Freemasons

Whitewavemark2

The charity bit is fine.

It is the ceremonies that I find amusing and so old fashioned.

I agree they sound amusing, and even old fashioned. Anything our ancestors did sounds old fashioned to us and what we enjoy or like to do is referred to as old fashioned by our DGC. It doesn’t matter except when it’s used as an insult.

It’s just like any other group, that has a uniform or a ritual or a special song.
If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go, which makes it a good idea that Freemasons was for men and not ladies on GN.

Whitewavemark2

The charity bit is fine.

It is the ceremonies that I find amusing and so old fashioned.

Doesn't old-fashioned also mean traditional?
Is it wrong to be old-fashioned looking at some of today's new-fashioned ideas?

The Freemasons raise money for charity. Their rituals are centuries old - do they harm anyone?

Other new groups suck the savings from susceptible people. Some have links to politicians. Their rituals are questionable.

We have a history in our family of membership, DH father was Grandmaster for years, but our generation and subsequent generations find it all a bit weird.

The charity bit is fine.

It is the ceremonies that I find amusing and so old fashioned.

Whitewavemark2

I think of it as a bit anachronistic -

It belongs to the last century.

British Freemasons raised £51 million for charity last year, I imagine the charities that were in receipt of this money wouldn’t agree with you.

They are one of the first organisations to give to national disaster funds year in year out.

I think of it as a bit anachronistic -

It belongs to the last century.

I think Freemasons are a bit like little boys and their secret societies with rituals and special ceremonies.

The difficult part is that they have, or had in the past a clear belief in helping each other in business, in getting each other out of trouble, It led to the formation of local cartels and monopolies. However they are also do a lot of good through their charities.

There has in the past been concerns about masonry in the police and other professions, protecting and also excluding non-members from jobs and promotion.

I think now a days they are pretty harmless.

My grandfather, Father-in-law and late husband were all Masons, so I guess it’s been part of my life for many years.

Yes setting limits where there is no real reason for an age limit is ageist.

Being a woman or a man is a real reason.

Who has the right to decide when you should be allowed to use that reason or when you should not, especially in the current climate.,

GrannyIvy

My father was a mason for many years and my husband has been a mason also for many years. They raise a lot of money for charity and support many. It is not a secretive society and they welcome the ladies in at certain times. My DH has made many friends and in retirement it has given him the opportunity to meet with other professional people and have a purpose. There is no racism all are welcomed.

I agree wholeheartedly, GrannyIvy. This is exactly my opinion of Freemasons, and although my husband died a few years ago, I am still friendly with the wives of Masons I met at Ladies’ nights, although it was a long time ago. Sadly, many are no longer with us.

Creepy!

AuntieE

These days, I believe there is nothing sinister about the Free Masons, but it is hard to tell as they are still forbidden to tell the uninitiated what they actually do in their Lodges.

There may never have been anything sininster in the creepy sense, but there again, there could well have been when they started. Certainly, they formented political unrest in the years up to the start of the French Revolution in Paris, and the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria wasn't exactly delighted by them either, although her menfolk belonged to the organization, before the Church forbade Catholics to join.

They are not forbidden to tell the uninitiated the workings of the Lodge, that is just a myth left over from years ago.

Crossstitchfan

PamQS

I've heard the Masons called 'a conspiracy of mediocracy', and this seems to be the main objection. They promote the interests of fellow/l-masons, eg recommending them for jobs.

What is wrong with recommending a friend or relative for a job? You don’t have to be a Mason to do this, and the person you recommend will not get the job just because a Mason recommended him. What a silly (and typical) assumption. You were misinformed.

Well it depends how and at which level! When it is at Governement level, local or otherwise, and when it is not declared to others in the process, and people are chosen or appointed not on merit, but on being a Mason- then it can be very dodgy. When people within organisations do not get access to promotion or contracts because they are not members, or refused to join- then it is dodgy. And when there are very dodgy and underhand alliances between professions, not declared, the it is very objectionable, wrong and illegal.

Masonry goes very very deep over many generations and countries in my family. Those who refused to join were seriously hampered in their careers, business or professional. And I can assure you I am very well informed.

Totally different to Rotary or other similar organisations which help support each other more openly, without all the funny handshakes and ceremonies, and also raise huge amounts for charity.

Caleo

There was a piece in the Guardian about loneliness among middle -aged men . Maybe Freemason meetings are a way to help middle aged men to feel they belong.

