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Carbolic posted:
Over here, if someone was arrested then an inquiry would be launched by the provincial disciplinary committee. If the charges were dropped, so would the inquiry - depending on the charges initially. I believe they would still look into a persons behaviour and such if they were, for example, charged with assault but the charges were dropped. If they were found guilty of anything (summary roadside judgements like a speeding fine notwithstanding) then in all likelihood they would be expelled, depending on the crime. Any kind of custodial sentence would lead to expulsion as a foregone conclusion.
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May 18, 2013 17:47
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Reporting in from our annual District Masonic Picnic! Amazing food, great families, Brotherhood, and conversation. Children running around *without* being unholy screaming terrors! Free goat rides! What more could you ask for?! 
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May 18, 2013 19:07
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Must read for every proper Mason who likes graphic novels: http://www.amazon.com/From-Hell-Alan-Moore/dp/0958578346/ After being raised I read it again and it is so much better now. Anyone can suggest another piece of reading that a proper Mason should not miss?
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May 18, 2013 19:49
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Well, i met with two older gents from the local lodge, and you guys weren't kidding about masons and their pancakes. Jesus wept. Anyway, they really didn't have any questions for me except why i don't have a cajun accent (i moved from new orleans a year ago). We just talked about europe and food. They invited me to the lodge in two weeks for their pre meeting breakfast and want me to bring the wife and kid and turn in my petition then. I suppose that's a good sign. I thought i would be "screened" or something more than just shooting the breeze with two old veterans. It was like talking to my great uncles.
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May 18, 2013 20:30
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Colton posted:I thought i would be "screened" or something more than just shooting the breeze with two old veterans. It was like talking to my great uncles. You know how you get a vibe from people when they're assholes or criminals. Well those of us who have been injected with the lizard DNA have heightened senses and can sense when a candidate will make a good receptacle for a hatchling. Good luck in your petition.
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May 18, 2013 23:26
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Colton posted:I thought i would be "screened" or something more than just shooting the breeze with two old veterans. It was like talking to my great uncles. You were. Not every screening needs to be a questionnaire. Just talking to a dude is the best way to get to know anyone, in my opinion. That plus anyone who works in the brood chambers gets fitted with a telepathic receiver.
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May 19, 2013 04:27
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Colton posted:Well, i met with two older gents from the local lodge, and you guys weren't kidding about masons and their pancakes. Jesus wept. We told you it was going to be just bullshitting and pancakes. The interview is really a 2 part test. A poo poo bag test and commitment test. If you show up, you pass the commitment test. If you can hold a conversation with out comming off as a complete scum bag poo poo head, you past the other. Any background/criminal record issues will show up in the background check, and if you screwed over any members, they will bring it up when your petition is submitted.
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May 19, 2013 05:23
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Danica! posted:We told you it was going to be just bullshitting and pancakes. I was pleasantly surprised. Now i'm looking forward to meeting the lodge and eating pancakes before i submit my petition. I told my wife about the pancakes and that sold her on the whole idea. I did a little bit of research on the other organizations and the shriners really appeal to me but i'm probably getting way ahead of myself. So in two weeks i'll be petitioning at tuality lodge #6 in hillsboro, oregon. I'm really excited now.
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May 19, 2013 05:33
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Colton posted:I was pleasantly surprised. Now i'm looking forward to meeting the lodge and eating pancakes before i submit my petition. I told my wife about the pancakes and that sold her on the whole idea. The pancakes always do. 
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May 19, 2013 07:18
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I found some reports on Women in freemasonry in the Telegraph Some pretty cool pics, and there is a gallery with some really cool looking regalia on some older MILFs (In this case it's mason not mother)  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10062626/Meet-the-first-mother-and-daughter-Freemasons.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3675307/Women-and-Freemasonry.html
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May 19, 2013 07:48
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Interesting... Specifically I find these two quotes very interesting. From the Womens Order of Freemason's website... quote:The United Grand Lodge of England have, in a statement of 10th March 1999, acknowledged the regularity and sincerity of women’s Freemasonry although they do not officially recognise it and their members cannot take part. Many of our own Lodges meet in premises owned by the men’s Order and informal relations are cordial and co-operative. And from the UGLE's website quote:Are there women Freemasons? Compare that to say, a quote from my home Grand Lodge's website... ( California ) quote:Why can’t women join Masonry? Seems to be a different attitude over in England than here in the USA regarding Women in masonry.
