Freemasons

[PurplePixie]

Can someone please explain what a freemason is & what they do etc. is it a bit weird or just a club?

[majorbonkers]

It is very weird, it is a club, they all help each other out (it's like being Jewish for people who aren't Jewish, although I believe there are some belt-and-braces Jewish Freemasons!) You probably won't get any replies from Freemasons as they are sworn to secrecy.

[archbishop]

It is a society with secrets and quite harmless at the lower levels.

[woofgang]

you could look here to start with http://www.freemasonry.net/welcome.asp

[smudge]

Freemasons may very well be sworn to secrecy. But it is not a secret society, it is a society with secrets! majorbonkers, you may think it's a very 'weird club', but there is a lot of media hype attached to Masonry. Despite what you & I may think about it, members do contribute a lot to various charities too. (My husband would be able to enlighten you more PurplePixie, but he's not into computers & I'd be here all day trying to explain on his behalf. Sorry wasn't much help was I?)

[kingbob]

Right, i was funded by the masons to go to a private school to help with my leraning difficulties when i was doing GCSE'S the thing was the fee's cost 10'000 per year and i was there for 2 years, but it wasn't the masons who payed, it was a menber of the mason's and his family who payed, and not the combined group of mason's, the thing was i am not alound to know how payed for me as it is one of the rules, but all i know is 20,000 is a lot of money and i would like to say it helped me out so much, so heres a cheers for all the mason's out there. also you can only be referred to join the mason's by another menber of the mason's

[smudge]

Quite right kingbob. Except that even if a fellow Mason introduces a candidate to their Lodge, they can still be 'black-balled' by another anonymous member/members. That is by secret ballot I should say. P.S. I am glad you were able to carry on your education, even though you had learning difficulties. It's amazing what can be achieved.

[bernardo]

My dad is one and he said it's just a "self-perpetuating dining club".

[kingbob]

is the Queen the only female menber of the masons?

[smudge]

You're quite right too bernardo. My husband & friends enjoy what I refer to as 'school dinners' at their monthly meetings!

[MrsCheeks]

Hey there kingbob I too went tot the Masonc School (for girls obvoiusly lol). I went as a fee-paying pupil as my dad was not a Mason but my Great-Grandfather & Grandfather (mother's side) were very high up Masons. There were very few of us fee-paying pupils at the school - about a quarter - and the way my father looked at it was that my fees were for 2 girls to be educated. Very worthwhile imo. Oh, and to put the record straight : YES they do wear aprons, YES they bear their left breast to prove they are not women and YES they do have a well dodgy handshake PMSL. xxxx

[smudge]

So you see some Freemasons do have a purpose in life!

[archbishop]

Kingbob - The Queen is not a Freemason.The head of Freemasonry in England is The Duke of Kent.

[chriz]

any "club" that requires the use of a sound-proof room is at least a little weird!!

[ebgyum]

there is some rubbish written on here.  you do not need to be referred by another mason, and masons temples do not have to be soundproofed!!