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Do any of your lodges use an app for communication? We've recently started using Slack internally at the lodge (replacing FB messenger which was messy), however I've seen a few of the Mason specific apps out there, and am curious if anyone has any feedback/reviews of any of them?
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Jan 20, 2021 15:24
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Ca switched to iMember last year. Its clunky and harder for the older bros to use but does integrate with the grand lodge website for stuff. It's just ok. I miss the old one, we lost alot of good local info about good mechanics, contractors, tax guys, etc that had been built up over 5 or so years.
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Jan 20, 2021 16:08
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If someone asks if you're a Mason, are you allowed to say so?
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Feb 1, 2021 23:41
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I think membership is not really a secret, usually. But the ability to operate secretly is a part of how masonry has been able to survive for so long. But there's not really a rule that says you can't tell anyone, if that's what you're asking.
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Feb 2, 2021 01:36
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Here the policy is that you can say you are, but can't speak about the membership anyone else alive.
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Feb 2, 2021 13:26
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Has anybody tried doing a lodge meeting over Zoom?
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Feb 4, 2021 23:36
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In our jurisdiction we are holding meetings over zoom that cover business only, no esoteric work.
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Feb 5, 2021 17:22
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We've done one similar, it worked surprisingly well. Lots of older members were very used to Zoom by now so we were lucky to have almost no technical issues.
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Feb 5, 2021 17:37
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I'm dealing with my 3rd consecutive term as WM and feel some serious burnout. The lodge is likely in the best financial position of any in our state but we can't get new members and fighting the old guard has just worn me the gently caress down. We are struggling to fill seats much less the chairs and anytime we talk about spending money it's always the same old fight. Can I just kill the old fuckers? Ya'll won't tell on me right? Obviously joking but gently caress I'm just tired of this poo poo. Tell me your war stories
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Feb 19, 2021 07:50
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Maksimus54 posted:I'm dealing with my 3rd consecutive term as WM and feel some serious burnout. The lodge is likely in the best financial position of any in our state but we can't get new members and fighting the old guard has just worn me the gently caress down. We are struggling to fill seats much less the chairs and anytime we talk about spending money it's always the same old fight. Can I just kill the old fuckers? Ya'll won't tell on me right? Obviously joking but gently caress I'm just tired of this poo poo. Tell me your war stories I find that these sorts of issues come up in most any lodge (at least around here). Folks who've been there forever don't raise new master masons. Realize they're old and have trouble keeping the lodge going. Initiate some uppity youngerns with ideas and opinions. Everybody gets mad, some forget their obligations. People leave for a while and it just kind of re-coalesces or they end up merging with another lodge. Consider also if the lodge is in a good financial position, that may be due to the foresight of your elder brethren. If they've worked hard to establish a nest egg for the lodge, they're not going to be happy to see it disappear. As for how to attract new members and fill seats... that's a conundrum as old as time itself. Our fraternity just doesn't have the same draw it once did what with new fangled internet things, gender struggles, and maybe more openly atheist folks about? Yes I know a couple pages in we asked about not bringing up the women/atheists issue but it's just part of things. Sometimes race is sadly an issue, too.
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Feb 20, 2021 16:30
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Found out we may, may, get to do our installation this year. V. Happy.
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Feb 21, 2021 16:51
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knuthgrush posted:I find that these sorts of issues come up in most any lodge (at least around here). Folks who've been there forever don't raise new master masons. Realize they're old and have trouble keeping the lodge going. Initiate some uppity youngerns with ideas and opinions. Everybody gets mad, some forget their obligations. People leave for a while and it just kind of re-coalesces or they end up merging with another lodge. I appreciate the feedback. It just gets exhausting to keep working against folks rather than with. I'm hoping that with in person meetings returning(late this year fingers crossed) we see some new blood looking for community and togetherness after a year of isolation.
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Feb 23, 2021 18:09
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Where do Non-binary people fall on the "No girls allowed" part of the masonic traditions?
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Feb 24, 2021 11:28
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OscarDiggs posted:Where do Non-binary people fall on the "No girls allowed" part of the masonic traditions? I remember reading that the English Grand Lodge has a policy stating that if you are a man in legal terms (having transitioned and gotten the paperwork done, or not having your gender officially changed even if you don't consider yourself as being a man) then you are in, though I might be mistaken. The Finnish one would likely follow that example if it came up. In Finland at least there are related organizations for women, to my knowledge.
