Hootie:

I'm not sure if you meant to say Kiwanas but Awanas is a church youth group and have nothing to do with the masons. I don't know anything about Kiwanas, I think it might be some community service organization.

Anne Marie

Kiwanas are a co-ed service group that raise money for many local and and national causes that involve children.

Kiwanis National Website

TG

au contraire
 

you CAN be a catholic and a mason. it is a recent development, but the masons accept catholics now and a catholic can freely associate with the masons. the only thing you can't do is be a mason and a knight of columbus. sort of like the glo rule of not joining another national fraternity.

Who really knows
 

This is a very interesting topic. I am a member of both a GLO and a newly raised Master Mason. There are a lot of similarites, but quite a few differences. If you really want to know about the subject of Freemasonry, I suggest that you do your own research and talk to people who are still ACTIVE in their respective lodges. Just like the several chapters of fraterniteis, each lodge does things differently.

Actually, there is a branch of Masonry called co-masonry that is co-ed. I think they have a website.

All the other Mason-affiliated groups require you to be a wife or daughter of a male Mason, except for Rainbow Girls, I believe. And they are "auxillery" groups, not Masons.

This site gives the BEST description of Freemasonry. PERIOD.

masons and such
 

As a majority member of the international rainbow for girls.. (a girls service organization sponsered by the masons) and a member of eastern star I can so NO hazing goes on in either of those organziations. Rainbow is VERY similar to a GLO sorority in their ritual and beliefs that they try to instill.. (service to others... sisterhood... academics etc...) AND I have to say that anyone who doesn't belong shouldn't be speculating on their beliefs because You haven't been through their initiation. As far as I know they have the same beliefs as anyone else with strongs morals. They do philanthropy.. believe in honesty...helping children... Etc... I see nothing wrong with this. Also MANY MANY masons I know go to church every Sunday. THey also don't push their beliefs onto anyone.. you have to ask to become a member.. they can't ask you to join.

I am also a majority member - Rainbow Girl, and I am really enjoying this topic. Rainbow may very well be the least mystifying of the Masonic organizations. The Installation of officers ritual is open to all who are invited, and the rules regarding the Initiation ceremony were changed about 10 years ago, (which was previously closed to all but duly initiated members of Masonic organizations) to allow the non-masonic parents of the initiates to attend. We had 2 Catholic girls in our group--their parents were Masons/Eastern Stars.

Rainbow truly changed my life, and renewed my faith in God and people in general. My grandparents were members of the Masons/Eastern Stars but left long before they died. Which leads me to my biggest beef about the OES--because I am not related to a Mason in good standing, I could not become a member of the OES. I'm sure they have their reasons, but it seems to me that they are unnecessarily limiting themselves in this day and age (My father believes all Masons are members of the Klan...and used to rag me regularly when I had Rainbow functions).

Oh well--so I throw myself into DZ. Rainbow seems to be dying, which makes me sad b/c I know how wonderful it was to be a member.

BTW-The Achoth Sorority was founded in 1910--meant for women affiliated with the OES--their symbols were all OES related, so it's possible their ritual was OES related. Achoth became Phi Omega Pi--joined NPC and dropped the masonic affiliation in 1933. Phi Omega Pi later merged into Delta Zeta.

I think the reason some ppl have/had negative views about the Masons was because a man who had left the order wrote a supposedly tell-all book about the Masons and their ritual.
In one of my classes my Prof told us about the book, and how their oaths were described as being near satanic and that some oaths included crazy things like if you ever said anything, you would be physically harmed, the deeper you got into it the more horrible the oath....
anyway, that book is out there, I guess, and it was very controversial, so that's prolly why some ppl misunderstand the Masons....just like some ppl misunderstand us Greeks!
I too was a bit prejudiced against the Masons and Shriners but reading this thread has helped me realize that they really aren't too different from us (except they seem to give a lot more) and my friend keeps insisting that since her grandfather was a Shriner they must be great Men.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and info,

Wow! Interesting Topic
 

I'm a Rainbow Girl too... *not majority yet* I think it is truly one of the best organizations for young women and could be considered a sorority without the greek letters. As for being so secretive, every masonic organization's ritual is on file at the library of congress and while I am not sure if the "secret work," the various signs and responses are there, these secrets are not meant to harm anyone and are just a large part of the beauty of our ritual work.
As a daughter of parents who are very active in masonic groups and Catholics as well, I can say that these groups have brought us closer together as a family and I can only hope I can find such a group at college.. which brings me into my problems with sororities at my school.. but that's another story. Again, this topic is great!
:D

As a daughter of parents who are very active in masonic groups and Catholics as well, I can say that these groups have brought us closer together as a family...

