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Doing my FC tonight, probably going to be one of the few times I'm glad they crank the heat in the lodge room. Going to be interesting one, we have a whole new line other than the Tyler and secretary, but all but one are PM's.
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Jan 22, 2014 13:43
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congratulations and good luck, brother!
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Jan 22, 2014 20:33
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:If you're planning on visiting Iceland be sure to bring both a Masonic passport and something to help un-wedge the stick up the rear end of whoever you're meeting. If you're visiting lodge in Sweden be sure to bring a spare liver. Ironically I was just in Iceland this past week and trying to visit/talk with masons there wasn't much of a success. Your advice is very sound. Also, their grand lodge is essentially useless and impossible to find. I had better luck at a random lodge I passed on the road than actually getting any kind of official greeting/tour/whatever set up. Oh well, the rest of the trip was amazing.
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Jan 22, 2014 20:46
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I just passed my master mason proficiency and already i'm being solicited for appendant bodies. I was given a petition for the order of the amaranth. What can you tell me about the order? I know next to nothing about it. They gave me a petition for and my wife.
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Feb 1, 2014 22:17
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Myself and three others are doing the Holy Royal Arch Degree on 25th of Feb. In my jurisdiction(Victoria, Australia) it's considered the 'fifth degree' and aside from the 'Mark Degree', it's considered the final degree to 'tie everything together' (I've been told). QPZIL, I know you have done some extensive writing about the Arch, but I have decided to hold off reading it unti after i've gone through the veils.... If anyone is in Melb, PM me and I'd love to have you along!! Any tips for the night, gents? Aside from the usual re: not falling off the goat...
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Feb 2, 2014 05:05
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The Royal Arch degree definitely does tie everything together. It's a wonderful degree that's much more over-arching (ha) than the first three degrees. My advice would be, try to keep your eyes open when you can and take in as much as you can. You're definitely not going to get everything the first time, but just absorb it and enjoy it 
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Feb 2, 2014 11:43
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@Colton, where I am from it is apparently customary to wait nearly a year before being approached for append bodies. Be it as such, it is hinted at that Royal Arch is awesome and I should be happy to join. Alas, my fourth child is coming in a few weeks so I will be rather busy the coming year at the least.
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Feb 2, 2014 14:45
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So after being raised, the first meeting I attended, I filled in for junior steward. During inspection. Doing an EA degree. That was...interesting.
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Feb 2, 2014 23:04
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So I'm seriously considering joining enough that I sent correspondence to my local chapter inquiring as to the application procedures. I guess we'll see where it gets me! I think I more than meet the requirements but I guess we'll see. I just hope it isn't too expensive...
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Feb 6, 2014 03:55
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Aw, man. One of our brand new EAs just died. David Del La Pena. Been with us just a month. Didn't know him, but I figure it's my duty to appear at the services, right?
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Feb 6, 2014 04:08
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7thBatallion posted:Aw, man. One of our brand new EAs just died. David Del La Pena. Been with us just a month. Didn't know him, but I figure it's my duty to appear at the services, right? You are a good man, 7th. Check with your WM if there is contact established with the family and how they feel if there is a group of masons at the funeral. Discuss your duties with your SW, I am not sure visiting a funeral is part of it.
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Feb 6, 2014 08:30
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Keetron posted:You are a good man, 7th. Won't be my first rodeo, definitely won't be my last. We are more than likely running the service, or our own separate one. We always do a service for our members. I never met him, but I believe he was in his 60s. That makes him the second this year from my Lodge to pass. And we've been in a Lodge of Sorrow for, by my count, 18 months. It's easier to stay in it than constantly open and close on what is sometimes a moments notice. And we have a Facebook page. Funerals are coordinated there. Anyone here not been to a Masonic funeral? Kilo147 fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Feb 6, 2014 |
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Feb 6, 2014 09:04
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I haven't, actually. Despite my lodge being very old and often very sick, none have died in the last few years.
