ceremony of the seven toasts

I would like to state that this was my 1st American Table Lodge, as well as the 1st one my particular lodge has had in this century. After a few "Loaded Cannon's" the Brethren began to really revel in they're fellowship. It was quite nice to sit in with a couple of sister lodges. And to my surprise the ancient ones had no beef with the visiting Prince Hall Brethren in attendance. Just a few awkward situations that i guess can be overlooked.

To to get to the point of the OP. What do you think of the warming of relations between our respective GL's and what do you believe should be the next step? Seems like we're getting along here in NYS

When I was young my Mum went out with a freemason and we went to a big posh hotel with loads of freemasons and every 5 mins there was someone standing up shouting "to the duke of blah blah blah" or some other dude ....boy it was odd and annoying
oops my bad read the title and thought it was something else lol

reply to post by Themadalchemist


I've never heard of the ceremony of the seven toasts, but it sounds like a lot of fun.

Down here, it will still be awhile before Prince Hall and FAAM recognize one another. It will happen, but it will be slow. The last major hurdle came from the PHA side, not the FAAM side. I do respect their degree work, and their activity and involvement.

Was there a special occasion for this event, will it be re-occurring, who organized it?

reply to post by boymonkey74


Funny, that's sort of how the night went. Towards the end i noticed the glare some would get after the 20th or so additional toasts Hahaha

reply to post by getreadyalready


Our lodge is really trying to make things interesting for the influx of new and young members like myself. So the special occasion seems to be an attempt to stir things up and making things fun and memorable. The PHA invites are the efforts of a Past Master and his good friend who happens to be a PHA Past Master.
I am under the impression that this will be a reoccuring
Event

Certainly such dry bread deserves some mead to accompany it?

The GL of Idaho does a Unity Banquet with the PHA in Idaho. We also have done Table Lodges in the past for District meetings and the wives loved it.

Originally posted by KSigMason
We also have done Table Lodges in the past for District meetings and the wives loved it.

We do an annual Table Lodge/Halloween party which is always well attended. We give out prizes for best costume, scariest costume, funniest costume and best ritual sacrifice.

I've said it once, and I'll continue saying it: Freemasonry is too pretentious for me.

Originally posted by dontreally
I've said it once, and I'll continue saying it: Freemasonry is too pretentious for me.

So does this mean you do not want a petition?

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus

That would be fun. When I was Master I did a Table Lodge for the District meeting and I had almost twice as many people show up. We do have a Halloween night, but that is for the kids to come and play, carve pumpkins, and the parents to socialize.

reply to post by dontreally

How are we pretentious?

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


Oh, could I??? That's what I want. I'm secretly resentful for being rejected

Nope...I don't like the structure, I really dislike the pretentious rites and regalia... But that's just me...

I feel like life is much more simple, and spiritual, without the master mason title, 33 degrees, and myriad side orders...

Originally posted by dontreally
Nope...I don't like the structure, I really dislike the pretentious rites and regalia...

Then we have something in common because that is exactly how I feel about organized religion.

reply to post by dontreally

How are the ceremonies pretentious? They impart lessons to which one can better himself if he so chooses to follow the lessons.

You are entitled to your opinion though and that is yours.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


Then why are you a mason?:

You got caught in a contradiction.

If masonry were simply nothing more then a venue for men to meet and fraternize, i would probably join. But since there is the lamb skin apron, the pretentious 'degrees' which one has to attain in order to be "accepted" - all of that is ridiculous.

And then add the logical fact that Masonry is a tool of the elite......No...I don't want to be apart of that. Even if it means "I'm on the inside", apart of a social agenda....

Fortunately, I know whatever social agenda Masonry concerns itself with, is not true.

reply to post by dontreally

So wearing a lambskin apron and a few ceremonies makes it pretentious? How are we a tool of the elite? Exactly what point makes us that?

Fortunately, I know whatever social agenda Masonry concerns itself with, is not true.

Could you please explain?

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by dontreally

 

So wearing a lambskin apron...

Hahaha...you wear a Shamwow.

Priceless.

reply to post by The1Prettiest1One

Nah, the lambskin is not as absorbent.

reply to post by KSigMason

Exactly what point makes us that?

Why would i bother going into an explanation of that, if you would just shoot it down?? You're a Mason. You're emotionally invested in it. You want to protect it's reputation.

Fortunately, I know whatever social agenda Masonry concerns itself with, is not true.

What I consider true, others don't. Therefore, if all you've ever been exposed to is the spirituality of Masonry, the perennial philosophy etc, then of course the goals - the social agenda - of masonry will appear not just innocuous, but the expression of the true divine will, and not the counterfeit version of the worlds elite, vying against their creator.

So wearing a lambskin apron and a few ceremonies makes it pretentious?

Its emphatic focus on hierarchy is what makes it pretentious.

The lamb skin apron, although I know has 'symbolic meaning', when combined to the overall gaudy nature of masonry, makes that symbol too, quite pretentious.

It's pretentious. It's beginnings lie in aristocracy. The UGLE is headed by an aristocratic, and has been for years. The British Nobility is pure and utter evil. Gnostic nonsense.

So why do i reject Masonry? Because I reject Gnosticism. I believe the target of the Gnostics, whether Christian, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist (particularly the first two) are the Jews. And as for those Jewish masons, some, if not most, hold to a Gnostic philosophy, superimposed on the Torah/Bible, and they too hate Jews - authentic Jews who follows Judaism. So yes, while it is very ironic that Freemasonry adopts Hebraic metaphysical ideas - the concept of Hiram Abiff, the two pillars of Yachin and Boaz, and other Kabbalistic concepts, it's philosophy is rooted in what Isaiah terms "those who confound good with evil and evil without good". This secular religion. No wonder masonry can claim they are not religious. That might be in fact the essence of the order.

I study metaphysics in private. I have many books on many different subjects; Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. I don't need a special order that would probably corrupt me. Eventually, i would get suckered in. Bit by bit, as anyone who knows the nature of the mind, we can never really trust ourselves. That's if, you subscribe to a philosophy of fixed morality, and not a morality that ceaselessly changes based on circumstances and situation. Not a religion of hypocrisy where the only hypocrisy is when you genuinely subscribe to a belief system and contradict it. Such a hypocrite, a person with no fixed values, who says one thing and can do another because his deepest system of thought says so, disgust me. It is the apex of spiritual arrogance, and Godlessness, and yet such people think they know God.

reply to post by KSigMason


Actually, i watching a CNBC show exposing the shamwow. It really doesn't absorb as much as they advertize.