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May 19, 2013 11:58
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Just thought i'd post something so the thread doesn't get too dusty. A few days ago, i met with another mason from a different lodge. I had sent an email to the grand lodge two weeks ago and they sent him an email with my contact information so we could get coffee and talk. This meeting was more like a history lesson. He ran through the story about masons, the creation of the masons, and what it's all about. We talked about my wife and my spiritual beliefs only in the sense that i have a belief in supreme beings and the immortality of the soul and she doesn't believe in the immortality of the soul and believes there are gods out there but they're all assholes (guess that makes her a pissed off pantheist?) He was amazed i knew so much about freemasons. I did a LOT of research and i've been reading this thread for information. I guess not too many other prospective members take the time to do research... Anyway, he mentioned an esoteric lodge that really appealed to me. Anyone here have anything to share about what these lodges are all about? He said that they focused more on ritual and mysticism and that appeals to me and i'm planning on looking into dual membership with that lodge once i get master mason. Also, thanks for all the info, it really impresses the old guys at the lodge!
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May 24, 2013 17:14
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Colton posted:I talked to my wife about this last night and she said that she doesn't mind me wanting to join a social club, she just thinks it's silly because of the requirement that you believe in a supreme being. She thinks that means jesus, and both of us are pagan. I told her i'd investigate how jesus-y it is and she seemed to relax.  oregoon! Still on my personal trek to masonry here on the other side of the Columbia in Vancouver.
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May 25, 2013 04:24
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Colton, It might help if you mentioned the name of that esoteric lodge. It sounds like you're on a fairly normal path right now. The guy that met you for coffee might be the guy that teaches you the things you need to memorize as you head for MM. It really isn't all that difficult and, depending on the lodge, shouldn't take more than a few months. I don't see the purpose in trying to join more than one lodge though. A mason is welcome to sit in pretty much every lodge in the world. If you are into ritual, then you can learn lots at your own lodge or at other lodges. Brethren often fill in to perform rites at neighboring lodges and often practice with brothers from other lodges. Also, if membership in one lodge isn't enough to keep you busy then you're probably not doing it right. Oh yeah - regarding the paganism, it certainly does depend on the lodge. On the other hand, I've been in lodge with muslims, jews, catholics, baptists, .... Never a pagan though. I'm curious about that one. There is definitely a strong monotheistic feel to everything though. patentmagus fucked around with this message at 05:21 on May 25, 2013 |
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May 25, 2013 05:15
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Paramemetic, would you mind describing your religious beliefs a bit?
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May 25, 2013 06:01
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patentmagus posted:Colton, It might help if you mentioned the name of that esoteric lodge. It's actually called esoterika lodge in portland. From the way it was described to me it just seems like it's one of those specialized lodges devoted to mysticism and knowing portland is probably where the pagans hang out. I still need to finish my petition before handing it in next week and i'm still going back and forth about which 5 men to put on the petition. I'm sure i'll settle on 5 in a week.
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May 25, 2013 07:54
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ashgromnies posted:Paramemetic, would you mind describing your religious beliefs a bit? I suppose not, I wonder why you're asking me specifically though? I'm a Buddhist, and specifically I practice Vajrayana. So essentially I believe that we exist in a state of suffering brought about by our attachments, aversions, and ignorance, and that by cessation of those attachments, aversions, and ignorance we can end our state of suffering. The way to end this suffering is practicing Buddhadharma, and specifically the noble eightfold path. With regards to Masonry, I should first qualify that my beliefs were at the time I was made a Mason a bit more vague, sort of Rosicrucian-y and without terms for things. However, I am still able to reconcile what I practice now with these beliefs (they evolved, rather than becoming contradictory). For example, I believe in a Supreme Being, which in Buddhism is called Dharmakaya. There is some controversy with me over the "resurrection of the body" bit because in Ohio, where I was made a Mason, there is no such requirement. Had that been required of me before, I may never have been made a Mason, as I cannot reconcile that with obvious impermanence of all composite forms.
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May 25, 2013 12:17
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Ok.. Here is the way I asked the religion question when I was part of the petitions comity. Do you believe in a supreme being? That there is something greater than us and a pledge to them is absolute? If they could answer yes to both of them, then they qualify. I specifically told them I don't care what their religion is.
