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Freemasonry is the world's oldest esoteric fraternity, varyingly referred to as a secret society, fraternal order, conspiratical organization, etc. While commonly called a secret society, Masons tend to prefer calling ourselves a "society with secrets." Details of our rites and rituals are kept secret for a variety of reasons which I will discuss, none of which are nefarious but rather traditional. Our membership is not commonly secretive, except in countries and times when it is necessary to be so (whereas Masons in America commonly wear rings or rock emblems on their cars, Masons in China must by necessity be much less overt). Our history is long, with realistic estimates looking at Freemasonry developing from actual guilds and lodges of masons working in the middle ages in the present day UK. Popular (likely mythical) origins tell of integration of the Knights Templar, and it is certainly evident that masonry existed in a primitive form as early as the building of many great cathedrals in the UK, as many have symbols that modern day Masons would recognize instantly. We are a storied and long-lived fraternity, dedicated to promoting the most noble ideals of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, and we are open to men of all races and creeds should they meet some few (occasionally contested) mandatory requirements. Requirements to become a Freemason The requirements to become a Mason vary in wording and phrasing, and sometimes in interpretation (Florida  ) from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but they boil down to this:If a man wishes to become a Freemason, he must: 1. Be a man, and of lawful age (varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, usually 21, sometimes 18, or anywhere in between). 2. Be born free (i.e., not a slave). 3. Possess a good moral character and be able to be vouched for. 4. Profess a belief in God. These requirements are immutable, regarded as "ancient landmarks" which no mason nor assembly of masons is able to change. They are largely historical, with only the fourth usually providing a question and historically it is left to the candidate to decide if he meets such a requirement. This is probably the most contentious of the requirements, so I will address it straightaway. A belief in God is historically required because the degrees are each accompanied by a sworn oath taken on a "volume of the sacred law." In "time immemorial," it was believed that an atheist could not possibly take such an oath and have it be binding upon him. Masonry was heavily involved in the development of the Enlightenment and Enlightenment Era thinking, but predates it, and as such predates the development of atheistic or agnostic moral philosophy. In 14th century England, there wasn't really any other ethical game in town, and so it was never a question. It is often a question today. Certainly most people accept that a person can be noble, honorable, ethical, moral, just, and honest without professing belief in God. Further, as the world became larger, so to speak, interpretations have been made to allow other faiths that are able to answer that question to their own satisfaction. Historically, Masonry does not exclude any man of any religion based on what interpretation of "God" they choose - Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Sufis, Deists, and Jainists all sit together in perfect harmony, each interpreting the reference to a Great Architect of the Universe (GAOTU) in their own way. Even Buddhists, who do not profess such a belief as a central creed, are generally accepted in Masonry if they are capable of answering the question to their own satisfaction, and Hindu believers, who believe in many gods but one Brahma, are also welcome. It is even possible to be admitted without any specific religion, but rather a simple spiritual sense and conception of a "philosopher's god" or prime mover. But atheists, agnostics, and non-theists cannot become Masons as such. While there are orders claiming to be masonic that will admit such (the Grand Lodge of France, for example, or Co-Masonry, for another), these lodges are not considered "regular" (more on that later) and so aren't really within the scope of this thread. Despite many of us feeling sadly that non-believers cannot be admitted, it is sadly out of our hands. Many good men have come into this thread's previous incarnation and expressed regret or frustration that they cannot join our esteemed order, but it cannot be changed. It is an ancient landmark, and no man nor Mason has the authority to change these landmarks. Such is also the case regarding women. Many of us would not object to women joining on a personal level - were it any other order or organization, or were there provisions for changing this requirement, it would be done. But there is no such provision, and no such possibility. There are appendant bodies that accept women who are related to Masons, and this is a possibility for women who wish for the same kind of organization, but these are not Masonry proper. As appendant bodies though I will discuss them later. The Organization of the Craft At its fundamental level, Masonry is Craft Masonry, or the Blue Lodge. The Blue Lodge is the basic structure of Masonry, comprised of 3 degrees (3.5/4 in lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland), of which the third degree, Master Mason, is the highest. There is no higher degree than Master Mason. It is common for people from outside the Craft, especially conspiracy theorists, to point to various degrees as "higher" due to their numeric assignation, specifically in the Scottish Rite which goes regularly up to 32nd degree and, by nomination, to 33rd, but those degrees are part of the Scottish Rite, an optional and appendant body in Masonry. In the Craft Masonry, I as a Master Mason sitting next to a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason am exactly equal, for he is also a Master Mason (there is an exception for experience, as such a Scottish Rite mason is most likely a past master, which holds special esteem, if not a higher degree). The three degrees in the Craft Lodge are the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and aforementioned Master Mason. The time spent in each degree, and the associated privileges, vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Generally speaking, in the United States, a candidate takes between one and three months to advance, and cannot wear Masonic jewelry, appear in public as a Mason, or vote in Lodge until he has reached Master Mason (though there are other things he can do). Each degree imparts a story and some information about their historical roles in the past organizations of actual operative masonic lodges. The structure of freemasonry is to impart moral lessons via allegory and ritual initiation. The actual content of the degrees basically teaches a dude about various virtues in a ritual manner (this is another reason that even if atheists could join, they would be ill fit, as esoteric ritualism is often lost on hard materialists). Appendant bodies continue the story along different paths. There are two appendant bodies seen as usual tracts for further Masonic education after being raised to the degree of Master Mason, and they are the York Rite and Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite continues the numeric progression up to the 32nd degree. The York Rite is comprised of the Council, Chapter, and Commandery, the last of which is the spiritual if not historic successor of the famed Knights Templar. I am not a member of either of those bodies and details about them can be found elsewhere, and is kinda meaningless without completing Craft Masonry, but brothers who are members of those orders are welcome to write more about it if they want. At the higher level, each group of masons is organized into a Lodge, each Lodge is charted under a Grand Lodge, and each Grand Lodge must be able to trace its original charter back to either the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, or the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Each Grand Lodge has total authority over its own jurisdiction, and no authority over another jurisdiction, though there is a interconnected political web of recognition such that within regular Masonry, a mason can travel nearly anywhere in the world and find a Lodge to attend. Since becoming a Master Mason in November of 2011, I have attended Lodge in three different states (Ohio, Kentucky, and Maryland) and