Talked with a Free Mason.

[Cuppa-LettuceNog]

Well, pretty much what it sounds like, I talked with a Freemason; the father of a friend (more like aquaintence) of mine. It turns out theres not only a chapter in San Francisco, like I assumed, by he also said that one formed a few years ago in Oakland, right outside of where I live. I considered asking him if he could sponsor me, since it seems like it would be kinda interesting, but I decided not to go through all that unless I was actually somewhat committed.

Anyway, that's all. Anyone in Poli a Mason? Have any Masonic friends?

[reviewer-general]

At 10/12/07 07:57 PM, Cuppa-LettuceNog wrote: Anyway, that's all. Anyone in Poli a Mason? Have any Masonic friends?

Hmm, TheMASON might be a likely Mason.

Don't quote me though.

;

[SmilezRoyale]

TheMason has stated he lives in proximity with many masons, but i don't know if he's ever stated his allegiance to any of them specifically.

I keep looking at the term Freemason, but it really only takes about it's organization; and not really what qualifies a person as a free mason.

The males on my dad's side of the family have traditionally been mason workers, i don't know if that counts; But i would be terrified of scaffolds so i am going to break the tradition and take a job where your feet are [most usually] on the ground.

[Der-Lowe]

At 10/12/07 07:57 PM, Cuppa-LettuceNog wrote: Anyway, that's all. Anyone in Poli a Mason? Have any Masonic friends?

MP

[cellardoor6]

I remember hearing that Free Masons would always give each other connections and shit like a secret society. I heard that if you were a Mason and you get arrested, if there was a Mason in the police department he'd let you go and erase the records and shit.

I was all intrigued. But then I met some Masons and they were just old boring fat men who sang songs and had banquets every month.

[Empanado]

At 10/12/07 10:27 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: I remember hearing that Free Masons would always give each other connections and shit like a secret society. I heard that if you were a Mason and you get arrested, if there was a Mason in the police department he'd let you go and erase the records and shit.

Yeah, it's a common misconception. People don't become successful or fortunate out of being Freemasons, they become Freemasons out of being successful and fortunate.
Basically, there has been no real point beyond monthly punch and pie in Freemasonry ever since the 1950's or so.
All that aside, I think that my great-great-grandfather or something was a high-standing Mason
, since my dad once visited his grave and reported that it was, and I quote, "full of Masonic stuff and shit". Not that any of us could join, since only legitimate descendance gets auto-sign ups, as seen in The Simpsons.

[Cuppa-LettuceNog]

At 10/12/07 10:27 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: I remember hearing that Free Masons would always give each other connections and shit like a secret society. I heard that if you were a Mason and you get arrested, if there was a Mason in the police department he'd let you go and erase the records and shit.

Nah, nothing like that. I mean, a Masonic friend on the force might let you go, just like an Old buddy from the Skull-And-Bones might do the same, but it's not any less illegal or frowned upon.

I was all intrigued. But then I met some Masons and they were just old boring fat men who sang songs and had banquets every month.

I guess it varies like any other Fraturnity.

[MortifiedPenguins]

Yeah, I'm currently in the process of entering the Masonic society from Boston, MA. Which has the oldest Masonic residence in the western Hemisphere.

I did it out of a more cultural feel, but I'm currently in contention for several scholarships and the likes.

[morefngdbs]

At 10/12/07 07:57 PM, Cuppa-LettuceNog wrote: Anyway, that's all. Anyone in Poli a Mason? Have any Masonic friends?

;
I have friend who is a bartender (surprise surprise) & he's a Mason. I found this out when I worked on a Film Documentary about the Mason's Society last year for the History channel.the announcement by N.S. masons

I don't believe they told us everything, there are 'secrets' that you are only told about as you move up through the ranks. But some of the stuff, for me anyway was odd.
Like initiates being blindfolded , tied up in a white cotton costume, with nipple slits cut in the outfit .
Same as the names for senior members in the organization, Master Mason, Grand Master, Wizard, etc.
But supposedly they had/have a lot of power, financial , legal, goverment. It was an interesting gig to work on.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

im looking into joining freemasonry

[Tancrisism]

I've read a lot about Masonry in Tolstoy's War and Peace, but I personally am not a Mason. Masonry would hugely conflict with my un-Christian atheist beliefs, as the Freemasons are VERY Christian. Or, anyway, they were in the mid 1800's, but they don't seem like the type of organization to change much within 200 years, not to mention 900.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

freemasonry would be kinda cool joining a "secret society" and all

[yourefat]

ya my grandpa is a mason.
so what? i dont know why people care so much about them.

[Tony-DarkGrave]

yeah I know who cares its conspiracy theorists they think Masons are part of the New World Order

[TheMason]

Yes, I am a Mason.

My maternal grandfather is a Mason, and a Shriner (which you can become only after becoming a Mason).

Being in the Masons MAY get you out of something like a ticket just like having anything else in comon with the cop MAY do the same thing. It all depends upon the disposition of the cop as well as your attitude. But it is rare that a cop would go clean-up your record or not arrest you if you did something worthy of arrest. That is just a stereotype.

And not all Masons are old fat men, I'm 32 and we could use new blood.

Feel free to IM me with any questions you have.

[TheMason]

Oh yeah...you gotta be at least 18...

