{"id":1108,"date":"2020-06-30T19:18:15","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T19:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freemason.flywheelsites.com\/?page_id=1108"},"modified":"2026-04-29T15:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T22:45:16","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/freemason.org\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1108\" class=\"elementor elementor-1108\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c810966 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c810966\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e7ba109\" 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data-id=\"2894723\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"breadcrumbs.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"breadcrumbs\"><span><span><a href=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/\">Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6d981a9b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6d981a9b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4928b1db\" data-id=\"4928b1db\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69419e5c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"69419e5c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Share on: <\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-93a25c5\" data-id=\"93a25c5\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bda5dd1 elementor-shape-circle e-grid-align-right elementor-grid-0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-social-icons\" data-id=\"6bda5dd1\" 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elementor-element elementor-element-58c71edd\" data-id=\"58c71edd\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-207769e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"207769e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-18888\" alt=\"Exterior shot of California Masonic Memorial Temple, San Francisco, with square and compass\" srcset=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/masonic-lights-060622_gchow-17_USE-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-756f33bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-content_section\" data-id=\"756f33bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"content_section.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n    <div class=\"page-section\">\n      <div class=\"page-section__header-icon\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"44\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grey-logo.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" \/>      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"page-section__section-heading\" >\n        <h2 >Masons of California<\/h2>\n      <\/div>\n      <div class=\"section__content\">\n        <div class=\"class=\"page-section__content__copy\"\">\n          <p>Freemasonry, or Masonry, is one of the world\u2019s most famous and historic membership organizations, a 300-year-old worldwide fraternity whose members are committed to improving themselves and their communities. Freemasonry encompasses a series of moral teachings based on allegory and the symbolism of ancient stonemasonry. At its core, Freemasonry is about building deep friendships, personal development, and community service.<\/p><ul><li>True Friendship: Many members meet their best friends through Freemasonry because Masonry offers a combination of shared traditions, a shared purpose, and a shared commitment to fostering lifelong relationships.<\/li><li>Personal Development: Ancient stonemasons built structures. Today\u2019s Masons focus on building character. Masons are value-driven and strive to embody those values through action, relationships, and service to others.<\/li><li>Community Service: Masons take an obligation to support their fellow members and their communities. In California, this is illustrated by their commitment to the health and well-being of all members and their families, and through support of statewide public education and literacy programs.<\/li><\/ul><p>Today, the Masons of California have more than 330 lodges and 37,000 members throughout the state. <a href=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/what-is-freemasonry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about Freemasonry in California here<\/a>.<\/p>        <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4ba8140 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4ba8140\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5557ffc\" data-id=\"5557ffc\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-2d70408 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2d70408\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-0d1bc9e\" data-id=\"0d1bc9e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48d298f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48d298f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">Related Entities<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-767c930 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"767c930\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Since 1850, California Masonry has been governed and organized through the Grand Lodge of California, which in turn has established separate entities to further its goals and fulfill its mission. The Grand Lodge itself is made up of members of local lodges and <a href=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/leadership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">professional staff<\/a>.<\/p><p>Today, the Grand Lodge and its five entities are collectively referred to as the Masons of California. Upon their formation, the Grand Lodge assigned each new entity with a unique mission.<\/p><h3>The Masonic Homes of California<\/h3><p>Throughout California Freemasonry\u2019s history, Masons have supported their fellow members and family members in need. In 1898, the Grand Lodge opened its first residential community to provide a home to and care for needy orphans and senior California Masons, as well as their wives or widows. In 1919, the Grand Lodge established the <a href=\"https:\/\/masonichome.