice of ``making good men better.`` Therefore, only men of high character are considered for membership. Every applicant must state his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. Atheists are not accepted into our fraternity.

What is Masonry?

Masonry is a worldwide fraternity with the singular purpose of making good men better. It is neither a forum nor a place for worship. Instead, it is a friend to all religions which are based on the belief in one God. Masonry, or Freemasonry, is a fraternity so old that its origins have been lost in time. It probably started with the guilds of stonemasons who built the great castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages and might have been influenced by the Knights Templar, a group of Christian warrior monks formed in 1118 to help protect pilgrims making trips to the Holy Land during the Crusades. Masonry was formalized in 1717 when the first ``Grand Lodge`` was formed in England. Today, there are about 13,200 Masonic lodges in the U.S., as well as thousands of others in countries throughout the world.

Our Lodge Building

Carrollton Lodge No. 1400 was chartered in 1963 and was first located on the second floor of the Oldfield Building in Carrollton's downtown square. As the Lodge's membership grew, the members decided to build their own Lodge. The Lodge building was dedicated in 1983.

WHAT IS A MASONIC LODGE?

The word ``lodge`` refers to two things: a group of Masons meeting in a particular place and the place in which they meet. The term, ``lodge,`` comes from the structures which the medieval stonemasons built against the sides of the cathedrals during construction. During the winter, when construction work was stopped, they lived in their lodges and worked at carving stone. Masonic buildings are sometimes called ``temples,`` because much of the symbolism Masonry uses to teach its lessons comes from the building of King Solomon's Temple in the Holy Land.

WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BECOME A MASON?

We're proud of our philosophy and practice of ``making good men better.`` Therefore, only men of high character are considered for membership. Every applicant must state his belief in the existence of a Supreme Being. Atheists are not accepted into our fraternity.

Welcome to Carrollton Masonic Lodge No.1400!

CARROLLTON LODGE No. 1400, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is a fraternal organization of Freemasons that acts and conducts business according to the constitution, laws, and edicts of The Grand Lodge of Texas. It is not a religious organization, although it does require a belief in a supreme being.

Its goals are to advance the moral and social interests of its membership; to foster good citizenship, honest industry and upright living; to cultivate the exercise of charity in its best and broadest sense; to assist the widows and orphans of its deceased members; to stimulate friendship, harmony and brotherly love, and generally to promote, in its own way, the happiness of mankind — it is a Fraternity of good men, linked together by honorable and indissoluble bonds, to accomplish these noble purposes, eschewing all interests in factional politics and sectarian religion and free from the dictation of both.

What is a Degree?

A degree is a stage or level of membership in the Masons. It is also the ceremony by which you attain the three levels of membership:

• Entered Apprentice

• Fellowcraft

• Master Mason

During the Middle Ages, when a man joined a craft, such as the stonemasons, he was first apprenticed. As he learned the skills of the craft, he became a “Fellow of the Craft.” (What we call a “Journeyman” today.) And finally, he attained the level called “Master of the Craft.” Our degrees teach the great lessons of life-the importance of honor and integrity, of being a person on whom others can rely, of being both trusting and trustworthy, of realizing that you have a spiritual nature, the importance of self-control, of knowing how to love and be loved and of knowing how to keep confidences so that others may open up to you without fear. As a candidate, you will attend three meetings to receive the three Masonic Degrees. The Degrees are solemn, enlightening lessons and are an enjoyable experience with absolutely no uncomfortable or embarrassing moments. It is through the Degrees that the principles of Masonry are taught and where you’ll learn that your family and your own necessary vocations are to be considered above Masonry. Once you become a Master Mason, you will be welcomed as a “Brother” in any of the thousands of Masonic Lodges throughout the world. Do you think the Masons of Texas might have something special to offer you? We all have many roles to fill in our lives. We’re husbands, fathers, employees, neighbors and friends. We are all trying our best to be better men. What better way to live a life of service to others while making yourself a better man than in the company of your fellow Masons of Texas?

