Yes. I'm actually petitioning to be a Mason in another month when I get a hold of my birth certificate. I found out one of the guys where I work is a Mason and he's very much a stand up guy. Several men I also immensely respect were also Masons such as Voltaire, Bach, Mozart, and Theodore Roosevelt.
The "hush hush" bullshit is stupid. There are no super secrets. Some handshakes, some words, lots of memorization of the degree work, but the content is essentially plays that illustrate the ideals and history of the group. Now that I am a Master Mason, meaning I've gone through three "ritual" degrees, I can now join a number of appendant groups. The main lodge is called a blue lodge. Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. You go through one, learn it, go through the next and so on. Once done, you're a Mason, no more no less and can be a part of everything. The other groups, York Rite and Scottish Rite is just an extension of those first three degrees. It's supposedly just more in depth into the stories, history, ideals, etc. of the group. More stuff to memorize. Usually more people from a wider area to hang out with. Again, I'm not giving any secret stuff away here as I wouldn't do that because I feel I earned the little bit of secret stuff and it in a way connects me with all the guys who've done it as well. This info is on most Mason grand lodge websites. Again, the secret stuff is out there. I purposefully didn't seek it out before I went through as I wanted to be surprised and enjoy it. It made me feel like I went through the same thing as Franklin, Washington and every other person who ever was a part of the group. I didn't want to ruin it. I've since looked it up to see how close the info online is. It's pretty close. Seriously, every little possible secret is out there in some form on the web. Most people just try to make it seem like it is so crazy and such. It's so not. I am very open and forthcoming about being a Mason. Being an architect in real life also made it appealing to me as there is all sorts of info that relates to my profession. I don't bring it up unless somebody asks as most people don't give a crap and I'd just be boring the hell out of them as I probably am here with my long posts about it. If they ask, I tell them about it, man and women. It's a bunch of old guys getting together a couple times a month to shoot the shit and hang out, with some philanthropy on the side, lots of memorization and essentially preserving and learning the history of the group. Anybody who keeps it hush hush is an idiot. The group's membership has dwindled so much in recent years that keeping your membership so hush hush is stupid. A main idea of the group is to not try to sway people to join or "sell" being a member. Which is fine. People need to make their own choice to join. That's all well and good, but if I know somebody who is even remotely interested, I'll talk to them about the group and maybe bring them along to meet some of the guys. Then if they join, cool, if not, who cares.
By and large right. I'm a Past Master, so as well as doing the three degrees to become a Master Mason, I've also "been through the chair" which means I've held all the operative positions up to and including being Master of the Lodge. The whole secrecy thing in Masonry serves two main functions (only one really still relevant). The no longer relevant one is that at various times, Masons were persecuted. The Catholic Church has a long history of disagreement and during the Inquisition, being a Mason was pretty dangerous. So they were very covert. The other is that to gain the knowledge, you have to demonstrate that you're ready. To stop people who aren't ready, you have passwords and conditions and all that sort of stuff, because it's traditional. Masonry is big on symbolism and tradition. All the information is out there, but that's only part of it. The real trick is knowing how and when to use it. For anyone interested in becoming a Mason, it's pretty simple. First, be a male (there's other orders for females, but Masonry is men only). It helps if you're related to one. My grandfather was a Mason, my brother before me and my father after me. Next, find a Mason. Lodges don't hide, they're pretty easy to find. Third, ask to join. A Mason will never ask you if you want to join. There is not supposed to be any form of inducement to membership. The application process can be lengthy. If there's any sign of problem, and that includes from the petitioner's family; you'll never hear back from them. Out of interest, (at least our) Lodge has something sort of in common with here. Discussions on religion and politics are not allowed inside the Lodge; it can lead to arguments and this isn't tolerated.
I was intigued by frats at first when going to college, but then I realized that 1) You get get laid a-plenty in college without being the member of one 2) Sleeping in your own place is better that sleeping in a dank, warped, shit-smelling sewer like most frat houses I've encountered. 3) Despite it's "illegal" and no Frat will EVER admit that they do it, they all haze, and it's rarely pleasant to say the very least. Their initiations are not to weed out the unworthy, but are just plain sick and sadistic forms of amusement for brothers to entertain themselves by torturing others. Frat brothers will be quick to disagree with me on that, but the fact of the matter is I'm right about this topic. Explain to me that making a bunch of humilated 18-year-olds forced to strip naked in front of fifty people then walk around in a circle holding the dick of the guy behind him like they're pulling an unwilling dog on a leash is as important and cermonial as running The Crucible on Parris Island. I'm sorry. That's plain FUCKED and you know it. I guess I could never be a Mason because you have to believe in a higher power, in their case that is known as The Great Architect. That's something that I cannot give lip service to.
To clarify this, because I can see some people taking it the wrong way: Masonry requires that you believe in some higher power, not a specific one. It could be God, it could be Buddha, it could be the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Who or what it is is personal to you. They just use various catch all phrases to refer to that belief. The Great Architect of the Universe is one of those reference phrases.