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May 25, 2013 18:51
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Colton posted:It's actually called esoterika lodge in portland. ... Interesting. A touch of googling indicates they are Esoterika Lodge No. 227, A. F. & A. M. of Oregon. They have a web site with contact info, meeting times, etc. They have a dress code, but don't let that freak you out. Think of it as costuming if you wish - like wearing a utilikilt to Beltain. Esoterika 227 has probably already dealt with paganism. Maybe your local lodge has as well. You may need to pick a deity to swear to. Also, I'm firmly in agreement with Danica! The details of your supreme being are your business. As for logistics, you'll notice from their web site that Esoterika 227 is scheduled to "go dark" in July and August. That means they won't be holding their regularly scheduled meetings. Many lodges will also go dark around the same time. You should have your paperwork in real soon or you may be stuck in a holding pattern for a few months.
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May 25, 2013 22:35
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patentmagus posted:I don't see the purpose in trying to join more than one lodge though. I belong to two lodges; my mother lodge in Santa Fe and one here in Montana. While I've never belonged to two lodges in the same town, doing so has a number of benefits - if you're interested in being an officer of either lodge or more practically, if you want to vote on any of the lodge business. A brother might also wish to support them both by paying dues. Another thing to consider is that different lodges emphasize different aspects of Freemasonry and that an individual brother might be interested in both. Some lodges focus on charitable endeavors and community involvement, some on fellowship and some on ritual. I'd certainly join a Traditional Observance lodge or a more scholarly one in a heartbeat, without giving up my current memberships.
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May 26, 2013 00:58
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The second lodge is something i'm tossing around for after i hit MM. i haven't even been accepted yet so i figure i got time
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May 26, 2013 02:00
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Oh, so... hey. I joined the Shrine yesterday. I have a sparkly new fez. Yay, Murat Shrine! 
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May 26, 2013 05:21
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Paramemetic posted:I suppose not, I wonder why you're asking me specifically though? I was asking because I was familiar with your posting in the Buddhist thread and was surprised to see you saying that as a Mason you believed in a supreme being. Thanks for answering. I am slightly confused by your interpretation of dharmakaya from my understanding of it but I know very little about vajrayana.
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May 26, 2013 10:01
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ashgromnies posted:I was asking because I was familiar with your posting in the Buddhist thread and was surprised to see you saying that as a Mason you believed in a supreme being. Thanks for answering. I am slightly confused by your interpretation of dharmakaya from my understanding of it but I know very little about vajrayana. That's certainly fair and why I had figured you'd asked. For my interpretation of Dharmakaya, I will first caveat that it is not quite the same as a Supreme Being in the conventional sense, but I do believe it works closely enough, seeing as rough concepts such as a philosopher's God can pass muster. From Wikipedia, a concise definition of Dharmakaya as I'm using it here is "[T]he ultimate nature or essence of the enlightened mind [byang-chub sems], which is uncreated (skye-med), free from the limits of conceptual elaboration (spros-pa'i mtha'-bral), empty of inherent existence (rang-bzhin-gyis stong-pa), naturally radiant, beyond duality and spacious like the sky. The intermediate state of the time of death ('chi-kha'i bar-do) is considered to be an optimum time for the realisation of the Buddha-body of Reality." That's close enough to the use of Supreme Being for me to consider viable. There is also sometimes Masonically an emphasis on a "Great Architect of the Universe" which I can regard as the Emptiness from which all physical phenomena arise. Thanks for the question, though. Do you have PMs, that we can continue this further there if you'd like?
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May 26, 2013 13:24
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Please continue publicly. I for one find it interesting.
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May 26, 2013 23:13
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Aureus posted:Interesting... Specifically I find these two quotes very interesting. I just want to say that this is really heartening to see. Makes me wish the same attitudes were taken up here, since, in spite of the fact that I've been understanding about the fraternity angle, this is exactly what I'd want to see in terms of women in masonry. Not a co-ed lodge, just the ability for a women's lodge to be recognized without having to be strictly Christian. Thanks for sharing the quotes.
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May 27, 2013 12:11
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A couple guys from my lodge and I visited another lodge last night for a third degree. The brother was a young man whose father and grandfather were both present. It was a very moving experience for all involved. If you've never visited another lodge for degree work I would recommend you do so, it's interesting to see how a different group approaches the same material. There were also three guys from one of the local PHA lodges in attendance. They have a third degree scheduled about a month from now that I hope to attend. I've never been before, and I hear their work is somewhat more... intense than ours.Aureus posted:Compare that to say, a quote from my home Grand Lodge's website... ( California ) What are the women-only appendant bodies? OES for sure and I'm pretty sure Amaranth allow men. Daughters of the Nile maybe?
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May 30, 2013 18:08
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Job's Daughters for one.
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May 30, 2013 18:27
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OES is co-ed iirc (I'm not a member, but good friends with the local Worthy Patron), not exclusively for women
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May 30, 2013 18:31
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OES is definitely co-ed.
