What takes place at a FreeMasonsLodge and meetings?

Question

Serious answers please

Answer 1

you may never know because it is SECRET.

Answer 2

A lot of pomp and ceremony, but also a lot of planning to do good works in the community that few others are willing to tackle.

My grandpa was a Mason and although he didn't tell me any secrets, I certainly learned a lot about it from the many photographs taken and overhearing conversations.

All the Masons I have known were good people who tried very hard to be an asset to their communities and an example to others.

Answer 3

Freemasonry is an oath bound fraternal order of men which derives from the medieval fraternity of Freemasonry. We adhere to many of the Ancient Charges, laws, customs and legends of operative Freemasonry. We are loyal to the civilian government under which we exist. We inculcate moral and social virtues by symbolic application of the operative stonemasons' working tools and by allegories, lectures and charges. Freemasonry obligates its members to obey the principles of brotherly love, equality, mutual aid, secrecy, and confidence. We have secret modes of recognition that permit members to recognize each other as brothers. We require a through examination into the mental moral and physical qualifications of a petitioner and we admit men into the fraternity by secret ceremonies based in part on legends of the Craft.

Once a man of legal age has determined to apply for membership he fills out a petition signed by 2 members of the Lodge he desires to join. He gives the petition to one of the members along with the required initiation fee. The petition is read at the Lodges' next stated meeting when the Worshipful Master will appoint an investigating committee to interview the petitioner in person.and the investigating committee will report back to Lodge at the following stated meeting. After the report of the investigating committee the petitioner is voted on by the members present at this stated meeting. Once the petitioner is accepted he is given the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason. There are certain requirements a candidate must meet before proceeding from one degree to the next.

One must obtain the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason before he can wear any Masonic jewelry.

One must have a Belief in a Supreme Being.

The tenets of the Masonic Fraternity are " Brotherly love, Relief and Truth. "

The Masonic Fraternity is NOT a Secret Society but rather a Society With Secrets like the other Fraternal Organizations such as the Eagles, Moose, Elks, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, etc.

Suggest if you are interested in pursuing interest in the Masonic Fraternity and are a man of legal age you contact a man whom you know is a Mason for further information and an application. If no local Masonic Lodge is available please contact the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for the State in which you reside. The Grand Lodge Officers will be pleased to assist you in any way possible.

If you are under legal age you might be interested in pursuing interest in DeMolay an order for young men under the age of becoming Masons.

Suggest you contact a Mason directly as there are many on Web Sites who have erroneous information about the Masonic Fraternity and other Fraternal Organizations.

Answer 4

It's a secret. My dad was a Mason and I was a Rainbow girl (daughters of Masons). It's all very secret. i doubt you will get any serious details on this question. If so, I owe you lunch!

Answer 5

secret handshakes
secret ritual
people thinking they're part of a secret society
thinking they can advance....haha
the elite start at high levels
the lower levels are a permanent smokescreen

Answer 6

Become a master and quit. It was not what I wanted. Now I can not remember much of what took place.

Answer 7

My husband is one,but he never will tell me any thing that goes on.Its a total mystery to this wife.

Answer 8

I heard it was secret!

Answer 9

The Masonic Lodge:

A Lodge (often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge in Masonic constitutions) is the basic organizational unit of Freemasonry. Every new Lodge must be warranted by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published Constitution of the jurisdiction. A Lodge must hold full meetings regularly at published dates and places. It will elect, initiate and promote its own members and officers; it will own, occupy or share premises; and will normally build up a collection of minutes, records and equipment. Like any other organization, it will have formal business, annual general meetings (AGMs), charity funds, committees, reports, bank accounts and tax returns, and so forth.

A man can only be initiated, or made a Mason, in a Lodge, of which he may well remain a subscribing member for life. A Master Mason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge meeting under any jurisdiction in amity with his own, and a Lodge may well offer hospitality to such a visitor after the formal meeting. He is first usually required to check the regularity of that Lodge, and must be able to satisfy that Lodge of his own regularity; and he may be refused admission if adjudged likely to disrupt the harmony of the Lodge. If he wishes to visit the same Lodge repeatedly, he may be expected to join it, and pay a membership subscription.