That's not how it worked in my family. When my Uncle joined, my Grandfather disowned him. He was 89 when he cut him out of the will and it broke his heart.

thatgirl,

What high school did you attend?

How strange! My mom always talked about how she was a Rainbow Girl when she was little, because she was comparing it to my having been in Girl Scouts. I had no clue from the way my mom talked about it that Rainbow Girls had anything secretive involved in it. Girl Scouts certainly doesn't. Sure Girl Scouts has rituals, badges, etc, but none of it is secret in the least..

OKay... weird how you don't know some of this stuff about your family, but I just called my mom to ask her again about the Rainbow Girls thing and she said there WERE secret rituals & stuff, and that apparantly my grandfather was a Mason and my great grandmother was an Eastern Star, aside from lots of my relatives being in GLOs. Hmm... Strange how you find you find out stuff like this all of the sudden... weird...

33girl,

Your are right, that did go out with Vatican II. That used to be the case but not anymore.

Alphabebe-If you want some more info on Eastern Star which women are allowed to join www.easternstar.org

Actually as a rainbow girl I can say yes there are rituals involved. actually they are more involved than any ritual stuff involved with my sorority.... by that, (without giving away too much info) I mean the rainbow rituals take more time and generally involve more talking... and A LOT of walking... anyone who has been to an installation of any masonic org (which are all open rituals) knows how much walking is involved.. and although some of them are not open to the public... (initiation, meetings) all of the rainbow cermemonies are open to the parents of rainbow girls and the adult organizations that support rainbow. (Masons, Eastern Star) And as someone has said before, the rainbow ritual book is actually a published book and is in the library for any of you that are curious. If any one has any questions about rainbow or Eastern star... PLEASE PLEASE ask someone who knows... (IE has been directly involved in the org) because some of the stuff I've been hearing about rainbow and masons AREN"T true at all and I know we all know what it's like to be stereotyped by people who have no clue about what the organization we belong to is about. :D

Masonry
 

I have spent the last semester and a half researching Freemasonry and secret socities. I have found many parallels in Masonry and our ritual. Masonry gave birth to all fraternities, secret societies, and sororities(Order of the Easter Star). There currently is a bid on me to enter the lodge and I am looking forward to it. As far as hazing is concerned I am a former Veteran and believe in the ideals of war. I am prepared mentally and physically for anything.

masonic youth orders
 

Ok some have dispelled some turths and myths here. I am a Past member of the international order of Job's Daughters. Rainbow and Demolay are also groups listed as Masonic youth orders. They are related to masons. Job's Daughters has to be related to as master mason to be initated. Rainbow and demolay are sponsered by a mason.
I am a legacy gazillions of times over by Masons and Eastern stars in my family and i know many members of these youth groups who have gone ont to be greek in college.
The age range for the youth group is 11 to 20 yrs of age and the demolay are 21 if i believe.

masonic youth pt II
 

I have been reading more and more into this thread and i am amazed how many ppl don't realize there masonic heritage. Anyways. i have been fasicnated by this thread because i am seeing a lot of masonic youth postings here from GLO members.
A lot of the masoinic youth orders are very full and rich in heritage and ritual. Symbols is what our orders are based upon. I can also say coming from a line full of masons and Eastern stars i have never heard once of any hazing that happens in the youth or masoinc orders.
I am very proud of my heritage with Job's daughters and what this group has taught me in leadership , respect for my country and its flag, my civic cumminity work, as well as responsiblity and love of the order. this org has made me the person i am today...strong , confident, loyal and caring. Just as the GLO teach each and every member they nurture and care for.:D :D

I am an Easter Star and I was not hazed in any way. I am very active with my lodge. I love being an Eastern Star, it is one of the best choices I have ever made. My grandfather and two cousins are Mason and they too have no regrets!!!

Masons
 

there is no masonic hazing.

Actually, Acacia is still associated with Masonry. I was actually talking about this with one of my roommates at school and when you join Acacia you actually join a Masonry also. (Which could explain why the brothers I know there are always so damn busy!) I want to say it's Freemasons but I honestly don't remember and she isn't online right now for me to ask. I'll let you know which it is if she ever gets back online.

