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Brother Senior Warden, are all present Master Goons? Inquire through your proper channel until you are duly satisfied. "I am protected." Then as Worshipful Master, I order Something Awful Getout Thread #3523447 to be now open. 
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Dec 18, 2012 14:27
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Lovable Luciferian posted:Also gently caress Arkansas. http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2012/11/shrine-declared-clandestine-in-arkansas.html Reminds me of the posturing we had between Blue Lodge and Scottish Rite. A bunch of Blue Lodges meet on the ground floor of our temple building, and the Scottish Rite uses the upper floor of the building. There was some dumb argument over who's supposed to be paying for upkeep of the building, and for a while there was some tension and/or bad blood between the two groups. Eventually the NC Grand Master come down and was like "Are you guys fuckin' serious? You're all Master Masons and brothers, act like it drat it." Since then we've been fine 
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Dec 18, 2012 14:29
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That's pretty interesting. Here we refer to the Master of the Lodge as "Worshipful" and the Master of the Grand Lodge as "Right Worshipful". I like the kilts and tartans though
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Dec 18, 2012 15:18
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Rivethead posted:Curious if anyone has ever tried to join the masons that claimed Satan was the one supreme being in his religion? Is this against specific rules? Is it against the rules? No, not technically. I believe I may know somebody that can speak to this issue.
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Dec 18, 2012 18:06
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Baronjutter posted:They seem to describe them selves as masonry. The United Grand Lodge of England doesn't recognize them as a Masonic body, therefore they are not "Masonry" as we define it.
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Dec 18, 2012 18:07
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Baronjutter posted:I've always been pretty interested in masonry, me and a few friends were fairly seriously considering joining up. I'm sure the "progressiveness" varies from area to area. It's the same in America. Masonic lodges in Florida, for example, are way more conservative than Masonic lodges in California. In general, though, I don't think CA Masonry differs much from American Masonry.
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Dec 18, 2012 18:14
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There's no analogy needed, it's a fraternity. Go to your nearest college and ask the fraternities why they don't allow women in, they'll give you much the same answer (though probably drunker (then again maybe not)). edit-- Honest question, do you consider sororities and fraternities to be sexist?
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Dec 18, 2012 19:17
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Baronjutter posted:"well we aren't sexist, we just really like being a traditional boys club with the trappings of sexism and sexist rules" Yep that's pretty much verbatim what we said  We have the same rules we did multiple centuries ago when this fraternity was started, and they're not going to change anytime soon. I'm not going to try to debate you on these points because you've already made your mind up about our organization being sexist. Unfortunately, there's nothing we're going to be able to do to change your mind on this, so there's no point in arguing. If you are of the mindset that fraternities and sororities shouldn't exist, and all sports teams should be made co-ed, then... well, we're just going to be on opposite sides of this issue, sorry.
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Dec 18, 2012 19:43
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I can attest for short terms. My lodge prides itself on having never repeated a WM in its entire history. That probably accounts for a lot of its progressiveness.
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Dec 18, 2012 19:59
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Ah, I love when people get flustered during the degrees, especially scared candidates. "In whom do you put your trust?" "IN MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST" "*ahem*... uh... in... whom?"
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Dec 19, 2012 17:00
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Can somebody frame that post somehow? I don't believe we've ever had someone disagree with us on that point and then eventually come around.
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Dec 20, 2012 14:11
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Brothers, Wishing you all the best for this holiday season, no matter what you are celebrating, or if you are even celebrating at all. 
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Dec 24, 2012 18:25
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Hm let's see, how old am I now? ... I guess I was 25 when I joined. My family took some easing into it, since they're Pentecostal Fox-News-watching conservative Christians. Basically, I wrote a 5-page essay debunking all the weird anti-Christian myths surrounding Masonry, and my dad responded with "hm, well I still don't approve, but do what you want." Whatever, my life, not his!
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Dec 26, 2012 15:36
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Lovable Luciferian posted:Hiram award? Clean Plate Award? 
Count Thrashula fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Dec 26, 2012 |
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Dec 26, 2012 20:43
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Coolguye posted:I have followed the last thread with casual interest, and there is one thing about the Masons I am having a hard time grasping; how does the order "make good men better"? Like is there an example or two you can give? All of the symbolism in the rituals and ceremonies is related to moral teachings. The three tenets of the fraternity are brotherly love, relief, and truth. Nearly everything you'll see revolves around those three things in some way, with some other things thrown in their like keeping a sound mind, organizing your time properly, etc. Aside from that, we strive to be an organization where men to want to be better people hang out with other men who want to be better people. It's sort of a feedback loop, in a good way. We love each other, have a good time, help out other people, and help out each other. You can't make a bad man good, but you can make a good man better.