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Feb 6, 2014 11:46
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Angry Birds Suicide posted:So I'm seriously considering joining enough that I sent correspondence to my local chapter inquiring as to the application procedures. I guess we'll see where it gets me! You basically started the application process through that correspondence.
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Feb 6, 2014 16:50
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Brothers, I'm wondering if you can clarify something for me. A fellow joined my lodge, was raised, and attended somewhat regularly for a couple of years. After a while he attended less and less, until finally he requested a demit this past Fall. The demit was respectfully requested and granted, and everybody just continued on. I ran into this fellow a week or so ago, just out and about, and as we chatted I noticed he was wearing his Masonic ring, which struck me as a little funny for someone who quit. But I am not really clear how that all works. If one takes a demit, are they still a Mason, just unaffiliated with any lodge? Are they no longer a Mason? I know for a fact this guy is not a member of any other lodge. Anyways, I have no intention of making a scene or stirring poo poo up, I just thought it was weird. This fellow and I have some overlapping acquaintances, and we were both attending the same (non-masonic) function later that same day. I noticed he was NOT wearing the ring that evening.
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Feb 6, 2014 16:59
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Flying Fortress posted:Brothers, I'm wondering if you can clarify something for me. A fellow joined my lodge, was raised, and attended somewhat regularly for a couple of years. After a while he attended less and less, until finally he requested a demit this past Fall. The demit was respectfully requested and granted, and everybody just continued on. He is still a Mason, he just can't regularly attend any meetings. He can use his demit to attend a meeting once, after which the demit is signed, and can't be used to gain entry to any Lodge meeting thereafter. He can still affiliate with a Lodge, in which case it's handled like any other affiliation. You'll hear it said at some point: "once a Mason, always a Mason." Even suspensions (for non-payment of dues, etc.) are considered temporary, and a Brother is still considered a Mason until his re-instatement. The only time a person ceases to be a Mason is through expulsion, which is fairly rare. And *even then* he is still considered bound to his obligations. edit: The fact that he still wears his ring is an indication that he likely still values the fraternity, but there's something keeping him away. Is it the financial obligation of the dues? Did he have trouble with a specific Brother? Did he want to be doing something other than just attend meetings, but didn't feel he had the opportunity? These are things worth exploring with him, the next time you see him. Tinestram fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Feb 6, 2014 |
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Feb 6, 2014 17:12
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runupon cracker posted:He is still a Mason, he just can't regularly attend any meetings. He can use his demit to attend a meeting once, after which the demit is signed, and can't be used to gain entry to any Lodge meeting thereafter. He can still affiliate with a Lodge, in which case it's handled like any other affiliation. Thank you for this detailed response, that all makes sense. As to why he left, I can't say for sure but I have heard different things through the grapevine, as we do have overlapping social circles. I know he has some personal issues he is working through, and he has joined AA and is getting counselling. His wife told my wife that he thought Lodge was boring, but he has never expressed that to me. I personally feel that the fraternity of the lodge would have been a positive influence, but I can't pretend to know what he is dealing with. He did leave on good terms, and is welcome to return, so perhaps when he has a better handle on things he will do just that.
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Feb 6, 2014 17:40
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Am I the only person getting irrationally angry at this whole MASONS BELIEVE IN ONE TRUE GOD thing that a fair number of states and the Masonic Information Centre seem hellbent on pushing everywhere in the world? I keep seeing it pop up on the freemasonry Facebook group (which is admittedly terrible, it's run by a self-interested Randroid who struggles to keep his ideology out of it) and it just seems like a really lovely thing to do to Brothers of other faiths. I mean, I don't think I've set foot in a blue lodge in 2-3 years so maybe I'm not the best judge here, but I find this subtle "Anyone is welcome, but jesusjesusjesusjesus" thing that American lodges have going on is perhaps slightly disrespectful. Does anyone know where I can get the UGLE rules on religion and memberships?
