My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Search results

  1. Forthright

    The Decline of Fraternal Ritualism

    This post is about how changes in society at the beginning of the 20th century did away with the "Golden Age of Fraternalism" and hundreds of different fraternal orders. It is an important part of the history of Freemasonry at a time when it was co-evolving with many other bodies. Read more
  2. Forthright

    Masonry and Fathers

    It’s surprising how many Freemasons I know have stories in their background of major conflicts with their fathers. There are masons who grew up adopted wondering why their biological father gave them up, those whose fathers were physically or emotionally abusive, those who had problems with...
  3. Forthright

    Impatience, Loss of Gravity

    My lodge recently received a letter with updated guidance from our Grand Master. The situation our Grand Master finds himself in as a leader is one that frankly makes me grateful I’m not in Masonic leadership. There seem so few good decisions to be made, and so many constraints. My GM’s...
  4. Forthright

    2020 in Masonry, One Review

    I attempted to summarize everything I saw in 2020 within Freemasonry. Just one Mason's perspective. Link to the Post Personally, I think that in times of societal crisis, big dislocations (like COVID-19) rarely fundamentally change the course of society. What they tend more to do is...
  5. Forthright

    “The Dues are Too Damn High”: Disagreeing Skillfully

    A discussion on how to promote agreement in lodge, and how lodges can disagree skillfully and still retain harmony.
  6. Forthright

    Masonic Security: Prove Yourself

    How the original masons proved their cleverness with security, and how modern computing follows cues from medieval stone masons.
  7. Forthright

    UGLE has re-closed Masonic meetings in light of the worsening pandemic

    This may not be the last update, as a number of European countries are worsening (again). Here are the details.
  8. Forthright

    Data Driven Masonry

    A group of brothers has organized an effort to collect data about Masonry and make it generally available, to help lodges & Grand Lodges better the craft. Continue reading...
  9. Forthright

    Masonic Repetition

    Why do we repeat so many things and what does it do to us?
  10. Forthright

    Mid-Atlantic Esotericon 2020 Summary

    This year's Mid-Atlantic Esotericon took place this past weekend, and I thought I'd put together a few notes and quick reactions about the conference. This conference started in 2019, and the pandemic wasn't enough to kill it, only enough to make the conference go online.
  11. Forthright

    How Prince Hall Received His Charter

    The story of Prince Hall and how the first lodge of black Americans came to be chartered. The broad outlines of this story can be read anywhere, but a number of sources have some of the details mixed up. I've attempted to pull it together and show a little bit more context about what Prince...
  12. Forthright

    Masonic Book Review: It's Business Time

    Jon Ruark and Robert Johnson's book adapts popular business methods for improving lodges.
  13. Forthright

    Masonic Virtues, Represented by Women

    A look at how the industrial revolution changed society's view of women and how Masonic virtues have had a part in retaining cultural tradition.
  14. Forthright

    Masonic Efficiency

    I was recently reading a post called Just Too Efficient, where the author Tim Bray is noticing how sometimes when things get more efficient, productive, and profitable – they get worse along human dimensions. He starts with a story about 2 workers taking a smoke break and telling a joke. It’s a...
  15. Forthright

    Open Letter to Masonry: Black Lives Matter

    Masonry has a once in a generation opportunity to re-affirm its principles and help, aid, and assist those who need it.
  16. Forthright

    Builders of the Adytum (BOTA)

    I've been reading what I can find about this group, and thought I'd ask more generally for thoughts and opinions about this mystery school and what it does. I don't know enough to have an opinion yet, and thought I'd consult with more informed brethren. I'm interested in just about anything...
  17. Forthright

    Why are we Freemasons?

    On the Reddit Freemasonry group, a thread was created asking people why they were Freemasons and why they stayed. There were some great answers, and this post is to draw out what I learned from them.
  18. Forthright

    US Grand Lodge Updates: COVID-19 (List of Re-openings)

    Back in March, I was tracking Freemasonry as it shut down in real time. Now, a brother on the blog The Northeast Corner is starting to catalogue the gradual re-opening of Masonry again!
  19. Forthright

    Incredible History: Ben Franklin, Fake Masonry, and Accidental Death

    Today I’m going to tell you a remarkable story involving Benjamin Franklin. This story includes the the accidental death of a man, human branding, murder charges, public fights in the newspaper, and a whole lot of questionable behavior. It’s a story about a serious attack on Benjamin Franklin &...
Top