Freemasons aren’t out to rule the world
By JEFF WIEBE
Jun 14, 2008, 04:31
They’re not a religion, they don’t perform dark rituals and they certainly don’t control the world.
In fact, the freemasons are a decidedly normal organization, as was evident at the Grand Lodge of Alberta’s Annual Communication — a yearly meeting of the province’s masons to hear budget reports, ratify decisions and change or update internal laws.
The meeting was held in Lethbridge this weekend for the first time in 31 years and about 500 freemasons from across Alberta made the trip.
Jerry Kopp, grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, said more and more young people are becoming interested in the organization.
“A lot of them want to join freemasonry because their grandparents or great-grandparents were a part of it,” said Kopp, adding it’s easier for them to find information about the club online.
The freemasons have received a great deal of media attention thanks to books like “The Da Vinci Code” and John Hart, the new grand master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta, said such works help generate initial interest in the organization, which encourages would-be members to find more information.
“I think by the time they’ve read the book and decided they want to be a mason, they’ve done some other research into it,” said Hart, adding there are about 8,000 masons in Alberta.
“By doing that research, they’ve found out enough about it that they know it’s something they want to pursue.”
Being a freemason provides the opportunity to learn leadership, respect, public speaking skills and many more virtues, explained Kopp, adding the image of shadow-cloaked conspirators who control the planet may have stemmed from the fact
The Freemasons Enter the Spin Zone
By Jennifer 8. Lee
City Room was a bit surprised to get an e-mail pitch in late December from a public-
relations company promoting the Freemasons in connection with the release of Disney’s new movie, “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.”
After all, aren’t the Freemasons a secret all-male society that has been the subject of conspiracy theories ranging from possession of the Holy Grail, the founding of Atlantis and hiding secret symbols in Washington architecture and United States currency?
The Internet is filled with Web sites discussing and debunking the swirl of rumors around the Masons, whose members have included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Mozart, Beethoven and Fiorello H. La Guardia
*This article is a couple months old but still worth a read
AN ADDITION to the Manukau Superclinic will improve the clinical accuracy of a common test for thyroid abnormalities.
An ultrasound machine was donated by the Freemasons Roskill Foundation and will increase the accuracy of thyroid biopsies performed at the Superclinic.
Multi-nodular goitre, a swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck, is found in about 10 per cent of the population. These multi-nodular thyroid glands have many lumps and bumps, which are usually benign and harmless.
However, a small proportion of patients develop a cancerous growth in the thyroid that is highly malignant. If the thyroid cancer is diagnosed early, there is a good prospect of a cure.
Freemasons in midst of popularity, membership boom
The secretive society gains a higher, hipper profile as younger men seek out a place for fraternal bonding.
By Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 18, 2008
IN LOS FELIZ, across from a 7-Eleven on North Vermont Avenue, a few dozen men in their early 20s to late 80s share a dinner behind closed doors. Some wear full tuxedos with bow ties and jeweled cuff links, some have shoulder-length hair, and others wear open-collared shirts that reveal the slightest filigree of tattoo arching across their chests.
Over Italian food, retired lawyers and judges sit elbow-to-elbow with owners of scrap metal yards and vintage clothing boutiques. They hold forth on philosophy, the weather; they rib each other and joke about saving room for cannoli. As they reach for seconds, they reveal skull-cracking rings emblazoned with a compass and a square.
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Freemasons of the Nation's Capital Champion Fight Against Breast Cancer
Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia sponsors awareness and donates $25,000 to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.
(Vocus/PRWEB ) May 20, 2008 -- The Freemasons of the nation's capital, the Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, are championing breast cancer awareness and prevention in partnership with Susan G. Komen For The Cure during the National Race For The Cure on June 7th, 2008.
Spearheading the drive is Ms. Lourdes Elias, wife of the Grand Master of Masons of D.C., Akram R. Elias. Ms. Elias, a breast cancer survivor, has already donated over $4,000 with her fundraising team. In addition, the Grand Lodge of D.C. donated $25,000 to Susan G. Komen For the Cure in a special ceremony during the recent 9th World Conference of Masonic Grand Lodges held May 7 - 10 in Washington.
As the world's oldest and largest fraternal society with more than half of its membership residing in the United States, Freemasonry has a rich history of involvement in the founding of America and her development for over two hundred and fifty years. In an unprecedented effort, the Freemasons of D.C. wish to further the awareness and prevention of breast cancer within the greater Washington Metropolitan area, as the brotherhood believes that strengthening the community is a key component in building a good civil society
No secret about Mass. Freemasons' anniversary ceremonies
M.W. Clotaire M. Coffie, grand master Freemason from Ivory Coast, took a seat to wait for the parade of flags to begin the 275th anniversary celebration of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and St. John's Lodge AF & AM at the Westin Copley Place hotel. (David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)
By James Vaznis
Globe Staff / May 6, 2008
Dressed in dark suits with white gloves and aprons, hundreds of men gathered at the Copley Westin Hotel yesterday afternoon to celebrate the 275th anniversary in Massachusetts of the Freemasons, a fraternal organization often perceived as a secret society shrouded in conspiracy theories, such as a quest for world domination.
After all, Freemasons - known for their secret handshakes, codes, and initiations - took an active role in the Revolutionary War and have since remained active in American politics.
Members have included Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock, as well as 13 presidents, including George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Gerald Ford.
But as far as Roger William Pageau, grand master of the Grand Lodge in Massachusetts, is concerned, the group is simply about brotherhood, truth, and making the world a better place to live.
"We really don't have any secrets," said Pageau, wearing a dark, Colonial-like hat with gold trim, pointing out that much can be discovered about the organization on the Internet and that exposés have been written about the group pretty much since its founding in England in 1717.
The organization - which can conjure up the image of a bunch of gray-haired men in funny hats - is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The number of new members initiated last year, 1,393, was 101 percent higher than in 2004. One of the fastest-growing areas of membership is the under-40 set, fueled in part by a move a few years ago to lower the entry age from 21 to 18.