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Freemasonry

Old Corky

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Posts
54
Location
Pine Island,Texas, USA
I know there is some dislike for Freemasonry in the UK so I really don't have to be told about it. Please remember however, that Freemasonry came to the colonies with the British army and colonists. We didn't invent it.

But, I also know there are many Masons and some people in the UK who have an interest in it.

For that reason, I wanted to let anyone who is interested know, that there is a free monthly online Masonic magazine named "The Small Town Texas Masonic E-magazine" located at The Small Town Texas Mason E-magazine. Despite the name it has about 40 pages of Masonic articles, stories, news, and humor from around the world, about Freemasonry every month. Everyone is invited to read it.

Old Corky
Pine Island, Texas
 

Woody

Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2013
Posts
12,812
Location
at home
First Name
no
I made these for a Freemason lodge somewhere in Wales by request of a friend but I dont know what they wanted them for
16.jpg
 

Jed Baxter

Registered
Joined
Apr 23, 2012
Posts
348
Location
UK
I didnt know that he masons were disliked, i did know that not everyone knows what they are about. :goesred:
 

clumsysod

GOBBY GIT
Graduate Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Posts
687
Location
Grantham
As far as I am aware Freemasonry itself is kept under wraps and very guarded much the same as the RAOB.
Not disliked but misunderstood, there is nothing to like nor dislike about the organisation, because we are not supposed to know anything about it.
The members are the problem, not because they are Masons but because they are people, there are no problems, only people.
 

Old Corky

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Posts
54
Location
Pine Island,Texas, USA
Oh Lordy, I had no idea, that my post would get such a reaction, THANK you guys for your understanding answers. Over here, we see in the news all the time how the public in the UK is trying to make all politicians, Law officers, judges and etc. make public if they are masons, so I guess I made an assumption.

Maybe I can explain a couple of assumptions then, First Freemasonry is not a religion or trying to rule the world. Grand Lodge laws (not secrets) even forbid any discussion of religion or politics in a Lodge because they are causes of dissension.

Regarding trying to rule the world, if that was our intention, we are the biggest flop in the world because we've had over 300 years to do it. George Washington one of the worlds best know Freemasons refused to be made tke King of the US and insisted on an election for the citizens to elect there own choice to rule them.

One other misconception I hear is, "I've never been invited to join". Well, you never will be. ("2B1U ask 1" as the bumper stickers say) You must ask a Mason for a petition to become a member. It has to be of your own freewill and accord. And I can assure you that you won't learn anything you couldn't tell your wife or mother, except that you swore you wouldn't and only the fact that a man is no better then his word, prevents you from doing so.

Old Corky
Pine Island, Texas
 

clumsysod

GOBBY GIT
Graduate Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Posts
687
Location
Grantham
Thank you for that informative reply Corky. It goes some way to reaffirm my thoughts on the subject.
I have known many Masons and Buffs throughout the world and life.
The genuine ones don't talk about it to outsiders, they just get on with it and do nothing but good.
The ones that brag about it and big themselves because of it are the ones we tend to dislike, obviously because they are in it for their own gain and not to help others.
I remember as a child the knights of honour and a splinter group St Georges round table, I don't know if they were only local to me or if they still exist but come Christmas time they sent Santa around the streets to ensure no child went without a Christmas present.
They earned my undying respect, I believe a they were a group of businessmen donating each week to the cause, it was due to them I saw Oliver at the London Palladium when Oliver read Jack Wild and Phil Collins were all in it. My first theatre visit and still vividly remembered to this day.
Many thanks to them and people like you who do this sort of thing for others. I also know besides yourself there are others on this very forum, notice how they have not commented? And why should they?
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
One of the guys i worked with for over 18 years who is now retired and enjoying his drink, never once talked or even mentioned it in all the conversations that we had ... :nooidea:
 

Old Corky

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Posts
54
Location
Pine Island,Texas, USA
Thank you Clumsysod, for bringing up a good point. One of the main reasons I became a Mason is because I have a 52 year daughter who was born with Cerebral Palsy. We were told by doctors she would never walk and probably never even sit up. When she was about 3 or 4 a Masonic friend gave us an application for the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children in Houston (many people don't know you must be a Mason to be a Shriner)

Anyway she had a number of operations, hospital stays, shoes and braces, walkers, crutches and hundreds of days of physical therapy until she was 15. She received her diploma from high school walking on the stage on her crutches. She graduated from a 2 year junior collage and had finished one an a half years in Sam Houston State University for a teacher's degree, when the head of the Special Education Dept. convinced her that no one would ever hire her as a teacher because of her handicap. So, she probable received a few hundred thousand dollars worth of treatment in today's dollars and they have never ask us for one thin penny, or even for our insurance.

And, you are certainly right, there are good ones and bad ones in any organization or anywhere you go.

Old Corky
Pine Island, Texas
 

clumsysod

GOBBY GIT
Graduate Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Posts
687
Location
Grantham
A touching story Corky and proof that we never know what's in store for us as we go through life.
Likewise where would we be without benevolent people in this world, I am sure you have given as much if not more in your own way.
Good on you mate may your god be with you and your family.
 

Old Corky

Full Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Posts
54
Location
Pine Island,Texas, USA
I made these for a Freemason lodge somewhere in Wales by request of a friend but I dont know what they wanted them for
View attachment 1222

I do not know what they could be used for in a Lodge Woody. Of course they look like candle sticks and we do have three candle sticks with candles where we can get away with it. Some areas in the state have pretty tough fire regulations and inspections and those Lodges use a electrical imitation of candles. BUT, the Lodge candle sticks are always arranged in a combination of three candles as you can see at a Waller Lodge 2006 officer installation picture. By the way, I am the second one from the right (90 pounds heavier back then) You can also see that Texas Masons are a little more casual then our Brit. Brothers, Shoot, we are even more casual then our northern Yankee Brothers. I doubt that any one in our Lodge even has a Tux.
Anyway, I must add that your sticks are beautiful (If they are candle sticks.) Truly art.


