The Beehive is an ancient symbol used by Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, and countless other civilizations and organizations since early human history.  It has been used by our fraternity from time immemorial but has progressively fallen out of use since “the Union,” in 1813, which created the United Grand Lodge of England.  In a Masonic context, it is typically depicted in its early form: a conical-shaped structure placed on a stand or box, with seven bees flying around it.  Seven bees, because that is the number of Brothers required to open a “perfect” lodge of Entered Apprentice Masons.

The Beehive serves to remind us that, “… we are born into the world [as] rational and intelligent beings, so ought we also be industrious ones, and not stand idly by or gaze with listless indifference on even the meanest of our fellow creatures in a state of distress if it is in our power to help them without detriment to ourselves or our connections…” (according to the ritual of Royal Cumberland Lodge; 18^th century).  It is symbolic of industry, order, and duty – to ourselves, our Brothers, the Fraternity, and society.  The implication is that if bees are born into this world with inherent knowledge of their responsibility to contribute to the collective good, there is an expectation that we would recognize a similar responsibility to our own “hive,” or our lodge.