46 replies to this topic

[gingerjon]

Is there a funny handshake I could give him that will knock 20% off the price?

Just utter the secret code: "I'll pay cash."

That knocks 17.5% off now and 20% off in the new year.

[Rubber Schnib]

Just because you're not prepared to let people into the intimate happenings that take place in your flat doesn't mean that you'll also heavily discriminate in favour of similar apartmentinati.

I'm probably more likely to heavily discriminate in favour of people who visit my apartment than random strangers. They're likely to be my friends, after all, or acquaintances through other friends who came along with them.

So yes, I do discriminate in favour of similar apartmentinati - and also my family, membership of whom is hardly open to the general public.

If they want their secret club where they wear funny clothes and prance about behind closed doors, then fine - just as with members only bars, golf clubs etc. I have no doubt plenty of nepotism exists in those places too, but I'm not about to object to them getting involved in RL and doing charity work.

[Hornetto]

I'm probably more likely to heavily discriminate in favour of people who visit my apartment than random strangers. They're likely to be my friends, after all, or acquaintances through other friends who came along with them.

So yes, I do discriminate in favour of similar apartmentinati - and also my family, membership of whom is hardly open to the general public.

If they want their secret club where they wear funny clothes and prance about behind closed doors, then fine - just as with members only bars, golf clubs etc. I have no doubt plenty of nepotism exists in those places too, but I'm not about to object to them getting involved in RL and doing charity work.

So, if you were a police officer, a judge or a politician or in some other position of influence, you would circumvent due-process or the law to benefit your fellow apartmentinati. Glad we got that cleared up.

They'll probably cut out your tongue and nail it to the ship canal's high tide mark just for talking about it on here.

[Rubber Schnib]

So, if you were a police officer, a judge or a politician or in some other position of influence, you would circumvent due-process or the law to benefit your fellow apartmentinati.

No, I wouldn't.

Such things have quite probably happened in masonic circles, just as they have in members of private golf clubs and drinking establishments etc.

I don't think that's a reason to discourage them from getting involved in RL and doing charity work, however.

They'll probably cut out your tongue and nail it to the ship canal's high tide mark just for talking about it on here.

It'll be more like drinking a "dirty pint" or diving naked into a river from some bridge, knowing the people who frequent my apartment.

Or eating one of those weird whole fried soft-shell crab sandwiches from Virginia, knowing the mrs. No, that's not a euphamism - they're like giant spider butties, with the legs dangling over the side of the bread.

[gingerjon]

A rational person offers his opinion of freemasons

[Leeds Wire]

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO POST THE PICTURES BUT HERES SOMETHING WHICH SURPRISE A FEW PEOPLE - A MASONIC LODGE MEETING AT HUDDERSFIELD CALLED THE RUGBY FOOTBALL LODGE , ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS TO COVER BOTH CODES.

The Rugby Football Lodge

WM & Stevo
The Rugby Football Lodge held their first ‘Sportsman’s Dinner’ at the Masonic Hall, Greenhead Road, Huddersfield when over 120 attended and were entertained by David Howes, the former Rugby League Secretary who assisted as MC for the evening and Sky Sports Rugby League commentator Mike ‘Stevo’ Stephenson the former Shaw Cross, Dewsbury and Great Britain International player. Mike also played down under in Australia for Penrith Panthers.

Other distinguished guests present included Lt Colonel. Tom Vallins, W.O.2 Ian Perkins and Sgt Paul Lowe of the 3rd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment and Lt Colonel. Andrew Preston R.E.M.E. son of Bro. David Preston a lodge member and Paul Collinson of SKRUM (Swaziland Kids Rugby Union Mission).

Due to the generosity of those attending and the various brethren and companies who assisted in organising the event and donating raffle prizes the Worshipful Master David Somers on behalf of the lodge was able to give over £2000 to various charities including The Yorkshire Regiment, SKRUM and the Rugby Heritage Centre which is based at the George Hotel, Huddersfield.

Special thanks to Mike Frost of Corinthian Lodge and John Harrison, Tony Rennison and Robert ‘Jed’ Stone of the RFL and the Chef and Staff at Greenhead Masonic Hall.


Alan, WM David Somers & Lt. Col Tom Vallins
The whole evening was a great success and next year Bill Beaumont (British Lion and former England RU Captain) and Leeds Rugby’s John Bentley (British Lion, England and Leeds RL) have agreed to attend this premier event within the calendar of the Rugby Football Lodge.

Posted in Area 2, Provincial News on July 15th, 2010

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Big multi-cultural do, was it?

Were the men allowed to take their partners?

I couldn't help noticing the huge proportion of females and kids at the cup final last week. Are these masonic events family friendly? I might come along one night and bring my wife and kids if its good fun.

[MASONIC RL ASSOCIATION]

The fact is whether people like it or not in Rugby League towns there are going to be a proportion of the local masons who are rugby league supporters and are going to turn up and support their local team.

