Secret Clubs, Societies, Masons, etc - whos in one? Offline networks

[johnmatrix]

Grandfather is a Mason, uncle was a Grand Master Mason. It was not much more than a social thing for them as far as I know.

When I opened my retail store in the CBD I met most of the local business owners, great people. At least these people are real, have put money where there mouth is and aren't just floundering around with big internet ideas and no action.

For example, my neighbour owned a business development and advertising agency before he decided to create a brand and open a retail store for himself. Luckily the universe smiled upon me with that.

 

[Ramps]

I'm a master mason and that's pretty much spot on. My own lodge has members from several religions and some that aren't from any. Definitions of supreme being vary from a vague notion of a universal connective tissue that pervades everything but has no specific intelligence to highly anthropomorphised versions like jehovah or the holy bowl of custard that rules all from the kitchen bench. The immortality of the soul concept is equally variable.

Lodges do vary a great deal. I'm actually far more at home in a lodge which isn't my home lodge and visit it's meetings more than my original lodge's. As for networking, really depends on the lodge. It's really not the main reason most people join and isn't really encouraged but it does happen simply because your there. There is definitely an old boys club aspect though. I've been offered favours numerous times by people I didn't know because they recognised me as a mason.

This sounds interesting. So its not encouraged to network within ?

 

[erifdekciw]

I'm in a club and this is the most accurate video I could find that shows you what it's like on the inside.



[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcKOyYxJaWY&feature=related]I Simpson - 06x09 - Homer il grande I tagliapietre - We do - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Moxxy]

This sounds interesting. So its not encouraged to network within ?

No. Then again WF doesn't encourage us to fap over pics in the NUDESFTW forum, but it happens.

 

[dfkdfk]

Can someone tell me the point of joining one of these organizations?

I thought we all work online, just go to a fucking ad-tech if you want to network.

What kinds of favors will you get from these people in these organizations?

The fact that these people are local means something. Ad tech is once a year and it's industry specific. Sure it has value but meeting people locally carries a lot of weight.


While searching for a local mastermind group I found a lot of activity in my area on meetup.com - not sure on the quality or caliber of these meetups, but I don't think it would hurt to check a meeting or two out. They even have a local internet marketing meetup once a week at the local college, I'll stop by next week.

You never really know with this sort of thing - one good contact is easily worth it.

And you never know until you try - it's easy to just dismiss opportunities with a "too cool for school" attitude, but if you want to meet new people you gotta put yourself out there.

 

[SevenYearItch]

I didn't know there were travellers from the east here?

 

[than_west]

So, some of you like hanging out with local randoms.

Wouldn't it be smarter to hang out with people in the same industry as you?

The relationships you want are sitting right in front of you. Just talk to more people.

 

[than_west]

 

[neotakezo]

Checkout thailand, (watch out for ladyboys.. unless thats your thing..)

Cheap rent,

Along with vietnam

Cambodia > those two. Women are more beautiful than Thailand (though about on par with Vietnam, esp seeing as half the women in Cambodia ARE Vietnamese) But it's much more laid back than Vietnam without all the traffic and population woes. Weed is also accepted and widespread there to the point that it's as good as legal (if you get caught smoking a joint in the markets a fiver is about what it costs to make the po po turn the other way)..if that's your thing. Cambodia is also probably a little cheaper than Thailand and about on par with Vietnam, though it depends greatly on exactly where you stay. Internet is a little less reliable though, at least over tourist season.

As far as all this stuff about being driven and staying up 72 hours to nut something out and anyone that doesn't not being a winner....well...being a winner at ONE thing normally means missing out on a huge wealth of other experiences and parts of life. I don't envy self made millionaires that have put their heart and soul into their business nor gold medallist Olympians. In fact I feel a bit sorry for them, at all the other richness of life that they've missed out on just to be able to have some numbers on a bank account statement or a medal to hang on the wall.

I find quality of life within variety, travel, experiences & friends. I've lived in the snow to snowboarded, studied several martial arts, lived in the West in a tropical climate and surfed, lived in the East, spent months on trips rock climbing, jumped out of planes, gone white water rafting...and done a million and one other things. And I'm not even 40. Did I become the best of any of it? Nope, and I don't care in the slightest. Did I get rich? Not in terms of money...but in terms of experiences I feel I'm a hell of a lot richer than the average office monkey who lives between their home/car/office cubical and yes, I also feel I'm richer than the track star who gave up his youth for a freakin' medal and the ability to say "at one stage I was the fastest runner in the world, but only across this distance, and only for these handful of competitions"

Having said that and bringing it back to the original question, yes, I'm a member of a secret group. We are called the Dragons, yesterday I fought with the Illuminati and the Templars. Matter of fact time to go hit up some more pvp...

Life is for living and enjoying, you only get one so why work it all away? Though whatever floats your boat.

