Freemasons - are you one?

[JazzyComposition]

So what's it all about?

DH has been "hand shacked" loads of times. The secret is normal handshake but you extend the middle finger and press down. Perhaps we need a MN handshake?

I do enjoy a paranoid conspiracy theory though. That handshake sounds rather disconcerting!

We could press a Pom bear into the recipients hand or some such.

Extended middlefinger huh? Can we borrow it as the MN handshake?

Latara They only need to believe in a higher power not necessarily be very religious.

Freemasons spend a lot of time raising money for charity. The money gets donated anonymously. And I mean millions, not just a couple of hundred. You can't just join, it's on an invite/approval system.

Wanna know anything else

Yes I've only just moved to a new area and I'm lonely; there's no 'knit and bitch' group, so I thought maybe the freemasons? Can I be invited?

My ex was one, isn't there something about standing on one leg with one side of your chest showing.

I remember him telling me about the handshake as well.

Only if you already know one of the members, oh and are in a trade or high powered job. They don't take unemployed.

I'm just giving you the facts here. You ask it, I'll type it

There's no handshake

He was pulling your leg

qo That doesn't surprise me. I know from various sources that there are a lot of Masons high up in the police and things that are due in court just disappear...

McPhee Or are close family of previous Masons.

I was sure there was a handshake!!

Nope

And they don't lift their trouser leg up either

Very close family and friends

I want to believe there is a handshake though!

I did some training at one of their buildings (we hired rooms). Was like stepping back in time.

Spent most of the week worrying that the overhead fan was wobbling so much that it might fall off and behead a few students.

There's a lot of fallacys surrounding freemasonry. And tbh it doesn't need to be this secret club. But because a lot of the stuff they do for the community is done anonymously, they keep themselves to themselves. Which is why all the funny rumours about rituals started.

There is a handshake, there is.

Stamps feet.

The main chapels are amazing. Beautiful actually, beautiful.

A lot of it is about symbolism and trust in one another.

My Grandpa was a Grand Master (quite important apparently).

My Grandma worked as a carer in a retirement home for masons and care home for altzeimers patients (sp) that were masons, when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer they looked after her financially very well. And we had some lovely cards/comments and flowers when she passed, she was just a normal person who got a job but they showed her great kindness and respect, and for that i think they're wonderful.

There is a handshake (I'd tell you how I know but then I'd have to kill you)

Freemasons are not that secret anymore. They do a lot of charity work, it is a bit of an old boys club and some 'Lodges' are struggling for membership because younger generation are less into it.

They practice a 'ritual' - bit like a play or for those that are CoE or catholic I imagine it's similar to some rituals for those religions. They have aprons which signify their standing in the Lodge. Their status is also reflected in the part that they play in the ritual .

They have social meets (dinner and chin wag) and business meets (where they learn lots of lines for the ritual)

What McPhee said... I'd add honour and old fashioned values to that.

Grand master is very important, and you can become one more than once, depending on the size of your lodge...fnar

StateofConfusion, that's what they do as a rule. Everyone who is in need gets help, support both financially and emotionally. Widows are looked after very well. Last year, a family member did the Christmas run for the widows. Meaning they all received presents/flowers/company over the xmas period.