I have a question of my own though. This may be a dumb question, but since it's 4:17am please bear with me. How did men (say dad-age, like 50-ish, or grandfathers etc.) become masons? Did they have to go through college? None of the men in my family went to college and I'd feel dumb just out and asking them if they were involved with the Mason or not, so I figured I'd ask here first. Thanks!

Nope, being a Mason has nothing to do with college. The majority of Masons and Shriners in my dad's chapter never took any college courses at all.

As far as how did they become Masons to begin with, it's like that old ad "I told 2 friends and so on and so on." From what Dad told me, you have to be asked to join by a present member and it is taboo to bring it up yourself. Whether that's still the way it's done everywhere I'm not sure.

Reply to 33girl and TPASteph re: Freemasons
 

To join a lodge of Masons one needs to be 21 years old, of good character, and be proposed and seconded in open lodge and voted on in a process much like a 'ball session' complete with a voting box with white balls and black cubes or some similar process. College is not required to join the Masons. It was started centuries ago by stone masons who taught moral and philosophical beliefs by using the tools of a stone mason to illustrate these.
Actually, the candidate has to ASK to join the lodge, as Masons are not supposed to recruit but rather to respond to a request. All one needs to do is bring up the subject to a Mason and he is then free to explain the process. With minor variations, the interested party asks something like, "Hay, you are a Mason, what is that all about?" Then the Mason explains the history, aims and purposes, and general info. If the candidate is interested in going further he is given a 'petition' form which is filled in by the candidate and then signed by a sponsor and one or more seconders. Most lodges require that one has known the candidate for a period of time and can recommend him with confidence. So, those who actually sponsor the candidate are usually people who have known him for some time. Then the petition is read in lodge and a committee of three or more who are not his sponsors is appointed to do a bit of research on the candidate. This involves meeting the candidate at home or some convenient location like lunch, or dinner, or someplace where a quiet conversation can be held, and asking him certain questions regarding his understanding of what Masonry is all about, what his beliefs are (one has to believe in God in order to be a Mason), and whether the candidate will be able to dedicate enough time to participate in the lodge instructions and activities. Assuming the candidate gets a good report, his name is proposed for election in open lodge, the committee reports formally that he is in their judgment a good candidate, the sponsors can speak for him, and the lodge at large is invited to say anything pertinent. Then a vote is taken and if he receives all white balls he is elected. As a safeguard, if there is one black one the vote is retaken to make sure there was no error. It takes 100% to elect. At this point the candidate is asked to come to the lodge. He may be told that he is to meet a few more of the brothers or he may be told that he has been elected. Different lodges have minor variances in this. Anyway, when he arrives he is received warmly, prepared, and then goes through the ritual of the first degree. He is now a Mason but not fully fledged. He has to go through prep and verbal examination to go on the the second degree and then more prep and exam to go to the third degree. When he receives the third degree he is a full Master Mason. This is the heart and soul of masonry and all one needs to do. The other degrees are ways of getting more into the history and development of the Order and are very rewarding, but not required for one to be a full Mason.
The Shrine is a seperate yet related organization which requires one to be a Master Mason in order to join but is not required of all Masons. All Shriners are Masons, not all Masons are Shriners.
The Masons keep the ritual and recognition signs closely held secrets but are not really a secret society. One can tell anyone that one is a Mason just like a Beta or a Lambda Chi can say so. Masons can wear their badge (square and compasses) just like a greek badge or letters on clothing. Everything I have written here is 'open' info and there are lots of good masonic websites if you are interested. If you have any more questions I'll try to come up with good answers. By the way, Mason and Freemason are interchangable when refering to the Order.
I have received Masonic degrees both in the US and in England. Without going anywhere I should not, I can say that it is obvious that Masonry is the Father of Greek Letter Organizations.

Thanks 33girl. :)

Thank you dekeguy. I had a feeling I wasn't explaining that right but I was very tired :p. Your explanation of the petitioning process is pretty much exactly what my dad told me.

what?
 

