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Dirigibleful posted:I'm not trans, I was just wondering in a academic sense This is one of those things that can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and even from one lodge to another. Though I would say there's a very good chance that a trans-person would not even make it to a vote or be black cubed if they disclosed this.
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Oct 1, 2015 21:12
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Colonial Air Force posted:Truthfully, it depends on the Lodge, and it would likely cause a huge commotion. And that's the unfortunate truth. It's unmasonic when such happens in my opinion, but many of our older brethren are set in their ways and adhere to a worldview that's a bit more conservative.
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Oct 2, 2015 03:25
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Loomer posted:And that's the unfortunate truth. It's unmasonic when such happens in my opinion, but many of our older brethren are set in their ways and adhere to a worldview that's a bit more conservative. Non-mason here, but would it really ever come up? Most trans guys I know outside the internet never mention it, for obvious reasons. Though I suppose you'd want to know about the applicant's past, but do you ask to see old school yearbooks? Or is the "brotherly love" thing more literal than I thought? Is there an inspection?  I've considered asking a coworker about his Masonic bumpersticker, but given my personal beliefs (I doubt "the laws of physics" counts as a deity, even though I have a similar sense of awe reading Hawking as Christians do when reading the Bible), bad "memorizing a block of text" skills, lack of income to give to charity/dues, and the fact that I'm in Texas (pretty sure that guy and I are only still on speaking terms because politics has never come up in our conversations, and he's probably the youngest guy in the local lodge at 45-ish), I probably wouldn't make it in. Sounds like fun, though. You guys keep doing your thing with the goat. On the other hand, here where "what church do you go to?" is an acceptable second question after "how ya doin'?" in small talk with strangers, maybe our Masons are more liberal (I'm guessing it's the other way, but a boy can dream). Any northeast Texans in here?
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Oct 2, 2015 10:31
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Bad Angus! Bad!
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Delivery McGee posted:Yeah, that. It might not be asked outright, but depending on the level of transition, it may not need to be. And there is sort of an inspection, yes, although not to that detail. But if anyone had any inkling at all, or even a suspicion, and they were inclined to do so, they would blackcube the person, and no one would have to explain why either.
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Oct 2, 2015 14:02
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Yeah, depending on how far they are in their transition, there are elements of the rituals that require various levels of undress (levels that men generally have no issue with).
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Oct 2, 2015 14:06
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Delivery McGee posted:Yeah, that. At my mother lodge we keep a jar of petroleum jelly in the preparation room, it's in plain sight too. When I was being initiated the Marshal pointed at it and winked at me. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat. (We don't keep it out for hazing, it's to help people take off jewelry.) I felt a lot better after the steward mentioned that to me. Also I'm 99% sure what I mentioned is legit to talk about, but feel free to correct me and I'll delete it.
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Oct 2, 2015 14:47
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Funny but only when you mentioned your words might be to much is when I puzzled it together, so it is innocent out of context.
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Oct 2, 2015 17:16
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Delivery McGee posted:Though I suppose you'd want to know about the applicant's past, but do you ask to see old school yearbooks? Basically it would take a young and progressive lodge in which the interview committee itself is cool with it, doesn't tell the main lodge before the vote, and possibly even colludes to help make sure bits of the preparation of the candidate for the ritual goes off smoothly.
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Oct 2, 2015 18:17
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Sub Rosa posted:In the jurisdiction in which I was raised, a literal background check is done on each candidate. Paid out of the application fee. It would come out. Makes sense when you put it that way. Obviously you'd want to make sure they're Our Sort, and not hiding their past for a reason that should be grounds for disqualification. Maybe things will get better once all the old assholes die off and you guys take over. COOL CORN posted:Yeah, depending on how far they are in their transition, there are elements of the rituals that require various levels of undress (levels that men generally have no issue with). A friend of mine who is trans made it in, in a state known for being super-conservative, no less. So I guess at least some lodges are keeping up with the times and/or are getting lax on the "watching the applicant gently caress the goat" thing.  Disclaimer: I admit I am taking the piss a little bit, but it's all in good fun, I mean no insult; I find this sort of thing fascinating and envy y'all for it. That said, if y'all want me to stop posting, I will -- this is your thread, I'm just an bemused outsider.