two foreign countries (Ireland and Scotland). The Grand Lodges each have absolute jurisdiction over their own region, with some regions in the United States having two separate Grand Lodges due to our country's racist history. This is important to note because there are an uncountable number of conspiracy theories about us running the world as a unified bloc, which are entirely untrue as the Grand Lodges operate more or less independently, with no central authority over them whatsoever. Grand Lodges are all formed in "regularity" based on their historical relationship to one of the first three Grand Lodges (UGLE, GL of Scotland, GL of Ireland) and their continued adherence to ancient landmarks. The UGLE is a joint Grand Lodge of the previous English split Antients and "Moderns," and the descent and lineage of charter is what differentiates "Ancient Free and Accepted Masons" (AF&AM, e.g., Maryland) from "Free and Accepted Masons" (F&AM, e.g., Ohio). There is very little difference except the historical lineage and some small quibbling details. However, there are lodges that are not "regular," called "clandestine lodges." These lodges operate outside of the regular channels. There are a glut of these in some of the Southern states, where they serve as what essentially amounts to a scam, taking money for initiation into "Masonry" without actually making a man a regular Mason. A clandestine Mason may not sit in a regular lodge, and a regular Mason will not sit in a clandestine lodge. Furthermore, it is forbidden for a regular Mason to discuss Masonic matters with a clandestinely made Mason, as their Masonic status is not recognized. Questions and Answers Those were a lot of words, but quickly sum up what the hell Masonry actually is please! Masonry is a fraternal organization that imparts moral lessons through ritualistic initiation in the form of allegory and symbolism. So, what the hell do you guys actually do? Masons operate a variety of charities in various jurisdictions, as well as meeting regularly to conduct business, which is not really all that much to talk about. This thread's predecessor had its title changed to a joke about spaghetti dinner, which is fairly accurate. This video more or less describes Masonry in a nutshell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M96xGTehsnI What the gently caress is this bitcoin business? Bitcoiners posted a screencap of the title of the last thread in a thread to prove that SA is in on a global conspiracy to defeat bitcoin. In fact, the only masonic conspiracy involving bitcoin was that WAFFLEHOUND ran a legitimate business (the only known legit bitcoin business to date) and is a mason. And what about those goats? We don't talk about the goats, see? What about that racism stuff? Are you racists? Can African Americans be Masons? There is a schism historically but not practically. African Americans have their own Grand Lodges (sort of), called Prince Hall Lodges, which actually are not some kind of "separate but equal" thing but rather are Grand Lodges hailing from regular authority out of the special dispensations granted to members of African Lodge #459, Grand Lodge of England, itself formed based on the raising to Master Mason of an African-American named Prince Hall in 1775. The Prince Hall Grand Lodges and regular Grand Lodges existed in a kind of mutual ignorance for some hundreds of years, until relatively recently with the Civil Rights Movement, most regular lodges began recognizing their Prince Hall counterparts and vice versa. Some states have not done this, and it has caused a great deal of controversy in some places, but because each Grand Lodge operates on its own authority within its jurisdiction, it is a matter of waiting, as nothing can really be done. As a woman and/or atheist I am really upset that I can't be a mason, what's the score there? There are lodges, as I mentioned, that do not adhere to the ancient landmarks. Grand Orient de France is one, Co-Masonry is another large movement. For the purposes of this thread, the brothers who answer questions and who also use this thread as something of a place to talk shop with other goon brothers, are regular Masons and probably can't help you much here, but that would be a good place to start if you are really into rituals but can't join a regular lodge. I keep hearing you guys talking about worshiping some guy called The Master. Will Manos be served? Not that Master. The references to "Worshipful Master" and so on simply refers to the elected master of the Lodge. A good description of various lodge offices can be found here. I read in a Chick Tract that Freemasonry is an ancient Baphomet worshiping cult, is that true? Well, it's on the Internet, I assume they check their facts. Masonry is a very old organization that is generally secretive, and the history of its being scapegoated or  'd about it is as long as its own existence. From early Catholic proclamations that we are secularists aiming to destroy Christendom (the Pope was upset that some Masons were involved in a variety of reformation movements and in the overall dismantling of the Holy Roman Empire) to Nazi allegations that we stood in opposition to Nazism (this was half-true, Masonic ideals are incompatible with Nazism, but discussion of politics is not permitted in Masonic) to the Anti-Masonic Party in the United States, we're a group that people love to pick on or fear. The official Masonic response is to not respond, which only fans the flames with certain groups, providing clear evidence of the conspiracy.Well yea, what about those secrets, anyhow? The main "secrets" in Masonry are the "modes of recognition." These are the "secret handshakes" that you hear about so often, some associated phrases, and some of the contents of the rituals. They serve the purpose of being able to identify if a man really is a mason when they are strangers to the lodge, as well as to identify if a man is a mason before discussing Masonry with them outside the lodge, or just for whatever reason (it's good to know you're talking to your brother). In the past, especially during Catholic persecution of masons and in cultures and times when Masonry was not as well received, these secret modes of recognition were absolutely essential to maintaining the safety of a mason both from exposition of the Craft and exposition of the identity of a Mason. It was essential, a matter of life or death, to keep these methods safe and secret. In the modern day, we preserve these, guarding them with the utmost secrecy, despite them being largely obsolete. This is largely a nod to historical tradition, a recognition of the perseverance and honor of men gone before us, rather than a means of securing our own safety, but it is the reason for the secrecy. There's truly nothing earth shattering, but if you really want to know them and are resourceful, it shouldn't be hard. The best way, of course, is to simply join our Order, and learn them in the way they have been taught since time immemorial. Some Handy Links, Lists, and Other Stuff There are a wide variety of Appendant Bodies and related organizations. In no particular order, an incomplete list would include:
Further Reading There is talk of starting a wandering book club for interested individuals, brothers, and potential candidates. We'd love to get this going. In the interim, there are a few books the brothers in this thread and I would endorse. Probably the most recommended is Freemasons for Dummies, which is a good book written by Bro. Chris Hodapp, who also runs a relevant blog. I am also keen on recommending A Pilgrim's Path, a good book which covers some of the history of the order as well as a lot of good information on the various anti-Masonic movements through history. There are also websites for each individual Grand Lodge, but it would be tedious to link them all. If you are unsure if you're looking at the regular grand lodge versus a clandestine lodge, just ask us in thread and we'll point you the right way. Here's a handy link on why not to become a Freemason: http://braden168.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/why-you-shouldnt-become-a-freemason/ For Posterity: The Old Thread, Dating to Time Immemorial Paramemetic fucked around with this message at 16:47 on Apr 18, 2014 |
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Dec 18, 2012 07:53
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Brethren, it is the pleasure of the Worshipful Master that Something Awful Mason Thread No. 3523447 be now opened and stand open for the dispatch of business!
