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Original poster

My husband is thinking about joining the Masons and I am horrified

280 replies

SovietTrumpet · 20/12/2021 18:35

I hate boys’ clubs and silly rituals etc and doing each other favours. He thinks it will help him at work. Arguments please against and in favour…

OP posts:
MissTrip82 · 21/12/2021 06:39

Amazing how many not just non-racist but actively anti-racist people have joined this organisation.

Quite extraordinary.

And of course not bigoted in other ways either. Certainly not giving jobs to their mates but not to women, Catholics or people who aren’t white. Their impeccable commitment to fairness and decency carries on well beyond their membership of this organisation.

How lovely.

LadyWithLapdog · 21/12/2021 07:38

The Mafia of the mediocre

Crazykatie · 21/12/2021 07:53

@HundredMilesAnHour

I used to be a waitress at various Mason 'events'. I also had the misfortune of waiting on the Lady Masons at their monthly meetings. What a vile bunch of women they were! They were notorious at the venue where I worked for no-one wanting to work when it was them.
That reminds me, years ago a friend asked me to help waitress a local Tory party dinner, after a few drinks they were talking down to the staff and being really rude. No excuse for rudeness. As a group we spoke to the restaurant owner, don’t ask us to serve them again, she declined the booking the following year.
PhilCornwall1 · 21/12/2021 08:21

And on the upside, I think that the family won’t have to pay for his funeral.

I think you'll find they won't.

PhilCornwall1 · 21/12/2021 08:23

That should have been, the family more than likely will be paying for it.

Bloodypunkrockers · 21/12/2021 08:27

So, OP, what's your view now, having seen over 200 replies?

girlmom21 · 21/12/2021 08:33

@PyongyangKipperbang

A lot of people have mentioned "family money" is there an expectation of heavy personal donations or is it very costly even before donations?
Yeah it costs a decent amount of money - especially the bloody stupid costumes they wear
MrsDThomas · 21/12/2021 08:58

Round Table
Womens Institute
Merched y wawr (welsh vest of the WI)

No difference to being a member of one of them.

MrsDThomas · 21/12/2021 08:59

Version not vest😠

LaTomatina · 21/12/2021 08:59

I used to work with some Masons. They did love a bit of attention! The whole coy thing of alluding to what they "couldn't disclose" did seem to be a turn-on for them.

I think it's very interesting that OP never came back. Would not surprise me if this whole thread is a promotion for them. Doesn't matter if a lot of it is negative attention, they will enjoy chewing it all over anyway, it's better than being forgotten about!!!

WhatAHexIGotInto · 21/12/2021 09:03

Shows how ignorant you are. I am lady Mason and there is so much more to it than that.
Bet you didn't know we existed either.
Are you always so controlling?

OP - this tells you all you need to know.

I have family members involved and no, I would not be happy about it either.

Bluntness100 · 21/12/2021 09:23

@MrsDThomas

Round Table Womens Institute Merched y wawr (welsh vest of the WI)

No difference to being a member of one of them.

Yeah, no difference at all, the womens institute are always doing secret rituals, funny handshakes and rolling their trouser legs up. 🤪
PhilCornwall1 · 21/12/2021 09:44

Yeah, no difference at all, the womens institute are always doing secret rituals, funny handshakes and rolling their trouser legs up. 🤪

And you'd also hope they don't get their left boob out either!!!

TangfasticsAreFantastic · 21/12/2021 11:12

My business partner is a freemason. Joined in the hope of networking for business, but hasn't got a single client out of it! Does have lots of useful contacts for us though.

As far as I can tell it's definitely mostly about the rituals/ceremonies that they practice and rehearse endlessly, then have a few big knees up a year.

There's a lot of charity work involved too.

As for "misogyny, racism, classism, elitism" in terms of my BP, he grew up in a very working class family, left the local comprehensive with 2 O levels, has a female business partner (me!), is by no means racist and still lives in the same 3 bed semi he bought over 25 years ago! So while there are no doubt some "old school" factions of Masonery that is like that, the newer, younger generations are not.

LadyWithLapdog · 21/12/2021 11:15

@PhilCornwall1

Yeah, no difference at all, the womens institute are always doing secret rituals, funny handshakes and rolling their trouser legs up. 🤪

And you'd also hope they don't get their left boob out either!!!

On a tangent, but what's with this touching your boob I see on Instagram? Usually v young women. So bizarre.
youvegottenminuteslynn · 21/12/2021 11:45

@LadyWithLapdog

On a tangent, but what's with this touching your boob I see on Instagram? Usually v young women. So bizarre.

Maybe they're (whispers) lady masons!

LadyWithLapdog · 21/12/2021 11:53

@youvegottenminuteslynn that's proper 😂🤣😂

Northernlass99 · 21/12/2021 12:02

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Shows how ignorant you are. I am lady Mason and there is so much more to it than that. Bet you didn't know we existed either. Are you always so controlling?
The supercilious way in which this is worded exactly emphasises the points being made about the Masons, and is why I wouldn't want to join or want any of my family to join.

Join the rotary club instead, they do loads for charity but without the silly secrets and ceremonies.

boomshakalacka · 21/12/2021 12:32

I am a singer and once sang for a Mason's Christmas party. As a woman, I wasn't allowed in the room until after they had finished whatever nonsense they were doing. My band are all men and would have been welcomed in but chose to stand outside with me instead. Bloody ridiculous in my opinion.

Takemine · 21/12/2021 12:46

I don't like it. Lovely to know they are charitable and I'm sure it's usually just about networking but we don't need to think for long to realise that unregulated male dominated secret organisations, often stretching loyalty between establishment and the club, have the potential to go horribly wrong.

succession · 21/12/2021 13:45

@boomshakalacka

I am a singer and once sang for a Mason's Christmas party. As a woman, I wasn't allowed in the room until after they had finished whatever nonsense they were doing. My band are all men and would have been welcomed in but chose to stand outside with me instead. Bloody ridiculous in my opinion.
Why did you accept the gig?
JadeSeahorse · 21/12/2021 13:52

@StormBaby

I’ve never met one who wasn’t an egotistical insufferable bore
This perfectly describes my 2 BILs who are both Masons.

They donate hardly anything. Both as tight as a duck’s ass!

PhilCornwall1 · 21/12/2021 14:22

I do think there is a massive ego thing to it.

I can remember my father being "promoted" to some position, oh I don't know, Provincial Grand Willy Warmer or whatever it was. You'd have thought there had been a toot of white smoke out the chimney and he'd become the sodding Pope the way he carried on.

It's nothing more than a kids club for adults.

Stompythedinosaur · 21/12/2021 15:15

I have a friend involved in the masons and various members of the lodge have approached dp to join, so I know enough to say I would not be associated with such a misogynistic organisation.

boomshakalacka · 21/12/2021 15:24

Why did you accept the gig?

I only knew I'd be stood outside waiting when we got there- bit late by then!