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Oct 3, 2015 08:20
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Delivery McGee posted:Disclaimer: I admit I am taking the piss a little bit, but it's all in good fun, I mean no insult; I find this sort of thing fascinating and envy y'all for it. That said, if y'all want me to stop posting, I will -- this is your thread, I'm just an bemused outsider. Not at all. I think I speak for the rest of the Goonmasons when I say that we welcome questions and good-natured ribbing. We've definitely had had less well-meaning Goons come in here certainly.
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Oct 3, 2015 20:14
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My application vote is this month. If I get in, it looks like I'll be doing the whole new-member process with three other folks. For a small lodge, this has apparently been a really good year for new members (they average somewhere around one and a half). It sounds like I've got a decent chance of getting in at this point, so fingers crossed. How many new members do most of your lodges get per year?
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Oct 4, 2015 03:31
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We're at one a year here, more or less.
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Oct 4, 2015 10:06
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Two or three, we have stable membership numbers. people move around after joining for some reason.
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Oct 4, 2015 12:56
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I belong to two different lodges, and each gains one or two new members each year on average. Some years we'll have six or seven initiates, and sometimes we'll go a couple of years between candidates. It doesn't seem to follow any pattern that I can tell. We often speculate whether the numbers are driven by new Dan Brown books, or History Channel programs, but we haven't seen a clear correlation.
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Oct 4, 2015 14:14
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My lodge is ridiculously active. We initiated something like twelve guys last year, and raised seven or so. Over the last year, I gave ~25 lectures.
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Oct 4, 2015 17:23
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Cholmondeley posted:I belong to two different lodges, and each gains one or two new members each year on average. Some years we'll have six or seven initiates, and sometimes we'll go a couple of years between candidates. It doesn't seem to follow any pattern that I can tell. We often speculate whether the numbers are driven by new Dan Brown books, or History Channel programs, but we haven't seen a clear correlation. Definitely the Dan Brown books.
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Oct 5, 2015 17:30
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I reckon if we started playing the Stonecutters episode of the Simpsons more we'd see a rise in members.
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Oct 5, 2015 17:49
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How would one approach a mason to ask about joining? Is there any sort of etiquette or anything regarding it?
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Oct 16, 2015 13:55
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DJ Dizzy posted:How would one approach a mason to ask about joining? Is there any sort of etiquette or anything regarding it? "Hey, you're a Mason, right? I've always been interested in joining, can you help with that?" He'll probably hand you an app right there.
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Oct 16, 2015 14:17
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Any Masonic goons in the Essex, England area? We had a pretty historic thing happen - on the same night (Oct 1st), we initiated a guy in our lodge in North Carolina, AND a lodge in England initiated a member into our lodge by proxy. Pretty neat.
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Oct 16, 2015 15:00
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Why would someone be initiated by proxy to an overseas lodge?
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Oct 16, 2015 17:14
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Noctis Horrendae posted:Why would someone be initiated by proxy to an overseas lodge? Because it is fun?
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Oct 16, 2015 17:17
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Noctis Horrendae posted:Why would someone be initiated by proxy to an overseas lodge? The guy's dad is a member of the English lodge, but the guy lives here. It meant a lot to him to be initiated into his father's lodge (not to mention he's living over there for the next few months), he's going to be receiving the 2nd and 3rd degrees here.
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Oct 16, 2015 17:58
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DJ Dizzy posted:How would one approach a mason to ask about joining? Is there any sort of etiquette or anything regarding it? Ask, and he'll either give you a card with who to call, his number, the number of the Lodge's membership officer/WM/Secretary, or take your number to call you later about it. If someone asks, we're more than happy to see if they're a good fit - this ain't judaism where you get turned away three times first. Noctis Horrendae posted:Why would someone be initiated by proxy to an overseas lodge? In addition to the sentimental reasons, issues of health are the obvious one for me. If a man is dying while overseas receiving care etc, proxy initiation to a lodge from his normal jurisdiction may be a good option.
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Oct 17, 2015 02:48
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Loomer posted:If a man is dying while overseas receiving care etc, proxy initiation to a lodge from his normal jurisdiction may be a good option. That sounds to me like an old man in dotage...
