What do you know about the freemasons?

[Bernadine]

H met someone who's a member the other night, and now he's thinking about it. It looks a little sketchy to me.

[pantsparty]

Jay-Z is a freemason?

No, that's the Illuminati.

IDK.

[Bernadine]

Dec 7, 2015 12:09:35 GMT -5 @licia said:

What Assassin's Creed told me.

Oh, I've never seen it.

[kayl84]

That it's like fight club, what happens there..stays there. No, I do know of 2-3 people who are in it, you have to be invited by a member into it.

The History channel had a ton of stuff on them. Nothing "confirmed". I ask questions, but don't get answers much obviously.

[jellymankelly]

I got one of those super scary chick tracts once that told me it was a cult.

(Edit: I'm only half kidding here. I DID find one of those tracts that implied that a family's son died because they were in a Shriners "cult," but I don't believe it's a cult.)

[claudiajean]

I'm assuming you're not counting the knowledge I acquired from watching the National Treasure movies, so nothing.

[trafficgirl]

Other than it's some sort of secret society type thing, nothing.

[CurlyQ284]

My dad was (is?) A member. He stopped going but I don't know if you're a member for life. They aren't allowed to talk about it so I don't know much but he met a lot of people, lots of networking. It seemed like whenever we needed something dad knew a guy (mechanic, when they needed a lawyer etc).

He stopped going because he believed they were racist. I can't remember details, since this all happened when I was a kid but either he noticed that African Americans were never asked to join or that they did join but didn't seem to advance to higher levels. I'm not sure if that was an issue at just his lodge or if that's an organization wide issue.

[cleo29]

My grandfather was one and we had a neighbor who was one too.

[kris356]

DH is a Mason. I have no idea what goes on there, because it is like Fight Club but it is an excellent networking tool as a brother is a brother no matter what lodge you belong to. They also do a ton of charity and philanthropy work.

ETA: Each lodge is a little different, so I guess you would have to like your lodge members. But because it is by invite only, you are already going to know people. I do remember that the interview and vetting process is pretty intense. They came to our home and interviewed DH and he had to have character references that he was had a moral character. I wasn't there, I took the dogs for a walk.

[Champagne Supernova]

DH's grandpa is a member. He's talking DH and his brothers into joining but he's like, not allowed to talk about it...they have to join to find out.

Sounds shady but kinda cool at the same time based on what I know about them from the movies, Nat Geo, and Dan Brown novels, LOL.

[tictac]

I read "The Da Vinci Code" in college?

[Deleted]

The whole secret thing gives me the creeps.

[dizzydee]

One of R's really good friends is a Freemason. We've learned to not ask questions, but he's a completely normal, really sporty, and not super secretive. I have a couple guys I went to HS with that are weird, really nerdy, and super secretive about their "super special, private, really cool, don't ask any questions about, club". The also belong to different branches? So maybe that's it.

[trafficgirl]

Dec 7, 2015 12:19:56 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I feel like I'd be really, really pissed if my husband belonged to a secret society and didn't tell me what went on there.

I wouldn't be pissed, I'd just be curious as all hell.

[Bernadine]

I like the networking aspect of it, and h is interested in the brotherhood and charitable aspects.

I was a in a sorority and have my own secret handshake/rituals, so I don't care about that, lol.

[redredwine]

Dec 7, 2015 12:18:12 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

My dad, brother, grandfather, great grandfather, and a whole mess of my relatives were/are Masons. It's a fraternal organization whose aims are charitable. The Shriners are an off-shoot of the Masons and run their Children's Hospitals all over the world, providing free care to thousands of children.

Famous past Masons include George Washington and Paul Revere. This is an exceptional group, seriously, and they do good work. It's also an avenue for business contacts.

This. My H is a Mason, he joined it only to find out what the big deal was because he was intrigued. He's not really active anymore, but is a member for life (unless they kick you out and they do actually kick people out, mostly if you're kinda shady). Freemasonry is an offshoot of Masonry and in my understanding, not all that different. There's lots of branches of Masonry-scottish rite, shriners, etc. While I like to picture it like Skulls (Paul Walker, anyone), I'm pretty sure there's just some silly secret handshake, weird wardrobe/hats, and some cool buildings. You have to memorize alot of shit. 

I think it's more networking than anything, but he does refer to a Masonic bond with guys-like, if you have a secret, they won't tell it or they help you out in times of need, etc. Who knows. #weirdguything

[kris356]

Dec 7, 2015 12:20:06 GMT -5 dizzydee said:

One of R's really good friends is a Freemason. We've learned to not ask questions, but he's a completely normal, really sporty, and not super secretive. I have a couple guys I went to HS with that are weird, really nerdy, and super secretive about their "super special, private, really cool, don't ask any questions about, club". The also belong to different branches? So maybe that's it.

