it should be borne in mind that there is no one "world freemasonry". There is English-style freemasonry, which has national Grand Lodges all over the world; these Grand Lodges are all independent but their members regard each other as part of the same brotherhood (a bit like Anglicanism). Then there is Scottish Rite freemasonry (that's the kind that has 33 degrees - English freemasonry has only 3), which ditto. These 2 kinds of freemasonry don't consider themselves as one brotherhood but tip hats to each other cautiously. There are various orders of female masons, which English and Scottish freemasonry regard as sort-of-OK-so-long-as-we-don't-have-to-have-anything-to-do-with-them. Then there are all sorts of other things which English and Scottish freemasons think are absolutely ghastly - e.g. there are orders of freemasonry which don't believe in God (horror!) and MIXED-SEX freemasonry (anathema!) and so on.
Since 1737 Freemasonry is organised in Germany as well - with some 470 Masonic lodges in five largely independent Grand Lodges .
Here in the good ol' American south, we have segregated lodges for black and white freemasons.
In the year of our dog, 2006!
