A Mason???

[Mike1]

This one has been hashed out before and as cajunscot has mentioned, we don't need it to tumble into the bin because of misinformation.

Matt, you are certainly an authority on kilts and tartan, but your comment

I just wanted to clarify that Freemasonry is not particularly Scottish. It actually had its origin in England.

is only part correct.

People associate the beginnings of Freemasonry with the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, 24 June 1717. A Mason can tell you that this merely marked the beginning of what is known as the Modern Era of Freemasonry, as we know Freemasonry is much older than that.

The Regius Poem, or Halliwell Manuscript as it has come to be known, is considered by many to be the oldest written record of the practice of Freemasonry and it is commonly agreed that this document was written around 1390. Line 143 of the Regius Poem suggests that there were even older documents, as it says, " By olde tyme wryten y fynde (By old time written I find)".

Further evidence to indicate that the Grand Lodge of England's formation in 1717 was a quite recent innovation is easy to see in Kilwinning Lodge No. 0, also known as the Mother Lodge of Scotland. This Lodge is known to exist from the 1140's and was chartering other Lodges in the late 12th century.

Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446 has many carvings of Masonic symbolism.

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about the Scottish and York Rites is that they provide 'higher degrees of Freemasonry'. Both of these organizations merely require that a man be a Mason in good standing, before he petitions for membership, and are no more than appendant bodies.

As far as kilts and Mason's go, a good friend of mine who is a member of the Scotish Rite said no one at the local chapters in this area actually wear kilts to the meetings, though he said that one guy thought he was supposed to when he showed up kilted at his first meeting.

If any member of the Scottish Rite felt he was supposed to wear a kilt to any Scottish Rite function, he must have slept through his degree work.

As a 32° member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Indianapolis, I am afforded no special treatment when I sit in my Masonic Lodge, as a Masonic Lodge does not recognize the appendant degrees. My Lodge allows me to wear symbols identifying myself as a Past Master, but Scottish Rite regalia is not allowed.

Non-Masons speculating about Freemasonry is as edifying as men speculating about birthing a child. There's little more than guess-work involved.