Sorry, but that is absolute rubbish! I have known many Masons and I can assure you that is not the case! (Well, I suppose it might apply in one or two cases, like anywhere else, but is certainly not the norm). Most Masons I have met are married, widowed or divorced, and some, obviously will be homosexual, just a normal mix of people really, and I have never met anyone who has become a Mason because they ‘want to belong’.
The masons I have met (there have been many), come from all walks of life. In my late husband’s Lodge, there were shop workers, doctors, dentists, vets, business owners and many more. I think money played a part in the type of people who become Masons. Because they raise so much for charity, it’s
not cheap to join, or to attend the meetings because they need to get their charity money from somewhere.

These days, I believe there is nothing sinister about the Free Masons, but it is hard to tell as they are still forbidden to tell the uninitiated what they actually do in their Lodges.

There may never have been anything sininster in the creepy sense, but there again, there could well have been when they started. Certainly, they formented political unrest in the years up to the start of the French Revolution in Paris, and the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria wasn't exactly delighted by them either, although her menfolk belonged to the organization, before the Church forbade Catholics to join.

There is a Masonic Hall that you can visit in Bath. Very interesting and I think I was the only person booked in for the tour that day. despite streets nearby heaving with tourists. I suspect a grgrgrandfather was a mason as we have a photo of my grandfather wearing a cap with a masonic emblem on it.

Mollygo

Saying men or women have no right to groups catering only for the sex named is
Sexist?
Well yes, the idea of working men’s clubs implying that women didn’t work, was definitely sexist.

So is setting an age limit for entry, Ageist?

Yes setting limits where there is no real reason for an age limit is ageist.

I am not stating if it is right or wrong to do so I am just saying what it is.

GrannyIvy

My father was a mason for many years and my husband has been a mason also for many years. They raise a lot of money for charity and support many. It is not a secretive society and they welcome the ladies in at certain times. My DH has made many friends and in retirement it has given him the opportunity to meet with other professional people and have a purpose. There is no racism all are welcomed.

My father was also a Freemason from the early 1970s, when life was rather different, but I echo all you have said

Very charitable organisation - widows and children of members were very well looked after as well as the wider community.

PamQS

I've heard the Masons called 'a conspiracy of mediocracy', and this seems to be the main objection. They promote the interests of fellow/l-masons, eg recommending them for jobs.

What is wrong with recommending a friend or relative for a job? You don’t have to be a Mason to do this, and the person you recommend will not get the job just because a Mason recommended him. What a silly (and typical) assumption. You were misinformed.

Saying men or women have no right to groups catering only for the sex named is
Sexist?
Well yes, the idea of working men’s clubs implying that women didn’t work, was definitely sexist.

So is setting an age limit for entry, Ageist?

I think a lot of organisations get cliquey over time.
I was invited to join Inner Wheel but after attending the three lunch meetings you could visit before deciding, I knew it wasn’t for me.
That particular branch is in danger of closing because younger people aren’t interested.
I think the average age is very near 80 and of course members keep dying!

Mauduit24

Both my late grandfather and dad were masons . They do a lot of charity work that mostly goes unreported. I believe that you can apply to visit the grand lodge in great queen street in London.
I know that they do look after the families of masons who pass away , they have a girls school in Rickmansworth . A lot of organisations are quite secretive the buffaloes are another one

When my husband, a Freemason, died, I was contacted by his Lodge Almoner who asked if I was all right, whether I needed anything, and he gave me a contact number for if I felt that speaking to anyone would help. (For the cynics, I was not asked for money during this conversation).
I didn’t need to take them up on it (I have a brilliant family), but I thought it was lovely of them to bother about me. I was also contacted again a few months later by the same person who was making sure I was still ok.
Incidentally, the Lodges hold annual ‘Ladies’ nights’ which are a way for the Masons to thank their wives/other halves, for supporting their husbands/partners throughout the year. Fabulous food and a gorgeous gift. I loved these dinners, and my Ladies night in 1974 was an evening I shall never forget.
Freemasonry gets bad press, but only by those who, in the main, know nothing much about it, and have most probably tried to join and been refused!

There’s some ritual. (If the dagger and trouser leg stuff is so secret, how come everyone knows about it?) Nothing as odd as the Christian stuff though - I mean, literally eating your saviour’s body FFS!!! Like any club, they do each other favours, and COULD plot bad things, but I don’t think they do, much :-)

My husband was in the Lodge for several years but worked away a lot so couldn't always attend the meetings - we enjoyed the social aspect of it but he did find it a bit boring at times and never rejoined. He was also in the Lions and President twice over the years - again the social side was fun but like the WI (which I was a member of for many years) it became very 'cliquey' and more often a case of you were either in the 'circle' or outside of it so we gave up! All do great work for charity and good causes though.

I've heard the Masons called 'a conspiracy of mediocracy', and this seems to be the main objection. They promote the interests of fellow/l-masons, eg recommending them for jobs.