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Dec 27, 2012 18:30
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I always chuckle when I see aprons that have a thick-color trim like that. It makes me wonder if the founders of Gmail were Masons, putting in a little inside joke... 
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Dec 31, 2012 15:50
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I've been speaking with the secretaries of both the York Rite and Scottish Rite about joining up. The next YR festival is in March and the next SR reunion is in April, so I've got plenty of time to consider and think about it. I'm dead set on the SR, as it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time. But, in the interest of furthering my Masonic education, I'm also looking at the YR. Would there be much to gain from a non-Christian joining? I know the Commandery is focused on the Jesus story, and have a requirement of being a Christian to join, but is it worth going through just the Chapter and Council?
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Jan 9, 2013 16:31
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That all makes sense. I can support "defending" even though I may not believe that particular story. No harm in it either way I suppose.
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Jan 9, 2013 20:31
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Cholmondeley posted:Are you thinking of joining in GBO ? If so, you couldn't have picked a better time, there is a renewed zeal among the bodies that is contagious and inspiring.Last night was our Jan. Lodge of Perfection and the call was put out to ramp up membership this year. If you have any questions about S.R., or specifically Greensboro S.R., come at me bro. Yep! My home lodge is in Greensboro (Gate City 694), so having a SR room in the same building would be convenient Was there any word at the meeting when the reunion would be? I talked with the secretary but he said that a date hadn't been set yet. I'm guessing April sometime, that's so far awayyyy 
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Jan 10, 2013 14:14
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Cholmondeley posted:Spring reunion is April 26-27, and would be the one I would recommend. They are thinking about spreading out the Fall reunion over 3 months or so. I'm there.
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Jan 11, 2013 01:08
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I can't guarantee I'll be around in April, but we'll see! My fiancee (as of two weeks ago  ) and I are trying to move out of state, so we'll see what happens.What lodge are you a member of? I don't think I remember seeing you mention being from the area before!
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Jan 11, 2013 15:31
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EtchaSketch posted:While I understand that all members and applicants must be of good moral character, how would this apply to someone who was formerly affiliated with a gang or organized crime group that has seen the error of that life and strives now to do what is right? Is it a rule that applies to having lived an entirely righteous life or is forgiveness allowed for past transgressions? My personal opinion is it's the man you are now that matters, and the man you want to become through the Craft.
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Jan 17, 2013 14:47
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Well, from what I've been reading, some people/jurisdictions consider the Mark Master degree to be the true final degree of the Blue Lodge, so take that for what you will. On that note, I'm joining York Rite in March so I'll find out then too!
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Jan 17, 2013 16:43
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That dude in the back's beard is pretty awesome.
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Jan 18, 2013 18:59
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Ari posted:I challenge any Mason in this thread to say that he has never once broken his obligations or violated the charges given to him. Breaking the obligations and violating the charges are two wildly different animals.
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Jan 25, 2013 14:22
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I just received this e-mail from our lodge secretary (last names abbreviated for privacy):quote:SUBJECT: Thinking out of the box for the lodge I know that every jurisdiction and lodge and city are different, but I'm curious what interesting things all your lodges are involved with? Maybe something will spark an idea in my brain that I can pass on to our brother secretary.
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Jan 25, 2013 17:00
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Does this mean me and Satan are bros now
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Feb 6, 2013 17:00
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imac1984 posted:Do other jurisdictions allow EAs to visit other lodges? Ours only allows it if the other lodge is opening up an EA lodge. So basically, only if the lodge is conferring the first degree.
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Feb 9, 2013 00:59
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Just sent off my paperwork for York Rite, 3 weeks and 2 days until I start that journey 
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Feb 11, 2013 22:51
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Keetron posted:Slightly different, but the date is set and I will be raised to MM on the 19th of March. If any of you guys is in the vicinity of Amsterdam, NL, Europe, please drop me a pm as I would be thrilled if you'd visit and be present there. I didn't think anyone noticed me  Really glad to hear about your impending
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Feb 18, 2013 23:54
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qraham posted:But if I'm being completely honest, the thing that is most intriguing is the idea that being a mason might help my career in some way; I've heard stories of people getting jobs or promotions because they did the right handshake with the right person. Can you guys speak to this at all? I'd say most of these stories are apocryphal at best. More likely is that they joined a lodge and got to know some guys that happened to know about job openings - but that's true of any social organization. If that's your goal, I'd say go for something like the Rotary Club or something. The aim of Freemasonry isn't socio-economic growth, but moral and fraternal growth. usernamen_01 posted:Gee whiz, that's a good volume response! I really appreciate it. It's not "hard" per se, but the time table varies by district. I was able to be initiated, learn my catechism in 2 weeks (meeting with my coach every day), was passed, another 2 weeks or catechism learning, and then was raised. There was some ebb and flow in that schedule, and it was around Christmas so things got delayed a bit, but I was initiated in October of '10 and was raised to the sublime degree of master mason in January of '11. Count Thrashula fucked around with this message at 14:38 on Mar 4, 2013 |
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Mar 4, 2013 14:31
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Well Brethren, tonight's the night. After I get home I'll have had the Royal Arch degrees, Cryptic degrees and Order of the Red Cross conferred to me. Saturday morning we're continuing with Order of Malta and Order of the Temple. I'm so excited, it's been over 2 years since I was made a Master Mason, so I'm eager to receive new light.
