... "the Mafia of the mediocre".

I say this without judgement, merely as reportage.
I'm with Stimpy - it works for some, not for others.

....as long as it's free I can tolerate any masonry.

Bavarian Illuminati myself.

Thoroughly decent bunch of chaps, with the added bonus that I'm part of a conspiracy secretly running the world. And I get 1/3 off my season ticket for the U-Bahn.

Ah, go on then, I need to do this............
.............................................
TMFTL.
Sorry everybody, but it was there,all set up. I just had to knock it down.

I've read books about them & it's all pretty interesting stuff IMHO. The fact that it's a boy's only thing makes it all the more alluring. I mean, what are they up to away from us pesky women?!

Wasn't free though. Charged nigh on fifty quid for an hour's work.

But they do contribute a lot to charity. I thought about joining, my old Territorial Army unit has a Lodge, but I can't do the religious overtones, so it's not for me. Mind you, I sometimes think I am a member. My boss is a prominent part of the local Lodge, and spends a lot the working day on matters Masonic. If he put half as much effort into work, we'd be making a fortune.

I am of the age where people are seriously asking me to consider joining things like that. I have gone to the odd function like Sid describes and, like him, I found it ridiculous.

I know I'm sounding like Rik from the Young Ones, but why on earth would you voluntarily join something that has a hierarchy and ancient rules/traditions? There are enough rules in life already - right, kids?

I don't want to join the Freemasons, Rotary Club, Golf Club or anything like that. I'd rather jack, in my own middle-aged fat way.

*exposes nipple*

*hops on one leg*

*proffers handshake*

was the Mingle last night really like the Freemasons? Badger_King took his paddling very well I thought

DFB aka the Great Poobah (see putting poo in a phrase does make it funny)

..I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage.."

... who have never tried to recruit me ever (sigh).

Don't know why. It just seems a little bit furtive and unfair. The idea that they cut each other slack in life whilst not treating other people seems unfair. I'm fine if it's around doing work for each other but when it involves planning, parking tickets and such things, I just don't like it.

And that's before I consider that it is a large group of predominantly white men in a world that is broader than that.

I was playing at a masonic in Glasgow a few years back. (In Glasgow the masons is more like Pheonix Nights with sectarian overtones).

We were trying to find the stage lights and flicked on a switch that seemed to do nothing at all. But within seconds a bunch red faced angry dudes surrounded us and started shouting. It seems we had inadvertently switched on the light that is 'god's eye' and is only used in their weird ceremonies.

Another night we had finished the set when someone came up and hissed 'play the queen'. The drummer, being a clued-up drummer, started the drum roll for 'god save the queen'. Everyone stood up, to attention, waiting on me the - the keyboard player - to play the melody. For the life of me I couldn't remember how it goes. I wasn't trying to provoke the worthy members - I like my nose the shape it is. I stabbed at a few notes but it sounded more Happy Birthday than 'the queen'. The singer saved the day by just starting to sing the fecking thing.

So, masons, I can't go them at all.

No time for the lodge, I'm trying to resurrect* this crowd:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beggar%27s_Benison

(from my home town, no less, albeit defunct by at least 250 years)

Quote:
"Much of their discussion revolved around sex and there were often lectures on sex and anatomy. The club had a stock of pornography and there were also sometimes naked "posture girls" for the members to look at. They also are thought to have indulged in rituals of collective masturbation, which formed part of the initiation ceremony."

Sounds more like public school to me...

* only kidding, of course. Far too busy for silly clubs, me...

Works for some, not others.

I'm not a Mason, and have no connection to them. But it strikes me that they have their rituals the same as any other institution.

One could describe a Catholic Mass in very similar terms I suspect.

As long as the children and animals don't get hurt, does it matter?

I know nothing about the Freemasons, but a man that my mother dated for a short while when I was younger had a bee in his bonnet about them.
We'd be taking a walk around town and every ten metres he would point at some barely visible mark at a building and hiss "Look out! Freemasons!" to us.
"They run everything", was his often voiced conviction.
He probably wanted to be one more than anything...
He also ate a lemon every night and anything that anyone else said about any subject was wrong. He of course had the correct answer.
It became a bit too absurd when you'd tell him about something that you had done, said or heard and he would start arguing that you actually hadn't...
So perhaps the freemasons are nutters, but there are a few of those running around in an unorganized way as well!

..seriously, he is. He's a great bloke and certainly no apologist for all the mystique and nonsense that surrounds Freemasonery. He seems to go to a minimum number of required functions to keep his membership up but excels (indeed, fills his boots) at the social and fund-raising events. They seem to raise serious money for local charities and worthy causes. Not for me, though. I think some people are joiners (not woodwork) and some aren't - Word website's enough for me.

But I live round the corner from our local hall. I'd probably end up with my tongue buried on the beach or something.

She argues that any secret society that has such a foothold in law enforcement and the judiciary is not a good thing. Based on what she's told me of the sort of impact she saw them have, I'm inclined to believe her.

I wondered if lodges were still going. I don't know anyone who is one and I've never been asked, thankfully. I'd have to decline anyway. It would take up way too much of my time which I don't want exclusively to be spent in the company of a load of ghastly old bores from the London suburbs.

However, I am a member of London guild, which makes me a Freeman of the City of London and gives me the right, among other things, to drive sheep over London Bridge. My great uncle wanted me to join, as my dad was in it and used to have to go to all sorts of really dull dinners, etc.

I joined about 25 years, had to appear before a 'court' and pledge my allegiance. Despite getting at least a letter a fortnight about some function or another, I've had no contact since then and have never been near the hall since. The whole thing's ludicrous and everything i'd hate to have to do.

As soon as my uncle died my dad pulled out, and I've never been to a single thing. I think if you're perhaps a City lawyer or something it might be of some use, but it would be no use to me.

If I had the right to drive sheep over London Bridge I'd do it tomorrow! For a laugh! Sadly, though, I don't even have a car.

Dave, the husband of a girl I worked with, was introduced to Freemasonry by his father. He wasn't too sure about being On The Square but went along with it to keep his dad happy. Within a few weeks, Thursday evenings had, apparently, become like something out of Playtime Fontayne. "But I don't want to go to Freemasons. It's silly!"

"Yes you do. You father will be round any minute. Now make sure your apron's in the box. You'll enjoy it when you get there."

"Aw but the boxing's on telly tonight!"

"I've set it to record for you. You can watch it when you come home. Look.. I've got some beer for you as well.."

Dave was forty four at the time.

As said in the first reply, it works for some, doesn't for others. But everyone will find their niche.

Let's compare it to, let's say, the Word Massive......

...this is the best thing to come out of masonry: Fairport Convention with 'The Mason's Apron' and a couple of other tunes, live in 1970.

(Warning: features Richard Thompson.)

What do you want to know?

.

Is it still anti-Catholic, or has that all gone now?

but Sophie Ellis-Bexter beat me to it.

To be fair she looks better than me with her trousers rolled up.