Written methods of reconition?...edited

Just curious, but I've never had anyone really explain some of the best ways to recognize a Brother (or have a Brother recognize YOU) when writing. Can anyone toss some suggestions my way?

Feel free to PM me if necessary. Thanks!

Writing where? In what form?

I would see this as a moot point. It would be inappropriate to converse upon the secrets of Masonry in a written communication.
Anything that could be put in writing can be expressed to the profane.
Anything falling under the restrictions of the obligations should only be communicated face to face.

S&F

I think he is talking about a way to recognize someone as a Brother through communicating this way, with out say "hey are you a Mason??". I have had friends who I talked to face to face for 10-15 years and never knew they were a Brother Mason.

The only way I know of is to ask your Lodge Secretary to have the Grand Lodge write you a letter attesting to your good standing and forward it to the corresponding brother. Of course, you should require him to do the same.

There is a web site that asks members to scan their dues cards for admission to closed forums.

The reality is that it shouldn't matter as we all swore to never "cut, carve, stamp, stain..." so in general you might as well just take his word for it.

This is exactly right. In the past, I've scanned dues cards and sent them to Brothers, which is fine, but not what I refer to... Surely, as we do here, we can communicate without giving away any of the secrets. For example, an open letter to a group of people, with just the right wordplay and use of verbage that, when read by a Brother, stands out as unique to the Craft, but when read by the uninitiated seems innocuous.

I would think that that in no way would HAVE to conflict with our obligation, though I can see that there are obviously ways to flagrantly do so. My point is to avoid that while still communicating the thought conveyed above.

Does that make more sense?

Incidentally, FF Sparky, you and I were both raised on the same day...just 5 years apart.

nice... I been pondering your question and still haven't figured out an appropriate answer to figure out if someone was to be a Mason with out meeting. Obviously we have rings, ties, and hats to recognize a Brother in public. Through writing is another story. Unless they write in old style english....lol.

Most GLs have their Ritual written out or in Cypher. Some Gls even issue Cyphers to each of its members. My GL has a Cypher in each of our 12 districts and under control of District Custodians. … Now how can the Grand Master or Grand Secretary of these GLs allow this? They took the same OB as you & I did.

I disagree with some of the above statements. …. The fact is, the EA OB does not forbid writing of the secret arts or point of Freemasonry, no more than it forbids communicating the same secrets by speech. There are certain secrets, which are required to be communicated in a specific manner of which writing is not the correct way. … Now the EA OB does require the Mason if he does write, not to allow it to be ‘unlawfully’ obtained.

… to be a Mason? By have been tried, never denied, ready and willing to be tried again. There are many ways to try a Mason even by writing.

Perhaps in your jurisdiction, Ed. But in all the ones I've belonged to, part of the EA OB covers secrecy and it does prohibit writing (as well as other forms of communication).

We even have a second "P"

Yes, but does it go before or after the other P? :1-wink:

The debates we have on ritual practice nights...

There are things in ritual that is communicated "From whose Bourne no traveler returns", Can this be held against me? It is Shakespeare. But communicating to a profane he would never know we are talking about Masonry unless pointing the fact out.

Most secrets of Masonry are hidden in plain sight. Initiation practices, signs grips and words are definiately out. Most of what is discussed is in the VSL or other books. Even certain words. So I think it would be how it is communicated that would be an issue

So have we in Wisconsin. Duncan just forgot that. And in Alaska, we have an "I".

Have to disagree on both points here, Bro. Under our GL (I'm in ATL) EA OB specifically forbids writing because it might become unlawfully obtained.

For the record, it also forbids communicating the same secrets by speech to any person in the known world, lest he be. . .(and even then, he's got to prove it).

First, does your GL have or use cyphers or any type of written rituals? I suspect your GL does, and as I said the GM and the G Sec took the same oath as you & I, but they are allowing the cypher.

Second, You need to complete the above statement, instead of paraphrasing part of it. It is out of context. The next part of the statement sets a condition. If there is a condition not to write, then there must be a condition to write.

Third, If you do believe what you have stated, then you have broken your own OB by writing above part of the OB in 'letters' as a cypher. It wouldn't take long for a non-Mason to figure out what those letters are. This forum is open to all that logs in.

The problem is almost all Masons when as Candidates have taken the word of their Coach as being gospel and have not studied or examined the info they what been told with what the Ritual or OB actually said.