Freemasonry is a society of gentlemen - not in the European or Colonial sesnse of "landed gentry," but in the modern American sense of "a person of gentility and manners." Masons are taught to address one another with respect, and to conduct themselves with some dignity. Being a gentleman, inside and out: that is part of being a Mason.
   ... excerpt from "Freemasonry: An Introduction" by Mark E. Koltko-Rivera, Mark E. Koltko-Rivera, Ph.D.