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Feb 6, 2014 18:17
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:Am I the only person getting irrationally angry at this whole MASONS BELIEVE IN ONE TRUE GOD thing that a fair number of states and the Masonic Information Centre seem hellbent on pushing everywhere in the world? I keep seeing it pop up on the freemasonry Facebook group (which is admittedly terrible, it's run by a self-interested Randroid who struggles to keep his ideology out of it) and it just seems like a really lovely thing to do to Brothers of other faiths. I mean, I don't think I've set foot in a blue lodge in 2-3 years so maybe I'm not the best judge here, but I find this subtle "Anyone is welcome, but jesusjesusjesusjesus" thing that American lodges have going on is perhaps slightly disrespectful. Yeah it annoys the poo poo out of me as well and is a large part of why I've put off affiliating with a Lodge in Louisiana for the year that I've lived here. There are also so many, so far as I can tell, bullshit one off/small lodge groups around that I don't know what to make of it. There's the normal Blue Lodge "Whites!", there's the larger Prince Hall group, then there are a slew of small one off lodges or 5, 6 lodge affiliations that pretend to be Masonry but have all kinds of other poo poo. One of my employees out here was surprised by my Scottish Rite Hospital fleece and when we talked about Masonry he insisted quite fervently that you had to believe in Jesus to join a Lodge. Asked him which lodge he was in and then I dropped the subject. Then I looked it up later and... yeah. Lodge was as clandestine as it gets, super christian and all the rest. He had no idea that it wasn't part of the larger Masonic system. I just let it rest. The UGLE's website faq only states: "All Freemasons are expected to have a religious belief, but Freemasonry does not seek to replace a Mason’s religion or provide a substitute for it. It deals in a man’s relationship with his fellow man not in a man’s relationship with his God." Which you've probably already pulled up. Their "Becoming a Mason" leaflet only says "We don't discriminate based on Religion" and never brings up the topic again, though its pretty light on content in general. You get very little in the way of religious tones from anything on their website. Which makes sense really, England is far less into the whole Christian thing than we are here in the States. Getting more than that would probably take sending them an email. Aureus fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Feb 6, 2014 |
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Feb 6, 2014 18:54
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:Am I the only person getting irrationally angry at this whole MASONS BELIEVE IN ONE TRUE GOD thing that a fair number of states and the Masonic Information Centre seem hellbent on pushing everywhere in the world? I keep seeing it pop up on the freemasonry Facebook group (which is admittedly terrible, it's run by a self-interested Randroid who struggles to keep his ideology out of it) and it just seems like a really lovely thing to do to Brothers of other faiths. I mean, I don't think I've set foot in a blue lodge in 2-3 years so maybe I'm not the best judge here, but I find this subtle "Anyone is welcome, but jesusjesusjesusjesus" thing that American lodges have going on is perhaps slightly disrespectful. "No discrimination shall be made in the case of a mans background, race or religion" or a quote near-to this is about all I can drum up from memory, I don't have a copy of the UGLE constitution and laws but I may have one for the Grand Lodge of Scotland kicking around (which incidentally had its quarterly communication today) All I can personally say is that while most I know are Christian, there are a number of muslim, jewish and one particular Sikh that I personally know in The Craft.
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Feb 6, 2014 18:57
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This my be the wrong place to ask this, and if so I'm sorry. I respect the fact the Masons won't accept Agnostic or Atheist members. Looking for a Fraternal order that will has been a bit frustrating. Any suggestions on orders (possibly even those outside Masonry) that don't require belief in the divine?
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Feb 6, 2014 20:22
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Rotary?