Old Corky
Pine Island, Texas
 

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Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Corky, Prescribed dress in my Lodges (blue) over here is Dinner Suit I sure would have welcomed your informality we worked under the English Constitution, during the heat of or excessive heat at the Masters discretion Coats could be dispensed with. Some years ago our Lodges ran Informal nights for wives and husbands during this time the Master of the Lodge or his appointee would go around the Lodge and explain the fixtures , layout of the room.

As a Practicing LDS member our Church has Temples before Dedication and during refurbish we have open house when these buildings run conducted tours of the buildings and furnishings otherwise access like the Masonic Lodges are restricted to bona fide members in good standing. Not secret rather sacred in my church Temples. I welcome the trends today to demystify the above probably will not speak of these things again as my respect for all people is the same.

Kind regards Peter.
 

Bluefoxy

Full Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Posts
173
Location
London
As far as I am aware Freemasonry itself is kept under wraps and very guarded much the same as the RAOB.
Not disliked but misunderstood, there is nothing to like nor dislike about the organisation, because we are not supposed to know anything about it.
The members are the problem, not because they are Masons but because they are people, there are no problems, only people.

Not quite right. Freemasonry, in recent years, has become far more open. A trip to any library will gain access to the Masonic book of rituals and there are many books available, written by Freemasons, which will give you an insight into the history of the Craft and the many luminaries who have been Freemasons over the years. It is NOT a secret society but it is, if the Freemason so wishes, a private society. Many choose to make it so. Suffice it to say that the principal tenets of the craft can be summarised as Fellowship and Charity. The United Grand Lodge of England raises many millions of pounds every year for charity and more than 50% of the money raised is donated to non Masonic charities. As an interesting side note if any of you are fans of the tv series Spooks the building usually depicted as Century House, home of MI5 is in fact the United Grand Lodge of England in Great Queens street!!

Ray
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Thank you Clumsysod, for bringing up a good point. One of the main reasons I became a Mason is because I have a 52 year daughter who was born with Cerebral Palsy. We were told by doctors she would never walk and probably never even sit up. When she was about 3 or 4 a Masonic friend gave us an application for the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children in Houston (many people don't know you must be a Mason to be a Shriner)

Anyway she had a number of operations, hospital stays, shoes and braces, walkers, crutches and hundreds of days of physical therapy until she was 15. She received her diploma from high school walking on the stage on her crutches. She graduated from a 2 year junior collage and had finished one an a half years in Sam Houston State University for a teacher's degree, when the head of the Special Education Dept. convinced her that no one would ever hire her as a teacher because of her handicap. So, she probable received a few hundred thousand dollars worth of treatment in today's dollars and they have never ask us for one thin penny, or even for our insurance.

And, you are certainly right, there are good ones and bad ones in any organization or anywhere you go.

Old Corky
Pine Island, Texas

Thanks for sharing this with us Corky, you must have been a very proud Father seeing your Daughter stepping over all these obstacles ...
 

Neil

Fellow
Joined
May 21, 2013
Posts
3,132
Location
Hitchin, Hertfordshire
First Name
Neil
George,

Think you were referring to RTBI, the Round Table of Great Britain and Ireland. I was a member of my local "Table" as it was called, and one of the things we used to do was behave like complete prats at Christmas, dragging a sleigh around the streets knocking on doors and drinking far too much whisky. We used to use the money to buy food parcels for folk of whatever age who were basically having a crap time, either through health, finance or any reason you could think regardless of whether it was their own damn fault or not, we were not there to judge. It was without doubt one of the most rewarding things I ever did (we used to deliver the parcels the Sunday before Xmas) and we used a proportion of the money to buy presents for the kids that were in hospital over Christmas day. We used to visit the kids ward at about 8pm Christmas eve, only the really sick kids were still there and give them a present to try and take their mind off their suffering. Then we used to go on a pub crawl and get hammered!
 

clumsysod

GOBBY GIT
Graduate Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Posts
687
Location
Grantham
What an interesting thread this turned out to be aye Corky.
Brought a few comments out of the woodwork.
What a wonderful bunch of people I am associating with here, I feel like a thorn among roses.
Just goes to prove there is no such thing as a bad pen, only plastic.:mooney2::mooney2:
 

MikeD

Registered
Joined
May 8, 2013
Posts
237
Location
Southport, Merseyside
If I could help to clear up a few misconceptions about the rules for the judiciary in England. I have been a Justice of the Peace for some time now and sit at the local Magistrates Courts. All criminal cases in England, even murder, start off in the Magistrate's Courts before being referred to higher courts.
As a JP I have to declare any interest that could give the public concerns about any bias in my decisions.
There was a time when Free Masons were less open than they are now. There is a public perception that Free Masons are expected to assist other Free Masons. Because of that all JPs and Judges have to declare if they are Free Masons and would not normally sit on a case involving Free Masonry or where a case involves membership of Free Masonry.
We are not banned from being Free Masons, we merely have to register the fact in a private register and would be expected to avoid cases involving Free Masonry.
We are also not allowed to hear cases involving our neighbours, members of other social clubs that we may belong to and of course relatives and friends.

If any of you were brought up before me I would have to declare that I am a member of the Guild of Unprofessional Wood Scrapers and that I meet you on dubious on-line forums. That would be considered sufficient punishment for me and I would be excused from hearing your version of reality relating to your latest motoring offence :down:
There are other forums where members do things with wood which I think is criminal - I would not be allowed to sit of those cases either in case I would appear to be biased :whistling:
 
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