We Freemasons may not be plotting how to take over the world, but our Lodges are very serious places.
That doesn’t mean we can’t have a laugh in the bar or over dining, but the opportunity for humour within the Lodge is very sparse.
Its like watching a play. If someone does something funny, then fair enough, but if could put others off and cause them to miss their lines, then best remain silent eh?
We know what you’re thinking: shouldn’t an application form be enough to become a Freemason? Well, we can tell you straight up that it isn’t. You need to gain the support of two members in the lodge if you want to stand a chance. One acts as Proposer and takes primary responsibility for your conduct….
Remember when your teacher made you stand up in front of the class to read something? It was dreadful, right? Well, we Freemasons have to experience that all over again if we want to address the Lodge. Members can’t just sit in their seats and speak, without being seen as being disrespectful to the Worshipful…
For some people, status is everything. But in the Lodge room, your social standing doesn’t matter. If you’re a blue-collar worker or on minimum wage, you’ll be held in the same esteem as a Managing Director, Chief Executive or High Court Judge – provided your rank in the lodge is identical. We’re little in your…
Salutes aren’t just for the military, we Freemasons have our own similar ‘signals’ of respect. Upon entering a lodge, members are expected to acknowledge the Worshipful Master with a salute before they speak, doing the same again when they depart. Salutes are also compulsory when addressing a superior officer within the Lodge.
Somewhat paradoxically, whilst every Freemason has stated that we believe in a supreme being, religious conversations are actually banned inside the Lodges. Like Politics, Religion is one subject that even like-minded individuals can fall out over, so conversation about Religion is simply ‘banned’.
The events of every meeting are transcribed by the Lodge Secretary who sends out draft minutes after the meeting giving everyone the opportunity to examine them and request corrections. At the meeting, the Worshipful Master asks if every Brother is satisfied with the accuracy of the minutes recorded and if so, they are signed at…
