Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that seeks to improve and strengthen the character of the individual man, and through that man improve the community. The late Charles C. Hunt of Iowa described it as follows: “Freemasonry is an organized society of men symbolically applying the principles of operative masonry and architecture to the science and art of character building.” Our declaration of principles states about Freemasonry that “Thus it impresses upon its members the principles of personal righteousness and personal responsibility, enlightens them as to those things which make for human welfare, and inspires them with that feeling of charity, or good will, toward all mankind which will move them to translate principle and conviction in to action.”

Holland Lodge No. 1 has been carrying out this objective since our formation in 1835. Men of diverse backgrounds join together under a bond of common values and goals to improve themselves and their community. Texas Freemasonry provides charitable programs including the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Texas Masonic Retirement Center, and the Masonic Home and School of Texas, and others, through which Freemasonry contributes many millions of dollars of charitable services every year. All of these are fundamentally supported by members of Masonic lodges such as Holland Lodge No. 1 and the many other lodges under the Grand Lodge of Texas. We do this through promoting true friendship and charity among men, many of whom but for our fraternity might never have discovered each other or joined together in our common endeavors. This last, that we bring together in true friendship men “who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance,” is something that is central to our organization.

At Holland Lodge No. 1 we are proud of our history and heritage and we seek every day to live up to our principles and tenets to improve ourselves and to serve as a source of good in our community.