 

[onkelmicha]

first thin that came to my mind.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIAneEiWEJ4]Eyes Wide Shut - Theatrical Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

 

[rusvik]

Cambodia > those two. .

Surprised you think that. I hated the little time I spent there. Cambodia is not chill, it's destitute poor and there is a very real sense of desperation. Every forest has been cut everywhere, there's no internet, pedo capital of the world, highway route 5 is a dirt road with potholes. The food is bland without spices. The sort of general expat there is the one who is too poor and weird to even fit in Pattaya. No thanks.

 

[TylerDurden]

Do country clubs count?

 

[drave]

Ever since I read Napoleon Hill's Law Of Success I've been obsessed with starting a mastermind. It would be nice to meet with entrepreneurs every night, grab some good beer (Stone IPA FTW) and just talk business. Most of my conversations are with 9-5ers with closed minds and it gets old. When I meet someone and they say the right thing and I can tell they get it and that they are a serious hustler I get giddy because it is so damn hard to find.

Imagine too, not even a group of just entrepreneurs in general, but if you had a team of 3-5 people working with you to create something like a product, site, or whatever. And I dont mean an outsourced team in India or people you chat on skype with. I mean like 100% fireball entrepreneurs that are willing to stay up for 72 hours straight with you and just grind it out.

this is why i wade chest-deep through waves of dickrolls & memes & pewep trolls... to find like-minded masters, replacing my mental mastermind with a real world mastermind, one seat at a time. great post.

 

[drave]

As far as all this stuff about being driven and staying up 72 hours to nut something out and anyone that doesn't not being a winner....well...being a winner at ONE thing normally means missing out on a huge wealth of other experiences and parts of life. I don't envy self made millionaires that have put their heart and soul into their business nor gold medallist Olympians. In fact I feel a bit sorry for them, at all the other richness of life that they've missed out on just to be able to have some numbers on a bank account statement or a medal to hang on the wall.

I find quality of life within variety, travel, experiences & friends. I've lived in the snow to snowboarded, studied several martial arts, lived in the West in a tropical climate and surfed, lived in the East, spent months on trips rock climbing, jumped out of planes, gone white water rafting...and done a million and one other things. And I'm not even 40. Did I become the best of any of it? Nope, and I don't care in the slightest. Did I get rich? Not in terms of money...but in terms of experiences I feel I'm a hell of a lot richer than the average office monkey who lives between their home/car/office cubical and yes, I also feel I'm richer than the track star who gave up his youth for a freakin' medal and the ability to say "at one stage I was the fastest runner in the world, but only across this distance, and only for these handful of competitions"

another great post. you speak of variety, others on depth... everyone who decides to live on purpose has to pick a point on the variety/depth spectrum. those who live for maximizing variety rarely know depth, those who choose depth rarely know variety. its a tough trade-off. the same argument could be made for one's approach to women, and there is no right answer, just a choice. nobody can ever say which path is better, having not been down the path they didn't take.

 

[ANOMOANON]

I'm a Freemason. 26 years old. Currently an officer at my lodge. On my mobile and don't have time to read the whole thread but wanted to pop in.

 

[pinchyfingers]

ANOMOANON, I checked out my local lodge a couple years ago, but everyone there was a middle-aged volunteer fireman. They were friendly and cool, but I didn't really understand why I should join, and I def would've been the only person there under 30.

I still think it might be a good idea, can you relate more of your experience as a mason?

 

[Dresden14]

I'm a member of a secret fraternal organization. Nicknamed the invisible empire. Secret clubs are exciting. Even more so with our weird rituals. lol

Maybe if you joined the free masons though, you'd get a # 1 google position indefinitely though>?

 

[ANOMOANON]

ANOMOANON, I checked out my local lodge a couple years ago, but everyone there was a middle-aged volunteer fireman. They were friendly and cool, but I didn't really understand why I should join, and I def would've been the only person there under 30.

I still think it might be a good idea, can you relate more of your experience as a mason?

I was always interested in Freemasonry growing up because of the Masonic history in my family. When I walked into the Lodge I had already made up my mind and applied for membership that night.

Every Mason finds Freemasonry for a different reason. For me it was simply that I was seeking something bigger than myself. Now that I am a Master Mason I have true brotherhood all over the globe. I can literally show up in any town unannounced and have the oldest fraternity of men in the world at my disposal with a few simple identifying words. Example: The treasurer of our Lodge is an account for the county who did the taxes for my business/personal at no charge. The secret handshakes and connections are defiantly an awesome perk, but not the reason I joined. Masonry is about making good men into better men, and being young/new in business, I want(ed) to continue(start) learning the practice of good moral character now so that I can hopefully leave a life changing impact on the world/people in it.