I thought about joining a frat, and talked to a friend who was pledging, right as he was starting to really get into it. He said he spent most of his time at the house doing bitch work, cleaning up after them (they'd dump milk and make him wipe it up with his own shirt, stuff like that). He said there were some other, 'much worse' things (he refused to elaborate, more on that later), but that he felt it was necessary. I asked him why, and he said "Well, they did it. If I don't do it, they won't see me as a brother." Sorry, I don't buy that. The logic is that they had to do it, so now you do if you want to join them? By that logic, if your dad beats the shit out of you, you have to beat the shit out of your kid, because that is just how it is. This is why I stopped thinking about joining one. The first time someone told me to do some silly shit, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves, but that was just me. I realized I wasn't willing to wade through a giant pile of shit just to make some friends and connections that I could make anyway with some effort and acting like a civilized human being and talking to people in class and in the dorms. At my college, there was a crackdown on hazing by the university. I talked to the same guy some 5 years later. According to him, they told guys that if they told any university officials or made any attempt to get the frats in trouble for hazing, not only would they not become a member, but they'd be targeted for harassment by the frat (and other frats, for that matter) for the remainder of their time at the college. They told the pledges before anything even started that if they couldn't take the hazing to just leave right then, but warned them that trying to get the frat in trouble would result in constant problems. He said they never had to follow through, and when I asked what they'd actually do, he said they'd probably just make the pledges fuck with the guy (stalk the guy to all of his classes, do little things to bother him) as a form of hazing, and make sure the guy was black listed from any and all frat parties. Then again, he went on to tell me that the 'much worse' things were more idle threats than anything, and that the worst thing they made him do was get him and his fellow pledges shitfaced and make them streak through the frat's sister sorority house. He said they each had to get one pair of panties, and if they returned without a pair, they were out. The girls were expecting it, so he said it was basically run in, act like an idiot to impress a girl/make her laugh, and she'd give the guy a pair of panties and he'd run back out. He said he'd heard rumors that other frats were much worse, but he always chalked it up to the same 'much worse' threats he received when he was a pledge. Of course, he could be full of shit, as this is all second hand, but again, I had (and have) no desire for any of that secret society/fraternity stuff. Then again, I'm fairly anti-social.
What's the deal on this? There is a lot of douchebags in my family, but I am nothing like them. I was told by another Master Mason this has no bearing on what is thought of me and my petition. Can you give some more insight on this?
He's right, it doesn't. The issue is more whether they themselves have a problem with you being a Mason. If there's any sign of that, particularly from your girlfriend/wife then they'll disappear. The reasoning behind this is Masonry expects dedication to a number of things (obeying the laws, abiding by your convictions, that sort of thing). A major one of those is to your family. It's not often specifically stated as such, but is plainly apparent from the requirements of membership. Masonry doesn't endorse the creation of conflict. With respect to your significant other, they're often asked to be present at your interview for membership. They're asked questions to see if they have an issue with you becoming a Mason. Being a member does require a varying degree of time, at the very least attendance at Lodge meetings. If your partner isn't prepared to allow you to make that time investment, they'll likely not admit you. If it's just a case that you have a dirtbag brother, it won't be a problem. How you treat and act towards him may.
Keep it on topic and away from the fraternity hazing bullshit. It is impossible to debate that hardship + empathy = friendship. The military does it, corporate culture does it, frats do it. I don't care what you think about it.
Are you talking about military training or military hazing? Because I find it hard to believe you'd equate fraternity hazing with military training.
Clearly, you're unfamiliar with the "Tie Your Squad Up In A Burlap Sack Full of Cat Shit and Human Semen and Throw Them Down The Basement Stairs While They Sing 'Le Marseillaise'" Method of Counter-insurgency.
FOCUS: Yes, I would join a "secret society" (take that however you like it - note this doesn't include frats). I'm a curious individual - I need to know.
What's the point in having the knowledge if you can't share it with someone? Doesn't that defete the point in knowing? I wouldn't join. Mainly becuase I'm not that curious. I kind of want to create a secret society of my own. We would remove all of the gay traditions (men only, paddles, sexual hazing), then remove all the retarded traditions and then we would try to find some actual knowledge to have. How would we keep it secret with all this nonsense? We kill members if they snitch.
Doesn't that kind of go against being able to share knowledge with someone? I mean, killing someone is really the ultimate silence, isn't it?
Focus- Yes. Anyways, I don't view secret societies as either "good" or "bad"; they simply exist, and spring up rather organically when a group of people with similar goals/interests gets together. Sometimes their effect is deleterious, other times highly beneficial. I am not above taking advantage of them, however. I'm not a real "team player" and don't make all the required meetings, but contribute a sufficient amount, or when I'm interested.
"I have been a member of many religious cults, both as a leader and as a follower. You have more fun as a follower, but made more money as a leader." Kind of sums up my view on secret societies.
As a frat bro who has had ample interaction with sorority girls, I've never considered the notion of sorority girls being anything other than vain slam-pieces that prance around at our parties. I seriously forget that sorority girls belong to an actual organization with history, by-laws, and traditions. Are secret handshakes just loud shrieks, "OMG PINKCUP OMG OMG YOU'RE HERE," followed by sloppy, overenthusiastic hugs? Are rush strategies just looking as hot as possible so other girls want to join? Do meetings just consist of discussing which cocktail dresses and heels to wear for the night's partying?
I've gone through both military and fraternity hazing and the end result was the same: strong communal bonding. Basic training is intentionally stupid and agonizing because it bonds you and your peers against a common enemy.