Stokesdale Lodge No 428 is located at 8420 Ellisboro Road in Stokesdale, North Carolina.
We hold our stated (regularly scheduled) meetings at 7:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Dinner is served at 6:00 PM on meeting nights.
Our lodge membership includes men from all walks of life: teachers, farmers, mechanics, law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, attorneys, entepreneurs, and more!
What is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world. It unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind. Freemasonry offers a system or blueprint for the good man to further improve his character and actions through its system of degrees, symbols, and fellowship opportunities.
The United Grand Lodge of England reports that worldwide membership totals more than 6 million Freemasons, 1.1 million of whom are in North America. There are approximately 30,000 Masons and 354 local Lodges in North Carolina.
How Old is Freemasonry?
Modern Freemasonry was established in England in 1717, although its exact origins are lost in the unrecorded history of medieval times. Its roots are found in guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons. As a stonemason grew in his craft, he was entered into the appropriate rank: apprentice, journeyman (now called Fellow Craft) and master mason.
At each stage, the craftsman was entrusted with the secrets of each level, which include passwords and grips (or handshake) made known to him only upon due inspection of necessary proficiency by a master of the craft. This way, as stonemasons migrated across Europe to the next job, each man was assured proper pay and privilege commensurate with his skill level, and clients were assured of the quality of work. Today, Freemasonry shares this same system of secrets, ritual and growth, though the work has shifted from building edifices to building oneself in good character.
Our Values:
The values of Freemasonry are brotherly love, relief and truth.
• Brotherly Love: Caring for Each Other and Our Communities
• Relief: Help and Assist Those in Distress
• Truth: Using Knowledge and Understanding to Improve Ourselves, Our Families and Our Communities
As Freemasons, we recognize that knowledge gained should be knowledge shared; that investing time, knowledge and experience through mentoring and coaching is one of the better ways to live our Masonic principles. In our modern, fast-moving and often isolating society, it is more important than ever that Masons endeavor to seek and share these basic truths and put them into action through a life that informs, influences and inspires others.
Source: https://www.freemason.com/what-is-freemasonry