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Dec 18, 2012 07:57
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Baronjutter posted:They seem to describe them selves as masonry. Continental Masons do not abide or hold to the ancient landmarks and so "regular" Masonry does not recognize their Masonic status, much the same way Protestants are not Catholics, even though they come from the same historical background and have the same fundamental ideas. It's not really an issue of continental versus Anglo-American Masonry, either, but rather Regular versus Clandestine Masonry, despite how it is framed. For a Lodge to be regular it must at the very least be recognized as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, or the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and ideally all three, as those three Grand Lodges are comprised in part by lodges that have existed since "time immemorial" (the 1600s). Regular Masons do not recognize Clandestine Masons as Masons, because they aren't. They don't adhere to ancient landmarks we see as essential, specifically they allow women to join and they do not require a belief in god, which means that somewhere along the line, their historical antecedents have been oathbreakers. Because Masonry was formalized in the UK, all Masonry the world over ultimately descends from those Lodges, and so there's no real claim on which to found the concept of "continental Masonry" except inasmuch as Masons in France decided they had authority to make changes that they do not have authority to make. As such they lost their recognition and standing as Masons, even if they want to continue to claim such for themselves. Basically they claim to be masonic but it's almost akin to scab masonry - they aren't recognized as masons by the mason's union, they're just guys who know how to work stone. I actually really like that analogy, works well with what Masonry is historically, haha. Anyhow, in the US there are equivalent clandestine Masonic Lodges in the form of Co-Masonry which allows women but requires belief in a Supreme Being, and the Grand Orient of the US which is as you term it "continental Masonry." Again though all of the brothers in this thread as far as I know are regularly made Masons raised in a legally constituted Lodge operating under historical charter descended from on of the three Grand Lodges, and as such we are not permitted to hold Masonic conversation with clandestinely made Masons. You're certainly welcome to check those lodges out, and I'd encourage you to do so if you're otherwise ineligible for regular Masonry and you really want to, but we can't really help you. As for whether or not they say we're not real Masons, they wouldn't have the grounds to do so as those three original Grand Lodges formalized the whole thing and more or less started it, and that's a point of historical fact. While much of Masonic history is indeed questionable (I suspect, for example, the Knights Templar didn't really shack up with stonecutters to escape the Pope), there are minutes existing back to the first meetings of Grand Lodge masons in the UK in the early 1700s, and minutes and records showing continuous operation and membership lineage going back those several hundred years, so there's no challenge to the validity of regular Masonry. Edit: Regarding Canadian Masonry, the old OP was written by a Canadian Mason, and brother WAFFLEHOUND has sat in lodge in Canada on multiple occasions if I understand correctly, so may be able to speak to this question. Masonry follows its demographics, so Masonry in the South and Midlands is generally much more conservative than Masonry in the North and West. I would expect Canadian Masonry to follow that trend. While Masons tend to be among the more conservative members of a population as a general tendency (not a rule), there's a significant difference between "more conservative Canadian" or "more conservative Washingtonian" versus "more conservative Kentuckian" or "more conservative Floridan." So yeah, it's likely to be more progressive. Paramemetic fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Dec 18, 2012 |
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Dec 18, 2012 18:17
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Baronjutter posted:Where did the whole "no women" thing come from and how is it so deeply essential to being a mason? Is it just a matter of blindly guarding a tradition or is there some deeper importance? Answers to this would vary, but you'll find those answers are mainly that we're a fraternity, so it promotes brotherhood, that there is something to be said for having an "old boy's club," and good old fashioned historical trappings and sexism. It's a combination. The other reason is that some of our ritual work would be inconvenient for a woman in a way it is not for a man, but that's hardly a reason to exclude people. quote:Society as a whole has progressed quite a bit since freemasonry has been around, why does it get a "pass" for not advance with it? It's not so much an issue of not wanting to advance with society as it is a combination of two specific issues. One is that as a linear tradition dating back for hundreds of years and many generations, it would be insulting to the traditions we uphold to change them. This is not my own opinion, except there's the question of whether or not we'd be fundamentally changing Masonry, which we do not have the authority to do. The second problem is more practical but more difficult to explain to non-Masons as it has to do with contents of ritual that can't be discussed publicly. To boil it down to its barest bones, hopefully without speaking what I oughtn't, it's simply that nobody is able to do the work that would put a woman through without breaking their oaths and thus de facto losing their status as Masons. Like, I could get together a bunch of friends and do the ritual in a secret Lodge meeting in my apartment if I wanted, but in doing so I'd be violating an oath and operating without a charter, so the work we did would be invalid. quote:Is there any sort of movement within masonry to try to separate the historical baggage related to the time in which the rules were created from the core elements? Not that I know of within mainstream Masonry, because the rules related to the time aren't in conflict with core elements nor are they in conflict with modern elements. Masons are not really sexist, and we don't seek to exclude women, but we are a boy's club so to speak, and we can't admit women on those grounds. It's like hockey players. Hockey players don't tend to think that women shouldn't play hockey, but if women want to play hockey, they need to form their own league. There's no belief that they shouldn't play hockey, by all means they should! And there are women's organizations related to Masonry. But women can't join the men's hockey Olympic team, not out of sexism per se but simply because that would make the men's hockey team fundamentally different, fundamentally changed. And no mason or body of masons has the authority to make those fundamental changes.
