ROCHELLE — Have you ever wondered what the inside of the Rochelle Masonic Lodge looks like or what the Masons are all about and what they stand for?

The Rochelle Masonic Lodge will host an Open House on Sat., June 24 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Lodge will celebrate 160 years since its first meeting. Anyone wishing to see the Lodge Hall or learn more about Masonry is welcome to attend.

Bud Norcross, Lodge secretary, will be at the open house to answer any questions that you may have concerning masonry.

“The open house is a great opportunity for anyone to visit our Lodge or find out more about the ways we support the community,” Norcross said. “Many people have been to our facility in the lower level for benefits, events such as blood drives, and the country breakfasts we host.”

Below is a glimpse into the history of the Masons, as written by Norcross:

Masons around the world are also celebrating the 300^th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of England, which is where Masons in the United States got their first charter to form a Lodge. Though much has changed in the world since 1717, like the way we communicate, socialize, travel and many other aspects of life, Masonry has adapted to every age and maintains its relevance to both its members and society overall. Freemasonry focuses on the internal qualities of men, continually bringing together good men of sound character to work in harmony. There are about 60,000 Masons in Illinois, representing a significant collection of talents, knowledge, skills and abilities. Masons are fathers, husbands and sons from various financial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Masonry is not a religion. It is open to any man who is 18 years old and professes a belief in God. Masonry is not a secret society but does have a handshake and password, much like some other organizations.

The Masonic “emblem” called the Square and Compass, represents the Square of virtue and the Compass of humility.

Masons were instrumental in the founding of the nation, as 13 Masons were signers of the Declaration of Independence. With them they brought the idea of Liberty, which was a democratic form of government by the people. George Washington was the Master of the first Lodge in North America. Many presidents were Master Masons including James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, James Polk James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, James Garfield, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Howard Taft, Warren Harding, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Gerald Ford.

Rochelle Masonic Lodge

The Rochelle Masonic Lodge was founded and chartered in 1857 when the town was still called “Lane” and is the oldest continually meeting organization in Rochelle. The first meeting was held on June 2, 1857 on the third floor of a building called the “Corner Brick” or the “Republican Block”. This was a three-story building standing on the site of the original First National Bank of Rochelle, which was erected in 1856. In 1878 the Bain Opera House was completed and the Lodge moved to the third floor of the building. In 1906, the Lodge moved to new quarters on the third floor of the Stocking and Binz buildings. The Masonic Emblem is still visible on the building today. The cornerstone of the current Lodge Hall located in downtown Rochelle was laid on Aug. 8, 1925. The original site was occupied by three homes, which were purchased by Emanuel Hilb and sister Pauline Hilb for the purpose of building the Masonic Lodge. Through the efforts of many of the Lane/Rochelle city fathers and citizens, the large two-story brick building was erected with the first stated meeting being held Sept. 7, 1926. The Lodge Hall was built with stained glass windows, terrazzo floors, beautiful oak moldings and chandeliers. The headstone above the front door has the carving “Masonic Temple”. This eludes to the fact that all Lodge buildings are made to represent King Solomon’s Temple, as he is considered the wisest man in the Bible.

Masons belonging to the Rochelle Lodge are also from Lodges that were once in Creston, Ashton and Steward. At the turn of the century when many towns and cities were still small, almost every town had a Masonic Lodge. They were places where men met in friendship, no matter what their occupation or status. There are also Masonic Lodges on all three American continents along with Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Cardinal virtues of all Lodges are faith, hope and above all charity.

The Rochelle Masonic Lodge is the sponsor of Boy Scout troop # 553 and contributes to other local charity groups including presenting a college scholarship to an RTHS student.

The largest Masonic charity is the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, which were formed in 1922. The Shriner’s Organization was formed by a group of Masons in 1870, who wished to aid children with birth defects and polio and also wanted to make it at no cost to the family, no matter what creed or color. The Shriner’s Hospitals are now in 22 locations throughout the United States including Hawaii and also in Mexico and Canada.

The Masonic Lodge is proud to be a part of the City of Rochelle and a part of the downtown experience and will continue to support the community through charitable works, the Downtown Association, country breakfasts, and blood drives.