h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The entry points out that Freemasons give a lot to charity. However, the charities are all Masonic: Masonic hospitals, schools, widows orphans widows funds. In other words, they're all rather self-serving.
Also, in common with many other secret societies, only men can be Freemasons.

I always found the exclusion of women interesting myself. You are correct that the Masons usually support only themselves, but occasionally they come through elsewhere as well. Not often, but occasionally.

You guys sound rather misinformed. Freemasons indeed do quite a bit of community work and provide a lot of money to various charities. Usually these are local to each Lodge, however many are familiar with the Shriner hospitals and burn centers. Those are funded by Freemasonry, also.

We actually have a Shriner children's hospital here in Denver. It does do a lot of good for folks. Places like that tend to be the exception though rather than the rule, unfortunately. that is the major problem that I have. Most of the Masons I've seen concentrate on scholarships for their own children, funds for their widows, and so on and so forth. Now, I'm not saying that these are not valid ways to spend their money or that they are not necessary. I'm simply pointing out that they do far more good for themselves. And far less for everyone else than they tend to claim.

Freemasonry has several cupboards and I'll see if I can sort it out. There are two divisions of Freemasonry (York & Scottish Rite) So not even all Masons are together. In order to become a Shriner you need to be a 32nd deg. Mason (However you get that) For women there is the Order of the Eastern Star. For young ladies Rainbow for Girls and Jobs Daughters. And young men is the Order of DeMolay (named for Jacques DeMolay who was a Templar) Finally… Every President of the United States ahs been a Freemason except one. I’ll let you guess.. ( Hint: his name was not Johnson)

Very nice!

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Mardi gra and G7en,
You could be more wrong but it would be incredibly hard.

The Grand Charity (our Charity) is the second biggest contributor to non-masonic charities in the UK, the first is the National lottery.

Some help for you http://www.grandcharity.org

Mike

there is a womans branch of this order called the eastern star,and by and large yes i'm afraid they give to their own

Mardi,
if you still monitor your inbox, please excuse this blast from the past. Your comment on Masonic charity is very wrong. You said that Masons only give to Masonic charities. Freemasons donated over £4.1 million to NON-Masonic charities.
You may read of it here:-

http://www.grandcharity.org/pages/masonic_grants.html

All this is verifiable, as our accounts have to be submitted just like anywhere else.

If you have ANY other questions about Freemasonry, please feel free to ask. There are very few secrets in Freemasonry, just the modes of recognition. As for women. Women cannot join a Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England, but there are organisations which work on the same principles as Freemasonry for exclusively women and women and men.

Tony.