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I have not visited a lodge since I moved across country. My "home" lodge was Blue Lodge #24, in Brookings, SD. But yes, I agree with your observation about Mas

I have not visited a lodge since I moved across country. My "home" lodge was Blue Lodge #24, in Brookings, SD. But yes, I agree with your observation about Masonry being a kind of neutral territory and equalizer. I have known Masons that, in public, I am adamantly opposed to... but under the roof of a lodge, get along with perfectly fine. Another thing that always struck me as interesting is that Masons do not recruit. This is an intentional policy, and fascinating. Once I discovered the existence of my home lodge, I had to seek them out. There were no flyers or "you should come by sometime" offhand comments.

motohagiography 4y ago
It's a huge barrier, but also, it sets a high bar where the only way it grows is by being great somehow. I always acknowledge to applicants that it takes a lot of courage to approach a bunch of guys like that, and also mention that we do have to get to know them a bit because it's very possible they're just nuts. I watched the clubhouse.io thing play out pretty closely because they were dealing with the exact same trade offs of "guarding the west gate." This idea of managing and growing a community online is very close to what masons have been figuring out over 300 years, and the problems are closely analagous. Internet communities are essentially fraternal socieities and we know the good ones when we see them, but don't quite have the recipe for making ones that thrive. Open source projects are the closest thing I've seen to masonry, where you are only the quality of your work. I'd even wonder whether the BDFL model of open source projects could learn something from how to use progressive chairs and a rotating executive. Anyway, I'm generously tolerated as a member of #581 in Toronto. It's been quite an adventure. :)
- bovermyer 4y ago
  My wife and I are planning to move to Canada as soon as circumstances allow. Toronto is not out of the running.
weard_beard 4y ago
I went as far as asking a friend who was in the initiation stage to recommend me. My great uncle was a mason. Ultimately I decided any group that would have me I wouldn’t want to join. There must be some lone and hungry men left solitary in the world, like Diogenes, to irrationally and unpopulary make war on the consensus of kings and groups reasonable men.
- ljf 4y ago
  I've always been interested in them, my brother found a load of old Masonic items in his attic and when I moved to a new town the masons held an open day and I was really impressed by the charity work and the meals/drinks sounded fun. I was about to join (or rather begin the process) when I mentioned it to my aunt who was visiting. She went on to tell me a long story of how my grandfather had to join the masons to be allowed to play in a jazz orchestra in South Africa, where he had moved. When he tried to leave the masons years later, they made his life difficult for a period and even went so far as appealing to his manager that he was not a person of good standing, and spreading rumours. He stood fast and nothing came of it, but the story left a bad taste - I can believe it was a one off and most lodges wouldn't act like that, but the story stopped me from proceeding. Shame as it sounded interesting. (my other issue was that I'd have to lie to pretend I believe in a god, and I didn't really fancy lying about that as my lack of belief is fairly core to me)
  - bovermyer 4y ago
    You don't have to believe in a god, but you do have to believe in a higher power. That's a really subtle but crucial difference. Also... it's also my experience that once you become a Mason, you are a Mason for life, regardless of your feelings on the matter. You can't quit. This, I think, is similar to how you can't be an ex-Marine. There's a whole lotta philosophy I could chat about there, but that's really a subject for an in-person talk over a few pints, not something to spout bytes over the Internet about.
    - ljf 4y ago
      I look forward to that pint one day!

motohagiography 4y ago

It's a huge barrier, but also, it sets a high bar where the only way it grows is by being great somehow. I always acknowledge to applicants that it takes a lot of courage to approach a bunch of guys like that, and also mention that we do have to get to know them a bit because it's very possible they're just nuts. I watched the clubhouse.io thing play out pretty closely because they were dealing with the exact same trade offs of "guarding the west gate." This idea of managing and growing a community online is very close to what masons have been figuring out over 300 years, and the problems are closely analagous. Internet communities are essentially fraternal socieities and we know the good ones when we see them, but don't quite have the recipe for making ones that thrive. Open source projects are the closest thing I've seen to masonry, where you are only the quality of your work. I'd even wonder whether the BDFL model of open source projects could learn something from how to use progressive chairs and a rotating executive. Anyway, I'm generously tolerated as a member of #581 in Toronto. It's been quite an adventure. :)

bovermyer 4y ago
My wife and I are planning to move to Canada as soon as circumstances allow. Toronto is not out of the running.

weard_beard 4y ago

I went as far as asking a friend who was in the initiation stage to recommend me. My great uncle was a mason. Ultimately I decided any group that would have me I wouldn’t want to join. There must be some lone and hungry men left solitary in the world, like Diogenes, to irrationally and unpopulary make war on the consensus of kings and groups reasonable men.

ljf 4y ago
I've always been interested in them, my brother found a load of old Masonic items in his attic and when I moved to a new town the masons held an open day and I was really impressed by the charity work and the meals/drinks sounded fun. I was about to join (or rather begin the process) when I mentioned it to my aunt who was visiting. She went on to tell me a long story of how my grandfather had to join the masons to be allowed to play in a jazz orchestra in South Africa, where he had moved. When he tried to leave the masons years later, they made his life difficult for a period and even went so far as appealing to his manager that he was not a person of good standing, and spreading rumours. He stood fast and nothing came of it, but the story left a bad taste - I can believe it was a one off and most lodges wouldn't act like that, but the story stopped me from proceeding. Shame as it sounded interesting. (my other issue was that I'd have to lie to pretend I believe in a god, and I didn't really fancy lying about that as my lack of belief is fairly core to me)
- bovermyer 4y ago
  You don't have to believe in a god, but you do have to believe in a higher power. That's a really subtle but crucial difference. Also... it's also my experience that once you become a Mason, you are a Mason for life, regardless of your feelings on the matter. You can't quit. This, I think, is similar to how you can't be an ex-Marine. There's a whole lotta philosophy I could chat about there, but that's really a subject for an in-person talk over a few pints, not something to spout bytes over the Internet about.
  - ljf 4y ago
    I look forward to that pint one day!