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Clandestine Freemasons

Should Clandestine Masons be banned from the site?

  • Absolutely! Where's the ban hammer?

    Votes: 33 44.6%
  • No, this is a public discussion forum

    Votes: 33 44.6%
  • Ban them or I'll leave

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Can't everyone just get along?

    Votes: 7 9.5%

  • Total voters
    74

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
My opinion, as I've put in other threads is that not having them could be an opportunity to help someone out if they want. Peacible citizens in general have always been welcome here.

Also, as a reminder, no communication here should be considered "Masonic" or "squared."
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I agree with JTM. It is a good place to help them out. Heck, many may not even know that they are clandestine and if we can set them on a proper path then all the better. We just have to be careful of the ones like the clandestine guy.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
Also, they may be fine with being clandestine and have a lot of good stuff to say in regards to masonry. :)
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
If they hold themselves out to be Master Masons, I'd like them to post their Lodges and locations so that we'll know their obedience, but otherwise I have no objection.
 

Benton

Premium Member
I don't think clandestine Masons should be banned. I feel that anyone should be allowed to participate in the boards, regular, clandestine, or non-mason, so long as they hold to the community's standards and don't violate the TOS.
 

Frater Cliff Porter

Premium Member
It doesn't seem to cause problems, but if the idea is a discussion of Masonry then a Masons only forum can be nice.

Of course at TSS we only allow regular Masons and the time I spend vetting each member is a huge pain in the butt.
 

dhouseholder

Registered User
...besides, insight can be gleaned a piece at a time from many places and from many different (sometimes clandestine) people. (A certain heroine of the Bible comes to mind)
 

Bro_Vick

Moderator
Premium Member
I voted no, but realize that I have seen conversations quickly dissolve when regularity is brought up, and realize it can be used as a slight during a disagreement. I am member of international Masonic groups that I will go months ignoring when issues around French regularity is brought up.

Do I have a problem? No, just means potentially more work for the moderators, suckers. ;)

S&F,
-Bro Vick
 

Michael Hatley

Premium Member
Fine as long as they don't propogandize/recruit, which seems to be a penchant for clandestine folks.

I do think private type forums for VIP types being vetted might be good. A pain, but a much smaller pool of folks.

Something to consider also is there might come a time when MoT might, might be in a position to weigh in on something important as an organization at a GL meeting or the like. I don't know. I understand Bro Bowden doesn't seem intent upon making the forum official or politicizing, etc, but the reason I mention it is that by making a policy of rejecting clandestine masons presence here it leaves the door open for things like that. If the greybeards get wind that clandestines are allowed here, they will paint MoT itself as clandestine to undermine anything MoT as a group might have to say.

Its a genie that can't be put back into the lamp is why I mention it. The truth is that while I agree with the sentiment of the brothers who have posted already on the issue, I think were I running the place I'd maintain a zero tolerance policy, keep our collective powder dry so that one day down the road if the stars aligned we might together make a bigger difference than this compromise allows.
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
If the Gerontoi Nikolaoi (Old Nicks) have it in their head, they will say whatever they want to undermine what MoT as a group might have to say. That's just what people in power do. If they wanted, they could undermine MoT on the grounds that it isn't "Tyled"--that it allows profanes to even read it. They could complain that it allows non-Texans to read it without going through proper Grand Secretary channels for a "virtual visitation" between Grand Lodges. I'm sure we could make up more excuses.
 

dizlwizl

Premium Member
Having gone through a clandestine lodge, being apart of this forum has helped me find out that I was clandestine lodge and how to go about fixing the problem. Alot of people who are in these lodges don't know they are clandestine, like I did, and some want to make the change then to become regular or "real" in my terms. Now I do agree that a lot of them are proud to be irregular, only due to the fact that they were hazed badly during their process that they don't want to have to repeat it again (so they say) to be "real". Some just flat out think that we are wrong and that we should be wrong with them. Where I was duped at, they seemed to be legit, but the more questions I asked, the more they didn't like me. For example, I asked why don't they confer the York rite degrees and they would say "there isn't a York rite" they only went to master mason then 32nd and shrine and there was only 1 33rd and he has been a "GM" for over 10 years. The "lodge" in question in Dallas
And was called Jeremiah Grand Lodge 4222 s Lancaster. (there has been a post about this lodge on this forum from another member on the forum who went through what I went through)

To sum it up. This forum helped me fix my walk in masonry and find my place among PHA. And if I never would have gotten the help from the awesome brothers on this forum, I still would be a piggy bank for them with no knowledge.