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May 30, 2013 18:35
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OES is not only co-ed, it's fun and you guys should consider visiting your local chapter!
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May 30, 2013 19:35
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I really only know of OES, Job's Daughters and Rainbow Girls. Eastern Star is obviously Coed, the other two are youth organizations. I'm not aware of any women-only affiliated masonic bodies in the US. Daughters of the Nile appears to be women only... I had not heard of them before reading Stubblyhead's post. I don't really think a women's only organization that is limited in membership to being the relative of a Shriner counts though. Aureus fucked around with this message at 22:05 on May 30, 2013 |
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May 30, 2013 22:02
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Aureus posted:Daughters of the Nile appears to be women only... I had not heard of them before reading Stubblyhead's post. I don't know a whole lot about them either. Their meetings are in the same room we meet in at the local Shrine/SR complex though, and they occasionally don't leave thing the way they found them afterwards. I don't know what their ritual is like, but they have chairs all over the place draped with I don't know how many yards of the fancy stuff from the fabric store with the shiny metallic fibers woven in.
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May 31, 2013 00:21
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After a busy season, that was the last meeting I'll be going to until we start up again in September. One of the local lodges had a mark degree worked by another team - great laugh and a good time. Plenty of visitors, too. The working team did a great job, some of their junior members did lectures or floorwork - a notable mention to one of their guys who is Sikh - the only such guy in the province, and he's a good sport, too. Regarding the discussion from the past few posts, OES is the same here and co-ed, can't think of any others (young-folk masonic orders / groups do not exist to my knowledge, sadly - Girl Guides, Brownies, Beavers/Cubs/Scouts etc do, but not Masonic-based.)
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May 31, 2013 23:34
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stubblyhead posted:I don't know a whole lot about them either. Their meetings are in the same room we meet in at the local Shrine/SR complex though, and they occasionally don't leave thing the way they found them afterwards. I don't know what their ritual is like, but they have chairs all over the place draped with I don't know how many yards of the fancy stuff from the fabric store with the shiny metallic fibers woven in. I don't know who met before one of our meetings, but glitter was everywhere!
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Jun 1, 2013 00:47
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Just turned in my petition today. Unfortunately, the lodge goes dark for 2 months. Will have to wait til September to be initiated The wife and i took our son to their pre meeting breakfast (no pancakes, strangely enough) and i got to introduce myself to the men there. I was surprised that there were only 8 masons there. I thought there would be more. My wife was able to talk to another wife who was there with a small child and she got invited to a rummage sale the rainbow girls are doing. It felt really strange. Not sure why. Maybe i just need to warm up to them. They were nice enough, though Colton fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Jun 1, 2013 |
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Jun 1, 2013 18:29
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Before petitioning did you visit other lodges in your area? If you didn't, I would do that before you go through the degrees as you might find a lodge where you don't feel strange being at a meeting.
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Jun 1, 2013 20:24
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I did. This one's the only one that has meetings i can attend due to my work schedule. It wasn't that bad, just the way it usually is when one walks into a room full of strangers
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Jun 2, 2013 02:29
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Just for any Australian masons on here, Channel 31 - Melbourne is now halfway through it's first season of "Freemasons - The Inside Story". For those who aren't aware of it, Ch 31 is a sort of upmarket PBS. FTIS is a production exploring masonry from a the standpoint of the UGLV (Victoria). It airs on a monday night, but for those not from Melbourne, you could try the following link: http://www.c31.org.au/program/view/program/freemasons-victoria-the-inside-story. I have been interviewed for the program and one of my good mates, Ben, is one of the presenters. If you have a chance (and the link works) you should check it out. If you have issues, feel free to PM me and I might be able to arrange to post the episodes on a USB or something...
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Jun 2, 2013 05:14
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jrgnsn_tjf posted:Just for any Australian masons on here, Channel 31 - Melbourne is now halfway through it's first season of "Freemasons - The Inside Story". For those who aren't aware of it, Ch 31 is a sort of upmarket PBS. FTIS is a production exploring masonry from a the standpoint of the UGLV (Victoria). It airs on a monday night, but for those not from Melbourne, you could try the following link: http://www.c31.org.au/program/view/program/freemasons-victoria-the-inside-story. I have been interviewed for the program and one of my good mates, Ben, is one of the presenters. Thanks Brother, Channel 31 is pretty cool, and I don't know if they show the Melbourne show direct in Sydney, but I can get to the website okay.
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Jun 2, 2013 08:33
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