Freemasons extend an invitation

LAWRENCE — Two were invited to join, and another was intrigued after reading a book.

Today, Dave Cullen, John Aliperta and Mike Guarino share in the brotherhood, secret mode of communication and charitable works of the Freemasons, a fraternity of men that has been around for centuries. They are members of the Lawrence United Lodge.

The Massachusetts Grand Lodge, of which the Lawrence group is part, is celebrating its 275th anniversary with open houses across the state tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Lawrence temple is at 43 Jackson St.

Locally, open houses also will be held in Amesbury, Andover, Georgetown, Haverhill, Methuen, Newburyport and North Andover.

"The open house will give people a chance to peek behind the veil. When people walk through the door, they'll either get a history lesson or a serious desire to become a Mason," Guarino said.

Cullen, 52, Aliperta, 44, and Guarino, 54, are the new faces of the renaissance seen by the Freemasons as more men become interested in learning about the organization.

Guarino of Sandown, N.H., did not know anything about Freemasonry until Cullen told him about it.

"I like the association, the people and the character building that goes along with being a Mason," said Guarino, who joined one year ago, sponsored by Cullen.

Over the years, Freemasons have been accused of being a cult, of trying to control all governments, and even the protectors of the Holy Grail.

"Part of the intrigue is not knowing, because if you know it all, it takes the fun out of it," said Aliperta of Billerica, a family and probate lawyer.

"There are so many myths associated with Freemasons and there's a certain intrigue for men to learn about us," he said.

Cullen, a car salesman, said the movies, "The DaVinci Code" and "National Treasure" fueled an interest about Freemasonry. Another boost has come from a new Web site, massfreemassonry.org, where men can learn about the history of Freemasonry, find a local lodge, download an application, or ask questions to a Mason.

As membership started to dwindle, Freemasons developed several new tactics to attract more men.

One of them is hosting an open house in October over the past three years, where men can tour the lodge and ask officers questions about the fraternity. They also have lowered the age requirement from 21 to 18 and have a one-day initiation where prospective members can complete their three-degree process in one day instead of three months.

In Lawrence, 10 men joined after attending the open house, eight men are going through the initiation program and five are scheduled to do their degree work. They join the 150 members, ages 22 to 86 from Lawrence, North Andover, Haverhill, and Methuen. Average age at Lawrence United Lodge is mid-40s, Cullen said.

Cullen said the 1930s and 1940s were the heyday of Freemasonry. Interest in the fraternity diminished from the 1950s to 1970s.

"I think it's great," Cullen said of the resurgence. "There was a while when we were not open to the public and the membership diminished. "Now, they are looking for something to connect to."

Foundation is based on the story of the building of King Solomon's temple. The organization incorporates metaphors with symbols taken from architecture, engineering, masonry and construction.

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is the third oldest lodge in the world and the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. There are 235 lodges in Massachusetts.

Lawrence United Lodge was formed from three organizations in the city: The Grecian, the Phoenician and Tuscan lodges.

The Masonic temple, 43 Jackson St., was built by George Gilman Adam, the same architect who built Rollins School, the former Lawrence Public Library, the Water Tower and the former Lawrence Street Congregational Church. The building was completed in 1923.

Famous Freemasons include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, John Hancock and Chief Justice John Marshall. Local famous Freemasons include former Patriots player John Hannah and Methuen millionaire and philanthropist Edward Searles.

Charitable works is one of the tenets of Freemasonry. The organization runs Shriners Hospital for Children, which offers orthopedic and burn care at no cost.

Members conduct blood drives, and offer $5,000 scholarships to children and grandchildren of Massachusetts Masons.

Photos

From left, Freemasons John Aliperta, Junior Warden of Billerica, David Cullen, Senior Warden of Methuen, and Michael Guarino, Senior Deacon of Sandown, N.H., stand last night in the grand historical meeting room of the Masonic Temple on Jackson Street in Lawrence. Staff photo