Freemasons

Hello All,

I wish to introduce myself. Hilary here.

I live in New Zealand now, but I am originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA where I became a female member of the lodge- one of the very few.

My favorite aspects of membership are not just the social benefits of friends and significant others, but the access to greater historical understanding of this wonderful brotherhood.

If you have never been to Philadelphia, you should definitely make a visit. They have quite an extensive library of interesting information available, as well as rare remnants and artifacts from times long ago.

That's all for now. Thank you very much for having a forum to share. See you on other threads!

Be Well,
Hilary

_________________
The Philalethes Society
Wikipedia: Freemasonry
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Hi Hilary,

Being new to the Craft, and well, not being up to speed on constitutions and the like, how do you become a female Freemason when Freemasonry world wide stems from the English constitution, which is Male only?

I’m not being sexist at all, just curious as to how a world wide fraternity, recognised as male only could have females. How are you recognised by the rest of the world as a woman freemason?


Or, is this another Americanism where they have tried to re write the rule book?, I say this sarcastically by the way, look what they did to the Voltage and TV systems 60Hz and NTSC 

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Bro.Matthew Dyer
New Zealand Pacific Lodge No.2 & Lodge Zetland No.312

Steady on, Matt. Sarcasm in a public forum is not appropriate behaviour for a Freemason.

Yes, there are what our GL calls "quasi-Masonic" organisations that admit women and which have been around for a very long time. International Co-Freemasonry, Le Droite Humain, to name a couple. Our GL does not recognise them as being regular and forbids its members to join in their assemblies but that does not make them "wrong".

Freemasonry happens in your heart long before you join any fraternity or sorority and there are non-Masons and co-Freemasons out there that live their lives closer to the Masonic line and rule than some "regular" Lodge members do.

_________________
Tony Grimwood
JW – Lodge Howick No. 314
SW – The Pakuranga Lodge No. 416
Communications Officer (314, 416)
Webmaster:
Lodge Howick No. 314
Auckland East District
Northern Division
Ipsa scientia potestas est

Hi Tony,

Quite correct, it was my attempt at wit, sorry, wasn't meant to be any dis respect in there at all, hence the smiley face. But thanks for clearing that up.

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Bro.Matthew Dyer
New Zealand Pacific Lodge No.2 & Lodge Zetland No.312

Matt, I think that the Order of the Eastern Star is an acceptable co-freemasonery organisation, but would be pleased to be corrected.
At a Top Of The South Research Lodge No 470 meeting we had an interesting presentation from a Grand Lodge member of an English only women Freemason organisation. Apparently everything is identical to male Freemasonery, including the n..l...b..., which is "modestly covered". We found it very strange that they refer to their brethren as Brother.

Hi Colin

While the OES is associated with Freemasonry, their ritual has *no* similarities with Craft ritual and thus can not be considered 'co-freemasonry'.

Regards

Roel

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Kellerman Lecturer, 2004
Australia New Zealand Masonic Research Council

Greetings friends..I've been a member of The Eastern of International Co-Freemasonry for more then ten years now and still to this day I find Masonry to be the perfect method for the perfection of character and for the service of humanity. I found very interesting website on the internet, www.comasonic.com about our order, which includes the FAQ section and I would recommend it to any Freemason who is interested about the similarities and differences between the Masculine and Mixed Masonry. I'm interested to hear from our Brothers in Masculine Order, if there is any philosophical explanation for their landmark which prohibits them to visit our Lodges. Thanks.

Hi boanarge.


There are several aspects to this.

First, the Landmarks do not derive from philosophical choices, or at least not choices to which we have any access. Rather, they are inherited from ancient times (by which I mean the foundation of organised freemasonry) as the distinguishing characteristics of the Order, those factors which together define freemasonry as being freemasonry rather being some other sort of Order. How or why the Landmarks are as they are (rather than something different) is lost in the fog of history, and indeed it is one of their essential features that they are effectively time immemorial. Guessing the original reasons is a matter for speculation, and that speculation may be a legitimate and interesting exercise but is incapable of reaching a definitive conclusion. The Landmarks are simply what they are, ancient traditions which define freemasonry, and they are immutable because freemasons are specifically sworn to support, maintain and uphold them.

