Are You a Regular Mason? by Paterson Burns

Are you a Mason? How do I know, if I don't know you?

There are those who are engaged in professional endeavors that require confidentiality and discretion, and then there are the rest of us.

So, with the rest of us in mind, how do we prove your regularity if you're anonymous and you would offer opinions about our Craft, yet not stand behind your own words, or prove your membership?

Since it is inevitable that regular Masons will want to communicate with regular Masons, on matters of shared interest and association, how does a discussion forum such as this prove that those who claim regularity, can prove the same?

Obviously we know this has been a contentious issue, that for the most part has been swept under the carpet on other discussion forums because the sponsors of the same believe in it to have too much potential for rudeness.

Well, I believe that a productive and represented discussion can be had here, by regular Masons, on the discussion of what is regularity in North American Masonry, and what isn't, without representing the opinions of irregular, clandestine or expelled Masons desiring to provide their agenda delivery to the conversation being had.

There are already a score of "Masonic" discussion forums that house expelled and clandestine malcontents for the sport of watching the fur fly, which is lame and in poor taste.

Nobody here has any discord for any of the individuals who have a shared interest in the other brands of "Masonry", there is no disdain for here for "Co-Masons", or "Female-Craft" or any of the other groups of searchers in the world who have been inspired by the tenets and traditions of regular Masonry, to explore the same in the form of starting new Masonic organizations, knowingly independent of recognition from regular Masonry.

Good for you. Emulation is the sincerest form of flattery.

We do appreciate the nod, it's nice to know that there are folks out there who are truly inspired by what we offer to our members, and seek to honor us by using our name in homage.

The problem is when the name and credibility of regular Masonry is used to represent credibility to the endeavors of those not entitled to call themselves "Regular Masons" or even Masonic, as they advertise themselves to an unsuspecting public, as a genuine article.

So, how do we know you're a genuine article?