What annoys me is that if doubts were raised against any other grouping of people being suitable rugby league supporters then people on here would be up in arms - if people want to use google for info on the masons then type in anti masonry and see what comes up - Hitler persecuted freemasons almost as severely as the jews do people however ignorant of the actual facts about the masons really want to be associated with views held by the nazi's.

[Shadow]

.........Hitler persecuted freemasons almost as severely as the jews do people however ignorant of the actual facts about the masons really want to be associated with views held by the nazi's.

The problem with this argument is that it's rubbish as an argument and has only a nodding acquaintance with reality.
Hitler had the first Autobahns built, doesn't mean I'm going to avoid the M3 today because of the association with Nazis, Hitler persecuted Travellers and Gypsies, doesn't mean I'm going to welcome them onto my front garden, Hitler persecuted Freemasons, doesn't stop it being a childish gang of underachieving middle managers trying to bring some added pomposity to their already self important little lives.

By the way, whilst you're in the mood for Google have a look at Godwin's Law

[paley]

Big multi-cultural do, was it?

Were the men allowed to take their partners?

I couldn't help noticing the huge proportion of females and kids at the cup final last week. Are these masonic events family friendly? I might come along one night and bring my wife and kids if its good fun.

The Lions dinners have tended to be single sex affairs - when I attended with Zoe some of the Lions weren't too keen - Garry Schofield made his dismay known.

[Severus]

Sadly looking on the internet and taking whatever garbage is there as fact is rather naive,
It certainly isn't discriminatory as anyone can join regardless of race or religion the only prerequisite is to believe in a supreme being

You say you do not discriminate and then state that you discriminate against athiests and multi-theists in the same sentence.

My only personal experience of the masons was to attend a charity BBQ this summer (a friends father is a mason). Fair play they raised a lot of money for a childrens charity. However, the right wing sentiments and racism on display made it an unpleasant experience. I am being prejudiced against masons here but seeing as to become one you have to be recommended and approved by an existing member, I can easily see how these views would be rife within this group.

[RidingPie]

Hrmm 2nd post and its about Masonry not rugby... nevermind!

I'm 35 now, about 10 years ago I was well in to my conspiracy theories, and believed in the masonry/illuminati connection, bilderberg running, well just about everything, alien abductions. Since then, and fortunately for my sanity I've become a skeptic and now whenever I see a ridiculous claim I have a quick look at the other side of the argument.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because the freemasonrywatch website that was being held up earlier in the thread as some sort of authority on Freemasonry was part of that evolution. Basically the guy who writes that site has his own agenda and chip on his shoulder that probably weighs a tonne. If you want to see the other side of the argument I recommend the website

MasonicInfo

and it clearly shows that no Obama isn't a Mason. (would it really make any difference if he was?)

[Rubber Schnib]

The problem with this argument is that it's rubbish as an argument

I'm going to use that in future.

[West Country Eagle]

One of my close family members was recently invited to become a freemason. He told them to whistle.

Good lad

Mind you, he does occasionally play union, wants to buy a landrover and is surrounded by rightwing loons, so he would probably fit right in should he ever change his mind.

[Severus]

Mind you, he does occasionally play union... so he would probably fit right in should he ever change his mind.

Watch it you

[West Country Eagle]

Watch it you

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I should also add that he plays RL regularly.

[Leeds Wire]

The fact is whether people like it or not in Rugby League towns there are going to be a proportion of the local masons who are rugby league supporters and are going to turn up and support their local team.

What annoys me is that if doubts were raised against any other grouping of people being suitable rugby league supporters then people on here would be up in arms - if people want to use google for info on the masons then type in anti masonry and see what comes up - Hitler persecuted freemasons almost as severely as the jews do people however ignorant of the actual facts about the masons really want to be associated with views held by the nazi's.

Your argument quoted here is irrelevant and also quite bizarre to be frank. If a proportion of RL fans are masons, then so what? And what on earth has Hitler got to do with it?

Why not address the issues many people have with freemasons rather than post disingenuous reports of your charitable activities?

I don't subscribe to any conspiracy theories whatsoever about freemasonry but I object vehemently to its fundamental ethos of excluding "non-believers" and, of course, women.

Your movement is archaic, anachronistic and objectionable. I wouldn't want it to be associated with 21st century rugby league, but thankfully freemasonry is dying out anyway (in terms of numbers of paid up members) so we won't have to accommodate it much longer anyway.

[MASONIC RL ASSOCIATION]

Your argument quoted here is irrelevant and also quite bizarre to be frank. If a proportion of RL fans are masons, then so what? And what on earth has Hitler got to do with it?

Why not address the issues many people have with freemasons rather than post disingenuous reports of your charitable activities?

I don't subscribe to any conspiracy theories whatsoever about freemasonry but I object vehemently to its fundamental ethos of excluding "non-believers" and, of course, women.

Your movement is archaic, anachronistic and objectionable. I wouldn't want it to be associated with 21st century rugby league, but thankfully freemasonry is dying out anyway (in terms of numbers of paid up members) so we won't have to accommodate it much longer anyway.