Secondly, it has always proved impossible to achieve comprehensive agreement on all of the necessary and sufficient criteria, and indeed it is likely that most GLs (unlike various individual writers) deliberately avoid trying to set out any comprehensive codification of Landmarks, in order to retain some flexibility and case-by-case discretion in various unforeseen situations which come up from time to time. This is a position analogous to the "common law" principle in civil jurisprudence, allowing common sense to be used instead of trying to anticipate every circumstance which might potentially occur. Nevertheless, although there isn't an agreed list of all the "sufficient" criteria (which would completely define what is freemasonry), some of the "necessary" criteria (which rule out what isn't freemasonry) are transparently clear from our history and universally agreed among all freemasons.

Thirdly, one of the universally-agreed Landmarks is that freemasonry is men-only. Therefore it is obviously impossible for an organisation which admits women to be freemasonry, even if it might in other respects be superficially similar. Freemasons all have a sworn Obligation not to engage in masonic communication (meaning exchange of the masonic secrets, and so forth) with anyone but other freemasons. Therefore we can never attend any supposedly-masonic meeting of persons who are not freemasons, obviously including (although not limited to) any Lodge of any organisation which admits women. However (for the avoidance of doubt), there is no objection to purely social events, since those are not masonic meetings.

Best regards,

Huw

Thanks for the interesting comments...

This is an interesting topic and I understand all points of view. I will ask that people be aware this is a public forum and we do not wish anyone to be seen to be putting anyone else down or 'lauding it' over another member of the forum.
This is a gentle reminder and not one telling people off.

_________________
Hadyn Nicholls PM
Homewood Lodge 447
Recruitment & Publicity Officer
http://www.homewood-lodge.net.nz
Wellington District Education Officer

Greeting Sister Hilary,

I just found New Zealand as par of Women Freemasons history at...
http://www.masonicworld.com/education/f ... masons.htm
while searching on how to give advice to Carol, a friend in her 50s who wants to star traveling and help with her medical experience from Waikato.

Carol contacted me via AllExperts.com asking for a way to volunteer. I asked her to send me her email address. As soon as I get it, I will try to find this bulletin board again to send you her email; but in case I cannot find my way back, please email me at your earliest convenience.

Best Wishes,
Fernando Doylet, 32'
FernanDoylet@gmail.com
http://mason.doylet.org

There are several alternatives for those looking for a Unisex Order which would not conflict with freemasonry.

1) The Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows and the Independent Order of Oddfellows (American Order) are the two mainstream unisex fraternity's in New Zealand. They have all the trappings of Masonry such as degrees, fine titles, esoteric and moral teachings and elaborate ceremonial, yet they are legal from the masonic perspective because they are not and never have been connected to Freemasonry. Its worth Noting that the IOOF American Order were the 1st fraternal order in the world to admit ladies as members, with the establishment of the Rebekah Degree in 1851 being written by Shuyler Colfax (later Vice President of the USA under pResident Grant). 1899/1900 Oddfellowship's world wide membership including Rebekahs was on par with that of Freemasonry in terms of the numbers in each order, they were roughly the same. The Manchester Unity and Grand United Oddfellows do not have the Rebekah Degree.

2) The Builders of the Adytum, a Qabalistic Order are Unisex and have temples in Auckland and Wellington

3) The Theosophical Society


I was going to mention AMORC but apparently is an organization that membership of can be a punishable offense for a Freemason.

I'm not sure whether the OTO are Unisex. I believe they might be. Are the OTO also considered to be an organization that membership of can have serious consequences for a Freemason in New Zealand?