This is what happens when people are hand-fed most of what they have and know: the entitlement mentality. The full and acknowledge truth about the Freemasons, whom the Shriners are a part of, was to hide certain things under the penalty of death. This has been lifted so you can tell all, if you choose to to do so. By the way, I am not a Freemason, nor a Shriner but I know what your symbolism means and stands for. It all revolves around incidents of the past, which is one of the reasons that you had to keep silent about what you know. If I were a Freemason or a Shriner, my answer to the question of "How did you travel across the burning sands?" would be, "By Camel."
Not really. Incorrect. He was the Architect of the Temple, but he was not the "Grand Architect". The Grand Architect is God and the legend of Hiram is about a man, not a god or divine being. EDIT: Also note that the "G" is primarily an American Masonic device and can only be used in an English speaking Lodge. In most places outside the US it usually empty or has a symbol in it. I talk a little about this in one of my articles on secrecy: http://www.travelingtemplar.com/2013/05/secrecy-whats-big-deal.html Well, you're kind of wrong as I've still sworn not to tell certain things about Freemasonry. I'm not a Shriner nor do I have any wish right now to join them. I'm busy in the York Rite, Lodge, Eastern Star Chapter, and with the Jobies right now. I'm also in the Scottish Rite, but I don't regularly attend the meetings.
Eastern Star, that is for women. Are you a woman? I do not ask this in jest. As for Hiram, there is more to learn than what is right in from of you. Hiram was the Grand Architect, even by what you have stated, he did design and supervise the construction of Soliemon's temple. This should give further elucidation as to who Hiram was and is. Question, why did the founders of the United States have Benjamin Baniker, a Black man, design Washington, D.C.? Hint, he was the "stand-in" Hiram Abiff. This should also give insight as to why there were specific slaves taken from one particular area and brought to North America. - - - Updated - - - Eastern Star, that is for women. Are you a woman? I do not ask this in jest. As for Hiram, there is more to learn than what is right in from of you. Hiram was the Grand Architect, even by what you have stated, he did design and supervise the construction of Soliemon's temple. This should give further elucidation as to who Hiram was and is. Question, why did the founders of the United States have Benjamin Baniker, a Black man, design Washington, D.C.? Hint, he was the "stand-in" Hiram Abiff. This should also give insight as to why there were specific slaves taken from one particular area and brought to North America.
It's a co-ed group, but its primarily for women, but Masons can join as well. I sit with the presiding officer as her adviser, but the women rule in Eastern Star. He was the Architect of the Temple, but he was never the "Grand Architect" nor does the "G" device represent Hiram Abiff. Oh, I've researched him. There are a variety of theories. Because Pierre L'Enfant was fired and took the originals with him and Ben is said to have a really good memory. He didn't do it alone though, he worked alone with Andrew Ellicot. I would like to point out that neither of these men were Masons Well if your trying to make an anology that Pierre would the Hiram of DC while Ben would have been the Adoniram, who in Masonry took over after Hiram.
Hello! What do Freemason think about space aliens? Do they believe alien exist and are here on earth? Do they support alien disclosure? Will the fact of alien existance affect their belief in God? What religions do Freemason believe in?
Well for me, all but my Lodge doesn't meet during the summer so I get some relaxation. This would be a question for each Mason to answer. I personally think there are aliens out there. It's possible. LOL...no. Nope. This does not affect my belief in God. Many are Christians, but you do see Muslim, Jewish, Deist, Hindu, and Buddhist Masons. The requirement is that you believe in a higher power, in a Supreme Being. In some jurisdictions in Europe, they only allow Christians. There are also appendant bodies like York Rite that requires it's members to have a Christian faith. The organization doesn't get involved with it's members faith. How one practices their faith is up to them.
