Independent United Order of Mechanics



From time immemorial and through all ages and lands, there has existed a fundamental belief that an inner or divine degree of knowledge may be acquired or revealed to human beings under certain conditions. This knowledge is invariably related to the nature and destiny of the soul of an individual and its relationship to a Deity. This is a fundamental principle from which all modern religions sprung, but Mechanism, not being a religion, concerns itself with the nature of the Belief and not its form.
The secrets of the inner being of an individual and the Divine knowledge that leads to the discovery of our relationship with the Deity are imbued in the "center" or the core of our soul, which is the spirit. The discovery and application of this knowledge develops a higher spiritual level of awareness and consciousness. Mechanism teaches the attainment of this knowledge and the implementation of its principles and precepts in our daily lives.
It is recognized however, that these inner values being of a spiritual nature are incommunicable. They transcend communication by word of mouth or hand, but are capable of manifestation through our way of life, and therefore can be felt and assimilated through the right light radiations, but in the main, can only be attained through personal endeavor.




Mechanic Lodges (Men) and Chapters (Women) are the basic organizations in Mechanism. They are collectively governed by Grand Lodges for the area in which they reside. A Lodge or Chapter Room is the room where meetings are held and is housed within a Mechanic Temple - symbolically echoing King Solomon's Temple.

The 'Lodge' or 'Chapter' is where Mechanics practice Mechanism, learning moral and ethical values through allegory and symbolic plays, called ritual - defined as a set of actions performed mainly for their symbolic value.


The Independent United Order of Mechanics was founded in 1757 in Lancashire, England. During its first hundred years as a strong and growing enterprise, the Order established several Grand Lodges in Northern England and Southern Scotland. In 1878, the Order registered as a Friendly Society in accord with the Friendly Societies Act enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
In the late 19th century, the Order spread to South Africa, the Netherlands, British Guiana, and various nations and territories in the Caribbean Sea of North America. The first branch in the United States of America formed in 1910.
Today, District Grand Lodges operate throughout the world, including England, Canada, Saint Lucia, Belize, Jamaica, Guyana, Cuba, Costa Rica, Aruba, Trinidad & Tobago, Netherlands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Panama, Scotland, Barbados, Grenada, Suriname, Dutch West Indies, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Guatemala, French Guiana and the United States of America.
Photo Gallery

Schedule
1st Thursday @ 7:30 PM (Jan, Mar, May, Sept, Nov) Silver Spring Civic Center One Veterans Place Silver Spring, Maryland 20910	2nd Sunday @ 2:00 PM (Feb, Apr, June, Oct, Dec) Wheaton Library and Recreation Center 11701 Georgia Ave Silver Spring, Maryland 20902