Freemasons correctly meet as a Lodge, not in a Lodge, the word "Lodge" referring more to the people assembled than the place of assembly. However, in common usage, Masonic premises are often referred to as "Lodges". Masonic buildings are also sometimes called "Temples" ("of Philosophy and the Arts"). In many countries, Masonic Centre or Hall has replaced Temple to avoid arousing prejudice and suspicion. Several different Lodges, as well as other Masonic organisations, often use the same premises at different times.

Early Lodges often met in a tavern or any other convenient fixed place with a private room. According to Masonic tradition, the Lodge of medieval stonemasons was on the southern side of the building site, with the sun warming the stones during the day. The social Festive Board (or Social Board), part of the meeting is thus sometimes called the South.

Most Lodges consist of Freemasons living or working within a given town or neighbourhood. Other Lodges are composed of Masons with a particular shared interest, profession or background. Shared schools, universities, military units, Masonic appointments or degrees, arts, professions and hobbies have all been the qualifications for such Lodges. In some Lodges, the foundation and name may now be only of historic interest, as over time the membership evolves beyond that envisaged by its "founding brethren"; in others, the membership remains exclusive.

There are also specialist Lodges of Research, with membership drawn from Master Masons only, with interests in Masonic Research (of history, philosophy, etc.). Lodges of Research are fully warranted but, generally, do not initiate new candidates. Lodges of Instruction in UGLE may be warranted by any ordinary Lodge for the learning and rehearsal of Masonic Ritual.

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Ritual, symbolism, and morality:

Masons conduct their meetings using a ritualized format. There is no single Masonic ritual, and each Jurisdiction is free to set (or not set) its own ritual. However, there are similarities that exist between Jurisdictions. For example, all Masonic ritual makes use of the architectural symbolism of the tools of the medieval operative stonemason. Freemasons, as speculative masons (meaning philosophical building rather than actual building), use this symbolism to teach moral and ethical lessons of the principles of "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth" — or as related in France: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity".

Two of the principal symbols always found in a Lodge are the square and compasses. Some Lodges and rituals explain these symbols as lessons in conduct: for example, that Masons should "square their actions by the square of virtue" and to learn to "circumscribe their desires and keep their passions within due bounds toward all mankind". However, as Freemasonry is non-dogmatic, there is no general interpretation for these symbols (or any Masonic symbol) that is used by Freemasonry as a whole.

These moral lessons are communicated in performance of allegorical ritual. A candidate progresses through degrees gaining knowledge and understanding of himself, his relationship with others and his relationship with the Supreme Being (as per his own interpretation). While the philosophical aspects of Freemasonry tend to be discussed in Lodges of Instruction or Research, and sometimes informal groups, Freemasons, and others, frequently publish — to varying degrees of competence — studies that are available to the public. Any mason may speculate on the symbols and purpose of Freemasonry, and indeed all masons are required to some extent to speculate on masonic meaning as a condition of advancing through the degrees. It is well noted, however, that no one person "speaks" for the whole of Freemasonry.

The Volume of the Sacred Law is always displayed in an open Lodge. In English-speaking countries, this is frequently the King James Version of the Bible or another standard translation; there is no such thing as an exclusive "Masonic Bible". In many French Lodges, the Masonic Constitutions are used instead. Furthermore, a candidate is given his choice of religious text for his Obligation, according to his beliefs. UGLE alludes to similarities to legal practice in the UK, and to a common source with other oath taking processes. In Lodges with a membership of mixed religions it is common to find more than one sacred text displayed.

In keeping with the geometrical and architectural theme of Freemasonry, the Supreme Being is referred to in Masonic ritual by the titles of the Great Architect of the Universe, Grand Geometrician or similar, to make clear that the reference is generic, and not tied to a particular religion's conception of God.