By Julie Trescott

Los Altos Masons carry on the legacy of the Masonic order, dating back to the early 18th century when Freemasons formed local organizations called lodges.

Dan McDaniel is Los Altos’ own national treasure.

Last year, producers asked him to appear in the DVD extra features for the movie “National Treasure.”

In this Disney film, Nicholas Cage searches for the lost treasure of the Knights Templar, a religious military order established during the Crusades. According to the movie, Freemasons, who claim descent from the Templars, hid the treasure in colonial America and left clues to its whereabouts, including one on the dollar bill.

As the grand commander of the Knights Templar of California, McDaniel eagerly complied with the producers’ request for his help. He flew to Los Angeles and participated in an hourlong interview, where he answered questions about the history of the Knights Templar. Snippets of this interview were included in the DVD extras, which in line with the theme of the movie, can only be accessed by entering a secret code.

Although the plot is fiction, Masons agree that the movie’s depiction of Masonry is accurate.

In contemporary America, the Knights Templar is a Christian-oriented organization affiliated with masonry. Although these fraternal groups were once shrouded in mystery, their histories and philosophies have been made common knowledge by such movies as “National Treasure” and such books as Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code.”

Today, there are about 4 million Masons in more than 150 countries. In fact, Main Street is home to the Los Altos Masonic Lodge, which was organized in 1951 and has about 200 members.

“I joined because most of the outstanding men I knew, the leaders in the community - my Sunday school teacher, my Boy Scout leader, my Sunday school teacher, my father - were all Masons,” said W. Bruce Pruitt of Los Altos, who has been a Mason for 52 years.

Los Altos Masons participate in various charity events throughout the year. They support a local little league team, give an annual scholarship to a Los Altos High School graduate, support three youth organizations affiliated with Masonry (DeMolay, Job’s Daughters and Rainbow for Girls), invest in local schools and allow other community groups to use their building. Most recently, they had a booth at the Los Altos Art & Wine Festival.

They also attend monthly meetings, where they read the minutes, pay bills, read correspondence and listen to an orator’s short message. Afterward, they hold dinners for Masons and their wives.

“The typical Mason is a man who is active, likes to extend himself beyond everyday going to work, has high moral standings, is interested in sponsoring honesty and patriotism, is active in religion and is a good family man,” Pruitt said.

All Masons must be over 21 and believe in a supreme being.

In order to become a Mason, a man must fill out an application, be unanimously accepted by the members of the lodge and earn three degrees. As a Mason earns each degree, he attends a ceremony with secret rituals.

“When a person goes through a ceremony and knows everything that is going to happen, the impact is lost,” Pruitt said.

Aside from this tradition, Pruitt said that Masonry is not meant to be secretive. “In years past, Masons did treat it more secretly than it needed to be,” he said, explaining that intrigue was used to lure new members.

Today, individuals can learn about Masonry in the more than 25,000 books written about the subject and from members themselves.

“Most members are willing and anxious to talk about it,” Pruitt said.

It costs less than $200 to join, and Masons pay $45 per year for dues. Charity activities are voluntary.

For information about the Los Altos Masonic Lodge, call 569-6276.