New Freemason wife

adouglasmhor

axomoxia wrote: »

Only one person (if at all) would have their trouser leg rolled up and their shirt undone. And its a different trouser leg depending on which ceremony

Maybe it is a wee bit different in Scotland but we sometimes had more than one person go through a ceremony at once. Another lodge would visit and carry out the ceremony. I was a Lewis which is unique to Scotland I think, that means I was allowed to join at 18 as my dad was a mason already.

adouglasmhor

axomoxia wrote: »

Its probably is. I don't know what branch of Wicca your other half subscribes to, but if it gardnarian Wicca, he might find there to to be far more similarities with craft freemasonry than he would think.

I have several friend who are Wiccans, and there's quite a bit I've seen to make me go "hang on, that looks familiar...."

...

That's because Gerald Gardner founder of modern Wicca was a Rosicrucian and there are some historic links between that an Freemasonry.

InsideInsurance

Spendless wrote: »

I used to pick them up and look through them and there is absolutely nothing of interest in them. Just a load of lines to be spouted. A 4 year olds Nativity play has far more interesting lines in them - honestly!

Craft Masonry does have interesting things in it, when you get to the explanations of the tracing boards etc however there really is only 3 main ceremonies. Ok, there are variations depending on which workings the lodge uses which can be a little bit interesting but generally you are either doing one of these three or you pretty much have nothing to do beyond the updates on charities or alms.

Ok, there is the installations once a year which I never saw because I hadnt been through the chair myself. There then are the higher organisations you can join but I never did

As to what happens, its all available online and in books. I wouldnt go as far as saying its as interesting as paint drying but it does become very repetitive. I wasnt hoping for goat riding or such but had expected much more.

to the favours? Its no different to mates rates that you'll get with any social circle or group. Camera Club for some reason just doesnt get the same bad press that the masons do despite mates rates being just as common

Amanda65

OP has started three new threads on different subjects and deleted her post on each one - how odd :huh:

Georgiegirl256

Amanda65 wrote: »

OP has started three new threads on different subjects and deleted her post on each one - how odd :huh:

I don't know why people do that, it's pretty pointless.

foxwales

First Rule of Freemasons club:

Do not talk about Freemasons Club

InsideInsurance

foxwales wrote: »

First Rule of Freemasons club:

Do not talk about Freemasons Club

On the basis most lodges are very short of members this certainly isnt the case at all. Most are pushing people to go out and recruit to stop lodges from having to surrender their warrants and close

axomoxia

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Maybe it is a wee bit different in Scotland but we sometimes had more than one person go through a ceremony at once. Another lodge would visit and carry out the ceremony. I was a Lewis which is unique to Scotland I think, that means I was allowed to join at 18 as my dad was a mason already.

Considering how most peoples eyes glaze over when you start to explain that Freemasonry isn't limited to United Grand Lodge of England, I thought mentioning double or even triple ceremonies might be a step too far.....

Its 21 hear for UGLE lodges, 18s can be admitted only as part of the University Scheme. No special privilege for being a Lewis down here! I assume you are member of a Grand Lodge of Scotland lodge?

Its a shame that the OP on this thread has disappeared - my initiation was a very profound and thought provoking, but positive experience and explanation of one I would have had great difficulty articulating at the time. If she reading this, then please go speak to any another wives or partners of the lodge, or your husbands proposer, seconder or lodge mentor. Every member of the lodge has gone through the exactly same as their husband.

PlutoinCapricorn

InsideInsurance wrote: »

On the basis most lodges are very short of members this certainly isnt the case at all. Most are pushing people to go out and recruit to stop lodges from having to surrender their warrants and close

Yes, I saw this for myself when updating a database of masonic donors: many lodges that had given in the past were found to have closed and I saw an SOS appeal on one website for new members.

axomoxia

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

Yes, I saw this for myself when updating a database of masonic donors: many lodges that had given in the past were found to have closed and I saw an SOS appeal on one website for new members.

The lodges that are going out and making the effort to attract new applicants are doing well - there are quite a few local to me that now have a waiting list of new members. Those who won't will have to amalgamate or disband.

It should be remembered of the almost 10,000 lodges created in the last couple two hundred years, 8000 still survive.

I should point out that membership is by application, not by invitation. My father was a mason, and because I thought you had to be invited, I never took the opportunity to join his lodge until after he died which meant there was an aspect of his life I never got to share. (I could have shared his love for marathon running, golf and football, where it not for the fact I can't stand golf, marathon running or football)