Here's a list of the current Grand Masters around the world, or last one I can find (some websites don't exist or no longer work). Here is a website that has all the American Grand Lodges on it as well as York Rite bodies so I'm not going to list each one individually; I'll do that with the Grand Lodges outside the US. Grand Lodge of Alabama: GM - Lane Weatherbee Grand Lodge of Alaska: GM - James Herrington Grand Lodge of Arizona: GM - William Garrard, Jr. Grand Lodge of Arkansas: GM - website is down, but 2-years ago it was Martin Warren Grand Lodge of California: GM - Cluttered site and I couldn't find who the new Grand Master is Grand Lodge of Colorado: GM - Dana Speaks Grand Lodge of Connecticut: GM - Simon LaPlace Grand Lodge of Delaware: GM - Barry Hughes Grand Lodge of Washington DC: GM - Teko Foly Grand Lodge of Florida: GM - Danny Griffith Grand Lodge of Georgia: GM - Ray Knittel Grand Lodge of Hawaii: GM - Frank Condello II Grand Lodge of Idaho: GM - Keith Brooks Grand Lodge of Illinois: GM - Terry Seward Grand Lodge of Indiana: GM - Mark Genung Grand Lodge of Iowa: GM - Bryce Hildreth Grand Lodge of Kansas: GM - Frederick (Rick) W. Reichert Jr. Grand Lodge of Kentucky: GM - Chris Stout Grand Lodge of Louisiana: GM - Edward Durham Grand Lodge of Maine: GM - James Ross Grand Lodge of Maryland: GM - Gerald Piepiora Grand Lodge of Massachusetts: GM - Richard Stewart Grand Lodge of Michigan: GM - Raymond Lemons Grand Lodge of Minnesota: GM - David Olson Grand Lodge of Mississippi: GM - Kenneth Dyer Grand Lodge of Missouri: GM - David Ramsay Grand Lodge of Montana: GM - William Alexander Grand Lodge of Nebraska: GM - Thomas Hauder Grand Lodge of Nevada: GM - Richard Hoaglin Grand Lodge of New Hampshire: GM - Stewart Aronson Grand Lodge of New Jersey: GM - David Dorworth Grand Lodge of New Mexico: GM - William Childers Grand Lodge of New York: GM - James Sullivan Grand Lodge of North Carolina: GM - Dewey Preslar Jr. Grand Lodge of North Dakota: GM - Wendel Van Wechel Grand Lodge of Ohio: GM - James Easterling, Jr. Grand Lodge of Oklahoma: GM - Brad Rickelman Grand Lodge of Oregon: GM - Dave Fryday Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania: GM - Jay Smith Grand Lodge of Rhode Island: GM - Russell Davis, Sr. Grand Lodge of South Carolina: GM - David DeChant Grand Lodge of South Dakota: GM - John Hantz Grand Lodge of Tennessee: GM - Roy Etherton Grand Lodge of Texas: GM - Walter Rogers Grand Lodge of Utah: GM - Allen Record Grand Lodge of Vermont: GM - Roger Crouse Grand Lodge of Virginia: GM - Louis Campbell Grand Lodge of Washington: GM - Bruce Vesper Grand Lodge of West Virginia: GM - Gearl Raynes Grand Lodge of Wisconsin: GM - Daniel Slavik Grand Lodge of Wyoming: GM - Clarence Vranish Gran Logia de la Argentina: GM - Angel Jorge Clavero Grand Lodge of Armenia: GM - Armen Simonian United Grand Lodge of New South Wales (Australia): GM - Derek James Robson Grand Lodge of Queensland (Australia): GM - Adrian Burton Grand Lodge of South Australia and Northern Territory (Australia): GM - Robert Parsons Grand Lodge of Tasmania (Australia): GM - CJ Wallace United Grand Lodge of Victoria (Australia): GM - Bob Jones Grand Lodge of Western Australia (Australia): GM - Steven Jancec Grand Lodge of Austria: GM - Website is under construction (2011 - Nikolaus Schwarzler) Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium: GM - Can't find the guys name, but under the welcome section you can see his picture...he's old Grande Loge of du Benin: GM - It's still under construction, but you can see his picture Grand Lodge of Bolivia: GM - Can't find it, the site is not that well put together (2011 - Rudy Barbosa Levy) Grande Oriente do Brasil (This is a federation with with State Grand Lodges and Grand Masters, but they all fall under a national Grand Orient). GM - Marcos José da Silva There's also a second system of Grand Lodges in Brazil that we recognize that has it's own Grand Masters. Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Acre (Brazil): GM - Francisco de Sousa Chaves Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Alagoas (Brazil): GM - Ivanildo Marino Guedes Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Amapa (Brazil): GM - Odair José da Fonseca Benjamin Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Amazonas-Glomam (Brazil): GM - Atila Atala Tuma Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado da Bahia (Brazil): GM - Jair Tercio Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Ceara (Brazil): GM - Etevaldo Barcelos Fontenele Grande Loja Maçônica do Distritro Federal (Brazil): GM - Juvenal Batista Amaral Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Espirito Santo (Brazil): GM - Aides Bertoldo da Silva Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Goias (Brazil): GM - Ruy Rocha de Macedo Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Maranhão (Brazil): GM - Boliva Marques Vieira Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Mato Grosso (Brazil): GM - Jurandir da Silva Vieira Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil): GM - Jordan Abreu da Silva Junior Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Minas Gerais (Brazil): GM - Leonel Ricardo de Andrade Grande Loja Maçônica do Para (Brazil): GM - Nazareno Nogueira Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado da Paraiba (Brazil): GM - Site is under construction (2011 - Marcos Antonio de Araujo Leite Grande Loja Maçônica do Parana (Brazil): GM - Iraci da Silva Borges Grande Loja Maçônica de Pernambuco (Brazil): GM - Dimas Jose Carvalho (site has not been updated in a while) Grande Loja Maçônica do Piaui (Brazil): GM - Site not updated (2011 - Reginaldo Rufino Leal) Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Rio de Janiero (Brazil): GM - Waldemar Zveiter Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil): GM - Site is under construction (2011 - Luiz Carlos Rocha da Silva) Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil): GM - João Otávio Cezar Lessa Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Rondonia (Brazil): GM - Site is down (2011 - Juscelino Moraes do Amaral) Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Roraima (Brazil): GM - Lindenberg Melo da Silva Grande Loja de Santa Catarina (Brazil): GM - Jose Domingos Rodrigues Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Sao Paulo (Brazil): GM - Couldn't find his name on the site (2011 - Francisco Gomes da Silva) Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado de Sergipe (Brazil): GM - José Valter Rodrigues dos Santos Grande Loja Maçônica do Estado do Tocantins (Brazil): GM - Jair de Alcântara Paniago United Grand Lodge of Bulgaria: GM - Poorly designed site (2011 - Petyo Penkov) Grande Loge du Burkina Faso: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Djibrill Bassole) Grand Lodge of Cameroon: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Pierre Moukoko Mbondjo) Grand Lodge of Alberta (Canada): GM - John Cameron Grand Lodge of British Columbia & Yukon (Canada): GM - Donald Stutt Grand Lodge of Manitoba (Canada): GM - Douglas Webster Grand Lodge of New Brunswick (Canada): GM - Stephen Allen Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada): GM - Gerald Budden Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia (Canada): GM - George Grant Grand Lodge of Canada (in the province of Ontario): GM - Couldn't find the current GM, but they meet this month so it will change. Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island (Canada): GM - Website is down (2011 - Earl Adams) Grand Lodge of Quebec (Canada): GM - Jean Reed Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan (Canada): GM - Jack Colenutt Gran Logia de Chile: GM - Luis Riveros Grand Lodge of China: Poorly put together site (2011 - Martin Teng) Gran Logia Nacional de Colombia: GM - Couldn't find a working site (2011 - Ramiro Arteta-Guzman) Gran Logia de Colombia: GM - Alvaro Ramon Younes Grove Serenisima Gran Logia Nacional de Colombia: GM - Baldiris Ildefonso Silva Gran Logia de los Andes: GM - I can't find his name, but his picture is on the website Gran Logia Occidental de Colombia: GM - Couldn't find his name (2011 - Andres Augusto Florez Giraldo) Gran Logia de Costa Rica: GM - Juan Diego Castro Fernández Gran Logia de Cuba: GM - Ruben