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Masonic Homes of California<\/a> to manage this new community.<\/p><p>Today, the Masonic Homes operates senior retirement communities on two campuses. The first, is a thriving community for the elderly, located on 305 acres in the hills of Union City overlooking the San Francisco Bay; and the second, an expansive, beautiful campus in Covina, just east of Los Angeles.<\/p><p>The Masonic Homes of California also provide a wide range of social services and care options to those living outside the residential campuses through its <a href=\"https:\/\/masonichome.org\/in-your-community\/outreach-eligibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Masonic Outreach Services division<\/a>. Additionally, the <a href=\"https:\/\/mcyaf.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Masonic Center for Youth and Families<\/a> provides mental health and wellness care to youth and their families, regardless of their Masonic affiliation, through their centers in San Francisco and Covina.<\/p><h3>California Masonic Foundation<\/h3><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/masonicfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Masonic Foundation<\/a> was formed in 1969 to advance the Grand Lodge\u2019s charitable mission. The Foundation raises money from the fraternity for the benefit of the Masonic Homes of California, and public education. The Foundation\u2019s philanthropic programs concentrate on youth and education, including support of public-school literacy programs and college scholarships. The Foundation has strong partnerships with the charitable foundations of four Major League Baseball teams in California, as well as the national literacy nonprofit Raising A Reader and several college success organizations. As of October 31, 2022, the California Masonic Foundation has a $38 million endowment.<\/p><h3>Acacia Creek Retirement Community<\/h3><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/acaciacreek.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Acacia Creek Retirement Community<\/a> opened in 2010 as a new independent- and assisted-living community on the Masonic Homes\u2019 Union City campus to serve both Masons and the general public. Acacia Creek is comprised of 150 apartments and four cottage homes, and provides its residents with exceptional services and levels of care based on Masonic values and successful-aging principles.<\/p><h3>The California Masonic Memorial Temple<\/h3><p>The California Masonic Memorial Temple, or CMMT, is the headquarters of Freemasonry in California and also the name of the nonprofit that holds the title to the building and land on which it sits. The CMMT, located at 1111 California Street on San Francisco\u2019s Nob Hill, opened in 1958 and stands as an icon of midcentury architecture. Designed by Albert Roller, the building includes an exterior frieze and 48-by-38-foot \u201cendomosaic\u201d mural by the artist Emile Norman. The temple includes a 3,000-seat auditorium (managed by the national concert promoters Live Nation); the Henry Wilson Coil Museum and Library of Freemasonry; Freemasons\u2019 Hall, a meeting space for lodges; a five-level parking garage and the offices of the Grand Lodge of California. <a href=\"https:\/\/freemason.org\/cmmt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about the CMMT and its history here<\/a>.<\/p><h3>Nob Hill Masonic Center<\/h3><p>The Nob Hill Masonic Center leases the five-story parking garage at 1111 California Street in San Francisco. It also leases the two-story parking garage at Grace Cathedral, located across the street at 1051 Taylor Street. The NHMC operates these two garages indirectly through a parking management agreement with SP Plus, a national parking garage operator.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2b0e316 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2b0e316\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-fa1dd9e\" data-id=\"fa1dd9e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f118bde elementor-widget elementor-widget-video\" data-id=\"f118bde\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;yt_privacy&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;video_type&quot;:&quot;vimeo&quot;,&quot;start&quot;:3}\" data-widget_type=\"video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-wrapper elementor-open-inline\">\n\t\t\t<iframe class=\"elementor-video-iframe\" allowfullscreen allow=\"clipboard-write\" title=\"vimeo Video Player\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1129763942?color&amp;autopause=0&amp;dnt=true&amp;loop=0&amp;muted=0&amp;title=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;byline=0&amp;h=7eaa37f6e6#t=00h00m03s\"><\/iframe>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-219c283 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"219c283\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a993480\" data-id=\"a993480\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-edef2e3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"edef2e3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Impact Report 2025<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b29f731 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"b29f731\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share on: Facebook-f Twitter Pinterest-p Masons of California Freemasonry, or Masonry, is one of the world\u2019s most famous and historic membership organizations, a 300-year-old worldwide fraternity whose members are committed to improving themselves and their communities. Freemasonry encompasses a series of moral teachings based on allegory and the symbolism of ancient stonemasonry. At its core, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"2699,5802,7909,5835,3048,3294","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1108","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>About Us<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Masonry is the world&#039;s first and largest fraternal organization. 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