The Masonic Lodge - Freemasonry

[Sojourner]

Sounds like it does have religious connotations.
Why else follow such extreme rituals as such as having a freaky chair facing the east? etc.
I know you have to believe in a superior being, but what else do you do in there?
Is it like parliament?
Or do you holler hymns?
Or.........do you do weird chants before falling into a pile of tranced men speaking in tongues??

Most cemeteries face the east, it is just a tradition as such!

There is a ritual that is gone through to open the lodge, then we discuss the business specific to our lodge which is usually details of what bills we have paid, any financial stuff in general and any business from Grand Lodge in relation to upcomming events. After that we admit visitors which are Freemasons from other lodges. There are three degrees in Freemasonry so we then do the work of one of the degrees with a candidate, other times we have historical discussions on Freemasonry, or we could have a lecture on a subject like the first degree working tools for example. We then close the lodge and everyone goes out and drinks beer and eats party pies!

[Sojourner]

I would also like to know why you joined Sojourner.

Ideally I joined because my Brother in law asked me if I would like to and as he seemed to like being a member and spoke really highly of it I thought that I would like to join.

Several of my Great Uncles and my Grandfather who died before I was born in the war were members of the lodge in Moonta. So I felt that I had a connection to the group anyway and was curious and keen to know what it was all about, so my brother in law asking me to join gave me an opportunity which suited me!

[JAS]

Sounds like it does have religious connotations.
Why else follow such extreme rituals as such as having a freaky chair facing the east? etc.
I know you have to believe in a superior being, but what else do you do in there?
Is it like parliament?
Or do you holler hymns?
Or.........do you do weird chants before falling into a pile of tranced men speaking in tongues??

Most cemeteries face the east, it is just a tradition as such!

There is a ritual that is gone through to open the lodge, then we discuss the business specific to our lodge which is usually details of what bills we have paid, any financial stuff in general and any business from Grand Lodge in relation to upcomming events. After that we admit visitors which are Freemasons from other lodges. There are three degrees in Freemasonry so we then do the work of one of the degrees with a candidate, other times we have historical discussions on Freemasonry, or we could have a lecture on a subject like the first degree working tools for example. We then close the lodge and everyone goes out and drinks beer and eats party pies!

Don't you recognize the other 30 degrees ?

http://scottishritemasons-can.org/degrees.htm

I think this is aso the list quoted in the book 'Schott's Original Miscellany'

Regards
JAS

[Sojourner]

Are you recruiting Sojourner?

What I'm interested in knowing is what concessions have the Freemasons made to modern life in terms of the rituals and rules of the organisation?

Most groups have had to change with the times - like scouts (now you can get a badge for mixing discs!) and Rotary etc, have the Freemasons?

The actual ritual that is used has not changed very much only to perhaps change some of the wording to keep it relevant. My observations of Freemasonry is that it is inclusive rather than exclusive of people in general, whatever your maritial situation, sexual preference, religious belief etc is totally your own thing. At the end of the day when people start trying to take the moral high ground as such over someone else where does it end??? Commiting illegal acts will get you kicked out of course, yet that is not unlike the Scouts or other groups either!

Freemasonry has changed in that it includes peoples families a lot more these days Rather than just being a meeting that you go to one night a month. Our lodge quite often has Sunday Lunches for everyone connected to the lodge, The Eagles football club is proving a quite popular venue and we have also called in at Westies before! Every so often we host Cinema charity nights at the Chelsea Cinema which again everyone joins in with and are proving quite popular.

[Sojourner]

Don't you recognize the other 30 degrees ?

http://scottishritemasons-can.org/degrees.htm

I think this is aso the list quoted in the book 'Schott's Original Miscellany'

Regards
JAS

Hi Jas,

There are not 33degrees in Australian Freemasonry as there are in the American - or the Scottish Rite System. Aussie Freemasonry focus on a model popular in the Commonwealth often refered to as the Yorke Rite rather than the Scottish Rite. Aussie Freemasonry is an adaption of the Yorke Rite.

Yes you can though do the 33degree system in Australia if you wish to. You have to join an appendant order which is called the Rose Croix which does the 33 degrees. They accept the Aussie Blue lodge first three degrees as equivalent to their first three degrees, they then take you immediantly up to 18 then 30 as the degrees are conferred on you rather than taken as such. You make it to degree number 33 by going through the chairs and being a master in the Rose Croix Soverign Council and again that is conferred.

33 degrees are often talked about in books about Freemasonry from the U.S, yet in Australia that appendant order has not a huge membership as such.

In the Yorke Rite we break up into different orders rather than going through 33 degrees.

I belong to Mostyn Lodge no 18 which is what we call the Blue Lodge, you cant be in any appendant order unless you are a member of the Blue Lodge and often you may have to have been a master of the Blue lodge before you can take the chairs in another order.

In South Australia we have the following group of lodges not necessaraly in order!

1, Freemasonry - Blue Lodge
2, Mark lodge - the Tradesmans Mark.
3, The Royal Arch Chapter.
4, Mariners - continuation of the Mark degree
5, Royal and Select Masters - offered to those that have been masters in the Blue lodge.
6, Rose Croix - the 33 degree lodge
7, Knights Templar &
8, Red Cross of Constantine - these two orders are based on the ancient orders of Knights and are by invitation only.
9. Order of the Secret Monitor - based on proving friendship, by invitation only
10 Royal Order of Scotland - invitation only

[JAS]

Thanks for clearing that up Sojourner...I hadn't realised there were different systems.

You might not be a Master Elect of Nine but we can still connect our favourite number with you...your Lodge is no 18...1+8 = 9

Look!!!! CENTURION I found a 9 in the freemasons

Regards
JAS

P.S. Hope you won't be horribly punished by being nibbled to death by puppies or something for telling us all this info.

[Mr66]

I'm thinking of it as I am a 'Wilson'(Mr. Wilson?).
Got really into it reading the Dan Brown books.

[bulldogproud]

I was in the Scouting movement right up to and including Rovers and that was enough of a cult

I did the Scouts thing from cubs up to venturers. Believe me, in the cult stakes the scouts were nothing compared to Antioch (catholic youth). Years later and I'm still suppressing the memories of that short waste of my life...

Pseudo, sorry that you fell into a 'not-so-good' Antioch group. You should have joined us at the Henley Beach Antioch Group!
Cheers

[bulldogproud]

Sojourner, is there still a rule that Catholics cannot join the Freemasons? There used to be a fair bit of rivalry between the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Freemasons. Hopefully that is a thing of the past.
Cheers

[Sojourner]

Sojourner, is there still a rule that Catholics cannot join the Freemasons? There used to be a fair bit of rivalry between the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Freemasons. Hopefully that is a thing of the past.
Cheers

Hi Bulldogproud,

There is no restriction on Catholics being able to join the masonic lodge, although at one point one of the popes did make that claim, yet a later pope then rescinded it.

When you join the freemasons you have to take an oath, traditionally most people take that oath on the christian bible. Yet the candidate is required to choose which they feel comfortable with. I have seen the koran used, the torah, and even the book of mormon on occassion! I think that this is also now the same in the supreme court also.

[Pseudo]

When you join the freemasons you have to take an oath, traditionally most people take that oath on the christian bible. Yet the candidate is required to choose which they feel comfortable with. I have seen the koran used, the torah, and even the book of mormon on occassion!

What about "Pride Of The Bay"?