Gutierrez Evaristo Torres Grand Lodge of Cyprus: GM - Παυαγιὼτης Ιωὰννου (I'm pretty sure I copied this wrong) Grand Lodge of the Czech Republic: GM - Poorly designed website (2011 - Jan Brousek) Grand Lodge of Denmark: GM - Can't find his name, but his picture is up on the site Gran Logia de la Republica Dominicana, Inc: GM - Brache Sixto Sanchez Grande Logia del Ecuador: GM - Cannot find website (2011 - Edy Pena) United Grand Lodge of England: GM - Prince Edward George Nicholas Paul Patrick Grand Lodge of Finland: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Heikki Maki) Grande Loge du Gabon: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Ali Bongo Ondimba) United Grand Lodges of Germany: GM - Rüdiger Templin Grand Lodge of Greece: GM - George Vassilogeorgis Grande Logia de Guatemala: GM - José Domingo Fuentes Begur Grand Orient d'Haiti: GM - Can't find a website (2011 - Erc Jean-Jacques) Grand Lodge of Honduras: GM - Can't find a website (2011 - Jose Maria Diaz Castellanos) Symbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary: GM - Website under construction (2011 - Akos Andor Szilagyi) Grand Lodge of Iceland: GM - Valur Valsson Grand Lodge of India: GM - Vasudev Masurekar Grand Lodge of Iran (meets in California due to suppression in Iran): GM - Couldn't find working site (2011 - Abbas Satrap) Grand Lodge of Ireland: GM - George Dunlop Grand Lodge of the State of Israel: GM - Avi Baranes Grande Oriente d'Italia: GM - Gustavo Raffi Grand Lodge of Cote d'Ivoire: GM - Clotaire Magloire Coffie Grand Lodge of Japan: GM - Yoshiharu Shimokawa Grande Loge de Luxembourg: GM - Couldn't find the name (2011 - Paul Geisen) Grande Loge Nationale de Madagascar: GM - Alain Soumoudronga Gran Logia de Estado Baja California (Mexico): GM - Raul Arturo Gomez Mariscal Gran Logia de Baja California Sur (Mexico): GM - Arturo Gómez Ortíz Gran Logia del Estado Campeche (Mexico): GM - José Antonio Rodríguez Gran Logia del Estado del Chiapas (Mexico): GM - Evir Alvarez Castillejos (couldn't find actual site) Gran Logia "Benito Juarez" del Estado de Coahuila (Mexico): GM - Alberto Rios Garcia (could be outdated) Gran Logia "Cosmos" del Estado de Chihuahua (Mexico): GM - Fernando Martinez Acosta Gran Logia del Pacifico (Mexico): GM - Gilberto Otero Valenzuela (couldn't find working site) Gran Logia de Estado Soberana e Independiente "El Potosi" (Mexico): GM - Website not kept up-to-date (2011 - Guillermo Alberto Smith Govela) Gran Logia del Estado de Nuevo Leon (Mexico): GM - Cuitlahuac Felipe Martinez Alcantara Gran Logia "Occidental Mexicana" (Mexico): GM - Antonio Enrique Ruiz Estrada Gran Logia de Sinaloa (Mexico): GM - Fausto Ruben Ibarra Celis Gran Logia de Tamaulipas (Mexico): GM - Site under construction (2011 - Ricardo Rene Martinez Rodriguez) Gran Logia "Unida Mexicana" (Mexico): GM - Anselmo Juarez Ronquillo Gran Logia Valle de Mexico (Mexico): GM - Reyes Jorge Alejandro Aviles York Grand Lodge of Mexico: GM - Armando González Grand Regular Lodge of Kingdom of Morocco: GM - Couldn't find website (2011 - Yassine Nouini) Grand East of the Netherlands: GM - Dr WS Meijer Grand Lodge of New Zealand: GM - John Litton Gran Logia Simbolica de Nicaragua: GM - Couldn't find website (2011 - Juan Jose Medina Vorgos) Grand Lodge of Norway: GM - Tore Evensen Grand Lodge of Panama: GM - Juan Pablo Ilgelias Martino Gran Logia Simbolica del Paraguay: GM - Poor website design (2011 - Nemesio Lichi) Grand Lodge of Peru: GM - Eli Hildebrand Machuca Araujo Grand Lodge of the Philippines: GM - Juanito Espino, Jr. Grande Loja Legal de Portugal: GM - Jose Francisco Morena Grand Lodge of Puerto Rico: GM - Victor R. Berríos Pérez National Grand Lodge of Romania: GM - Radu Balanescu Grand Lodge of Russia: GM - Andrei Vladimirovich Bogdanov Gran Logia "Cuscatlan" de la Republica de El Salvador: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Nicolas Salume Barake) Grand Lodge of Scotland: GM - Iain Robert Wolrige Gordon Grande Loge du Senegal: GM - Can't find website (2011 - Armand Agbogba) Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia: GM - Petar Kostić Grand Lodge of South Africa: GM - Armiston