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Dec 18, 2012 18:45
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Innerguard posted:If I am wrong, correct me, but I understand it is usualy practice for someone to spend a year in each 'progressive' office in the USA? On average, how many actually take up office, in your estimation? Likewise, how many actually spend a bit of time learning things before heading up to do the more floor-orientated work? How does the difference for the Craft in Scotland sound in comparison with your guys experience? I'd like to get your opinions. Generally how quickly you're put through the chairs here is a matter of how desperate your lodge is for fresh meat. My mother Lodge is from a small city of maybe 20,000 in Southeast Ohio, and the vast majority of people in this city would not pass ballot. As a result, I was a Master Mason for less than a month before I was made Senior Steward, and if I had not had to move away I would be the Senior Deacon now, just one year later, or possibly even the Junior Warden depending on how it shook out, due to the way our ranks fell apart (Junior Warden moved away, Junior Deacon declined to advance, and I moved away, meaning we had a pretty broken line where the Senior Warden moved to the East, the Senior Deacon became Senior Warden, and there were no apparent candidates for other offices). In larger lodges it is not uncommon for a man to become a member but not an officer, or for a man to wait some years before holding office. In my new Lodge I do not anticipate starting to work until the fresh cadre of recently made Master Masons all get a go, so I'm looking at 10 years or so before I start doing floor work again, which is to me a bit regretful as I really enjoy doing the ritual work. You are correct though that here in the States we typically do a moving chair of one or two year terms, where the de facto progression is Junior Steward, Senior Steward, Jr Deacon, Sr Deacon, Jr Warden, Sr Warden, Worshipful Master. The offices of Tyler and the Stewards are appointed, rather than elected, and Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, Marshall (when applicable), Lodge Education Officer, and so on are usually held by Past Masters and do not change all that often. In truth the only hard requirement in my mother lodge and commonly elsewhere is that a Master must have been a Warden previously, that is, you can't be raised in November and given the Past Master degree in December and assume the East in January no matter what the circumstances. The US works a lot differently in that we push guys to be Masters in a hurry. In most States all business is conducted in the third degrees, so if you're an EA or FC you get hosed as you can't even sit in Lodge for regular meetings, and the Lodge is dropped in degree for returning work. For this reason we try to get guys to MM as quick as possible, whereas over there you can be an EA or FC for some years as I understand it. Another crucial difference is that most if not all US lodges are dry and it is lame as hell. We get no Harmonies here. I don't even drink anymore, so it's not a big hurt, but I had a hell of a lot of fun drinking until 3AM with the fellows at Lodge Scotia.
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Dec 18, 2012 19:56
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A special thanks to the moderation and admin staff here at Something Awful for blinging our thread with the most appropriate thread tag! Thanks moana and Ozma!
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Dec 19, 2012 04:40
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falcon2424 posted:What's the moral argument for this? Historical, based on the requirement to join "by your own free will and accord." Can't be changed. I am not sure if anyone has tested this, one could make an Enlightenment era argument that slavery is impossible and therefore all people are born free. It'd need tested I suppose.
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Dec 20, 2012 04:10
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I appreciate the sentiment. I've always felt we've had a reasonable stance but because of the obligations and such we can't really delineate it since the reasons are based on the ritual and the oath. This person found those things and understands, which confirms my suspicion. But I'm not about to endorse people do that, so there is that.
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Dec 20, 2012 16:06
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ATTN: KYOON_ We decided to forestall the end of the world for a little while, some of the brethren still have children in school and Reptilian hatchlings in the Yeerk Pools and they decided they want to see those children grow up / hatch before we immanentize the Eschaton. We're still waiting to firm up a new date but it probably won't be before 2027 as at least one 33rd Degree Mason's wife literally just spawned a brood last week (dumb timing, I know, right?). Anyhow you can keep up to date on new plans from your usual sources. Edit: on a serious note, the postal service doesn't care about the name on the address, just the address and the Zip Code. Name only comes up if it's a "signature needed" and even then only if the dude is busting your chops, and you just have to print as well as sign. My SASSmas gift came to Mr. Paramemetic.
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Dec 22, 2012 06:48
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The Cleaner posted:I hope to someday join a Free Mason lodge. They seem like a great way to better myself and the world around me. However, a little about myself.. Probably you would face the same amount of intolerance that any black transgendered male who is uncertain of his own gender and openly worships Lucifer can expect, yes. I mean, I certainly can't speak for every single Mason and neither can anyone in this thread, but I would anticipate that it would be pretty likely. You're also likely to face some degree of intolerance in this thread for your fairly weak troll.
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Dec 23, 2012 06:33
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Snowy posted:I've been meaning to get a bottle of this: Old Master's is a pretty cool blended whisky. It's sweeter than you'd anticipate, cut with a fair amount of grain, but actually has a surprisingly deep character for what it is. It's ranked fairly highly in the Whisky Bible. I got a bottle as a gift for a brother last Christmas and we've both enjoyed it. 7thBatallion posted:Would it be completely uncool to have the square and compasses sealed n wax on the bottles. Cool but potentially hairy territory depending on your Grand Lodge. I'm sure in Washington you'd be fine, but it's worth noting that the Square and Compasses is not allowed for use as a trademark except by the Grand Lodge for each jurisdiction, with a notable exception being a cattle brand that predates the trademark registry in the US. As for whether to flavor your mead, well, that depends heavily on the quality of your honey.
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Dec 23, 2012 06:37
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The thing you guys are redacting and such I consider "secret" since it is part of the examination and so could be used as a mode of recognition. A general rule of thumb if you have rituals/monitors/manuals from your Grand Lodge is whether or not it is in code. If it's in code, don't talk about it. If it's written in the ritual book in plain language, it's probably okay. Thus we can't talk about REDACTED, but we can talk about the white lambskin apron. That said, 7th: it is accurate for a specific era to which I believe it is intending to allude, and also for some countries, just depending on how the degrees are structured. But there's a lot of symbolism on those bottles and they are very cool to have around. I don't drink anymore, but it's one of the bottles I won't be getting rid of, as it's a very cool bottle.
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Dec 24, 2012 08:02
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stubblyhead posted:I think it's worth mentioning that there is a regular grand lodge in France, and thus not all Freemasons in France are irregular. The Grande Orient de France I think is the irregular one; I forget how the regular one calls itself. Actually, the regular grand lodge in France has also been declared clandestine due to fuckery with their grand offices. As far as I know the only regular lodges working in France are working under the United Grand Lodge of England.
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Dec 25, 2012 18:39
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On a phone, so quick reply, but here is a blog post about UGLE de-recognition of the GLNF. http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2012/09/glnf-elects-new-gm-ugle-yanks.html?m=1
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Dec 25, 2012 19:19
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COUNTDOWN TO 6013! 
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Dec 31, 2012 23:37
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 6013 AL And to think, this wouldn't even have happened if we hadn't decided to postpone the Eschaton last month.