Freemason Connect Mobile
 
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dfreybur

Premium Member
Having gone through a clandestine lodge, being apart of this forum has helped me find out that I was clandestine lodge and how to go about fixing the problem. Alot of people who are in these lodges don't know they are clandestine, like I did, and some want to make the change then to become regular or "real" in my terms.

Best reason ever to welcome folks who are clandestine!

This board also welcomes men who want to become brothers. We help point them to regular and recognized lodges.
 

crono782

Premium Member
This forum is open to non masons as well. Why would anyone think it's a good idea to ban masons here who are (some perhaps unknowingly) members of clanestine lodges? Nobody (except a couple uninformed ones, that I've seen) mistakes this forum for Masonic tyled discussion. This is a public internet forum.
 

bupton52

Moderator
Premium Member
Having gone through a clandestine lodge, being apart of this forum has helped me find out that I was clandestine lodge and how to go about fixing the problem. Alot of people who are in these lodges don't know they are clandestine, like I did, and some want to make the change then to become regular or "real" in my terms. Now I do agree that a lot of them are proud to be irregular, only due to the fact that they were hazed badly during their process that they don't want to have to repeat it again (so they say) to be "real". Some just flat out think that we are wrong and that we should be wrong with them. Where I was duped at, they seemed to be legit, but the more questions I asked, the more they didn't like me. For example, I asked why don't they confer the York rite degrees and they would say "there isn't a York rite" they only went to master mason then 32nd and shrine and there was only 1 33rd and he has been a "GM" for over 10 years. The "lodge" in question in Dallas
And was called Jeremiah Grand Lodge 4222 s Lancaster. (there has been a post about this lodge on this forum from another member on the forum who went through what I went through)

To sum it up. This forum helped me fix my walk in masonry and find my place among PHA. And if I never would have gotten the help from the awesome brothers on this forum, I still would be a piggy bank for them with no knowledge.

Freemason Connect Mobile

I talked to a member of Jeremiah GL on the phone when I visited Arlington earlier this year. I had to end up just saying goodbye to him. It was a pointless conversation.
 

bupton52

Moderator
Premium Member
Best reason ever to welcome folks who are clandestine!

This board also welcomes men who want to become brothers. We help point them to regular and recognized lodges.

If you knew the type of information that their members are being told........... They need all of the help they can get to be reprogrammed. At times it is so ridiculous. I've heard that the Boston Tea Party was a cover-up for someone trying to steal the charter that Prince Hall had from England.
 

dizlwizl

Premium Member
Sad to say that's what I was told also. I feel better knowing that someone has ran into them and knows how bad it is. They are far beyond ignorance. They have built a house in the north and love it there and want us to move in with them. By any chance, brother, was the man's name Jermaine Williams? I think I might know who you are talking about directly.

Freemason Connect Mobile
 

bupton52

Moderator
Premium Member
Sad to say that's what I was told also. I feel better knowing that someone has ran into them and knows how bad it is. They are far beyond ignorance. They have built a house in the north and love it there and want us to move in with them. By any chance, brother, was the man's name Jermaine Williams? I think I might know who you are talking about directly.

Freemason Connect Mobile

I don't remember. It was a guy that had been talking crazy on facebook and wanted me to call him, so I did. After our conversation, he blocked me on facebook so......... No worries. He told me he knew that they were legit because he had seen the seal. I was like, what seal? He said it was the State seal of Texas on the GL charter. I asked him since when did GLs have charters? That seemed to piss him off. He didn't appreciate my calmness and ended up hanging up.
 
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