On: Eight Secret Societies (2016)

[GauntletWizard]

Believe it or not, a "secret" society refers to the secrets they hold, not that the society itself is secret. The Masons are public about their existence (if quiet) but their inner "rites and rituals" are secret.

[golover721 → GauntletWizard]

While I’m sure that used to the case, that is no longer really the case with the Masons. You can find out and read through all the different ceremonies and rites online.

[pessimizer → golover721]

Not by their intention, but by an accumulation of opsec failures over the last 700 years.

[InCityDreams → golover721]

Masons [have been known to] occasionally change certain things to keep known secrets to stay secret: 'letter and begin', for example.

Duncans Ceremonies is the most famous revelation of Masonic secrets, but no dues-card and not being 'in the book', ultimately counts for nothing, as you won't even be able to properly converse with a mason, nor enter a lodge, without either.

[hermitcrab → GauntletWizard]

IIRC Freemasons describe themselves as a society with secrets, rather than a secret society.

[runjake → hermitcrab]

However, there are secret societies within Freemasonry, such as the Jesters, which is an unofficial offshoot from the Shriners.

[wl → runjake]

The Jesters are less a secret society and more a group for Shriners with clout who don't think the rest of the Shriners party nearly hard enough.