The Wareham Freemasons held an open house on Saturday, Oct. 21. Despite the rain, the event had a healthy attendance, especially earlier in the day when they had members out front dressed as a farmer and a chicken drawing people in, members said. 

The event served to introduce people to what the Freemasons are about. 

"It's not a secret society; it's a society with secrets," said member David Maxim. 

He said while some aspects of the society are secret, such as the content of its meetings and of its ritual work, the organization and its aims are not.

Neither is the organization restricted to members of any one faith, Maxim added. 

While the requirements for being a Freemason include the belief in some kind of higher spirit, that belief does not have to be Christian in nature, he said. 

Freemasonry bills itself as one of the oldest and largest fraternities in the world. Its roots stretch back to the guilds of stone masons that existed in the Middle Ages. 

They began accepting 'honorary members' in the 16th and 17th centuries, and transitioned from practicing physical masonry to practicing symbolic masonry to become the modern Freemasons, according to information from the Wareham branch. 

The organization supports values — such as patriotism and community volunteering — that members said are declining in the country as a whole. 

Summing up the Freemasons, member Jim Rawlings said it takes good men and makes them better. 

The members of the Freemasons do a lot of good work in the community, but they do this work in the background, without seeking recognition, Rawlings said. 

The Wareham branch of the Freemasons currently has approximately 60 to 65 due-paying members, said member Mark Hertsworn. 

That's not the extent of the people that it affects, however. While Freemasonry proper is a fraternity, the organization and its auxiliaries offer a lot of support for the families of the men involved, members said. 

Women lead the Order of the Eastern Star and the Order of the Amaranth, and youth organizations including the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls and DeMolay International provide support for the younger members of the community.