The Marion Freemasons opened the doors of the Pythagorean Lodge on Saturday for Square and Compass Day.

The event, held at Masonic lodges across the state, gives the public an opportunity to peek into the organization’s private rooms. It’s also a chance for members of the fraternal organization to dispel what they say are myths about the historic group’s secret functions.

“There’s nothing secret except some of the secret work,” said Assistant Secretary Dino Valenti.

A long-standing member, Valenti said many people misunderstand what the group is about because it does have many symbols and private operations.

“To quote Ben Franklin, ‘The only thing secret about masonry is that it is not a secret.’” said Valenti.

The Pythagorean Lodge, named after the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, has operated continuously in Marion since it received its official charter from the grand mason lodge in Boston in 1864. The Order of the Eastern Star, the sister organization of the Masons, also meets at the historic building.

Originally based on stonemasonry, hence the square and compass tools used on the group’s official symbol, the Masons now have a more philosophical take on the ancient architectural concepts. Valenti says the Masons welcome men from all walks of life.

“When you become a Mason, you get together with people who you would normally have been at perpetual distance with,” he said. “It has a harmony. That’s its strongest feature.”

To join the Freemasons, a man must be in good standing in his community, be at least 18 years old and be recommended by another member. Most members, said Valenti, work their way up to the third degree of masonry, master Mason, which happens through “secret work” handed down from person to person. He explained that the work stretches each man beyond what he thought he could achieve.

“It pushes your intellect to do and go places, like in Star Trek, where no man has ever gone before,” said Valenti. “Masonry has a way of bringing out the best of everyone.”

He said the secrets should be respected like those of any family.

“Every family deserves and has privacy. Masonry is no different. It’s just a big family.”

Valenti himself came to the Freemasons because his father and brother were in the organization and because he said, “I had a natural curiosity about architecture and Biblical stories which revolve around masonry.”

He appreciates the many symbols, rites and rituals that make up the organization and form the basis for its work, both in the community and in each individual member.

“It’s all very philosophical with the family at the center,” Valenti said. “It all starts with your heart.”

The Marion Masons gather 12 months a year on the second Tuesday of each month at their lodge on Spring Street, meeting as Masons do around the world in a room facing East to West with elements representative of King Solomon’s temple in the Old Testament. Every element of the room is symbolic, including two columns on one end of the room with a globe of the world and a globe of constellations representing universality.

Valenti said while there are many biblical references in Freemasonry, the international organization requires only that members believe in a deity.

“Masons are about building a social and moral edifice,” he said.

The more public aspects of that are the Masons’ many charitable endeavors, including Shriners hospitals and meeting local needs such as donations to food pantries.

Ultimately, the work that happens in the lodge builds up families and the community by developing the individual, said Valenti.

“The lessons we learn and the degrees that are given are lifetime and invaluable structures that really help…especially if someone is not structurally oriented,” he said.
“You’ve got to build your life on something.”