Kappa Sigma Question, page 2

I'm not Kappa Sig or any other college fraternity, but I'm a mason.

Interesting read. I was impressed that Nygdan didn't immediately assume that the "masonic ring" on ebay contains historic "masonic symbolism." If I saw a fellow wearing that, I'd think he was a poser/infiltrator/antimason . . . And it's been interesting how many "poser masons" I've met lately. They have a decal on their car, or a ring, and I ask them about it, and about what lodge they are in, and they don't know how to answer.

My main thought is about the Rep from Kappa Sig's reply. He mentions something along the lines of "those words are meaningless unless you've experienced the ritual."

I just want to add that, to someone who's never participated in a complicated ritual, you really can't appreciate the impact of study, on catching the implications hidden within a ritual.

For instance . . .

After I had just become a fellowcraft mason, I took up the hobby of photographing old Texas masonic lodge buildings and architecture. I was in a suburb of Dallas, and was standing outside a Masonic lodge building taking pictures of it from various angles. A guy came out, a bit confrontationally, and asked what I wanted. I told him that I was a "brother," and just collected pictures of such old buildings. He said they had trouble with vandals, but if I was a scholar or texas historian or something, I was welcome to come in.

he asked me if I was really a brother, and I said yes. I tried to give him "masonic signs." So he took me into the lodge room, and he and a couple of other fellows set things up for a certain point in the ritual. He said, "tell me the next word." The ritual is extremely long and complicated, and I just looked at him blankly. "Then you're not really a fellow craft yet, are you?" was his only response. "I guess not."

I kind of felt like, "gee, there are a bunch of guys in my lodge that couldn't do that either. They only come to meetings about once a year, if then. But on second thought, are they really masons?

It's sort of like some people will call themselves a hunter, when they haven't been in the woods in five years. Or "easter catholics" who don't know when to stand or sit during mass. Or folks who call themselves a christian, but don't know the Lord's prayer.

Since that time, I have been a guest during a stated meeting. I was asked to recite the "oath" that you can find on the web. Of course I couldn't remember all of it. So I said, "but I can tell you that if you say to me x, I'll ask you for y." and I was vouched for on the spot by the senior deacon.

In summary, real brothers keep (live by) their word. And they do more than memorize a handshake or a slogan. They have internalized the entire ritual. They can live by the password, and apply it in a crisis.

The rest are just onlookers and eavesdroppers.

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