About Kansas Freemasons
On the Level Since 1856
Freemasonry also know as Masonry or The Craft, is an ancient and noble fraternity. The beginnings of which are lost to history. Although Masonry is believed to be the oldest surviving fraternal organization in the world, the exact date of its founding is uncertain. Freemasonry can, however, be easily traced to sixteenth century Scotland although the first Masonic governing body was not founded until 1717 in London. By 1723, the Constitutions of the Freemasons were assembled and published and although that document explicitly refers to an alleged meeting of masons in England assembled by Prince Edwin, the son of the tenth-century Saxon king Athelstan, there is no supporting evidence to this claim. Despite this, theories that the fraternity is much older than the Age of Enlightenment exist, and most historians accept that the Craft is descended from the medieval stonemason’s guilds.
The Grand Lodge of Kansas is the governing body of Freemasonry in Kansas, formed March 17, 1856, nearly five years before Kansas statehood. Bleeding Kansas, the prelude to America’s Civil War, provided the backdrop to Kansas Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge of Kansas welcomes those qualified men who are interested in becoming a part of the world’s oldest Fraternity — a society of friends and brothers whose members and principles have influenced, and continue to shape, our country and our history. In Kansas, a prospective member must be at least 18 years of age and profess a belief in a Supreme Being. With these qualifications met, we welcome men of every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion.
