Each Mason belongs to a local lodge, sometimes called a “Blue Lodge.” The name comes from a tradition of lodges to have blue ceilings, representing the sky. As you may have noticed, the dominant color of this Web site is blue, for the color blue symbolizes perfection, benevolence, truth, universal friendship, and fidelity.

The 13,000 Blue Lodges in the U.S. are organized into administrative groups, known as “Grand Lodges.” Each state, plus the District of Columbia, has its own Grand Lodge. Most nations have one Grand Lodge.

The regular meetings of a Blue Lodge are called “stated meetings,” in which business is conducted and new members are received. When a lodge does not hold stated meetings, we say the lodge is “dark.”