Shrine vs. Grotto

Any Masons here know of or members of the "Grotto", aka MOVPER (Mystical Order of the Veiled Prophet of the Enchanted Realm)?

Is the Grotto as widespread as the Shrine? What are your opinions regarding the Grotto?

From what I can tell, it seems less-known than the Shrine, and seems to play second-fiddle to the Shrine.

reply to post by Zhenyghi


The Grotto is only active in a handful of states, whereas the Shrine is active everywhere. Organizationally, they are very similar. Another similar order is Tall Cedars of Lebanon.

The Shrine's membership is vastly larger than these other two, although you will often run across guys who are members of all of them.

reply to post by Masonic Light


I recently found out about a Grotto club that is fairly local. They own a clubhouse and boat dock on a lake and have lots of parties and social events to raise money for charity.

Greetings,

We have the Grotto in Canada, and I know a few members locally. They are more a social organization, than strictly Masonic. Although you must be a Mason to join, I have been told the Grotto is centered around social events, and raising money through dinners, dances etc. Looks like a more relaxed group, and mostly old-timers as far as I have seen. The Shrine is certainly more active, and higher profile, and are recruiting like crazy in my Jurisdiction right now. Both are good organizations, if you are looking for more social events, and a little more relaxed environment.Not to infer other Masonic bodies are not relaxed, but the lodges I am involved with take our ritual and degree work quite seriously.

reply to post by Masonic Light


hahahah sounds so stupid.

makes me think of decoder rings and club memberships you can get out of cereal boxes. Its like real life world of warcraft for old people.

reply to post by Zhenyghi


I always had heard the Grotto was the " poor mans " shrine. This was called that because after becoming a master mason you could join the grotto. The Shrine required you to join the Scottisch or York Rites. This has change over the past years and is now not required to join the Shrine either. I think it is more of a geographical thing now .

reply to post by Wertdagf


It's amazing how maturity changes one's outlook on life and other things.

When I was a teenager, I probably would have thought the same thing if I wasn't so busy chasing a good time. Now that I am older, trying to help others seems like a fun use of my spare time.

reply to post by network dude


Well ill go down to my local Majestic Moonscape of the Twinkling Turtle Toes office and sign up.

Do we wear any pins or hats?... you know... cosplay?

Originally posted by Wertdagf
reply to post by Masonic Light

 

hahahah sounds so stupid.

makes me think of decoder rings and club memberships you can get out of cereal boxes. Its like real life world of warcraft for old people.

I play world of Warcraft sometimes.

Masonry is way cooler. Shrine parties are the tops! They have secret drinks and wear funny hats and drive little cars and stuff.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


I met a dude from Canada on WoW and he said he was a mason and talked about how he lived in the same town Manly Hall was born in.

I found out he was a mason because my character's name was "Rosicrucian" and he whispered me asking "do you stand on the square?"

I told him no but I bet he does

He also said that to another friend and the guy's answer was "I squared the circle". I've always wondered what that answer means. I mean I know the geometry of it but don't different answers mean different things?

reply to post by kingtbone


It's actually quite different now. Any Master Mason can join either without going through an appendant body.

In fact there is a HUGE controversy in a couple of states where a Shriner who was convicted of a crime and was allowed to remain in the Shrine resulted in the Grand Lodges of that state pulling recognition of the Shrine as a 'regular' Masonic order.

This presents an awkward situation for Shriners in those states... If they continue Shrine membership they can be brought up for dismissal.

A word about the Shrine, though. The Shriners donate nearly a half-billion dollars a year to the 22 Shriner's Hospitals for Children, who treat any child regardless of ability to pay. Many of these generous men leave their estates to the Shrine which has resulted in a perpetual $6 Billion endowment that will continue to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the hospitals.

reply to post by protocolsoflove


One of my closest friends who is also in the fraternity and soon to be the Master of his lodge is only my friend because we ran across each other on World of Warcraft. His name was Hiram Abiff, mine was widowsson. We met in the virtual realm of Azeroth as Brothers and even went so far as to create a Masonic Guild on our server. We found that LOTS of Mason enjoy fantasy roll playing games

Originally posted by W3RLIED2
reply to post by protocolsoflove

 

One of my closest friends who is also in the fraternity and soon to be the Master of his lodge is only my friend because we ran across each other on World of Warcraft. His name was Hiram Abiff, mine was widowsson. We met in the virtual realm of Azeroth as Brothers and even went so far as to create a Masonic Guild on our server. We found that LOTS of Mason enjoy fantasy roll playing games

Dude. That's it. Haha. Sign me up. Have you seen the new MMO from the people who made Age of Conan called The Secret World? The concept is 3 factions fighting against each other in modern day society: the Templars, the Illuminati and the Dragons.

reply to post by protocolsoflove


Yep.

I'm a Templar. Shhhhh.