Discussing any of this is totally against my obligation. If you want to know about the order, I suggest you go to www.freemasory.org

Bro_Strawter,
As a point of info, before I posted on the subject I ran my comments past Grand Lodge. I was told that all my comments are definitely open info and Grand Lodge policy was for all MMs
to get good and accurate comments out to give the world at large a better understanding of what Masonry is all about. They pointed out that the MWGM of the United Grand Lodge of England had challenged all Masonic jurisdictions in communication to be proactive in spreading the light. The obligation requires one to safeguard private matters but it can be argued that the obligation also calls upon all of us correct misunderstandings and show all what we stand for. Caution is commendable but there is rather a lot that can and should be shared. A quick call to your jurisdiction's Grand Secretary's office will provide authoritative guidance.
Fraternal greetings and best regards,
WB dekeguy

I agree. My post was not directed toward you my brother. Actually, people have pm-ed me regarding things that I cannot discuss and it was getting on my nerves, so I basically put it out there as to say.."don't ask me anything." If you guys feel compelled to discuss the Order with outsiders, then that fine by me. You're absolutely right, there are some things regarding the Order outsiders should know...however, I'm not the type of brother to openly indulge in such conversations.

bro_strawter,

I think that as, 21st century Masons, we must open up to the public and release information that is useful to the public. This will cut down on the number of "bogus" groups, especially within Prince Hall Masonry.

dekeguy,
Ypu have the right idea to start spreading the "light" to those who want it.


Bro. CDM, 32 degree
MWPHGL of IL

Once again, I agree. We must inform the masses of our order to help rid many misconceptions that comes with the name Freemasonry. However, some of the post that I've seen on here was totally out of ORDER which is why I made my previous statements. I guess it's just the Southern Jurisdiction in me.

Nashville, Tennessee
P.H.A

Well Put!
 

Being a Job's Daughter for 20 years...scary but true... That is what sparked MY huge interest in wanting to become a greek. Job's Daughters, Rainbow, And Demolay give their members the same as GLOs...ritual, philantropy, social and business opputunities to particpate in.
I am a true legacy of the Masons 30 times over. I have a father and grandfathers and mother and grand mothers and aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers and sisters who just in my intermediate family alone. Not to mention the many that came before us involved in the masonic family, who some were are GREEKS. What i am trying to say is this ...yes these groups are not GLOs , but they sure the heck function the same. I am proud of my membership in Job's daughters ,but i am even prouder when i belong to a GLO!

Masons are the most philantropic group i have ever seen. My grand father alone has referred many a child to Shriners hospital in Los Angeles as he was a cop and seen so much low income families not able to afford health care as well as my father who is a Doctor and knew of many paitents with kids.

Masons give tons of Scholarship money yearly to COLLEGE students. I myself have had a few of those scholarships. They also give to elementry schools by sponsering them when they need supplies and to other schools as well.


I agree this is a GLO website and masonic groups may not belong, but a lot of these greeks were once members of these goups and or still are. but some of these GLO orgs were founded or were somewhere in their deep and rich history derived from the Masons. Arcaicia and Delta Zeta have had ties in their past long ago to the Masons and OES before they seperated to belong to IFC and NPC.

I use to love it when my grand dad would drive me around in his lil red shriner car...... that was a blast to be in parades with him!


my very own 2 cents! :D

laura

What is a masonic organization?

a masonic organization is any organization which is affiliated with the Masons, Eastern Star, Rainbow girls, order of Demolay, White Shrine, and many many more. They each have a different and unique history but they each started somehow because of a link to the Masons.

I wish it was that simple for me to join...to solicit online. I'm not understanding. :eek:

Acacia Fraternity was founded by Master Masons, and until the 1920s required membership in the Masonic fraternity before joining. Today, Acacia chapters are sponsored or supported by local Masonic Lodges in the university community.

I've just read over this entire thread and found it interesting how everyone seems to have their own beliefs concerning the Masons, just as they do with Greek organizations. I think the thing that is most important here is to remember that we all take offense to the stereotypes of Greek life... yet so many still have stereotypes concerning other organizations with similarities.

I am Catholic, I'm in a sorority, and I was a member of Job's Daughter's when I lived in California. Each of these institutions has made me who I am today...and none of it involved hazing in any way.

as a mason, i can tell you that what you said about "the function oftheir secret oath is to get rid of organized religion (all religion) and live in a natural state without any form of law whether it be religious or governed" is complete garbage. whoever told you that is completely misinterpreting what they heard, or just being lied to.

masonry is the cornerstone upon which america's freedom of religion was based, and as well, no athiest may become a mason.

so why would an organization that wants to 'get rid of all religion' require a belief in God? seems odd doesnt it?

oh, and there is no masonic hazing, as well.

masons are strictly business in their processes.

Yippee!
 

yippee! another california Job's Daughter! Which Bethel did you belong to?