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[web-master's note:] Sorry, but that's not how it's done. YOU must contact a lodge in your area. Go to my Pointers page for the address and phone of the Grand Lodge of PA. They can help you find lodges in your area, and give you further advice.
[web-master's note:1) Who told you we are secret? We aren't. What do you want to know about us, our symbols, our aims, our teachings? Why do you think I have 20 Mbytes of material up on my web-site?
1a) Following the custom of the mediaval trade guilds, we have certain ordinary words and gestures and designated them as "tokens" of our craft, which we only teach to our initiates. So those few words are secret, but that would only matter to someone who was planning to pretend to be a Mason when they weren't. It's a custom we keep from the days before faxes, laminated IDs, and such, when a new workman at a building site had to easily prove his skill level (apprentice, journeyman, etc.)
2) We are NOT a "good christian organization". We are an organization of good men of EVERY religion. This does seem to really p.o. a small subset of christians, but in general, the people that it bothers don't get along well with folks who aren't exactly like themselves anyway, so it's no big loss.]
[Web-master's note: Hi. The e-mail address doesn't look like it's gonna work, but this is a test message. You can find out something about all those adoptive orders your dad belonged to from the Pointers page at my website. They are mostly what are called "side bodies" associated with Masonry. I will be posting more information about the organization of these bodies in the near future.]
[Web-master's Note: I recommend John Robinson's Pilgrim's Path to read while you wait for your initiation. Also, see if the lodge can help you find Carl Claudy's excellent 3-short-volume set Introduction to Freemasonry (sadly now out of print) for reading after each degree. Also quite good is Allen Roberts's The Craft and its Symbols -- and NOTE if a member of your lodge belongs to the Southern California Research Lodge, the SCRL will send them a free copy of the Roberts book for presentation at your 1st degree.]
I am developing a real interest in the use of music in Masonry. I play trumpet and French Horn in bands at the Shrine and at the Commandery. I've been reading about Masonic music and have started to collect examples and hope to use what I learn to write some material for the use of these bands.