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Jan 1, 2013 06:02
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Gotta back Ari's play here. There is no sense in such a loaded topic to trying to do anything with this in Lodge or at Lodge functions, and the GM, while just a man, is not just a scrub. GMs don't get there by being stupid or bad Masons. He may be wrong about this issue, but he has his Masonic reasons. Also, 7thBattalion, by bringing up loaded topics at his Lodge's installation, Ari would be the one introducing disharmony. This single solitary act does not introduce disharmony in Masonry, and neither does voicing an opinion, but chances are good the GM of Florida has heard about this as stands, and chances are not so good that Ari would melt his heart and it would grow five times that day. There is also a time and place for this kind of thing. If Ari wanted to seek him out in private, to have a meeting, that would be one thing, but grabbing a guy at an Installation is not appropriate. Ari knows this guy, and this guy knows Ari, but I don't think they have a context outside Masonry so it's not like Ari "has his ear" or something.
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Jan 4, 2013 17:20
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TemetNosceXVIcubus posted:By wikipedia's numbers, USA wins. Sort of, yes, except there is no Grand Lodge of the United States and instead each individual State has its own GL, so it's not exactly fair to group the US together, as that would be roughly akin to grouping "Europe" or "the Commonwealths" together, which would probably give the latter a fighting chance.
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Jan 6, 2013 23:54
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QPZIL posted: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. This is the case as I understand it in Scotland and other bodies receiving their charter from the GL of Scotland. Mark Master isn't really a higher degree, but it "completes" the third degree, such that Master Mason without the Mark Master is kind of a half-Master degree - still a Master Mason, with all the privileges, rights, and responsibilities so accompanying it, but not quite a complete Master. I'd like clarification from some of our Scottish brethren if possible on that point, I'm only saying what I'd gathered from my travels there. I want to do that degree, but don't know if I want to rock York Rite. I'm strongly considering Scottish Rite soon though, got an invite to a "one day class," but I'm kinda meh about those. So we'll see.
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Jan 17, 2013 18:32
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Very Nice Eraser posted:Can those of us who aren't obliged to Masonic rules bring up the secret stuff? Assuming we don't violate copyright on the monitors, there's no problem, right? Strictly speaking I don't think there's anything preventing that from happening in this thread, but we would not be able to respond to it or even acknowledge it and it would probably make a lot of us pretty uncomfortable, so please do not do this. quote:Also, I'm curious how serious Masons take the brotherhood. For instance, suppose I'm running down the street looking back over my shoulder. A police siren sounds somewhere out of site. I happen to run past a Mason barbecue going on (go with me here) and give the distress gesture. Will I get some no-questions-asked help? Or would that not really fly? (Hey, you can never be too prepared!) I can't speak for other brethren, but I would help anyone regardless of their being a Mason or not. It would be pretty underhanded and dishonest to represent yourself as a Mason to try to solicit help from other Masons, and the sorts of brothers who would go out of their way to help you are usually the sorts that would help you whether you represented yourself as a Mason or not.
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Jan 23, 2013 06:37
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To summarize the issue of why no man nor institution can change those of Freemasonry, it's not about a religious zealousness - after all, Freemasonry is largely a child of the Enlightenment, but rather that even if every single Mason on the planet unanimously agreed to change the ancient landmarks, by virtue of participating in a vote to do so they would no longer be Masons. As for the bit about rituals not being from my own particular sect or creed, this does not reduce their instructive value. Unlike the sciences and mathematics and such, where learning it usually means just learning it plainly, moral philosophy can be taught allegorically or symbolically. I don't mind any other religion. I recognize this is not a view shared by all, but conveniently those who would not share this view generally belong to religions that are in conformity with Masonic ritual. As for me, whatever religion teaches a good and wholesome lesson to educate men to behave virtuously is a good religion, and I support it, even if I don't practice it. Freemasonry does not actually have a religious story, though, but rather a story with religious components that are not actually tied to religion. That's worth noting. I mean, just because a story takes place in China doesn't mean you have to accept Confucianism or Taoism to learn from it. If a story takes place in Israel, you don't need to be an Israelite to take something away, and so on.
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Jan 23, 2013 16:44
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Oh, yeah, it should be made clear that voting to change things about Freemasonry is totally possible, just not certain things referred to as "ancient landmarks" which, amusingly, are phrased or interpreted different ways. For example Maryland includes "resurrection to a future life." I consider that vague enough that I can plug in attainment of the enlightened state for that and it makes sense, or in a pinch I believe in rebirth so yeah, I'll be resurrected to a future life. It might be as a grasshopper or a moose or something but it's a future life. Under pressure I'd say "I" can't be resurrected so that's a problem, but once one starts deconstructing dualism inherent in language they're off the beaten path already. Anyhow, little things can change. My lodge is working on altering bylaws to change dues (currently $50 plus the grand lodge assessment) among other things, which is something we first have to submit to the grand lodge, and if approved we then have to notify every member by mail, and then pass by 2/3 majority of all members who attend the meeting. It's a harrowing process but can be done. We also recently had a grand lodge vote to change whether or not entered apprentices could vote and be considered 'full members' but also have to pay dues (we quashed this again). The only things that can't change are those ancient landmarks, and the most of those are enshrined in ritual anyhow.
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Jan 23, 2013 16:55
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Glorified Scrivener posted:If it isn't already in your by-laws or draft proposal, I humbly suggest adding language to the effect that dues will automatically increase to match increases in the grand lodge assessment. We did this in my mother lodge a few years ago, after repeated increases in the GL assessment amount put us in the position of sending significantly more to the Grand Lodge than we retained. Assessments have gone up a couple of times since then and its been very helpful not to have to go through the process of amending the by-laws each time. Currently there is no provision for dues to ever increase, but we do charge our GL assessment on top of dues, so we pay $50 in dues + 22.50 in GL for a total of $72.50 annually. My personal proposal was to do it incrementally and automatically in relation to CPI or maybe inflation, with the provision that they cannot change more than 10% up or down in a year, as well as a hard cap at the top to appease brethren who might otherwise accuse us of the potential for out of control dues. Our unique circumstance is that we fully own our lodge building, with the aid of a holding corporation, but we are quickly burning through our war chest and not bringing enough money in to maintain its continued upkeep further than another 4 years or so. We want to keep the building rather than selling it to the GL, as right now we can use it how we please.