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Feb 6, 2014 20:43
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WAFFLEHOUND posted:Am I the only person getting irrationally angry at this whole MASONS BELIEVE IN ONE TRUE GOD thing that a fair number of states and the Masonic Information Centre seem hellbent on pushing everywhere in the world? I keep seeing it pop up on the freemasonry Facebook group (which is admittedly terrible, it's run by a self-interested Randroid who struggles to keep his ideology out of it) and it just seems like a really lovely thing to do to Brothers of other faiths. I mean, I don't think I've set foot in a blue lodge in 2-3 years so maybe I'm not the best judge here, but I find this subtle "Anyone is welcome, but jesusjesusjesusjesus" thing that American lodges have going on is perhaps slightly disrespectful. Haven't really run into this up here in Ontario Canada. Sounds pretty lovely though.
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Feb 6, 2014 23:35
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It's mainly a US thing, I haven't seen it out here in BC either.
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Feb 6, 2014 23:59
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Flying Fortress posted:Haven't really run into this up here in Ontario Canada. Sounds pretty lovely though. I haven't heard it in NY, and I wouldn't have considered becoming a Mason if that was the prevailing attitude. We're lucky here to have an incredibly diverse group.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:19
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Welp after doing the research and stuff I have a meeting Sunday with my local lodge's secretary. This should be interesting!
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Feb 7, 2014 01:31
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My lodge had an interesting conversation around this the other day--what if someone responds that they worship Satan in a peaceful manner? It's still a higher power and whatnot, and they're clearly not atheist, so...how would we handle that? We couldn't agree.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:34
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Emron posted:My lodge had an interesting conversation around this the other day--what if someone responds that they worship Satan in a peaceful manner? It's still a higher power and whatnot, and they're clearly not atheist, so...how would we handle that? We couldn't agree. But isn't satanism just ironic atheism?
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Feb 7, 2014 01:37
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PrinceRandom posted:But isn't satanism just ironic atheism? Imagine the non-Objectivism version of it. Like someone that literally and faithfully worshiped Satan, the fallen angel.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:42
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"look guys I know we agreed to have everyone's holy books up here but yours starts screaming and catches fire every time its opened so in the interest of safety.."
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Feb 7, 2014 01:50
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Emron posted:My lodge had an interesting conversation around this the other day--what if someone responds that they worship Satan in a peaceful manner? It's still a higher power and whatnot, and they're clearly not atheist, so...how would we handle that? We couldn't agree. Ideally it wouldn't be an issue IMO. It's not quite the same thing, but my lodge keeps a copy of The Book of the Law in case a brother chooses it as their sacred volume during degrees.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:50
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Don't we have a Satanist in this thread, actually?
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Feb 7, 2014 01:53
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Snowy posted:Ideally it wouldn't be an issue IMO. It's not quite the same thing, but my lodge keeps a copy of The Book of the Law in case a brother chooses it as their sacred volume during degrees. So essentially, you allow atheists. I'm reporting you for being an illicit lodge. Make your time. 
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Feb 7, 2014 01:53
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Emron posted:So essentially, you allow atheists. I'm reporting you for being an illicit lodge. Make your time. Umm, no. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Law
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Feb 7, 2014 02:12
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Oh, I assumed it was literally a legal text. That's actually less exciting than I had hoped 
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Feb 7, 2014 02:13
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Emron posted:So essentially, you allow atheists. I'm reporting you for being an illicit lodge. Make your time.
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Feb 7, 2014 02:15
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Reminder that for at least two posters in this thread this is a major religious figure: So... let's just say demons and the like are subjective. 
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Feb 7, 2014 02:20
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But could the biblical Satan be recognized as an "Architect of the Universe"? That is what you ultimately have to pledge to right?
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Feb 7, 2014 02:24
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PrinceRandom posted:But could the biblical Satan be recognized as an "Architect of the Universe"? That is what you ultimately have to pledge to right? Thats a stand in term for "Your God." Actual literal worship of Satan would be... an interesting one? There'd have to be some kind of twist to it else you are accepting the Christian theology but choosing to worship the "bad guy" which I guess would bring rise to moral questions?
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Feb 7, 2014 02:31
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Jehovah = Adonai za-Baoth = Lord of Hosts = Baal za-Baoth = Beelzebuth = Beelzebub
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Feb 7, 2014 02:32
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