Freemasons have to go

actually, I used to wait tables at the Freemason's lunch.

they eat very well...

tips, not so much.

Me too, every thursday for a few years. I concur on the lousy tips as well...

I suppose now I'll have to kill my cousin's husband.
I'm ill prepared for this.
I'll have to work up a new tomato sauce recipe.

They are responsible for a lot of wierd approved planning applications over here. From what little I know about the matter I don't think that is so apparent in the US.

If you have markets you won't ever stop people conspiring to rig them.

I think the Freemasons are "free" as in speech.

The term freemason refers to men who were not bound to the land, who were not serfs. The brotherhood of masons was the first large, non-aristocratic organization in Europe. These men, with their families, travelled across Europe pretty much at will, with their services in high demand. They arose in the period when the lords of the church were building cathedrals, and the lords of the land were building castles of stone (as opposed to the wooden stockades they had previously used). The masons made a point of calling themselves freemasons to distinguish themselves from the serfs who were bound to the land.

Interesting stuff from: aboutfreemasons.com

There has been some speculation as to where the history of the term
“Freemason” comes from. Historians have found that medieval
stonemasons were sometimes called "Freemasons." The name may also
come from the French word “Maçon,” which refers to a mason working in a
Lodge allowed to work on Church property free from taxation or regulation
by the King or the local government. The origins of the word may also stem
from the French term "frere Macon" which translated literally into "brother
Mason."

Other historians believe that the term Freemasons comes from the term
“Free Men,” used to refer to men who were not serfs and not indentured,
and so were free to move from one place to another. Some believe that
the name comes from the word "freestone," which is a type of quarry
stone.

The truth of the matter is that we are a bunch of uncircumspect philatelists who like to run around nekkid... Hence the "free" in freemason.

And we eat a little too well.

. . . the answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind . . .

Heh... Actually, if anyone is really interested, most of our Grand Lodges have pretty informative websites, and links to articles and such. Just google your state or territory plus the words grand lodge.
For such a secret society, we have precious few secrets.

Do we need a password?

My great-grandfather was a freemason during the reign of Hitler. I assure you there was no love lost between Hitler and them. Freemasons were deputy bogeymen of his, perhaps third in line after Jews and communists, and one of the first things he did after coming to power was to criminalize their organization and to prosecute their members. As for the Catholic Church, its contribution to freemasonry was to excommunicate each of its members that it knew of. Where on Earth did you hear nonsense like this?

Perhaps he came back reincarnated as yhwh. Btw, what is that -- a Hebraization of Yahweh?

Freemasons and nonsense seem to have a natural affinity for one another.

I know they are to be feared and loathed as a powerful force in the world, but my few experiences with Masons have been amusing rather than fearsome.

I recall once meeting with a contractor to discuss several jobs. During the small talk section of the meeting he asked me a few typical polite questions to one of which I answered something like:



Before I finished my answer I noticed that his eyes opened wide and when he responded we was obviously excited about something:



It seemed odd, but it was small talk and I tried to keep it going with something along the lines of :



After this he practically burst out with something like



And this point I just sort of chuckled and said



He instantly got a sheepish look on his face and started to apologize. Apparently something I said about traveling in the East was close enough to the first in a sequence of secret coded messages Freemasons use to identify one another.

I think it was mentioning something like "dunes" that made him think he had actually made contact with a fellow Mason and was getting to use the secret lingo.

He admitted it didn’t sound real close to the actual proper response but he was excited enough that he had to give another shot and throw out the mills and bread bit.

Apparently he had just passed his rite or finished the last novice ritual because he had gaining entry into the first circle or band or whatever. Once it became clear I was not a Mason, he asked me if I would like for him to sponsor me so I could join.

I passed. The light was too bright that morning.

I later learned from someone who also claimed to be a Mason that Jim was full of crap and that he had no idea what he was talking about.

I don't know, I still think of it a mysterious event in my past and sometimes wonder how different my life would be if I had accepted his sponsorship and became one of the most powerful men on Earth.

You do sound like you're a widow's son, Finn.

Free Masons lost the element of surprise long ago, the guys you gotta watch out for are the Free Hod Carriers.

Nope.

Tim Finnegan likved in Walken Street
A gentle Irishman, mighty odd
He'd a beautiful brogue so rich and sweet
And to rise in the world he carried a hod . . .

Tsch! Will ye be after singin now?
A voice like that'd raise the dead.

You mean the Hodfellows ? They have a lodge right down the street.