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Jan 23, 2013 23:27
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Very Nice Eraser posted:If I understand correctly, then, elements of Masonic tradition can be changed in a lodge by vote, except for the Ancient Landmarks. And, if a lodge did change their Ancient Landmarks, other lodges would terminate any association with them. And, if a lodge did not terminate association with them, they would suffer the same consequences among other lodges. This is essentially correct, yes, with the additional point that the men who so voted also no longer are Masons, and this is not a point of procedural law or a technicality, but a sort of point of fact thing. A similar thing I guess would be if you are a citizen of one country, and you go to another country and take citizenship there. You might still physically have your original passport, and hell, your own country might not even realize what you've done, but by virtue of the action, the thing has happened. In Catholic canon law, the term is latae sententiae and refers to excommunication without the need for any action or even for anyone to endorse it or make it official. It just happens. quote:Of course, if a majority of lodges change an Ancient Landmark in concert, then they define what is 'regular'. No, the definition of "regular" in Masonry is not about what the majority of lodges want. "Regularity" means possessing a "legal constitution," meaning one that is endorsed by one of the three original Grand Lodges (England, Scotland, or Ireland), and being in conformity with the Ancient Landmarks. France, for example, has had several Grand Lodges, all of which had originally been legally constituted, and none of which are regular because they do not adhere to the Ancient Landmarks. quote:The Mason traditions were developed by men and if men decide to change them, that's that. Not really. Masonic traditions were developed by men, that is true. But they cannot be changed, because the act of changing them makes them something else. Essentially, men have gone "these are the rules that make Masonry Masonry, and if anyone tries to change them, they are no longer Masons and so have no ground to do so legally, and, if they change, it is no longer Masonry because Masonry is literally these things." Men can decide to change them, but Masons cannot. And if a man who is a Mason decides to change them, he ceases to be a Mason at that point, and therefore cannot change Masonry, because he cannot justly vote in a Masonic meeting, because he is not a Mason. quote:Religions change dramatically, and those folks have the fear of eternal damnation keeping them to their traditions! Now, if new members are attracted to lodges based on their adherence to the original traditions, the splinter groups might never get enough momentum to redefine 'Mason'. Splinter groups would know better than to try to redefine Masonry. There are a few splinter groups, which always make a point to call themselves something else ("Continental Masons" for example, as opposed to "Free and Accepted" or "Ancient Free and Accepted" Masons). The other groups claiming to be Masonic but which are not tend to prey on people who don't do their research, and so while they claim to be regular, they are not. These groups are usually intentionally duplicitous, and have no claim to the term initially. quote:Totally serious critically important question: when did Masons build a worldwide conspiracy to control the world's home canning industry? Next thing you know I'll have to store my sauces in Jew Banker jars. We took over the pickling industry at the behest of our Reptilian Illuminati Lizard Alien overlords, in order to develop an adequate supply of vacuum sealable jars. The evidence for this can be found in the [REDACTED] degree. The fact of the matter remains, regarding the landmarks, that we can't change them. It's also unfortunately because there are reasons that you have to read between the lines on regarding portions of the ritual which we can't discuss with you, so the plainest, simplest reason why it can't be done is on the tip of the tongue for every brother in here, but we can't make it any plainer than we have.
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Jan 24, 2013 07:48
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Very Nice Eraser posted:So Masonry cannot change because if it did, it wouldn't meet the definition of Masonry, and therefore would not be Masonry. That's an appeal to the authority of a definition. Obviously a modified Masonry wouldn't be Masonry by today's definition, but that's the nature of change. Appeals to definition are not appeals to authority. Utilizing definitions cannot itself be considered an argument. To say "one who does not practice Masonry is not a Mason" is in essence tautological. It needs not make any appeal at all. If we start saying "well, they wouldn't be a Mason, but they could be something else and we could call it a Mason still" doesn't demonstrate that Masonry has changed, it merely demonstrates that language is flexible. quote:I have a cat who is half Maine Coon and half domestic short-hair. Like "regularity" among Masons, breed standards are not a universal truth but rather a definition that exists only by the mutual agreement of those in the community. Regularity among Masons is not a mutual consent thing. Mutual consent is necessary, but not sufficient, for regularity. As I said before, to be considered regular, a Lodge must be chartered via a legal constitution with a successive lineage traceable to one of the original Grand Lodges of England, Ireland, or Scotland. If this does not exist, the Lodge is not and can never be regular. Further, the Lodge must be in conformity with the Ancient Landmarks. Again, if this is not satisfied, that Lodge cannot and can never be Regular. The final test, of whether or not the Lodge has recognition from other Lodges, does not even apply until those first two cases are satisfied. In the case of a Lodge that is permitting women, atheists, whatever to join, that Lodge is no longer in conformity with the Ancient Landmarks, and therefore its charter is de facto revoked, and therefore even if every other Lodge on the planet recognized it, it would not be "Regular." quote:If I were to claim my cat is a purebred Maine Coon, the breeders and cat shows would simply ignore me. My cat doesn't meet today's definition of Maine Coon, it's true. If your argument is that "if we change what Masonry means and what standards apply to determine whether or not a person is a Mason then people who aren't Masons could be Masons" then yes, that's true. What I'm saying is that it is not possible, within the framework provided, and under the rules established, to affect that change. It's certainly possible that 200 years from now what people look at as Masonry may look fundamentally different. If those Masons from 200 years in the future came to my Lodge tomorrow, however, they would not be allowed to sit in Lodge because they would not be Regular. quote:Let's contrast that to your example of Catholicism. Devout Catholics believe that Catholicism is a universal truth. That makes latae sententiae excommunication understandable; it's not the definition of man that excommunicates you, but the laws of God. As a non-believer, it doesn't hold much weight to me, but at least the logic is sound within the constructs of the argument. Masons, not claiming to be defined by supernatural decree, can't play that card. There is no supernatural decree, but there are oaths that are considered inviolable and which are considered to have been established "since time immemorial" which cannot be changed by any man or institution. So while they do not exist by divine fiat, they are definitive to the thing. I'm a vertebrate. If we change the definition of "invertebrate" to mean "having vertebra up in there" then I would be called an invertebrate, but nothing would have changed about me to give me an exoskeleton. quote:My original question asked if you (collectively) felt that Masonry might ever change to reflect changing society. Answers like "no, because men will always want some time out with the boys" and "no, because our rituals require male genitalia" are valid. My argument is not that it would require agreeing to a changed definition. My argument is that any and all Masons who made such a change would be in a state of having violated their oaths, and therefore would not be Masons, and therefore would have no right or authority to claim to be Masons. A Mason who violates his Masonic obligations is no more a Mason than you are, at the moment he does so. quote:Finally, here's a short essay by a self-declared regular female Mason. I found it online in a recap on arguments for/against women in Masonry; unfortunately I can't find the original source. I would not sit in lodge with her, because to do so would make me the most reprehensible sort of liar. I'm sure she's a perfectly good woman, and a good clandestine Mason, but she has not been and cannot be made a Mason in a legally constituted Lodge of Masons, therefore it would be a violation of my oath to sit in Lodge with her. I could claim to be a physician or a lawyer as much as I'd like. And I could argue that physician or lawyer are just words, and that I work in healthcare and follow laws, and that I really really think I deserve to be called a physician, but alas, I cannot practice medicine! Likewise, she can claim to be a regular Mason, but it does not make her so. The Lodge she was made a Mason in was not in conformity with the ancient landmarks. Therefore her assertion that "I was made in the b*dy of a L*dge J*st, P*rfect and R*gular" is simply patently false, as are other claims that she was done in the same way others have been. Her argument's premises are simply wrong. Again, I harbor no ill will against her. I would receive her happily as my guest in my home, I would fly to her rescue if I could. But I would not communicate Masonically with her, and I could not sit in Lodge with her, because to do so would be to be in contempt of my own honest word. Paramemetic fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Jan 25, 2013 |
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Jan 25, 2013 06:59
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Upon reflection, the only grounds I can see for Satan not being eligible for Freemasonry are that he can't really demonstrate that he is a man of good report. I'd have to wait for the investigating committee report. He was freeborn, he's certainly of lawful age, he undoubtedly believes in God, and he appears quite plainly to be male in this commercial, sooooo. . . 