Because you're saying that you don't want masons to be associated with RL and you couldn't get away with making such a statement against other groupings of people,if you read the earlier posts you will see that there are masonic lodges which admit women and bar men also there are a grouping of lodges who admit both women and men.

You have made a lot of claims about the order but clearly have no idea at all about what masonry actually is, a lot of people tend become very irate about freemasonry - why? To the people who are actually in it its just a hobby like any other -some people will love it and some won't - but archaic,anachronistic and objectionable - in what way,i've met and befriended people from different cultures and walks of life through freemasonry where normally our paths would never had crossed.

Your claim that you are glad masons will no longer have to be "accommodated" chillingly echoes the sentiments of nearly all of the brutal dictatorships in the 20th century both right and left, when the Nazi's invaded the channel islands they immediately stopped "accommodating" it - that is why there is a direct link between your sentiments and the nazi's.

[Leeds Wire]

Because you're saying that you don't want masons to be associated with RL and you couldn't get away with making such a statement against other groupings of people,if you read the earlier posts you will see that there are masonic lodges which admit women and bar men also there are a grouping of lodges who admit both women and men.

You have made a lot of claims about the order but clearly have no idea at all about what masonry actually is, a lot of people tend become very irate about freemasonry - why? To the people who are actually in it its just a hobby like any other -some people will love it and some won't - but archaic,anachronistic and objectionable - in what way,i've met and befriended people from different cultures and walks of life through freemasonry where normally our paths would never had crossed.

Your claim that you are glad masons will no longer have to be "accommodated" chillingly echoes the sentiments of nearly all of the brutal dictatorships in the 20th century both right and left, when the Nazi's invaded the channel islands they immediately stopped "accommodating" it - that is why there is a direct link between your sentiments and the nazi's.

[def: archaic - very old or old-fashioned
def: anachronism - an act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not belong.
def: objectionable - arousing distaste or opposition; unpleasant or offensive.]

Please don't tell me that I "have no idea at all about what freemasonry actually is" - I know an awful lot more than you obviously think. Your patronising attitude to non-freemasons is absolutely typical of the organisation. I've had countless debates with freemasons over the years which, without exception, result in them smugly arguing that "you obviously don't understand". Well I do, thank you very much, I understand very well indeed.

You simply cannot argue that your "order" (as you rather creepily refer to it) does not discriminate and is not inherently sexist. I object to those discriminatory principles on which freemasonry is partly founded (along with its religious and royalist sycophancy), hence my wish to disassociate it from RL. The two seem pretty incompatible to me. Its really not hard to grasp, so please don't turn the discrimination argument onto me.

You also state that I "couldn't get away with making such a statement against other groupings of people". Could you clarify what you mean by that please?

Ta
Mark

[Shadow]

Because you're saying that you don't want masons to be associated with RL and you couldn't get away with making such a statement against other groupings of people,if you read the earlier posts you will see that there are masonic lodges which admit women and bar men also there are a grouping of lodges who admit both women and men.

You have made a lot of claims about the order but clearly have no idea at all about what masonry actually is, a lot of people tend become very irate about freemasonry - why? To the people who are actually in it its just a hobby like any other -some people will love it and some won't - but archaic,anachronistic and objectionable - in what way,i've met and befriended people from different cultures and walks of life through freemasonry where normally our paths would never had crossed.

Your claim that you are glad masons will no longer have to be "accommodated" chillingly echoes the sentiments of nearly all of the brutal dictatorships in the 20th century both right and left, when the Nazi's invaded the channel islands they immediately stopped "accommodating" it - that is why there is a direct link between your sentiments and the nazi's.

You demonstrate perfectly what a ludicrous grouping the Masons are, your attempts to give yourselves some legitimacy by pointing to some lodges that admit women (Masonettes?) sounds like the BNP saying they're not a Racist organisation because they have Black and Asian members.
Your assinine efforts to compare 21st century opposition to Masonry to the Nazi occupation of europe is insulting to the millions who did suffer in that horrendous period of history and by making such a ridiculous claim you undermine your own arguments to such an extent as to make all your other statements and arguments untenable. Quite simply you and all your rolled up legged small business men and middle managers should take a good look at yourselves and grow up.

[Steve May]

Your claim that you are glad masons will no longer have to be "accommodated" chillingly echoes the sentiments of nearly all of the brutal dictatorships in the 20th century both right and left, when the Nazi's invaded the channel islands they immediately stopped "accommodating" it - that is why there is a direct link between your sentiments and the nazi's.

It's worse I'm afraid. The reason that the Masons won't have to be "accommodated" anymore isn't that they're all about to be rounded up and shot. It's that ordinary folk on the street think they're ridiculous.

Ghandi famously said "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.". But he got it all wrong.

It should be "First they fight you, then they ridicule you, then they ignore you, then there's not much point in sticking with it. Besides, we're all knocking on a bit and the young folk don't seem that interested"