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Feb 24, 2021 12:29
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Am I wrong, or was there also an EGL statement that those who transitioned to women, could also stay? No issue with that, but puzzled me as it seems contrary to fully accepting the transition?
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Feb 24, 2021 14:34
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Chubby Henparty posted:Am I wrong, or was there also an EGL statement that those who transitioned to women, could also stay? No issue with that, but puzzled me as it seems contrary to fully accepting the transition? https://www.ugle.org.uk/gender-reassignment-policy UGLE policy here. Basically, the rule is that you must be a man to be initiated. Nowhere in masonic law does it say that members must remain men after joining, so individual Grand Lodges are free to decide how to handle such cases themselves.
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Feb 24, 2021 14:42
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That's the one, thank you.
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Feb 24, 2021 15:01
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SimonChris posted:https://www.ugle.org.uk/gender-reassignment-policy Obligated not to make a woman a mason, not obligated not to make a mason a woman.
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Feb 24, 2021 17:14
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Glad that UGLE is that forward thinking. No mention of similar things on Grand Lodge of Scotland where I am, but hm.
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Feb 24, 2021 19:38
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Ataxerxes posted:Here the policy is that you can say you are, but can't speak about the membership anyone else alive. the one mason i've known was like the exact opposite of this, holy poo poo. i thought he was pretty blabbermouth. and it almost crossed my mind to ask him about getting in 20 Blunts fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Feb 25, 2021 |
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Feb 25, 2021 21:25
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Now that we can go back to face to face meetings, my initiation is tomorrow. Here goes.
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Apr 18, 2021 11:20
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Bargearse posted:Now that we can go back to face to face meetings, my initiation is tomorrow. Congrats! It'll be the best degree you've ever had... 
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Apr 18, 2021 17:47
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Bargearse posted:Now that we can go back to face to face meetings, my initiation is tomorrow. Congratz! I'm waiting for the things to normalize here so that a friend can get his first degree.
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Apr 18, 2021 21:12
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Ataxerxes posted:Congratz! I'm waiting for the things to normalize here so that a friend can get his first degree. knuthgrush posted:Congrats! It'll be the best degree you've ever had... Thanks, it was certainly an experience I’ll never forget. Especially the REDACTED. And the goat. Also, I just found out I was the first new initiate statewide this year.
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Apr 20, 2021 02:27
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Bargearse posted:Thanks, it was certainly an experience I’ll never forget. Especially the REDACTED. And the goat. Also, I just found out I was the first new initiate statewide this year. Wait... *the* goat? Your lodge only has one per degree? I'd ask for a do-over. Good luck on your lecture and welcome to our mystic circle!
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Apr 20, 2021 03:28
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It was a double first degree. We had to share the goat.
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Apr 20, 2021 03:57
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Bargearse posted:It was a double first degree. We had to share the goat. I knew membership in the US was declining but I didn't know we no longer had enough money for livestock! Does your lodge cover all of the parts of the EA? I'm unsure how other states operate but the monitors where I am have a great deal of info on each degree. Maybe ask a master mason to go over some of it with you. Might be fun to go over along with your lecture, too.
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Apr 20, 2021 05:11
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knuthgrush posted:I knew membership in the US was declining but I didn't know we no longer had enough money for livestock! I’m Australia under the Grand Lodge of Victoria so it might be a little different here, but I believe I got the whole experience. I got some reading material for the next degree and a neat bag for my apron and other bits and pieces. They’ve kind of given me a mentor I can talk to if I have any questions, too. Still a little humbling to think I’m in such company as George Washington, King George VI and Buzz Aldrin.
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Apr 20, 2021 05:19
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Bargearse posted:I’m Australia under the Grand Lodge of Victoria so it might be a little different here, but I believe I got the whole experience. I got some reading material for the next degree and a neat bag for my apron and other bits and pieces. They’ve kind of given me a mentor I can talk to if I have any questions, too. Ah yes, my US-centric brain strikes again. Now I need to go on a rabbit hole of Australian lodges. That all sounds very cool.
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Apr 20, 2021 15:26
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Yeah, I’m told Australian lodges have a good reputation when it comes to things like ritual work, but this is literally my third day as an entered apprentice so I don’t have a lot of perspective. Still, it feels good to be a part of it, and they even let me in on some more secrets (the location of the hidden beer fridge)
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Apr 21, 2021 03:26
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https://twitter.com/le_Parisien/status/1390620667222142977 A Neo-Nazi group in France was arrested for plotting a bombing of a Masonic lodge.