[SadisticMonkey]

At 10/12/07 10:27 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: I was all intrigued. But then I met some Masons and they were just old boring fat men who sang songs and had banquets every month.

Don't forget the handshakes.

[TonyTostieno]

At 10/13/07 06:54 PM, Dante-Son-Of-Sparda wrote: freemasonry would be kinda cool joining a "secret society" and all

You want a secret society? Just make one up dude, that's what every secret society is.

[MortifiedPenguins]

At 10/13/07 07:53 PM, TheMason wrote: Oh yeah...you gotta be at least 18...

And a man.

[tony4moroney]

At 10/14/07 09:58 AM, MortifiedPenguins wrote:

At 10/13/07 07:53 PM, TheMason wrote: Oh yeah...you gotta be at least 18...

And a man.

and have a face that resembles this one

[GaiusIuliusTaberna]

At 10/13/07 07:08 PM, Dante-Son-Of-Sparda wrote: yeah I know who cares its conspiracy theorists they think Masons are part of the New World Order

Who do I have to join to get in on some of that action? Heheheh
Seriously though every one acts like joining freemasonry gets you secret privileges and power but after significant research I have to conclude that the world domination secret societies are
Al Qaeda
Camorra
Ku Klux Klan
"La Cosa Nostra"
Mara Salvatrucha
'Ndrangheta
Sacra Corona Unita
Thuggee
Tong
Triad
Yakuza
Black Hand
Carbonari
Interestingly most of these eventually degenerated into organized criminal groups and 7 out of thirteen of them are Italian (no comment).

Out of curiosity what dose membership to Masonic loges get you; if anything?

Also I tried to start a secret society a while back, but it kind of fell apart (couldn't get people to join, at least not reliable people).

[TheMason]

At 10/14/07 12:59 PM, tony4moroney wrote:

At 10/14/07 09:58 AM, MortifiedPenguins wrote:

At 10/13/07 07:53 PM, TheMason wrote: Oh yeah...you gotta be at least 18...

And a man.

and have a face that resembles this one

Owww! Tony, I didn't think I'd pissed you off THAT much in our gun control conversation!

[TheMason]

At 10/14/07 09:58 AM, MortifiedPenguins wrote:

At 10/13/07 07:53 PM, TheMason wrote: Oh yeah...you gotta be at least 18...

And a man.

I thought about putting that but there have been two women who have been raised in a lawful lodge of Freemasons.

And California has co-Masonry lodges where women may petition to joing lodges.

[Imperator]

Out of curiosity what dose membership to Masonic loges get you; if anything?

Dunno, but I want in. I wanna be powerful....pleeeze!!!!

blech, not really. I've already got more "power" than I know what to do with.....

[Tony-DarkGrave]

hey Mason Im 18 and I have the local adress of my local Mason Lodge im gonna go check it out this weekend

[Elfer]

At 10/13/07 12:47 AM, Empanado wrote: Yeah, it's a common misconception. People don't become successful or fortunate out of being Freemasons, they become Freemasons out of being successful and fortunate.
Basically, there has been no real point beyond monthly punch and pie in Freemasonry ever since the 1950's or so.

Punch and pie is actually a good way to become successful. You might not get corruption-type connections, but I'm sure you'd meet a lot of people who would be useful to be connected to.

[MortifiedPenguins]

At 10/14/07 09:11 PM, Elfer wrote:

At 10/13/07 12:47 AM, Empanado wrote:

Punch and pie is actually a good way to become successful. You might not get corruption-type connections, but I'm sure you'd meet a lot of people who would be useful to be connected to.

It's also a really good club to put onto a college application.

[TheMason]

At 10/14/07 08:16 PM, Dante-Son-Of-Sparda wrote: hey Mason Im 18 and I have the local adress of my local Mason Lodge im gonna go check it out this weekend

Cool! However, someone may not be there unless they are having some sort of function. I would check out the building and see if they have their regularly stated meetings listed, they are usually on a Thursday night here. I would go then and talk to one of the Brothers.

Or you could do a google search for Freemason Grand Lodge of (enter state name here). Their website should give you contact information for the secretary of your local lodge. Call him and talk to him about joining.

Good luck!

[TheMason]

This is great topic, I think I've talked to three people who want to join the Masons.

Now if only I could find people interested in joining the Air National Guard, there I get $2,000 a person for bringing people in! lol

[ImmoralLibertarian]

At 10/15/07 09:57 AM, MickTheChampion wrote: I happen to live in one of the few countries in the World where the wanks have any political power - there wasn't a single member of the Liberal Democrat Council [the Council is now Labour] in my town who wasn't a Mason.

Are you talking about Glasgow Mick?

My grandfather, and my dad are both Masons (not practicing though). Personally i find the whole thing a bit distasteful. As my mother's father use to say, who was opposed strongly to the society and suffered a certain amount of social isolation because of it, "A man makes a man, not what fucking secret handshakes he knows." And he was actually a stone mason.

What exactly do they do? and don't give me that shit about helping their communities, the Masons have a Hall in my village, which they rent out to locals for wedding parties, birthday celebrations ect. All profit they make just goes back into buying booze and food for their own parties. Perhaps they donate some cash to the local churches (if anyone argues that this counts as giving money to charity then they're wrong).

But thankfully i doubt there is anyone under the age of 60 as a Mason in the Highlands. And within a generation this defunct, pointless tradition of old white men slapping each other on the will be extinct in Scotland.