I have been a Freemason for nearly a year and I absolutely love it. It would be very difficult to choose one particular thing I love about it more than anything else. Here are some of the aspects of it I really enjoy. My experience mostly only comes from attending meetings at English lodges. If you are Mason from another country, your experiences might be different (although just as good I am sure.
1. I love the ritual in the Temple. I love the challenge of learning it and delivering it well. We are supposed to do it from memory.
2. The camaraderie is fantastic. I really have met some really wonderful people in Freemasonry who look out for each other. It really is a brotherhood.
3. The festive board (meal after the meeting in the Temple) is always highly enjoyable, with wonderful food and excellent company. I look forward to the formal toasts towards the end of the evening. At 9 pm we stand up and raise a glass to absent Brethren and I suppose that is one tradition I might point out as a favourite Masonic tradition of mine. Sometimes, we even sing!
4. I do of course really love that one of our main aims is to raise money for charity. In the UK, Freemasonry is the second biggest contributor to charity (the biggest being the National Lottery). In addition to the collection in the lodge room, at the festive board, we usually have a raffle that raises money for various good causes. Sometimes we have a game of "Heads and Tails" to raise a bit more. Everyone who wants to take part pays a pound. Everyone stands up, puts their hand on their head or bottom and someone flips a coin. If it lands on "head" and you put your hand on your bottom (lol), you are out. You keep doing that until you have a winner, who wins a prize (usually a bottle or whiskey donated for it).
5. Variety. Every lodge is a little bit different, with their own little traditions unique to them in how they deliver the ritual and also in what they do at the festive board. Some lodges have a particular theme. For example, in my province, there is Scouting Lodge (for members who are or have been involved in Scouting) or a motorcycle lodge for Masons who are into motorbikes. There is even a Science Fiction and Fantasy Lodge starting up in one part of the country. So, visiting other lodges is something I greatly enjoy doing.
@MrSimons My girlfriends family had a lot of masons in it, and there is a lodge just around the corner from where I live. I've been interested in it for years but never applied yet.
@TeirdalinFirefall Why not get in touch with some of the people there? They will chat with you and maybe invite you to some events for non-Masons. No commitment would be needed and you could see if it is really for you.
There are probably a number of lodges that meet at that building. The lodge refers to the members and several lodges will share a Masonic Hall.