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Mar 6, 2013 16:41
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That's why their doing Malta/Temple on Saturday. I was told to show up at 7:30am and expect to stay until sometime in the late afternoon 
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Mar 6, 2013 19:08
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All these brothers are becoming newly-Entered Apprentices, whereas last night I was made Mark Master Mason, Past Mason, and Most Excellent Master. On Saturday I'll be receiving the Royal Arch degree, both Council degrees, and the three Commandery degrees I learned some really cool tidbits about our lodge. There's a chandelier in our Scottish Rite room - when the lodge was constructed, one of the members (or maybe a visiting member) was lead glass designer for Tiffany & Co. He noticed that we needed more lighting in the room and constructed that chandelier onsite for free. It's so gorgeous. Also, the volume of marks we have has Mark Master Masons' marks dating back to 1828 when the chapter (Chorazin Chapter no. 13) was founded  - granted, this is spanned over a multitude of actual physical books, but they're all still stored in the lodge.Two years ago when I was raised, I thought I knew basically everything about Masonry and the lodge... it's a good feeling knowing that I don't
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Mar 7, 2013 14:14
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One thing an old man told me at the lodge last night: "The real secret of Freemasonry isn't the grips or the words or anything, the real secret of Freemasonry is in going through the degrees. Sure, you could tell someone how to do a grip or what a word may be, and people have, but how are you going to tell your wife or friend exactly what you felt that night you were initiated? Or that night you were raised? There's no way to do it." That really struck a chord with me.
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Mar 7, 2013 19:39
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Lovable Luciferian posted:Darn you, now I sort of want to go through the York and SR degrees. Though with the oath in commandery I don't think I could do those degrees in good conscience. My understanding is that yes, you can. But, I'd say that a large majority of people who join the YR do so solely to get to the Commandery.
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Mar 8, 2013 14:58
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Lovable Luciferian posted:And in Commandery you have to swear to defend Christianity right? It seems to vary by jurisdiction. In NC the wording is "swear to defend the Christian faith," but I've seen another petition (Illinois maybe?) where the wording is "swear a belief in the Christian faith." Not to turn this into a theological discussion, but the first I can do. The second I can not. Just like blue lodge and the issue of belief in a higher power, as long as you can answer "yes" without hesitation, reservation, or secret evasion of mind, then it's not discussed any further. I've read on another forum of their being Jews in the Commandery, though obviously I can't speak for them. edit-- and one more thing to note, people often think of the Scottish Rite and York Rite as structured the same way: a series of degrees that build on each other. This isn't true. The York Rite is a loosely connected group of three independent bodies: Chapter, Council and Commandery. In some states, you even get 3 separate dues cards! So, Commandery isn't to be thought of as the "highest degree of York Rite" or "the end of the York Rite degrees", it's simply one of the 3 bodies that make up the York Rite. You can easily (in my mind) go through the Capitular and Cryptic degrees and leave it at that if you so wish. Count Thrashula fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Mar 8, 2013 |
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Mar 8, 2013 15:06
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Colonial Air Force posted:The argument, at least with the "swear to defend the Christian faith" wording, is that you're defending a Christian's right to have said faith, to worship as they see fit. That's the way I interpret it. I will defend the Christian faith just as much as I will defend the Muslim faith or the Luciferian faith or the Buddhist faith or whatever. But, I totally understand why others would interpret it differently, and that's one of the beautiful things about Masonry - you get out of it what you put into it going in.
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Mar 8, 2013 15:12
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Lovable Luciferian posted:Yeah that seems like a stretch to me too. The SR would cerrrrtainly not require that. I haven't been through it, but if Morals & Dogma is anything to go by, it focuses way more on ancient pre-Christian religions and mysticism. Then again Albert Pike is as crazy as a football bat.
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Mar 8, 2013 15:18
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Lovable Luciferian posted:I said something like that to a Brother the other day and he got huffy and called me "irreverent." The dude was bonkers, I don't know why people try to deny that. Granted, I love reading mystic texts, but I put Pike in the same "fascinating and crazy" camp as Aleister Crowley. I love reading both of their works, but as people they're off the deep end.
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Mar 8, 2013 15:32
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