Watson Grand Lodge of Spain: GM - Oscar de Alfonso Ortega Grand Lodge of Sweden: GM - Anders Strömberg Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland: GM - Poorly designed site (2011 - Jean-Michel Mascherpa) Grand Loge Nationale Togolaise: GM - Joseph Kossi Kpelly-Hukporti Grand Lodge of Turkey: GM - Omer Koker Grand Lodge of the Freemasonry of Uruguay: GM - Daniel Rilo Gran Logia de la Republica de Venezuela: GM - José Bericotte Guilarte If you notice there is no single Grand Lodge that controls all others around the world. Each Grand Lodge is sovereign and independent. Each of these men serve according to the rules and laws laid down by the members. So you don't have to try and count, there are 177 Grand Lodges.
Well, some exciting news. If I get the paperwork turned in, I've been invited to join the Royal Order of Scotland. I have to go up to Seattle in November to get initiated though.
Well, I got all of my plane tickets purchased and hotel reservations made today. It's cheaper than driving...and safer with the crazy weather (I hate driving through Snoqualmie Pass when there's snow). I can't wait to be up there as I haven't seen some of my Washingtonian Brothers in about 10-months and they are good company. I will also be able to visit with some of my old friends who moved up there after college.
It's been a busy few weeks for me. One weekend it's Northwest York Rite Conference, then Royal Arch and Cryptic conferral, then Commandery conferral, and then initiation into the Royal Order of Scotland. In between all of this was also Lodge (where I was just elected as Master of my Lodge), college, work, and Jobies. I head back home tomorrow, but now I'm going to relax and head to bed.
Well, today marks the 5th year since I was dubbed and created a member of the Valiant And Magnanimous Order of the Temple.
Sup, I was scrolling the forums, browsing for anything interesting and I happened to catch your thread here. (Mind you, I wasn't going to read all 14 pages because while I understand the reading concept, I don't like reading as a 'necessity'. My talent and drive for reading comes when I want to lol. Selfish I know).. So I'm a 21 year old college student and I'm finally at that adult age and truth be told, I had a great interest in the masons(There's a masonic lodge literally next door in this neighborhood. I was flabbergasted. This little neighborhood had a masonic lodge. Small world.) So I once walked up to this Masonic Lodge and I expressed my interest and I was basically told that I'd have to know someone from within the fraternity. Which makes me now ask myself "How in the world am I supposed to go about that?" Surely there are people in the town who very well are Masons(or otherwise, they wouldn't even have a lodge) but do I go about asking every person in the town? I'm more than willing to go through the challenges and rigors of a riddle(and in fact, riddles can be fun, when solved) so I very highly respect that part of masonic culture. But, riddles aren't fun at all without any hints. There's a misconception IMO with hints. People think hints are answers, they're not. A hint, a good hint can jumpstart the thinking process. If finding a fraternity member is some kind of test, then of course I don't want the answer to the test. But as of now, it's like I don't even know if it's a problem(or better said, it's like a problem in another language). Even if there's a Japanese Alpha, if he's given a test in English he'll flunk. If someone is led to the general area where treasure is secretly buried, even though the treasure is there the person still has to actually find it. So I really just want to be 'led'(and 'led' might be an intellectually or morally debasing word depending on how you view it as a Mason. So I'll say "guided") to the general spot. I'll do the digging afterwards.
[MENTION=63456]AmericanNationalist[/MENTION], Pennsylvania has a large Masonic community with a Lodge in most cities/towns. I'm surprised you were told such things as all one needs to do is ask, but I do know a few people, young Masons, in PA. Let me ask them if I can give you their email address.