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Oct 17, 2015 19:07
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COOL CORN posted:That sounds to me like an old man in dotage... Provided the man's faculties remain intact, there should be no bar to his initiation per Mackey and Masonic Jurisprudence.
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Oct 19, 2015 04:12
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Received the three Knight Masons degrees on Monday. Supposedly the group exists to preserve the "ancient degrees of the Irish Masonic canon". Really interesting to see how they parallel and differ from degrees I've already seen.
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Oct 28, 2015 14:17
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Anyone know any really well put together podcasts regarding freemasonry? I listen regularly to 'The Winding Stairs', 'Whence Came You?', and 'The Masonic Roundtable'. Our friends from Queensland, Australia used to do one of their own, but sadly it has ceased. I'm keen to add a few more to my list Any thoughts?
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Oct 31, 2015 16:45
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I'm not gay but, I'm about ready to hang up the trowel. http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2015/09/gay-marriage-and-gl-of-tennessee.html
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Nov 2, 2015 05:33
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Lovable Luciferian posted:I'm not gay but, I'm about ready to hang up the trowel. Welp, time to write a letter to the CA Grand Lodge advocating rescinding recognition from any Grand Lodge with bullshit like that.
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Nov 2, 2015 06:28
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Lovable Luciferian posted:I'm not gay but, I'm about ready to hang up the trowel. When our Craft becomes ruled by men unfit for the purpose, and when the constitutions of a Grand Lodge are accordingly improper, we should not resign. Rather, we must work within our Craft to remedy the situation. This matter is distressing, yes, but it's no reason to demit from the Craft - that will remove any capacity you have to see change done.
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Nov 2, 2015 10:17
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The letter dude wrote is awesome: http://www.freemasonsfordummies.com/TennesseeGayMarriageCharges.pdf
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Nov 2, 2015 23:03
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Sub Rosa posted:The letter dude wrote is awesome: http://www.freemasonsfordummies.com/TennesseeGayMarriageCharges.pdf This is an amazingly well written piece of Masonic Jurisprudence, the shame upon the GLoTN is great, and I will be forwarding this letter to my mother lodge secretary in Ohio as well as bringing it up with my Maryland Grand Lodge representatives on the occasion that I ever go back to Lodge, as I must confess I've not been active much in this last two years.
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Nov 2, 2015 23:22
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That is one hell of a piece of writing. My grand lodge's current theme is diversity and fraternity, so I might pass it on to them as well. This is precisely the sort of thing our current GM came out swinging about and it wasn't CCd to the UGLNSWACT, so he might get some unexpected support from us down-under brothers.
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Nov 3, 2015 03:31
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So I started with a local Mason lodge a few years back but I never finished. I don't even want to try and talk about what I did because it's been so long I'm sure I'll get something wrong. Is it worth it to go back and try to finish? I didn't really identify or feel any kinship with the gentlemen who were in the lodge. We were worlds apart in terms of life experiences but a buddy of mine insisted I give it a shot and go through the initiation.
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Nov 3, 2015 21:43
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Well... if you don't like it there and didn't feel anything during the experience, then... don't go back?
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Nov 3, 2015 22:11
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COOL CORN posted:Well... if you don't like it there and didn't feel anything during the experience, then... don't go back? May be worth checking out a different lodge, if he's still interested? I mean, it depends on the ways they were worlds apart I suppose.
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Nov 3, 2015 22:35
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I think the issue is, if you go through the initiation and come out thinking "okay well that was that" and have no emotion or interest in returning, then Freemasonry may not be for you.
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Nov 3, 2015 22:41
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COOL CORN posted:I think the issue is, if you go through the initiation and come out thinking "okay well that was that" and have no emotion or interest in returning, then Freemasonry may not be for you. Yeah, but his thing seemed to be not liking the specific people more than anything else, I dunno. But hopefully I will know more soon! My vote is on Tuesday and then I'll get to find out whether or not I got in.
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Nov 5, 2015 19:41
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Best of luck! We're having elections tonight, and things are looking like I'll be Junior Warden next year, which puts me as master two years from now. Yikes!
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Nov 5, 2015 20:12
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