We're not after gratitude, we're more than rewarded by that feeling which comes from knowing we have helped another person overcome some adversity, so that their life can go on. Masonry is mutual help. Masons know that self-development is more precious than money in the bank or social position or political power. Those things often accompany self-development. But they are no-substitute for it.
Masons work at building their lives and character, just as a carpenter works at building a house.
Masons believe that a country is strong as long as freedom, equality, and the opportunity for human development are afforded to all. A Mason is true to his government and its ideals. He supports its laws and authority when both are just and equitably applied. We uphold and maintain the principals of good government, and oppose every influence that would divide it in a degrading manner. We believe in a certain reverence for living things, a tenderness toward people who suffer.