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May 13, 2021 01:00
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That is French nazis favorite loving hangup, even more than jews these days. It goes way back with the catholic church or so I understand. E: On topic, I actually came to ask about the York Rite. Without giving away what you can't, can you say something about what they do? There are only two orders in my country, one is creepy as gently caress and requires all members to be baptized christians to which I'm noping out, and the other is affiliated with CLIPSAS which sounds good on the accepting women and non-christians part, but not so good on the permitting religious discussion in their lodges* * Though this may be pretty polite and harmless for all I know. Tias fucked around with this message at 08:34 on May 13, 2021 |
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May 13, 2021 08:26
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Tias posted:but not so good on the permitting religious discussion in their lodges* My question following from this would be: tell me about lodges that go in for actual topical discussions and development as part of meetings. Mine and all the lodges I've visited have always followed fairly standard candidate work/guest speaker -> big dinners formats and LOIs to support these. The US podcasts make it seem like there's lots of Big Discussions going on which sound really interesting (and where do they find the time)
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May 13, 2021 10:28
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Tias posted:That is French nazis favorite loving hangup, even more than jews these days. It goes way back with the catholic church or so I understand. You are from Denmark, right? Denmark does have regular lodges practicing the English ritual, which does not require people to be christians (DDFL.dk). DDFL is nowadays considered an autonomous sub-body of the Christian DDFO, with the same recognition. DDFL has also recently been permitted to start Royal Arch chapters in Denmark, which would be considered part of the "York Rite" in the US (The US York Rite is basically three different smaller rites stacked on top of each other). I haven't taken the Royal Arch myself, though, so I can't answer many questions about. All I know is that it supposedly completes the story told in the three degrees of Craft Masonry. SimonChris fucked around with this message at 10:54 on May 13, 2021 |
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May 13, 2021 10:50
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I can only speak to the York Rite in the US, but it's made up of three parts here: The Royal Arch The Cryptic Council The Commandery of Knights Templar The degrees of the first section "complete" the story from the Blue Lodge degrees, and are really good. The Council is sort of like DLC content that adds light to the story, but isn't "necessary" per se. And then the Commandery culminates in the order of Knight of the Temple, which DOES require a vested belief in Christianity. The thing is, when you sign up for "the York Rite", at least where I did it, you sign up for all 3 in one go. So, the issue of Christianity does get tied to the York Rite as a whole.
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May 13, 2021 13:10
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Where I am (Michigan, US) it feels assumed that you will do all 3 if you do any at all. I have my Royal Arch and I'm probably not going any further though. The RA degrees were really good. I am glad I did them. My understanding is that if you do Commandery you don't have to be christian per se, but you will have to pledge to defend the christian faith. Might be off on that one though.
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May 13, 2021 13:17
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No. 1 Juicy Boi posted:I can only speak to the York Rite in the US, but it's made up of three parts here: In my state, you are not required a vested belief in Christianity, you only have to agree to uphold their right to that belief. As the other poster said it's also assumed you'll join all three if you join one.
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May 13, 2021 20:22
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https://www.herts-chapter.org.uk/hertfordshires-royal-arch-in-denmark/ More information about the Royal Arch in Denmark, in English, including an overview of Danish Craft Masonry in general.
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May 14, 2021 09:15
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BONESAWWWWWW posted:My understanding is that if you do Commandery you don't have to be christian per se, but you will have to pledge to defend the christian faith. Might be off on that one though. This is exactly how it is presented in the ritual and how most people interpret it. I have know many members of varying faiths, I myself am not Christian... one of my officers when I was EC was Jewish - so it certainly varies. Not to say that I haven’t also met others that do interpret it differently and wouldn’t join because they are not Christian.
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May 16, 2021 22:52
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I went to an open day at at Rochester Lodge where they were giving a talk on 'Was Charles Dickens a mason? No he was not' and masonry in general. The older crowd was very engaged and comparing with things their families had been in like the Buffs (which I only knew about previously from the Flintstones). It was interesting to see that when they mentioned having to believe in a higher power, doesn't matter who or what, that they apparently lost the student crowd and several left at that point.
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May 16, 2021 23:36
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