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Feb 6, 2013 17:23
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Colonial Air Force posted:He was not free born. That was the whole point. Hmmm, actually that first point is super solid. Dude must be clandestine.
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Feb 6, 2013 17:29
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Same in Ohio, except that the visiting EA also has to have an MM to vouch for them, because an EA lacks the necessary information to travel and prove himself. So EAs can visit other lodges that are open in the first degree only if they have someone to vouch for them.
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Feb 9, 2013 01:23
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quote:Effective this date: February 11, 2013, The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of AF&AM of West Virginia has reestablished fraternal recognition of The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of F&AM of Ohio. The respective edicts will be mailed to the Lodge Secretary's with the quarterly Grand Secretary’s Newsletter. I can visit Lodge in my hometown for the first time now! Next time I head back to my hometown to visit my parents I can drop into Lodge, having not been able to visit the lodge there because I was raised in Ohio and so clandestine. Very exciting, and with luck this indicates a progressive shift in the leadership of GLWV (it probably doesn't).
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Feb 11, 2013 22:49
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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. Brother, I am pretty surprised to find out you're not already a Master Mason, because everything I know of your behavior exemplifies the kinds of qualities I expect from a MM. I am sad to report that I live on the wrong continent to be able to attend, but I am very excited that you're making this step and I am certain you will find to be an amazing experience.
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Feb 19, 2013 04:19
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Florida has had some controversy, but none of it really risks excluding brothers who can answer those points firmly. The problem with Florida's GM declaration was that it grouped some otherwise qualified religious groups in with otherwise disqualified religious groups (agnostics) by name, and then justified this decision based on one man's interpretation of those other religions. Essentially a man took it upon himself to interpret the rules in a way that is far too narrow and risks excluding people who are qualified and, worse, expelling brothers who are otherwise in good standing. Unless you're an Odinist, you should be pretty well covered. That said, they won't ask you your religion as such. However, the investigation committee, which is a group of brothers they appoint to talk to you and make sure you're not ultra sketch basically, might ask where you go to Church or what religion you practice. This question isn't meant to check your qualifications but to assess moral character, so I'd answer it plainly and naturally if they ask it, as being defensive could set off alarm bells. Or tell them you prefer not to discuss religion because you consider it a deeply personal matter, but assure them you believe in God or however you feel it prudent to do that.
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Feb 28, 2013 17:01
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A ILL BREAKFAST posted:Yeah, okay, I am definitely set on joining. Not to borrow a bunch of money or anything like that, but this attitude right here - I want to be a part of this. There's a story about President McKinley's decision to join the Craft that is similar to your decision here. During the Civil War it was not uncommon to see some courtesy between brethren even on opposite sides of the war. quote:When General Horatio King asked William McKinley how he happen to become a Mason he explained: "After the Battle of Opequam, I went with our surgeon of our Ohio regiment to the field where there were about 5,000 Confederate prisoners under guard. Almost as soon as we passed the guard, I noticed the doctor shook the hands with a number of Confederate prisoners. He also took from his pocket a roll of bills and distributed all he had among them. Boy-like, I looked on in wonderment; I didn't know what it all meant. On the way back from camp I asked him:
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Mar 2, 2013 23:04
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Generally the prohibition against wearing Masonic jewelry before you're a Master Mason is because until you're a Master Mason, you're not going to be able to successfully identify yourself as a Master Mason. Masons who see you wearing jewelry will assume first that you're a MM, then, when you fail to be able to prove yourself, will assume you're an impostor. The basic thing for me is that Masonic jewelry serves two purposes: reminding yourself of your obligations, and presenting an outward sign for brothers to see. I have recognized probably 5 or 6 brothers I'd never have known about otherwise based on their rings and some test questions, and it is always good to meet another Mason. I know in the charges in both my jurisdictions they just make it straight up clear whether you can or can't, and I see no reason to breach the charge, depending on how you receive it. If you're not sure, just ask someone. As far as it goes, there are some places that are more hostile than others to outward signs of Masonic affiliation. I wear my ring all the time, but in some places it's considered poor form to be too open about it (I do not know why, presumably local culture).