More About Us

Who we are

  • Take Time to Read

We read to third graders weekly at Central Elementary School

  • Fantastic Teeth

We distribute oral hygiene kits to first graders at two elementary schools together with with James A. Smith Lodge of Farmers Branch

  • Blue Santa

We donate new toys to the Carrollton Police Department for distribution to needy children in the community each Christmas season

  • Masonic Family Services

We make financial contributions to this state-wide Masonic organization that provides funds for children’s health including physical exams, autism evaluations and dental care

  • Community Builder Award

Each year we give this Grand Lodge award to a special citizen who does outstanding work for others and is not a Mason

Who We are

  • Lamar Awards

Every year we give these Grand Lodge awards to outstanding public school teachers and scholarships to deserving graduating high school seniors

  • Metrocrest Services

We participate in the annual food drive to help provide food for needy families in our community

  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

We participate in fund raisers for the Scottish Rite Hospital to benefit children with orthopedic conditions and learning disibilities

  • Masonic Widows

Each year we distribute Christmas baskets of food and other items to the widows of our Masonic brothers

Masters Carpet

Appendant Masonic Bodies

Scottish Rite of Freemasonry

Scottish Rite Freemasonry is the one universal Freemasonry; in fact, in many lands it is the only Freemasonry. Prior to the beginning of World War II, before the Totalitarian aggressors suppressed the Craft in most of Europe, there were thirty-seven Supreme Councils in existence, including countries from Italy to Argentina and New Zealand, and from the United States to China and South Africa.

The Scottish Rite is primarily a rite of instruction. It interprets the symbols and allegories of Freemasonry in the light of history and philosophy, using the words of the inspired prophets of humanity, the ceremonials of the great religious of the world, and significant episodes from history and biography to point the moral and adorn the tale. It is a university course in Masonic symbolism, tradition and ideas. In its Degrees the Masonic ritual is explained, the underlying meanings interpreted. Ancient liturgies and age-old philosophies are invoked to illustrate and enforce the profound teachings of the Craft.

The Scottish Rite is more than a fraternity of good fellows engaged in the benevolent practices of friendship and relief. It is a militant order, a knighthood, devoted to the cause of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

The Scottish Rite seeks to cultivate in the hearts of men personal morality and the sentiment of tolerance and fraternity. What has been said and done by the historic emancipators for the liberation of the human mind is vividly portrayed in its Degrees and the Scottish Rite Mason is dedicated to the effort to make the spirit of Masonry prevalent in society.

York Rite

The York Rite, or more correctly, the American Rite, is based on the early remnants of Craft Masonry that were practiced in the early 1700’s. The formation of the first Grand Lodge of England in 1717 specified that the lodges were to confer only the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason, all other degrees being considered spurious. However, many lodges had been conferring other degrees that they considered an integral part of Masonry, in particular that of the Royal Arch, and formed their own Grand Lodge in 1751, terming themselves the “Antients” and the other Grand Lodge members the “Moderns.” With the merger of the two Grand Lodges in 1813 into the United Grand Lodge of England, the lodges agreed that only the three accepted degrees of Masonry would be used by the lodges, but the degree of the Royal Arch would be attached to Chapters allied directly to these lodges and bearing the same number as the lodge, though as a separate body. Thus, unlike the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, which claims to hold the power of conferring the first three degrees of Masonry in addition to those under its jurisdiction, those found in the York Rite have rightfully acknowledged the fact that they are considered appendant to those of Ancient Craft Masonry. It is still the practice in English Masonry that a Masonic member is not considered to be in possession of all the degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry until he has been exalted to the Royal Arch.

Early American Lodges operated in a similar manner until the establishment of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons. For a period in US history, the Cryptic degrees were controlled by various state Grand Chapter jurisdictions, until the establishment of the General Grand Council. The Chivalric Orders have been controlled by the Grand Encampment since the early 19th century in the United States. All three bodies are technically autonomous Masonic entities, only the requirement of membership in the Royal Arch connecting the Cryptic degrees and Chivalric Orders together.

Appendant to the York Rite Bodies are several additional Masonic bodies, most of which are invitational in nature. Membership in many of them is predicated on membership in the Royal Arch, though some have memberships predicated on other bodies of the York Rite, or membership in all of the York Rite bodies. Many are found in other jurisdictions outside of the United States, but several are uniquely American in their origin. (yorkritetexas.org)

Shrine

Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. There are approximately 375,000 members from 191 temples (chapters) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Panama.

Shriners International support Shriners Hospitals for Children, a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Since 1922, Shriners Hospitals for Children have significantly improved the lives of more than 865,000 children.