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Written by Riviera Reporter
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Freemasonery on the Riviera
A reader in Draguignan e-mailed to ask, following an item last time, if freemasonery in France is, as he’s heard, more “sinister” than in the UK. We put this to “Geoffrey”, a British member of a local lodge we managed to track down.He e-mailed this:
“There are five major varieties of freemasonery in France with a total membership of some 135,000, of whom 20% are women. There’s nothing “sinister” about it, although some outsiders seem to think some of our rituals are weird – to gain admission to my lodge I had to be interviewed blindfolded. But our rituals are no more sinister than those of, say, the Roman or Anglican churches.
Masons are committed to help their ‘brothers’ and this can be a help in business but, I’m told by veterans, much less than in the past. For what’s it’s worth, just short of 10% of French MPs are masons, spread across the parties.
So what’s the advantage of being a mason? Our local lodge is full of bright people and we have a lot of interesting conversation – plus some excellent meals. I’ve never seen a bloodstain on anyone’s apron.”
From Riviera Reporter 120, April/May 2007
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The so-called rituals also strike me as ridiculously childish rather than weird. Grown men rolling up their trouser legs, giving each other funny handshakes and whatever else, for heaven's sake!