When I am not online pecking away at trying to make a living, Im out in the world wandering around representing Freemasonry. With that always in the back of my head now Its pretty easy to keep myself in check. i.e. not flicking people off in traffic, pushing the shopping cart back, looking at where I am being dishonest in relationships/business AKA spiritual growth.

The first question on the application is "Do you believe in a supreme being" - Atheists are not allowed to join, you have to believe in something. The second question is "Are you a convicted felon" Felons are not allowed to join period. Those are pretty much the only requirements aside from the dues, which are nothing if you are in IM

I believe that in order for me to grow I need to be willing to serve others while remaining open minded to the advice of those who have more experience than I do. Mentors have mentors etc...

When I walk into my lodge I know that the Brothers there have my best interests in mind, therefore I am able to trust the advice/guidance they give me, in turn any Brother coming to me with a problem knows that I will help him/share my experience(advice) with his best interest in mind. If I need counsel on an issue, there is a Brother at my lodge that I can turn to. We have accountants, cops, lawyers, finance, plumbers, contractors, and small business owners - not to mention old timers that have seen it all.

I also like that a lot of important figure in history are Masons. One of my Great Grandfathers sat on the Virginia House of Burgesses for Bedford County, and I believe that he was a Brother, but have not had the time to look into it as of yet. There is so much history to study, all the way back to King Solomon's temple.

In closing. The most important feature thus far has been the Brotherhood aspect and the service that we do in the community. If you want to feel better about what you are doing, give some of your time and money to someone less fortunate, and do it with a group of people that enjoy the same.

 

[tylerherman]

I haven't seen anyone mention a Toastmasters club. Lots of younger business type people working on their public speaking/pr skills.

Might be a good fit.

 

[neotakezo]

Surprised you think that. I hated the little time I spent there. Cambodia is not chill, it's destitute poor and there is a very real sense of desperation. Every forest has been cut everywhere, there's no internet, pedo capital of the world, highway route 5 is a dirt road with potholes. The food is bland without spices. The sort of general expat there is the one who is too poor and weird to even fit in Pattaya. No thanks.

Might depend on where you go. Poipet (the first place many see on their way to the temples around Siem Reap) is the closest thing to a war zone I'm ever likely to see, Siem Reap has amazing temples but aside from that is a hot dusty hell hole with the above mention poverty oozing out of it on account of all the tourists. Phnom Penh is just another SE Asian city only dirtier with more poverty than most...so if you only got that far then I can see what you are talking about. Get down to the ocean though, Sihanoukville, Kep, Kampot and you start to see what it's all about (for me). There's still poverty but it's not in your face like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh as they don't have the population overflow of PP nor the tourist numbers of SR. I see the same kind of beggars around the coastal towns there as I see all throughout Thailand and even Malaysia - just the normal SE Asian kind of thing.

Food is great if you know where to eat, and if you know which places do which dishes well. For instance my ex-girlfriend's auntie (who runs a restaurant) made an awesome breakfast fry up, perfect French fries and some tasty ass chicken burgers...yet funnily enough get her to make a Chinese dish (like sweet and sour chicken or whatever) and it was just bloody awful - which is odd as she is obviously totally Asian and even apparently has a lot of Chinese blood.

Vietnam though...it was nice to sit in Nha Trang and pay almost nothing to live there and watch a disproportionate amount of absolute hotties get around the streets - however the whole place just felt.. soul less...it reminded me of The Gold Coast (in Australia - where I'm from), all glitz and polish but nothing really underneath the shine...I dunno, hard to explain.

I guess different people are just drawn to different places - and it's a good thing...if the tourist numbers Thailand sports showed up in my converted fishing village in Cambodia it'd ruin the place.

Also things on the roads & internet side have come a long way in the last 2 or 3 years. All the major roads connecting the Western cities & towns with each other and with Thailand are now paved.

Where I stay I enjoy free fast wifi along with a balcony the size of some people's lounge room, 180 degree ocean views, hot water that actually works (can only turn it up to about 50% before it starts burning you), king size bed, & fridge in my room for all of $10 a night

When I go out I enjoy free pool, 1$ beers and a few puffs on whatever joints are flowing around the bar that night. 5-10$ is all you need to have a pretty fun few hours (unless you are an alcoholic or ice addict or something...which I'll admit there are a few too many of)

My meals cost 2-5$ each for good quality Asian/Western meals including a fruit shake.

To renew your visa you don't have to leave the beach...you just get a travel agent to do it all for you - $5 plus the visa fee gets you an infinitely renewable (at the moment) multiple entry 12month business visa - no need to show proof of work or income or anything. Compare that to Thailand where it's a right pain to get any long term visas and most ex-pats are forced into getting on a freakin' bus to go and cross the border EVERY TWO WEEKS!!

Either that or get an international flight once a month...no thanks...