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Mar 4, 2013 00:58
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QPZIL posted: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. I consider Pike not crazy but definitely quirky. Dude said a lot of bonkers poo poo, but he was trying to build a syncretic mystical system of everything, which is pretty ahead of his time. It's essentially the same thing Crowley was doing, but at least 50 years prior and with less cultural information to draw from (a significant portion of Crowley's work is lifted wholesale from Vajrayana Buddhism). He was in essence a southern gentleman-scholar, he just happened to have a socio-spiritual area of focus instead of politics or science. I think that's super cool. That a lot of his stuff hasn't stood the test of time in the way that, say, Joseph Campbell's has is mainly a reflection on how far ahead of his time he was. Scholarly attempts at analyzing mythology hadn't become "a thing" yet. Also I don't mean to imply that Campbell and Pike do the same thing: Pike was really into the mysticism side of things. But in essence Pike sat down with the Scottish Rite's rituals and went "let's make everything relevant to everything else. He missed the mark on a lot of poo poo but is notable the way Freud is notable, in that he did a first. That said, where you are matters with regards to Scottish Rite. The Northern Jurisdiction doesn't use Morals and Dogma at all, and its ritual structure is significantly different at points. It's also important to note that Pike didn't develop (much of) the SR in the Southern Jurisdiction, he just wrote a lot of words about already extant ritual, and they ran with it.
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Mar 8, 2013 17:02
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FreshFeesh posted:I have no real interest in pursuing the York Rite degrees or bodies, but I have the opportunity to take part in just the Mark Master degree next month, and I'll admit I'm highly considering it. From what I understand, and it may just be "Masonic tradition," but it used to be given as part of the third degree, I'm always a fan of fleshing out my knowledge of the Blue Lodge and its history. The Mark Master degree is not only tradition, but is considered by the United Grand Lodge of England a supplement which completes the Master Mason degree, and it is given as a supplement to complete the third degree in all Lodges under UGLE, GL of Scotland, and GL of Ireland. If you have the opportunity to take it as a standalone I'd really recommend it. As it stands I'm going to see if I can get it from the GL of Ireland next time I'm over there.
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Mar 9, 2013 00:40
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Glorified Scrivener posted:My initial thought is yes, charges could certainly be brought against a dimitted brother, as dimitting is voluntary relinquishing membership in a Lodge, not one's status as a Mason. My feeling is that the grand lodge governing the lodge from which the brother had dimitted would continue to claim jurisdiction. Particularly if the brother in question still resided in their geographic bailiwick. Location matters here too. In Ohio and I believe MD as well dimitting is for just your lodge, but you are required by the grand Lodge to maintain affiliation with at least one lodge. In Ohio, you lose your traveling privileges after one month of non-affiliation and are no longer afforded the status of Mason until you petition a lodge and are balloted again (but you don't receive degrees). My reading earlier today seemed to indicate that dimits allow for rejoining without a ballot by petition, but need to be voted to be accepted, whereas resigning does not require a vote, but the brother would need to be balloted to rejoin. There's also some jurisdictional value in a dimit. If a brother dimits the lodge he is leaving releases its Masonic jurisdiction over him. This is what allows him to petition a new Lodge. Otherwise the new Lodge must seek permission from the old before they can read a petition from that brother.
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Mar 9, 2013 05:46
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mrbill posted:I've got an Endowed Membership to the Grand Lodge of Texas. I'm a member of Western Sun No. 91, GL of Ohio F&AM, and Columbia No. 58, GL of Maryland AF&AM, so you can be a plural member between Grand Lodges so long as they are regular to one another. quote:Would relocation out of state require a demit from GLoTX, and them treating my Endowed membership as if I'd passed away and so forth? There's a pretty good chance I won't return to my mother lodge within the year, or even in the foreseeable future. It's 7 hours away and aside from the brethren there there's nobody I care to visit. I have the option to dimit, but I figured they deserve a few more years a dues from me. quote:I'm guessing the various Grand Lodges have limits on how long you can be a "visitor" in another jurisdiction? Of course without getting a Letter of Good Standing from TX and then joining GLoOK, I wouldn't have voting rights in an OK lodge or the ability to hold any office, etc. I've never heard of a limit on the amount of times you can visit. I visited my lodge in Maryland for 3 months of meetings (7 in all I believe) while my petition was processing. At some point the Lodge may ask you to petition just to save the poor SD's breath if it's a lodge that announces visitors. Lovable Luciferian posted:What is that? I've never heard of that term in CA. Endowed Memberships are basically lifetime memberships. Rather than paying a yearly dues, some GLs offer an endowed membership where you pay one big lump sum (last I checked in Ohio it was $800, it may be more now) which is held in trust for your lodge in perpetuity and the interest and growth of which covers your side of the GL assessment. They send you a fresh dues card yearly, and when you pass the money gets disbursed to the lodge or something like this. Basically it's a big payment for life membership that won't expire. In some places you can move it within jurisdictions but in others you can't, so their value is generally pretty diminished if you're planning to move within the state and may dimit from your mother lodge, but if you're planning to stick around for a while it's a pretty good value ($800 in OH is 16 years of dues, so if you're gonna be there for 17 years it's solid, and also it saves you value versus inflation to invest in 2013 dollars rather than in 2013, 2014, 2015. . .)
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Mar 9, 2013 13:18
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Keetron posted:Whoa! What is wrong with Kentucky? They make awesome chicken and this weird tasting jelly but some FM details would be nice. Unable to go into too much detail but I personally really like the aspect of the work that is under scrutiny here. Suffice it to say they can get a little rowdy during the degree work. I have never once had a bad visit to a Kentucky Lodge.
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Mar 12, 2013 16:10
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lord1234 posted:There is only one store in boston that carries this stuff, and it was his last bottle: I got a bottle of this for a Christmas gift for my first signer and the man who saw me through the degrees and taught me all the examinations (we later went on to visit Scotland together). I think it is important to note the description it was given by Jim Murray of The Whiskey Bible: quote:"The perfect nose to experience blindfolded (how else...?) as the depth of the fruit and grain - and their happy intermingling - is astonishing. A few under-ripe gooseberries here. Light, graceful arrival with the early emphasis on a Speyside malt theme before some grain and oak kicks in. Pretty long with touches of cocoa though the fresh malt lingers. A high quality blend that doesn't stint on the malt. The nose, in particular, is sublime. - 92 points.” It is actually quite good for a blended Scotch. You can tell the malt is there, but there is a pleasant characteristic Speyside sweetness.
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Mar 15, 2013 16:47
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Lovable Luciferian posted:PB&J the three great ingredients of sandwich-Masonry: for as you have already been informed that you need Peanut butter to bind, Jelly to augment, and Bread to establish all great and wonderful sandwiches. I'm looking for the "like" button but not finding it. This is pretty much the best Masonic lesson. I'm watching a dumb thing about Secret Societies on NetFlix with David Icke and it's so amazing. Soooo amazing. And they aren't even talking about the Reptilian Lizardpeople yet.
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Mar 18, 2013 02:27
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