There are different Orders, things are a bit different in each order. I am probably going to disappear for revealing DH status! 

[FastHands]

I know a friend's H looked into it, but he decided against it when he learned that the Catholic Church is against it. The Catholic Church is against some things that I (and many others) am a very big supporter of, lol, so take that with a giant grain of salt, but it did make me raise an eyebrow.

[franklin]

Dec 7, 2015 12:19:56 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

I feel like I'd be really, really pissed if my husband belonged to a secret society and didn't tell me what went on there.

Exactly. I'm nosy, curious, and ask a lot of questions.

[trafficgirl]

Dec 7, 2015 12:23:40 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

Dec 7, 2015 12:21:25 GMT -5 trafficgirl said:

I wouldn't be pissed, I'd just be curious as all hell.

I don't know; I'd be curious, for sure, but also really ticked off if he didn't tell me anything.  I'm not a big fan of secrets.

I get it.

H was in a fraternity and I was in a sorority, so I think that influences my stance.

[sydney02]

Can I ask a stupid question? Do you have to actually be a mason to belong? Or just have someone in your family who was a mason?

We used to live in apartments in Tampa directly next to a masonic lodge. It was a pretty big building and it used to bug me that I had no idea what they were.

I don't know if you can see this street view but it was a huge building with a fence around it. Not like some little moose lodge.

www.google.com/maps/place/Masonic+Lodge/@27.9816817,-82.5612423,3a,75y,187.67h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-Ml9m1CHPbR6RURVqh_Hpw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xc0f13246330e9852!6m1!1e1

eh I can't link it. It's 5500 Memorial hwy in Tampa. WTF goes on there I wonder. Is it like the scene in Eyes Wide Shut with the masks? 

[cats]

A guy I went on a date with (that I met online) was a Mason. He liked to talk about how he was a Mason and how he couldn't talk about it... a lot. It was very Taylor Swift's monologue on SNL where she would talk about something and then say he wasn't going to talk about it.

We went on just that one date.

None of this information is helpful to you.  You're welcome. 

[papie]

One of our friends joined a couple of years ago. All we know is that it seems very time-consuming. Also his wife always refers to his freemason contacts as "they/them". Like "oh yeah, we went to a house party last night. It was with "them", you know?". Weirdorama.

[meli554]

Dec 7, 2015 12:25:58 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

my dad, on his deathbed, told me one specific secret to use if I ever needed help. I have never told anyone (and won't here so don't ask).

[luckyval]

Dec 7, 2015 12:25:58 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

my dad, on his deathbed, told me one specific secret to use if I ever needed help. I have never told anyone (and won't here so don't ask).

Kind of a get out of jail (or FBI custody) free thing? 

Or was it a secret handshake thing? 

[Bernadine]

Dec 7, 2015 12:23:55 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I said:

I worked at the California HQ for a couple years.
Crackpots, misogynists and racists. In that order.
With charity work thrown in. Lol.

Great.

I read that they accept gay men, so I was thinking they were more progressive. :^)

[revolution]

My Grandfather was a mason. And some high ranking one. I forget the rank, but I called him the 'grand poo pa'. I remember going to a meeting when he got his title thingy and we were allowed there for a while, and then we had to leave so they could do their secret stuff. And then we were allowed back for food.

By Grandmother was/is an Eastern Star.

[papie]

Dec 7, 2015 12:30:38 GMT -5 luckyval said:

Dec 7, 2015 12:25:58 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

my dad, on his deathbed, told me one specific secret to use if I ever needed help. I have never told anyone (and won't here so don't ask).

Kind of a get out of jail (or FBI custody) free thing? 

Or was it a secret handshake thing? 

Now I'm picturing Suesue, completely desperate, banging on a freemason's door.  "BUT MY DAD TAUGHT ME THE SECRET HANDSHAKE! I KNOW THE SECRET HANDSHAKE!!! LET ME IIIIIIINNNNN!"

[papie]

Dec 7, 2015 12:32:59 GMT -5 revolution said:

My Grandfather was a mason. And some high ranking one. I forget the rank, but I called him the 'grand poo pa'. I remember going to a meeting when he got his title thingy and we were allowed there for a while, and then we had to leave so they could do their secret stuff. And then we were allowed back for food.

By Grandmother was/is an Eastern Star.

See, I,m not even involved and am dying to know, WHAT SECRET STUFF?

If H was a mason, he'd be harassed non stop about it.  I'd wake him up in the middle of the night: TELL ME THE SECRET STUFF!!!!