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Freemasons - What Do You Know About Them?

marvin1882 said:
"A sinister bunch of mainly tory backscratchers, greasy pole-climbing weasels, closet satanists and drunks.
Doubtless their critics will be less kind ....."
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To my understanding all bar the 'closet satanist' bit is almost certainly true. For a short while in the '90s I moved in the corporate management tiers where one often finds such creatures lurking and I'm pretty sure I was approached/sounded-out. Obviously not for me - I've always been on the drop-out/hippy/punk or whatever side of things with little if any respect for authority or tradition so it is about as far from the way I'd want to spend an evening as can possibly be imagined. I doubt there is much sinister about it, it is just yet another feeding trough for Tories to (very slowly) elbow their way towards. Another covert substitute for real talent or integrity similar to the 'old school tie' etc.

PS I'm sure, as with anything, there will be some decent people to be found. I personally find the concept of a closed and sexist club to 'get ahead' pretty repulsive, but I'm sure some will find legitimate reasons for being there.
 
^ The closet satanist bit is most apt, my step father was a FM and a URC minister of religion with a full set of Dennis Wheatley paperbacks, well thumbed iirc.

They put the fear of god into their minions in order to scare them into carrying out their unholy evil deeds!
 
The time and place I got the greatest number of Masonic handshakes was when I was working in London in the mid 80s. I found it really embarrassing.
 
The Civil Service and Armed Forces have a large number of Masons. I was sounded out and received some strange handshakes on promotion boards. I have also been checked out by Fife miners.....

Not my scene at all.
 
So I have followed this thread with interest as I am a Freemason.

I don't recognize any of the attitudes or actions relating to Freemasons, certainly not those who operate under the United Grand Lodge of England.
www.ugle.org.uk

The society is working really hard to be open and consign the misconceptions about us to the past - obviously not working for those here!

What really struck me was the post about racial abuse by Masons, if true this would result in the member(s) being chucked out - simple as, it is not tolerated.
Freemasonry is inclusive and men and women of all religions, race, social background are welcome. There is only one thing that precludes someone joining is you have to believe in a supreme being (Basically whatever your God is); atheists and agnostics cannot become members.

We used to be a very open society up until the late 1930s when the threat of invasion led the society to go underground. Hitler had sent 10s of thousands of Masons to concentration camps. For some daft reason it never 'opened' up again and this led to the misconceptions setting in - it's working hard to redress this now. I for one am very open about it and I find it a shame that many know of Dads, uncles etc who were Masons but never spoke about it - thankfully those days are going fast; as is the idea that joining the Masons gets you off speeding tickets. Sadly I'm sure it used to happen in the 50s,60s 70s and 80s but nowadays potential joiners are told that they should not join if they get the impression they will get a 'leg up' somehow.

At the end of the day it's a hobby, but one with a serious moral message that teaches us to respect everyone.

Questions, I'm sure there will be lots.

P.S. If you want to know the actual 'secrets' they are easy to find online.
P.P.S. No one actually knows where Freemasonry came from, we are celebrating 300 years officially this year but many believe its much older having derived from Trade Guilds in the 1300s.
P.P.P.S The magnificent building thing is relatively new, most Lodges met in pubs. Mine meets in a local community center.
 
Still said:
Was that the middle finger palm tickle technique?
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No, its all about thumbs and knuckles. It is explained on the net under Masonic Handshakes. This would have been amusing during my career, but I left before the internet arrived so knew little about it.
 
herb said:
No, its all about thumbs and knuckles. It is explained on the net under Masonic Handshakes. This would have been amusing during my career, but I left before the internet arrived so knew little about it.
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The thought is they derived from the times when actual stonemasons traveled around and were paid according to experience, were you an apprentice or craftsman. The way you proved it was by the handshake and were then paid accordingly.
Could be rubbish but its a good a theory as any!
 
herb said:
No, its all about thumbs and knuckles. It is explained on the net under Masonic Handshakes. This would have been amusing during my career, but I left before the internet arrived so knew little about it.
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I get Masonic handhakes a lot as I work in people's houses daily and as you say it's all about the grip.

I never say anything when it happens but I don't suppose it's a surprise to the mason that I'm not one of them.

Fine it a bit wierd though some random guy trying to work you out by a handshake.
 
twotone said:
I get Masonic handhakes a lot as I work in people's houses daily and as you say it's all about the grip.

I never say anything when it happens but I don't suppose it's a surprise to the mason that I'm not one of them.

Fine it a bit wierd though some random guy trying to work you out by a handshake.
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I have never given a Masonic handshake outside of a Lodge meeting, even to someone I know to be Mason. Could not see the point.
I have received handshakes from people who may think they are giving one but it wasn't correct, it's very distinct. I did not reciprocate.
 
flatpopely said:
I have never given a Masonic handshake outside of a Lodge meeting, even to someone I know to be Mason. Could not see the point.
I have received handshakes from people who may think they are giving one but it wasn't correct, it's very distinct. I did not reciprocate.
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Well I get one fairly regularly or what I think is one.

Certainly very different from a normal handshake and I live and work in what could possibly be described as a Masonic area if there is such a place but it's full of golf clubs, churches and bowling clubs so there's bound to be a load of masons here plus that other orange mob.
 
twotone said:
Well I get one fairly regularly or what I think is one.

Certainly very different from a normal handshake and I live and work in what could possibly be described as a Masonic area if there is such a place but it's full of golf clubs, churches and bowling clubs so there's bound to be a load of masons here plus that other orange mob.
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I would bet they were not Masons it is very distinct. As I said I get lots of 'funny' handshakes but they are not Masonic ones.
In our Province (Yorkshire N&E) the distribution of Lodges is pretty even across the region, not concentrated around 'areas' such as you describe.
 
all this funny handshake talk has me wondering...

is donald trump a feemason?


vuk.
 
flatpopely said:
The society is working really hard to be open and consign the misconceptions about us to the past - obviously not working for those here!
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Apart from the weird initiation, symbolism and beliefs the organisation is not a welcoming place for Catholics, women or African Americans (in the States).
 
flatpopely said:
I would bet they were not Masons it is very distinct. As I said I get lots of 'funny' handshakes but they are not Masonic ones.
In our Province (Yorkshire N&E) the distribution of Lodges is pretty even across the region, not concentrated around 'areas' such as you describe.
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Fair enough your probably right I'm not a mason so wouldn't know the grip anyway just that the ones I get are not normal handshakes, I hate them being honest.

My wife's father was a mason and her mother was in the ES and they were two of the nicest people I've ever met in my life, they treated me as a son and never ever anything else.

I had no idea they were what they were until he died, his wife predeceased him, and we found his ring and some other stuff along with the MIL's stuff.

My wife had no idea either btw, they were just genuinely nice people who would have done anything for you, well me.
 
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